New Garden Products Win 2007 MGA Green Thumb Awards

(HIT) - A total of 10 new gardening products—five new plant varieties and five new tools and accessories—have won 2007 MGA Green Thumb Awards presented by the Mailorder Gardening Association. Bringing home awards in the Plants, Bulbs and Seeds division were Tulip ‘Fire of Love’ from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, Sugar Pearls Apricot from Henry Field’s Seed & Nursery Co., Organic ‘King Harry’ Potato from Wood Prairie Farm, Rudbeckia ‘Prairie Glow’ from Select Seeds & Plants, and TruGold Peach from Henry Field’s Seed & Nursery Co.

Honored in the Tools, Supplies and Accessories division were the Squirrel Buster™ Plus Wild Bird Feeder from The Lawn and Garden Performance Group, Cowpots from Gardener’s Supply, The Grow Box™ from The Garden Patch, Thermoplanter from Lilypons Water Gardens, and Square Foot Success Kit from Gardener’s Supply.

Winners of the 2007 MGA Green Thumb Awards were chosen by an independent panel of garden writers and editors. The winning products were selected based on their uniqueness, technological innovation, ability to solve a gardening problem or provide a gardening opportunity, and potential appeal to gardeners.

The MGA Green Thumb Awards recognize outstanding new garden products available by mail or online. The awards are sponsored by the Mailorder Gardening Association, the world’s largest nonprofit association of companies that sell garden products directly to consumers. For more information visit the MGA website at http://www.mailordergardening.com.

2007 MGA Green Thumb Award Winners – Plants, Bulbs And Seeds

	Tulip ‘Fire of Love’ – Brent and Becky Bulbs

Tulip ‘Fire of Love’ Brent and Becky’s Bulbs ‘Fire of Love’ is a new greigii tulip variety that displays a riot of color in both its blooms and its leaves. The ‘Fire of Love’ flower is deep, passionate red, and its double petals are delightfully ruffled. The stunning foliage is extremely variegated with streaks of white, pink, green and purple on the wavy leaves. In short, this new variety is nothing like your grandmother’s basic tulip! ‘Fire of Love’ blooms in mid-Spring with flowers that reach 10 to 14 inches tall. Available exclusively from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, 1-877-661-2852, http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com.

Sugar Pearls Apricot – Henry Field’s Seed & Nursery Co.

Growing apricots has always been a challenge for many homeowners because the trees tend to bloom so early that late frosts can kill an entire year’s crop. Tests at Rutgers University confirm that Sugar Pearls blooms much later than other apricot varieties, ensuring larger and more reliable harvests for Northern gardeners. Best of all, Sugar Pearls Apricots are sweet and full-bodied with a delicious golden-honey flavor and smooth texture. Sugar Pearls Apricot is self-pollinating, so you only need one tree to enjoy a bounty of fruit in USDA zones 4-7. A standard tree sells for $24.95; a semi-dwarf tree sells for $31.95 from Henry Field’s, 1-513-354-1494, http://www.HenryFields.com.

	Organic ‘King Harry’ Potato – Wood Prairie Farm

King Harry’ makes growing organic potatoes easier than ever. Developed by Cornell University and field tested by Wood Prairie Farm, ‘King Harry’ is resistant to the pests that bother Irish potatoes—including Colorado Potato Beetles and Potato Leafhoppers—because they dislike its hairy leaves. ‘King Harry’ is a robust upright plant with prolific pale purple blossoms that yields a heavy crop of bright-skinned tubers with pearly white flesh. The potatoes keep well, so you can enjoy them well past harvest time. A five-pound bag of ‘King Harry’ Double-Certified Organic Seed Potatoes sells for $14.95 from Wood Prairie Farm, 1-800-829-9765, http://www.woodprairie.com.

Rudbeckia triloba ‘Prairie Glow’ – Select Seeds & Plants

Rudbeckia ‘Prairie Glow’ is a remarkable color break from the native golden Rudbeckia triloba that was first introduced into cultivation in 1699. First discovered by David Cavagnaro, ‘Prairie Gold’ has pinwheels of bloom in glowing colors of mahogany, russet and gold. The stems are a rich purple-brown that nicely offset the stunning flowers. This outstanding native perennial is covered in blooms all summer and early fall (July through September), is easy to grow and needs no deadheading to encourage new blooms. ‘Prairie Glow’ grows 3-5 feet tall and 3 feet wide in USDA zones 4-8. A packet of seeds sells for $3.75; plants sell for $7.95 each. Available from Select Seeds & Plants, 1-800-684-0395, http://www.selectseeds.com

	TruGold Peach – Henry Field’s Seed & Nursery Co.

TruGold Peach is an extremely vigorous grower that can produce a crop of tasty peaches in the first year following the year it is planted. By its third year, the tree produces such heavy crops that the fruit must be thinned to avoid stunting the growth of the tree! This true clone peach variety blooms late to avoid spring frost injury. The freestone TruGold fruits are rich and intoxicatingly sweet, and they hold their superior flavor and texture in your refrigerator for up to 14 days. This self-pollinating tree will thrive in USDA zones 5-8. Each standard tree sells for $24.95 from Henry Field’s, 1-513-354-1494, http://www.HenryFields.com.

2007 Green Thumb Award Winners – Tools, Supplies And Accessories

Squirrel Buster™ Plus Wild Bird Feeder
The Lawn And Garden Performance Group

Squirrel Buster™ Plus Wild Bird Feeder – The Lawn and Garden Performance Group

	Cowpots – Gardener’s Supply

Cowpots are completely biodegradable transplant pots made from recycled dairy fiber. With Cowpots, you can place your transplants with the pot directly into the ground. The Cowpots will decompose into the soil, providing a natural, petroleum-free fertilizer for the plant. Because the young plant is not removed from the pot, transplant shock is greatly reduced. This environmentally friendly alternative to standard plastic pots closes the recycling loop! A set of 15 Cowpots sells for $11.95 from Gardener’s Supply, 1-800-955-3370, http://www.gardeners.com.

The Grow Box™ – The Garden Patch

The new Grow Box™ planter is the perfect way for anyone to enjoy homegrown tomatoes, vegetables, flowers, berries and herbs—even if they don’t have the room or time for a garden. All you need is sunlight and a few square feet of space on the deck, patio or balcony. The Grow Box™ does the gardening work for you. The unique design automatically adds the right amount of water and fertilizer exactly when your plants need it. The special Nutrient Patch™ cover stops weeds and even shows you the best spacing for dozens of popular plants and seeds. The Grow Box™ planter measures 30" L x 15" W x 12" H and is available in green or terra cotta. It sells for $29.95 from The Garden Patch, 1-800-519-1955, http://www.aGardenPatch.com.

	Thermoplanter – Lilypons Water Gardens

The Thermoplanter extends the growing season of tropical waterlilies in all climates by heating the soil. By keeping the soil 20 degrees warmer than the water temperature in which the Thermoplanter pot sits, the Thermoplanter creates a unique microclimate that effectively adds two USDA hardiness zones. The result is a dramatically longer growing season for tropical waterlilies in virtually all U.S. growing zones. The Thermoplanter includes an outer 4.7 gallon black plastic pot, a foam sleeve, a soil heating element and an inner pot. The Thermoplanter is available for $44.00 from Lilypons Water Gardens, 1-800-999-5459, http://www.lilypons.com.

Square Foot Success Kit – Gardener’s Supply

Many aging gardeners are downsizing their gardens, and many would-be gardeners simply have no yard in which to plant a garden. The all-inclusive Square Foot Success Kit is ideal for any gardener with limited space and time. The growing container’s footprint is only one square foot, which is a great size for dwarf or patio-sized vegetables. The kit includes a self-watering planter, container mix, organic fertilizer and a conical wire plant support. Just add the plant of your choice. The Square Foot Success Kit sells for $39.95 from Gardener’s Supply, 1-800-955-3370, http://www.gardeners.com.

Since 1998, the MGA Green Thumb Awards have recognized the best new gardening products available each year in gardening catalogs and websites. The Mailorder Gardening Association, the world’s largest nonprofit association of companies that sell garden products directly to consumers, sponsors the MGA Green Thumb Awards. For more information visit the MGA website at http://www.mailordergardening.com.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center

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