In the Garden
Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener
If you want a beautiful garden this summer, you could just plant the new 2025 All America Selection annual flowers. After being tested by many garden experts around the country, twelve annual flowers have been awarded the prestigious title as national winners, and another has been given a regional award for the Great Lakes Region.
Celosia Flamma Pink has been selected. This celosia is a semi-dwarf, with exceptional flowering on multiple stems. Its bright pink feathery flowers are long-lasting in the garden and in a vase. This celosia was bred by Clover Seed Company.
If, like me, you are a fan of black foliage, you will love the Dahlia Black Forest Ruby. The dark foliage is borne on sturdy plants that do not flop. This is a seed-grown dahlia, so it is not as large as a tuber dahlia. The ruby red semi-double flowers really pop against the dark foliage. This plant is great for containers. In addition to the All America selection, Black Forest Ruby was named a Fleuroselect award winner in European trials. It comes from the Takii Europe breeding program. If you deadhead the plants, they will bloom until frost.
Dianthus Interspecific Capitan Magnifica is actually a tender perennial, but since it is hardy to only zone 7, it may be grown as an annual in southern Indiana. Bred by Selecta One, this is a tall carnation-style dianthus. It is deep pink, with light pink edges, and the long stems make it a natural for bouquets. Shear off spent blooms, and it will keep blooming right through the hot summer.
The French marigold Mango Tango will produce dozens of red and yellow bi-color blooms on compact, vigorous plants. There is no need to deadhead this plant to keep it blooming. Its compact size makes it a natural choice for containers. Mango Tango is also a Fleuroselect winner in Europe. It was bred at Ernst Benary of America, Inc.
Three nastusiums from Takii Europe have been given the All America seal, as well as the Fleuroselect award. Baby Gold, Baby Red and Baby Yellow are aptly named for their bright flowers, which pop against the dark mounding foliage. The compact plants are perfect for small spaces and containers. Both the flowers and the foliage are edible, so add these to your salad garden also.
Hems Genetics gives us a very tough snapdragon that will hold up well in the heat of summer. Double Shot Yellow Red Heart has yellow flowers with red centers. They will grow in full to partial sun, and the flowers have a candy-like scent.
Vinca Sphere Polkadot has a rounded, compact growth habit that weathers storms well and has excellent disease resistance. It thrives in hot and dry conditions. The bright white blooms have a red eye. In the trials, it did well in containers and is great for lining walkways. This vinca comes from Miyashi and Company, Ltd.
Two Zinnias were selected for All America honors. Takii Europe submitted the Crestar Mix. These crested or scabiosa-flowered zinnias bloom in pink, red, white, yellow, orange, and peach, and will flower all summer. They take the hot, humid summer weather and the blooms last a long time in the garden and in vases. Zinnia Zydero Fire bears fully-double, very large blooms of fiery red. The stems are sturdy, and the foliage is resistant to powdery mildew and other diseases. This zinnia was bred by Sygenta Flowers.
Two petunia varieties were also selected. Shake Raspberry sports raspberry blooms with yellow and green variegation. Hem Genetics developed this plant, which is compact and holds up to the heat. Petunia Dekko Maxx Pink is compact, with a spreading habit. Syngenta Flowers bred this petunia, which was awarded a regional award for the Great Lakes Region. It was found to stand up to the hot, humid Midwest summers. It is self-cleaning, so there is no deadheading needed to keep this one blooming until frost. It will be available only as plants, so watch for it at your favorite nursery. Spring is coming.