American Garden Award winners announced

This year’s American Garden Award winners have been announced. The American Garden Award, now in its fourth year, features six new flower varieties chosen by their breeders for their excellent garden performance. Once these new varieties are planted and put on display at the participating gardens, the public is invited to vote on their favorite.

Begonia boliviensis ‘Santa Cruz Sunset’ by Ernst Benary of America is the grand prize winner. It offers an abundance of scarlet/orange blooms, and is ideal for hanging baskets, urns or mass plantings in the garden. It is heat-, drought- and rain-tolerant, and thrives in full sun to shade.

Gazania ‘Big Kiss White Flame’ F1 from Syngenta Flowers is the second place winner. Big Kiss White Flame has large, white and rose-striped flowers that cover full, bushy plants. A heat-loving variety, it is drought-tolerant and thrives in the sun and tough conditions all summer long. Its large flowers can be used for high impact displays in garden beds or containers.

Suntory Flowers’ Petunia ‘Surfinia Deep Red’ is this year’s third place winner. Offering a true deep red petunia, Surfinia Deep Red does not require pinching or pruning, and can be enjoyed in container gardens or in the landscape from spring through fall.

To learn more about the American Garden Award, visit www.americangardenaward.com.