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Each year, Organic Gardening asks seed companies to send us their most promising new introductions before they are available to the average gardener. Then our staff and dedicated test gardeners start the seeds, transplant the seedlings, and grow the varieties in gardens across the country. This year we found out how the plants did in extreme heat, torrential rain, and otherwise unpredictable weather conditions. Read up on our favorites, and find out what's worth trying in your garden before you head to the nursery.
'Profusion Violet' Verbena(Verbena tenuisecta)
This moss verbena looked perfect wherever we planted it, but we especially liked combining it with the 'Tangerine Gem' signet marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia). The verbena spread quickly (up to 2 feet) and was easy to start from seed. It's perfect for trailing over the edge of a container, but its upright habit (12 inches) also suits it to the front of a border, or to fill gaps left by spent spring annuals. Trim the plants back in midsummer to encourage a second flush of blooms, but don't let this lag time between flowering periods stop you from growing 'Profusion Violet'. The plant is worth growing for its fresh, ferny foliage alone.
'Queeny Purple' Hollyhock(Alcea rosea)
Hollyhocks are traditionally tall, so we were a bit skeptical about the merits of a "dwarf" hollyhock. Our doubts were erased when the gorgeous, fuchsia-colored flowers bloomed in mid-August. The 2-foot stems hold their large blossoms above the foliage, and spent blooms drop cleanly. Our tester in Kansas noted that they would be very charming in a window box. Rust, a fungal disease that often plagues hollyhocks, wasn't a problem, but the leaves did yellow during long periods of rain. The plants were supposed to bloom within 12 weeks of seeding, so we were disappointed when we started them in Pennsylvania indoors in March and didn't get blooms until August. They never bloomed in our northern California test garden. In the end, we decided these mini hollyhocks were a fun and whimsical addition to our end-of-summer border.
'Red Knight' Bell Pepper (92 days to red)
These large, blocky hybrid peppers ripened to a beautiful red more consistently and reliably than any other bell we've grown in the OG Test Gardens. They did, however, take a bit longer to turn red than the 80 days the plant breeder had suggested they would need. Still, we will definitely find a place for these sweet and crunchy, disease-resistant bell peppers in our home gardens next year. And we will be sure to hold them up with sturdy stakes; the large fruits tended to weigh down the plants.
'Glory' Tomatoes (69 days to maturity)
While most other tomatoes were cracking and weighing down their branches with soggy fruit, ol' 'Glory' persevered. This new hybrid is a cross between two classic heirlooms: 'Brandywine', bred in southeastern Pennsylvania and 'Delicious'. While the 4-foot-plus plants did not produce tomatoes quite as big as the other beefsteaks we grew--the slightly oval-shaped fruit borne close to the stems was about the size of a fist--'Glory' maintained a nice firm texture, even when conditions were downright swampy. Taste left a bit to be desired. "Disappointingly bland in flavor, belying its appearance," says our Wyoming test gardener.
The rest of the gang Here's a list of the other new flower, tomato, and pepper varieties we tried in our test garden. Find out how they fared in the January/February 2004 issue.
