Starting May 13, The Oregon Garden will play host to a special display garden — one that gets the public involved in selecting the best new flower varieties.

Seven new flower varieties will be competing in the 2011 American Garden Award competition, which is entering its third year. The public will be able to view them all at The Oregon Garden, and vote on their favorites. The flowers will also be available for purchase at selected garden centers throughout Oregon. The competition will continue through the end of August, when the top three finishers will be announced.

Heather Desmarteau-Fast, hort manager for The Oregon Garden, said she was excited to be hosting the American Garden Award display garden. “We are honored to be selected as a display garden by such a prestigious organization,” she said. “This is a great opportunity for the public to vote and influence what plants will be available in stores and nurseries.” Some 22 other public gardens were also chosen to display the American Garden Award flowers, including Chicago Botanic Garden, the Denver Botanic Gardens and the San Francisco Botanical Garden, so The Oregon Garden is in good company.

The featured selections include Dahlia ‘Dahlinova Hypnotica Lavender’; Dianthus ‘Kahori’; Ornamental Pepper ‘Uchu’; Petunia ‘Easy Wave™ Neon Rose’; Petunia milliflora ‘Picobella Rose Star’; Scaevola ‘Surdiva® Light Blue’; and ‘SunPatiens® Variegated Spreading White’.