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All-America Selections judges have made their evaluations and four flowers and three vegetables were chosen as best performing varieties for 2011. Additional winners will be announced in January.

Flower winner Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’, bred by Ernst Benary of America Inc., produces 3- to 3½-inch flowers with yellow edges that deepen to a rich apricot in the center. This 12-inch tall, long-flowering perennial is hardy in USDA Zones 2-10.

Cool season winner ‘Glamour Red’ ornamental kale, which was bred by Takii & Co. Ltd., is the first AAS winning kale (edible or ornamental) in 78 years of trialing. This F1 Brassica oleracea is a fringed leaf type with flower head size of 10 to 12 inches. Plants, which measure 12 inches tall by 14 inches wide, begin to show leaf coloring when night temperatures drop below 55°F for about two weeks.

Salvia coccinea ‘Summer Jewel Red’, bred by Takii & Co. Ltd., is a compact (20 inches tall by 16 inches wide) densely branching plant. It produces flower spikes that are covered with ½-inch bright red flowers.

Cool season winner Viola cornuta F1 ‘Shangri-La Marina’ from Tokita Seed Co. is an early-flowering, mounding plant. This vigorous 6-inch tall frost-tolerant biennial produces prolific 1¼-inch blooms. The flowers have light marina blue petals with a velvety dark blue face that is surrounded by a narrow white border.

(Top, left to right) ‘Glamour Red’ ornamental kale; Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ (Bottom, left to right) Salvia coccinea ‘Summer Jewel Red’; Viola cornuta ‘Shangri-La Marina’Vegetable award winner ‘Hijinks’ pumpkin from Sakata Seed America Inc. produces small-sized, 6- to 7-pound fruit, of a very uniform size and shape. The fruit have a smooth deep orange skin and strong durable stems. Early to mature, plants spread up to 15 feet.

Two tomatoes from Pro-Veg Seeds Ltd. were also vegetable award winners.

‘Lizzano’ is the first late blight tolerant cherry fruited semi-determinate variety on the market. The low-growing, trailing plants reach 16-20 inches tall and a spread of 20 inches. It produces abundant yields of small, bright red, 1-inch cherry sized fruits that weigh about 0.4 ounces.

‘Terenzo’ is an easy-to-grow determinate bush variety reaching 16-20 inches tall and 20 inches wide. It produces standard size red cherry fruit measuring 1¼ inches with an average weight of 0.7 ounces.
 
For more: All-America Selections, (630) 963-0770; www.all-americaselections.org.

America in Bloom winners announced
America in Bloom announced the 2010 winners of its community awards during its annual symposium in St. Louis. Each participating city was judged on eight criteria: tidiness, community involvement, environmental awareness, heritage, urban forestry, landscape, floral displays and turf and groundcovers.

• Population category winners:
• Echo, Ore.: under 2,000
• Lewes, Del.: 2,001-4,000
• Charles City, Iowa: 4,001-10,000
• Tipp City, Ohio: 10,001-15,000
• Arroyo Grande, Calif.: 15,001-25,000
• Westfield, N.J.: 25,001-50,000
• Bloomington, Ind.: 50,001-100,000

Eight criteria awards were presented based on feedback received from the team of judges on outstanding efforts they witnessed during their visits. These awards go to one community among all of the entrant cities across all population categories.

Criteria award winners:

• Arroyo Grande, Calif.: Community Involvement Award
• Fayetteville, Ark.: Environmental Awareness Award
• Bloomington, Ind.: Urban Forestry Award
• Rising Sun, Ind.: Tidiness Award
• Webster Groves, Mo.: Heritage Preservation Award
• Shipshewana, Ind.: Floral Displays Award
• Westfield, N.J.: Landscaped Areas Award
• Addison, Texas: Turf & Groundcover Areas Award

Also during the awards program, Bob Lund of Arroyo Grande, Calif., was named as the winner of the 2nd annual John R. Holmes III Community Champion Award. The winner must come from a city that has participated in the AIB program. The award recognizes an individual who, in the view of the board of directors, best exemplifies community leadership through actions that reflect the mission of the organization. 
 
For more: America in Bloom, (614) 487-1117; www.americainbloom.org.