Images courtesy of National Garden Bureau
National Garden Bureau (NGB), a 100-year-old non-profit organization that promotes gardening on behalf of the horticulture industry, has announced the winners of the 2022 Green Thumb Award. This year’s winners include four outstanding new plant varieties and one new gardening product.
Winners of the 2022 Green Thumb Awards were chosen based on these four criteria: uniqueness, technological innovation, ability to solve a gardening problem or provide a gardening opportunity, and appeal to gardeners. Winners were selected by a panel of NGB members.
“The Green Thumb Award is an exciting program that aligns well with NGB’s mission to Inspire, Connect and Grow,” said NGB vice president Jeannine Bogard from Syngenta. “Our members are proud to evaluate and provide our ‘thumbs-up’ to the outstanding new garden plants and products.”
The Green Thumb Awards program was created in 1998 to recognize the best new plants and gardening products available each year. The Green Thumb Awards were originally created by the Mailorder Gardening Association, which later changed its name to the Direct Gardening Association. 2022 is the first year these awards are sponsored by NGB.
2022 Green Thumb Award Winners
Flowering Shrub: Sweetshrub Simply Scentsational
Sweetshrub Simply Scentsational is a Calycanthus shrub that produces fragrant blooms with the smell of pineapple and bubblegum. Selected and refined over an 18-year period by plant breeder Tim Wood at Spring Meadow Nursery, Sweetshrub Simply Scentsational flowers are deep maroon and appear in abundance through late spring and summer.
This shrub is a North American native that will grow throughout USDA zones 4-9. It will reach a mature size up to 6 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide. Developed by Spring Meadow Nursery and available at local garden centers and provenwinners.com.
Perennial: Sedum ‘Back in Black’
Sedum ‘Back in Black’ is a new succulent with an upright growing form that features leaves that are nearly black. In late summer, the striking dark leaf foliage is joined by flowers with deep garnet centers and cream-colored petals.
Sedum ‘Back in Black’ offers a great way to add distinctive dark color to a flower bed or border. The plant will reach 18-24 inches tall, and it is hardy throughout USDA zones 3-9. This award-winning plant looks great all year long. From Proven Winners Perennials and available at local garden centers.
Annual: Salvia ‘Hummingbird Falls’
Salvia ‘Hummingbird Falls’ is a groundbreaking plant in the Salvia genus. This heat-tolerant, trailing plant is perfect for growing in a hanging basket. It produces an abundant supply of vivid blue flowers and shiny black calyces that continue all summer. As the name 'Hummingbird Falls' implies, this salvia is a natural hummingbird magnet and can be used as a hummingbird feeding plant in the yard.
Salvia ‘Hummingbird Falls’ is the first-ever cascading salvia in the guarantica type. A natural hummingbird magnet, this plant has been an absolute favorite in trial gardens across North America with a profusion of hummingbirds visiting at every site. It is cold hardy to USDA zone 8. This plant was entered by Plant Haven International and will be available at local garden centers in Spring 2022.
Edible Plant: Pepper 'Candy Cane Chocolate Cherry'
Pepper ‘Candy Cane Chocolate Cherry’ stands out from other plants in the vegetable garden with peppers that are a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. As this early mini bell pepper matures, its green fruit with a unique yellowish stripe changes to orange-green striping and then to full chocolate-cherry red. The peppers have a sweet flavor and crisp texture, making them perfect for fresh eating at any stage of ripeness.
But it's not just the uniquely striped fruit that makes this pepper special. The variegated foliage of Sweet Pepper Candy Cane Chocolate Cherry will stand out among all other vegetables in your garden. This variety was developed by Pan American Seed and seeds are available from several NGB members.
Garden Product: Garden Soxx
The Garden Soxx Mesh Containment System is an efficient growing system that’s a revolutionary alternative to raised bed gardening. The GardenSoxx is a three-dimensional tube made of breathable mesh that can be filled with organic compost. A GardenSoxx can be used anywhere to grow vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers using 70% less water.
Simply place GardenSoxx on bare soil, concrete, decks or patios. They are simple to use, deliver higher yields, and the mesh keeps weeds out. A GardenSox growing kit includes a 25-foot roll of 8-inch diameter mesh (which yields about 16-20 feet of planting space when filled), an EZ Filler cardboard tube, and a 25-foot drip irrigation kit with fittings for a one-row layout. Available from gardensoxx.com.
Those who would like more information about the Green Thumb Awards program or membership in NGB can contact NGB Executive Director Diane Blazek or send an email to info@ngb.org or call 630-963-0770.
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