All-America Selections works with many different types of organizations and companies in various points of the distribution chain to “grow and show” AAS Winners. Each garden type has its own special characteristics and purposes. Below you will find a description of each type of AAS garden for clarification.
All-America Selections Trial Ground
An AAS Trial Ground is a location where breeders have their new, never-before-sold varieties grown and compared against industry-standard varieties by a panel of unbiased, volunteer judges. This type of garden is often a non-publicly accessible area used for horticulture research. Our trial grounds are located at breeding facilities, seed companies, public gardens, universities, etc. Officially approved AAS Judges manage their trial ground by growing and observing AAS entries next to chosen comparisons. AAS Entries are marked with only an Entry Code. The comparisons may be marked with the Entry Code and Variety name. After the trialing period (which varies depending on the trial), judges submit their scores to the AAS office for compilation. Those scores determine which entries qualify to become AAS Winners.
All-America Selections Display Garden
An AAS Display Garden is most typically a public garden, extension garden or garden retailer that plants, displays and marks AAS Winning varieties (all Winners, including seed, vegetative and herbaceous perennials) in their gardens. Display Gardens must be open to the public and must label all AAS Winners with the AAS designation and variety name. Display Gardens are an integral part of the AAS public relations program to help inform home gardeners about AAS Winners. More information about what it takes to become a Display Garden can be found here.
All-America Selections Introduction Garden
An All-America Selections Introduction Garden is one that hosts Open Houses and Field Days for growers, brokers, etc. during their peak season events. These are not open to the public and are most commonly located at a greenhouse facility or university. We send the most recent two years of AAS Winners (all winners including seed propagated, vegetatively propagated and herbaceous perennials) to these locations so the industry can see how the AAS Winners look in a real garden setting. AAS Winners are marked with variety markers we provide to those gardens.
All-America Selections Preview Garden
An All-America Selections Preview Garden is a professional garden communicator who grows from seed and writes about their experience with AAS Winners. They are sent seeds for the current year AAS Winners. Preview Gardens are asked to provide the AAS office with links to articles or blogs written about those AAS Winners. Select Preview Gardens are also sent plant samples in the spring.
All-America Selections AIB Showcase Garden
AIB Showcase Gardens are a new addition to the AAS garden family. AAS has partnered with America in Bloom to sponsor the annual Showcase Garden Challenge. America In Bloom cities are given the opportunity to grow and showcase AAS Winners in their community as part of the AIB community beautification program. Zone-appropriate AAS Winners are provided by AAS at no cost to these communities. AIB/AAS Showcase Gardens receive 10-12 AAS Winner varieties each year. To be considered an AIB/AAS Showcase Garden, the garden must be on public display, and all plants must be labeled with variety names. Once the garden is planted, pictures and a verification/application form must be provided to AAS representative during mid-summer to verify compliance. Showcase Garden Challenge winners are announced at the annual AIB Symposium in the fall of each year.
AAS Winners