By Amy-Lynn Albertson
N.C. Cooperative Extension

One of my favorite things about wintertime is curling up with a warm cup of tea and a good seed catalog. The results of all the plant trials of 2023 are out. Now is the time to think about what you want to plant in 2024. All-America Selections is an independent non-profit organization that tests new, never-before-sold varieties for the home gardener. After an entire season of anonymous trialing by volunteer horticulture professionals, only the top garden performers are awarded the AAS Winner award for their superior performance.

The All-American Selection has trials all over the country. AAS judges are professional horticulturists who volunteer their time to evaluate all entries next to comparisons. Universities, public gardens, breeding companies, growers, brokers, extension agents and retailers are current and potential judging sites. My alma mater, Colorado State University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are trial garden sites for the All-American Selections.

In North Carolina, the trials are at N.C. State University at J.C. Raulston Arboretum. This year a vegetable that rose to the top was: Purple Magic F1 Broccoli from Sakata Seeds, one of the judges comments was “Wicked Good, the nicest purple I’ve ever seen, ever. This broccoli has tight, uniform heads with bright beads, giving it great flavor. It is stress- and heat-tolerant, which I definitely want to try for early spring. It is purple from head to stalk. Another vegetable winner is Pepper Red Impact F1, a Lamuyo-type pepper. Lamuyo peppers are a more flavorful version of a bell pepper. The walls of this pepper are sweet, even when green. It has a high yield, and the fruit is a dark red that is very uniform in shape and size. The seed is available through Victory Seed.

Some of this year’s flower winners were Geranium Big EEZE Pink Batik; the Big EEZE Geranium series is known for its superior container performance and heat tolerance. Pink Batik is a beautiful combination of pink and white. This plant will produce lots of blooms that are the same size. One of the judge’s comments was, “Great flower power!” “This geranium performed like a champ all summer long.” For a different cut flower, try Marigold Siam Gold. This marigold has gorgeous double blooms that are deep golden and globe-shaped. The large flowers are on sturdy stems standing high above the foliage, making a striking focal point in your garden. Drought and heat-tolerant, you can also dry these marigolds for dried flower arrangements. You can find more of this year’s and past year’s winners at

 http://all-americaselections.org or answer your horticulture questions at the Rowan County Extension Center at http://rowan.ces.ncsu.edu, 704-216-8970.

Amy-Lynn Albertson is director of Rowan County Extension.