THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 1, 1995 TAG: 9412300098
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
The New Year means new garden varieties from All America Selections and All America Roses. For 1995, it's two roses and three flowers.
For the first time in many years, only two roses have been selected and both are floribundas. A floribunda rose is usually a smaller bush than a tea rose but blooms more prolifically. Normally the blooms do not last long as cut flowers.
The roses selected this year are Brass Band and Singin' in the Rain. They are fragrant and each has orangy blooms. Singin'in the Rain grows 4 to 5 feet tall - large for a floribunda. Brass Band is a smaller bush. Other than that, they are similar in appearance.
Singin' in the Rain was tested this past year in my garden. Although it did not grow to the size indicated, it bloomed late last fall with excellent blooms. They lasted a long time in the house. From my experience, it can be recommended as an excellent rose, easy to grow and good for cutting.
Both roses should be available in garden centers next month for planting. For mail-order customers, Jackson & Perkins sells Brass Band and Edmunds' Roses sells Singin' in the Rain.
All America Selections named three flowers this year but no vegetables. Usually one or two vegetables make the list.
Two of the flowers are petunias, a flower that normally does not grow well in this area. Gloria Winiker, trial manager of the All America Trial and Display Garden at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Center in Virginia Beach, says these two are an exception. She considers each a winner.
The first is Celebrity Chiffon Morn, a pink prolific bloomer with soft pastel pink blooms. Winiker describes the flower color as a delicate pastel pink. The plant did well last summer, despite too much heat and rain, but she believes it needs another season for more observation.
The second petunia is Purple Wave and is a real champion, although Winiker describes the bloom color as more magenta than purple. ``It blooms and blooms and blooms,'' she said. ``It hugs the ground, is only 6 inches tall but can spread 2 to 4 feet.''
With its horizontal growth, it makes a colorful ground cover. It also is adaptable to hanging baskets and window boxes or sloping hills and terraces. The selection committee says the plants are stronger than most, exhibiting heat and weather tolerance. Winiker agrees with the judges.
The third flower is Indian Summer rudbeckia. Golden yellow blooms are 6 to 9 inches across, which makes it an excellent cut flower. ``It's a stunner with bright, strong yellow blooms on good strong stems,'' Winiker said. Blooms are single or semi-double on 3-foot tall plants.
The All America judges say it is easy to grow, and even novice gardeners can grow Indian Summer from seed sown directly onto garden soil. Winiker said everyone who saw this new flower praised it.
All America flowers will be available as bedding plants in garden centers this spring, but seed is available now on seed racks in stores or by mail. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
ALL AMERICA ROSES
The fragrant Singin' in the Rain rose grows 4 to 5 feet tall.
Photos
ALL AMERICA ROSES
The Brass Band floribunda has fragrant, orangy blooms.
ALL AMERICA SELECTIONS
Celebrity Chiffon Morn petunia has many pastel pink blooms.
by CNB