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The AAS Judges Play Favorites!

4 March, 2021
The AAS Judges Favorite Winners - All-America Selections
The AAS Judges Favorite Winners - All-America Selections

Let’s Get to Know the AAS Judges

The horticulture experts who are the AAS Judges sometimes can’t help but pick their favorite AAS Winners.

In a series of different surveys we sent to the AAS Judges, we asked them a variety of questions. One of those questions was controversial because how do you ask someone to pick their favorite child? But some answered and are happy to share their opinions with you.

Petunia Tidal Wave Red Velour F1 - Large flowers literally cover the vigorously spreading plants that rarely need deadheading because new blooms continuously pop up and cover the old, spent blooms.

Petunia Tidal Wave Red Velour. It was the first time I saw a Petunia not only thrive but ‘swallow the world’ planted in the ground. It was my first year as an AAS Judge. It is still the standard I hold all seed petunias too. ~Jessica Cloninger

Rudbeckia x American Gold Rush - AAS Herbaceous Perennial Winner

I’m so happy that Rudbeckia American Gold Rush was one of two perennials to receive the first AAS award for a perennial. I feel it is one of the very best Black-eyed Susan that I’ve ever grown and perhaps one of the best perennials. ~Richard Hawke

Dianthus Interspecific Supra Pink

Asking me to pick just one is like asking me to name my favourite person! The one I consistently bring home to my own garden is Dianthus Supra Pink. It has the perfect balance of looking delicate and being hardy. Not only does it bloom the first year like an annual through the summer heat, but it lives through winters here in Southern Ontario. Supra Pink has romantic pink fringed flowers that bloom demurely in containers or garden edges. ~Connie Bijl

Sometimes, multiple judges pick the same plant – especially when it’s a Gold Medal Winner!

Zinnia Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor - AAS Gold Medal Flower Winner

Hopefully, the Zinnia Red and Yellow Bicolor that I judged this year will become an AAS Winner. ~James Klett

(It did James! It became Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor)

Zinnia Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor. It is one of the more recent entries, but I have an affinity for the Aster family, and the color of this one really stood out to me. ~David Czarnecki

Zinnia Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor - AAS Gold Medal Flower Winner

I was extremely impressed with this year’s zinnia. Very much like Zowie, another winner, but as a bedding plant, not a cut flower height. ~Robert Durgy

Asian Garden Celosia

One of my favorite winners is Celosia Asian Garden. Please don’t let the Glamor Shot of this flower on the website fool you, ‘Asian Garden’ is not so uptight. Excellent branching means this Celosia is all over the place. Where this Celosia goes, pollinators follow. The color stays bright through the season, it reseeds just a little (enough to say hi the next year, but few enough that they are easily culled if you have a new planting plan the following year). ~Jessie Liebenguth

Tomato Juliet F1 - 1999 AAS Edible - Vegetable Winner - The one ounce tomatoes are produced in clusters like grapes on the long vigorous indeterminate vines.

I love Juliet tomato. Besides its superior field performance in my garden over the years, I remember Charlie Rick [plant geneticist and tomato expert] telling me he thought it was a great tomato too.  That’s about the best recommendation you can get for a tomato! ~Teresa Bunn

Tomato Buffalosun - 2020 AAS Edible - Vegetable Winner

My favorite (so far!) would be Tomato Buffalosun F1. Even when the trial season was a stressful one Buffalosun still performed exceptionally. The flavor is also unique and stood out to me as a favorite from the trial right away. Our team has used Buffalosun to prepare a variety of dishes, including a tomato tart and tomato soup, and each one has been amazing! ~Kristen Noble

And sometimes, you have a Southern judge who is just too sweet and proper to name only one favorite!

Tomato Chef's Choice Black - AAS Winner
Potato Clancy - 2019 AAS Edible-Vegetable Winner - The first potato grown from seed!
Candle Fire Okra -2017 AAS Winner - A unique red okra with pods that are round, not ribbed, and a brighter red color than the reddish burgundy okras currently available.
Bean Pole Seychelles - AAS Edible-Vegetable Winner

I loved Tomato Chef’s Choice Black because of the flavor. It was also enormous fun growing Potato Clancy from seed.  Two of my favorites that I put into my personal garden each year are Okra Candle Fire and Bean Seychelles for their flavor and ease. ~Barbara Park

Echalion Creme Burle - BGS 270 F1 - AAS Edible - Vegetable Winner

The recent Regional Winner Creme Brulee (BGS-270) Echalion. As long as I have them available, any recipe calling for a shallot or an onion I will use the Creme Brulee. I have been known to hoard them for myself under the guise of culinary research! I handed them out to chefs in my region and they are always satisfied with the results. A lot of shallot flavor with much less effort. ~Dennis Ferlito

Squash Sunshine F1- 2004 AAS Edible - Vegetable Winner

After almost thirty years of doing this, it would be hard to say. Sugar Snap pea was one of my all-time favorites. Not far behind would be Sunshine kabocha squash, very sweet and will last all winter in storage. ~Robert Durgy

Aji Rico Pepper F1 - 2017 AAS Edible-Vegetable National Winner

Aji Rico pepper is a variety I really like.  It has excellent flavor and is nice fresh or for making sauce and is early for a baccatum type. ~Steve Bellavia

Which AAS Winner is Your Favorite?

 

“This post is provided as an education/inspirational service of All-America Selections. Please credit and link to All-America Selections when using all or parts of this article.”

3 comments

  • David Hames Reply 03/15/2021 at 1:48 PM

    I am a big fan of Juliet tomatoes. I’ve been growing them every year since they were introduced, and my garden wouldn’t be complete without them!

  • Louise Hemphill Reply 03/05/2021 at 1:31 PM

    I am into Wave Petunias, so my choice is the Wave Red Velour.

  • Gardenin' Angel Reply 03/05/2021 at 11:08 AM

    Eggplant Fairy Tale F1 performed so well last summer in a 5 gallon container.

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