National Garden Bureau releases 2013 picks

The National Garden Bureau is announcing the three crops featured in their 2013 “Year of the” program.

For annual flowers, 2013 will be the Year of the Gerbera, for edibles it will be the Year of the Watermelon and for perennials, it will be the Year of the Wildflower.

The nonprofit organization selects crops that are easy to grow and are genetically diverse, with many new varieties to choose from.

NGB is encouraging breeders, growers, brokers and garden centers to consider these plants when planning for the 2013 season to take advantage of the publicity generated from this program.

To see the publicity generated from the 2011 and 2012 programs, visit www.ngb.org/press_room/index.cfm
NGB also has photos of numerous varieties of all three crops, provided by their members. There are also PDF fact sheets, flyers, handouts, signage and more that can be downloaded free of charge.

Consumer publicity will begin January of 2013.