GREEN GOODS 9 8 10 American Hosta Growers Association HOSTA OF THE YEAR www.hostagrowers.org 10. Hosta 'Island Breeze' Walters Gardens 2014 'Island Breeze' is an improvement on its parent 'Fire Island' by virtue of its wider green margin and thicker substance. It merges with a brilliant yellow center, and the red petiole bleeds into the base of the leaf with dark lavender flowers in late summer. 11 8. Verbena 'Vanity' Van Hemert & Co. Thanks to its shorter stems, this Verbena bonariensis is clearly more compact than existing varieties. The tight flower clusters have a more intense purple-blue color and bloom from mid-summer until autumn frost. 'Vanity' offers a long flowering season, attracts bees and butterflies, and spreads a subtle fragrance in the early morning and evening. It's also an AAS national winner (page 19). 9. Rudbeckia 'Goldblitz' PanAmerican Seed This newcomer is a first-year-flowering solution for growers unable to reliably finish Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' under their natural growing conditions. 'Goldblitz' plugs do not require special treatment during production. The rudbeckia flowers approximately 14 to 21 days earlier, is more uniformly grown in its first year and has an excellent garden performance. Perennial Plant Association PERENNIAL PLANT OF THE YEAR www.perennialplant.org 11. Rudbeckia 'American Gold Rush' Intrinsic Perennial Gardens At the height of summer, 'American Gold Rush' turns up the volume for a long season of dazzling color right up to autumnal frosts. The bright golden-yellow flowers feature arching rays and a reddish halo surrounding dark chocolate cones. The 3-inch flowers blanket the compact plant, which is only 22 to 27 inches tall with a broader width to 40 inches if given room to grow. LGRMAG.COM | 21http://www.hostagrowers.org http://www.perennialplant.org http://www.LGRMAG.COM