Apr 2, 2010

American Garden Award Returns for 2010Source: American Garden Award

The American Garden Award, administered by All-America Selections, is returning for its second year. This is a unique opportunity for gardeners across the United States to vote for their favorite flower or plant.

The world’s plant breeders have chosen their best varieties to enter into this competition, and the entries will be displayed for consumers to view in person at18 public gardens throughout the United States:

• Birmingham Botanical Gardens
• Boerner Botanical Gardens
• Cantigny Gardens
• Cole Gardens
• Chicago Botanic Garden
• Chicago Park District
• Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden
• Denver Botanic Garden
• Longwood Gardens
• Massachusetts Horticultural Society
• Missouri Botanical Garden
• Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City
• Oregon State Fairgrounds
• Park Seed Company
• Pier 39, Inc.
• Rotary Botanical Gardens
• San Francisco Botanical Garden
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The four entries are:

• Echinacea ‘Prairie Splendor’
• Ornamental Pepper ‘Purple Flash’
• Rudbeckia ‘Denver Daisy’
• Zinnia Profusion ‘Knee-High Red’

Consumers will vote for their favorite in one of four ways: texting their favorite plant’s code to a polling number, visiting www.americangardenaward.com, using postage-paid voting postcards located in most gardens or becoming a fan of American Garden Award on Facebook. Voting will begin May 1 and end Aug. 31, and winners will be announced in September. All the varieties should be available in garden centers.

For more information, visit the American Garden Award’s website at www.americangardenaward.org. (Or follow them on Twitter at @AmerGardenAward).