All America Vegetable Selections 2002

Basil ‘Magical Michael’

An ornamental, edible sweet basil with a clearly refined plant size and shape. ‘Magical Michael’ plants are uniform and reliably 15 inches tall and 16 to 17 inches wide. This uniformity is rare in sweet basil plants. The lush aromatic, green leaves can be harvested within 30 days of transplanting and are rich in essential oils for cooking. Plants may flower when mature in about 80 to 90 days from seed. The small flowers are a curiosity since the calices are purple and corollas white. They are attractive for use as a garnish, adding color to any salad.

Cucumber ‘Diva’

Sweet flavor and high yield describe the improved qualities of ‘Diva.’ The fruit will be sweet, non-bitter with a crisp texture when harvested at 4 to 5 inches. Normally seedless, a few seeds may grow if pollinated by other cuke plants. ‘Diva’ produces all female flowers and does not require pollen to set fruit. These traits result in high yields. Expect mature cukes in about 58 days from sowing seed in warm soil. Plants are resistant to scab and tolerant to powdery and downy mildews. ‘Diva’ is the only slicing cucumber you need to grow in your garden.

‘Orange Smoothie’ Pumpkin F1

Children will be infatuated with ‘Orange Smoothie’ pumpkins. The dark orange, smooth skin is ideal for painting Halloween faces. The size is desirable for young hands, weighing 5 to 8 pounds with a strong, long handle. ‘Orange Smoothie’ pumpkins will mature early, in about 90 days from sowing seed. Another benefit is the semi-determinate habit requiring less space in the garden. Easy-to-grow from seed or started plants, ‘Orange Smoothie’ is an all-around great pumpkin for carving, painting, decorating and even the meat is sweet for homemade pumpkin pie.

‘Cornell's Bush Delicata’ Winter Squash

If you have never eaten a Delicata squash, this is the one to grow to eat. The orange flesh color indicates it is rich in Vitamin A. The sweet flesh is fine textured without coarse strings. Butter and brown sugar are optional when eating ‘Cornell’s Bush Delicata’ squash because it is so sweet. The squash have a long shelf life, meaning you can enjoy eating the squash into the winter months. About 100 days from sowing to harvest, the tolerance to powdery mildew will increase overall yield. The compact habit requires less garden space. The mature bush will send out 4 to 6 foot runners later in the season.

You can call All America selections to find out where to purchase these seeds at 630-963-0770 or check out their Retail Locator on their web site - www.aaswinners.com. For more information check out our Watch Your Garden Grow site at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/.

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