All America Selections Supra Cherry Picotee F1 is a compact, bushy plant with excellent heat and drought tolerance.
Erl Svendsen
All-America Selections was founded in 1932 and remains the oldest independent plant testing organization in North America. Every year, new, never before sold in North America varieties are trialed in their Trial Grounds across North America. Professional horticulturists determine which varieties will be deemed winners based on their garden performance. (https://all-americaselections.org)
Herbs and vegetables
‘Treviso’ basil (Ocimum basillicum)
Tight, compact and highly branched, ‘Treviso’ is slow-to-flower and has good heat tolerance, The slightly anise-flavoured leaves stay tender longer, resist bitterness and maintain excellent quality late into the season = summer-long superior, fresh-tasting pesto. A perfect herb for larger containers.
‘Majesty’ pole bean (Phaseollus vulgaris)
High yield and superior quality with delicious, sweet/non-bitter, and tender pods. Plants are dense with dark green foliage and recovers well from summer heat stress. The pods are straight and uniform in size, making for easy harvest.
‘Rubyfor F1 kale (Brassica oleracea)
Prized for its beauty and as a vegetable, ‘Rubyfor’ has deep purple foliage and is uniform and compact – excellent for small spaces. The leaves are exceptionally tender and non-bitter, producing a bountiful harvest from spring through to frost.
‘Butter Lamp F1’ squash (Cucurbita moschata)
This mini, pumpkin-shaped butternut squash is perfect for any garden. It has excellent resistance to powdery mildew, heat and insect pressure. Abundant, uniform 1-2 pound yellow-fleshed fruit are produced on short vines, requiring less space than traditional varieties. Early to ripen (days to harvest from transplant = 85-90 days) with superb storability, this is an excellent addition to your vegetable garden.
‘BadaBing! F1’ tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
With excellent early and late blight disease resistance, you can rest easy with this new cherry tomato. Despite being an indeterminate type (i.e., not a bush), the plant stays fairly manageable at 40 inches (1 meter) tall. The large (1.5-inch), bright red fruit are crack-resistance. A bountiful harvest awaits.
Flowers
‘SunGlobe’ coreopsis (Coreopsis grandiflora)
‘SunGlobe’ is a stunner – tons of fluffy, golden yellow, semi-double flowers are produced on sturdy stems from spring through to fall. Tidy, compact and densely branched, it is ideal for borders and containers.
‘Supra Cherry Picotee F1’ dianthus (Dianthus interspecific chinensis x superbus)
The latest in the ‘Supra’ series, ‘Cherry Picotee’ is a compact, bushy plant with excellent heat and drought tolerance. The unique, fringed blooms open with dark cherry centres and soft pink edges, and add a bright splash of colour to beds and containers
‘Sole Giatto’ heliopsis’ (Heliopsis helianthoides)
Italian for yellow sun, ‘Sole Giatto’ shines brightly in your borders and containers. This hardy (zones 3-8), compact false sunflower flowers abundantly with gorgeous, long-lasting bright yellow blooms from spring through fall. Not only a visual treat for us humans, ‘Sole Giatto’ attracts pollinators while resisting deer and rabbits.
Claire™ Orange F1 rudbeckia (Rudbeckia hirta)
This compact, free- and early-flowering cultivar has a compact, uniform and tidy habit. The flowers are clear orange with a dark, central ‘eye’ that remains perfectly clean, free from pollen. It is very vigorous with excellent heat and disease resistance.
‘Spectacular’ sedum (Sedum spectabile)
Compact with sturdy stems, ‘Spectacular’ resists flopping, maintaining a tight, compact mound ideal for borders or containers. The generous, light pink flowers are set against attractive light green foliage.
‘Profusion Double White Improved’ zinnia (Zinnia hybrida)
As the name suggests, this cultivar boasts impressive, large, double pure white flowers that hold up through the heat of a Saskatchewan summer. Enjoy continuous colour from spring through fall (without the hassle of deadheading) on compact plants (14 inches tall x 20 inches wide) in both containers and your border.
Erl Gardens in Saskatoon. This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society
(SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page for a list of upcoming gardening events.
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