Cultivar Trials

Plant evaluations at the Georgeson Botanical garden included 1325 woody perennials, herbaceous perennials, annual flowers, herbs and vegetables. Two new cultivars were added to the list of recommended vegetables: ‘Small Wonder’ spaghetti squash had an impressive yield for a small, single serving squash; ‘Papaya Pear’ also yielded well and had a sweet, mild flavor. Both All-America Selections winners are recommended for home or market gardens. Based upon three years of trials, the following outdoor-grown tomatoes are recommended for home gardens: ‘Sub-Arctic 25’. ‘Prairie Fire’, ‘Northern Delight’ and ‘Oregon 11’. An unusually severe mid-fall frost provided an opportunity to evaluate plants that would survive temperatures 12 degrees below freezing. They included: Agastache: Golden Jubilee, Sweet Alysum: Snow crystals, Wonderland Lavender, Calendula: Flashback, Geisha Girl; Chrysanthemum: Snowland, Bellis; Lipstick; Gazania: Daybreak Orange Cream, Sunshine; Geranium: Black Velvet Rose, Maverick Violet; Godetia: Flamingo Mix, Linaria: Fantasy Mix, Lupine: Band of Nobles, Pansy: 11 cultivars, Petunia: Blue Wave, Double Cascade Mix, Tidal Wave Purple, Rudbeckia: Cherokee Sunset, Salvia: Marble Arch, Snapdragon: 6 cultivars, Statice: Pastel Shades, Stock: Giant Imperial Mix, Strawflower: Perfect Jewels Mix, Three Birds flying, Layia, Verbena: 5 cultivars, Viola: 6 cultivars.

Holloway, P., G. Matheke, J. Hanscom, A. Gardiner, V. Hill and E. Van Wyhe. 2003. Annual flower evaluations 2003. University of Alaska Fairbanks Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Circ 124.