The Green Thumb Award is an annual competition for plants and products that are innovative and unique and that bring a new element to the garden.
The winning plants and products below have all been reviewed and voted upon by National Garden Bureau members for their qualities that will make your garden even better.
Winners of the 2023 Green Thumb Awards were chosen by an independent panel of National Garden Bureau members who are garden writers, breeders, retailers, brokers, and growers. 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 Green Thumb Awards recognize outstanding new garden products available by mail or online. The awards are sponsored by the National Garden Bureau (NGB), a nonprofit organization that exists to educate and inspire home gardeners.
2023 Green Thumb Award Winners
Annual (tie)
Elephant Ear Royal Hawaiian® ‘Waikiki’
Colocasia esculenta ‘Waikiki’
Veteran plant pros and new gardeners alike are talking about the exciting new colors on this Colocasia! Royal Hawaiian® Waikiki offers glossy green foliage with flamboyant white and flamingo pink veining and is bred to be happy in full sun. Disease resistance and a compact, clumping habit — 3 feet tall and wide — is ideal for patio containers, poolside plantings, and color-packed garden beds. This plant is available from your favorite garden retailer. This Colocasia is also a 2023 All-America Selections National Winner making it a dual winner!
NGB Member: Plant Development Services, Inc.
Year: 2023
Plant Type: Annual
Plant Needs:
Hardy to Zone: 8a-11b
Water: Wet to Moist
Full Sun: Yes
Partial Sun: Yes
Plant Characteristics:
Compact Habit: Yes
Plant Height: Over 36″
Plant Spread: 3′
Foliage Color: Glossy green, white, and flamingo pink
Plant Details:
In Containers/Pots: Yes
In Beds: Yes
Annual (tie)
Starflower Paper Moon
Scabiosa stellata
The novelty of this annual is what makes it a winner in the 2023 Green Thumb Award. Small, pale blue blossoms on wiry stems transform into highly decorative, bronze-colored geometric and globe-shaped seed heads. Plants are grown primarily for their papery seed pods, which are useful for both fresh and dried bouquets. This variety is available from your favorite garden retailer in seed packets. Plants grow 2–3 feet tall and attract beneficial insects.
NGB Member: SAHIN Home Garden—Takii Europe
Year: 2023
Plant Type: Annual
Small, pale blue blossoms on wiry stems transform into highly decorative, bronze-colored geometric and globe-shaped seed heads. Plants are grown primarily for the papery seed pods, which are useful for both fresh and dried bouquets.
Plant Needs:
Full Sun: Yes
Plant Characteristics:
Upright Habit: Yes
Plant Height: 24–36”
Bloom Color: Blue/Purple
Plant Details:
In Beds: Yes
Pollinator Friendly: Yes
Edible
Tomato Sun Dipper
Solanum lycopersicum
NGB Member: PanAmerican Seed Co.
Year: 2023
Plant Type: Annual
Sun Dipper’s unique elongated fruit can be held between your fingers for easy use with dips and sauces. No more accidental finger-dips in the ranch sauce! The orange flesh fruit looks great on a vegetable platter and tastes delicious. Plants are indeterminate and have great resistance to in-ground diseases, so you’ll harvest trusses of Sun Dipper tomatoes until the frost.
Plant Needs:
Water: Normal
Full Sun: Yes
Staking: Yes
Plant Characteristics:
Climbing Habit: Yes
Upright Habit: Yes
Plant Height: 5-6’
Plant Spread: 36-48″
Fruit Color when Mature: orange
Fruit Shape: Dipper, Elongated
Fruit Size: 2-2.5″ long x 0.5-0.7″ wide
Fruit Flavor: Mid-flavor, not super sweet, great for dipping
Fruits per Plant: Trusses
Plant Details:
In Beds: Yes
Days to Harvest (Seeds Sowed): 74-88
Days to Harvest (Transplanted): 60-65
Garden Spacing: 18-36″
Disease Resistance or Tolerance: High Resistance to Fusarium race1, Nematodes, and Tobacco Mosaic Virus
Growing Tips: Plant in a sunny area and water regularly. Best grown in the ground with support of a trellis or cage. Fruit is ripe when it reaches a light orange color.
Perennial
Astilbe Dark Side of the Moon
Astilbe hybrid
NGB Member: Walters Gardens Inc.
Year: 2023
Plant Type: Perennial
An instant classic for the landscape! ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ is the only dark leafed Astilbe with purple flowers that’s on the market. Rich, deep chocolate burgundy leaves form an incredibly attractive mound of foliage. Emerging leaves are yellow with a dark margin with a glossy sheen that become completely dark as they age. Dark stems hold raspberry buds that burst forth with rosy purple flowers.
Plant Needs:
Hardy to Zone: 4-9
Water: Normal
Sun or Shade: Yes
Plant Characteristics:
Mounded Habit: Yes
Plant Height: 18-24″
Plant Spread: 24-28″
Foliage Color: Near-black
Bloom Color: Blue/Purple
Fragrant: Yes
Plant Details:
In Containers/Pots: Yes
In Beds: Yes
Pollinator Friendly: Yes
Garden Spacing: 24-28″
Growing Tips:
Astilbes are long-lived perennials that are most comfortable when grown in rich soil and light shade to filtered sun. They will grow in full shade, but will not bloom as prolifically there. Though they are easy to grow, Astilbes have one critical requirement–lots of water. Plants must have consistently moist soil; dryness leads to a quick demise, especially in sun. Increase watering as the foliage emerges and the plumes mature. Fertilize Astilbes in late spring before flowering starts.
Kudos to the 2023 Green Thumb Award winners! This article highlights the outstanding achievements of gardeners and innovators in the fields of annual, edible, and perennial gardening. From breathtaking blooms to delicious harvests, these winners exemplify excellence in horticulture and inspire us all to cultivate beauty and sustainability in our own gardens. Congratulations to all the deserving recipients!
Very useful article about gardening.
https://www.aborcuttree.com.au/
I look forward to your newsletter every morning.
Thank you for brightning up my morning