Special to Road Trips for Gardeners
By the National Garden Bureau

it’s time to announce the 2014 American Garden Award Winners. 2014 concludes the sixth year for the American Garden Award flower popularity contest, and 2014 featured four beautiful flower varieties chosen by their breeders for their excellent garden performance.

Once these varieties were planted and put on display at the thirty-two participating gardens across the United States and Canada, the general public was invited to vote for their favorite using one of several voting methods…and vote they did. With over 7,000 votes, the first, second and third place winners are ready to be announced.

The three top winners, based on online voting, in-garden votes and text votes are:

*Most Popular: Grand Prize Winner
Foxglove Digiplexis™ Illumination® Flame
By Cultivaris, Inc.
With a mother from the Spanish Canary Islands, this incredible new foxglove hybrid produces a stunning summer-long display. Incredible Red-Pink flowers with flaming orange throats are produced in classic foxglove style from May to October. Great in pots or borders, it is long-lasting as a cut flower too!

*Second Place Winner
Petunia Sanguna® Radiant Blue
By Syngenta Flowers, Inc.
This stunning new hybrid petunia packs a punch! With a bicolor flower pattern, Sanguna® Radiant Blue gracefully adds beauty to any container. While creating standout pots for porches & decks, it also performs well in garden beds. The possibilities of this flower will provide many options to decorate garden spaces.

*Third Place Winner
Celosia Arrabona Red
By PanAmerican Seed Inc.
Masses of striking red plumes will last all summer long! Easy care, drought tolerant and loves the heat, Arrabona’s fiery beauty looks gorgeous in both borders and containers.

The American Garden Award program is administered by the All-America Selections® Display Garden program.

(Photos courtesy of American Garden Award)