The 2012 Georgia Gold Medal plants have been named for this year, and the winners are earning their gold in color, fragrance, texture and native adaptability.

Since 1993, Georgia Gold Medal plant winners are selected each year by the Georgia Plant Selection Committee, which is comprised of green professionals and faculty from the University of Georgia.

This committee takes nominations and selects the plants to promote the production, sale and use of superior tested ornamental plants that thrive well in Georgia. Their aim is to get deserving, but underused plants into our Georgia landscapes. There are five categories chosen.

The 2012 annual chosen is the beautiful flowering Calibrochia "million bells." This annual has a petunia-like flower, but it is smaller in scale. The available colors are anywhere from yellow to pink to purple and the flower opens up to about the size of a quarter.

Million bells are a great plant for containers or hanging baskets with their delicate flowers and trailing habits. They blend well with a host of plants in a mixed container. But if a sheer display of flowers is desired, nothing beats a hanging basket full of these blooming wonders. They will perform from early spring until late fall.

The 2012 perennial winner is Coral Bells (Heuchera). The leaves of this evergreen woodland plant come in many color variations and patterns, in shades of green, chartreuse, peach, burgundy and purple. The foliage on this plant is their main attraction with bronze leaves to plum purple, scalloped edging.

Coral Bells deserve a prominent part shade location in the garden and are visually attractive in borders, rock gardens or in mass as a ground cover. They have a low clumping form to them working well in contrast with other perennials with their richness in texture and color.

Heuchera’s clusters of small bell-shaped flowers atop long stems appear in the spring and summer. The blossoms attract hummingbirds and add floral interest to vase cuttings.

The 2012 tree winner is the beautiful, eye-popping Coral Bark Maple "Sango kaku."

This slow growing, finely textured landscape tree is useful in a woodland edge or as a beautiful single specimen tree in a front yard. It can be used in a shrub border or anywhere it can be viewed often and admired.

This attractive small to medium maple tree (20-25 feet) is known for its striking pink red bark in the fall and winter landscape, and young limbs and twigs will continue to provide the same color though its growing stages. The leaves are mostly green with red, pinkish tinges when unfolding. The edging on the leaves gives it an almost fern look.

The 2012 shrub winner is the Rabbiteye blueberry bush. Not only do you get tasty fruit with blueberries, but this shrub blooms in the spring and has beautiful fall color foliage.

Rabbiteye blueberries are a great choice for the home garden. They provide a delicious and healthy fruit, but also can be used as a landscape plant.

One of the most important things to remember about starting rabbiteye blueberries is to plant more than one variety for cross pollination to promote fruit set. Some varieties to mix are Climax, Premier, Tifblue and Centurion.

The 2012 native plant selection is the Yellow Sweetshrub.

This plant is valued for its sweet, often fruity fragrance of its flowers. The yellow flowers open in April to May and resemble a shape somewhat like a magnolia blossom. Flowers are long lasting and make great cutting flowers. Sweetshrub leaves are large and turn golden yellow before falling in autumn.

Georgia Gold Medal plants are proven performers for gardens. There are now close to 100 plants that have been chosen over the years, creating a large palette of plants for homeowners to feel comfortable using in their home landscapes. Find out more about all of them at www.georgia
goldmedalplants.com.

Wanda Cannon serves as the Hall County Master Gardener coordinator and horticulture assistant for the Hall County Extension Office. Phone: 770-535-8293. Her column appears biweekly and on gainesvilletimes.com/life.