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How to Become a Display Garden

Nearly 200 botanical gardens, arboretums, colleges, universities, cooperative extensions, garden centers, seed companies, city centers, and public parks create and proudly host All-America Selections® Display Gardens.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the purpose of an AAS Display Garden?

The purpose of an AAS Display Garden is to showcase the most recent AAS Winners, label them appropriately and educate the public about why they are top-performing varieties. AAS has several types of gardens that are defined here. 

2. What Do You look for in a Display Garden?

We look for gardens who are interested in forming a partnership with All-America Selections. This includes:

  • A garden with a significant amount of visitor traffic
  • A garden willing to place the AAS Winners in a prominent location
  • Staff and volunteers willing to learn the AAS Story and be able to teach and educate other garden workers as well as garden visitors. (We supply informational materials)
  • A garden that will designate each AAS Winner by variety name and showcase it as an AAS Winner, by using provided variety markers or using their own labels.
  • A garden contact who is engaged and willing to communicate with AAS, including the annual verification process.
  • A long-term commitment to the partnership, not in one year and out the next.
  • Gardens that do community outreach and education as part of their mission.

Once a garden determines they would like to be involved, they must decide whether they will grow AAS flowers and edibles, AAS flowers only, or AAS edibles only.

Ideally, the AAS Winners are planted in a highly visible, high-traffic location(s) as possible. A locally publicized event during the growing season adds to the attractiveness of a garden.

Please note: gardens must be open to the public. Home gardens are not open to the public.

3. How long can my garden be an AAS Display Garden?

We encourage all gardens to continue in the AAS Display Garden program forever! We do require each garden to complete a yearly verification to commit to remaining in the program and ensuring we have correct and up-to-date information. Failure to complete the verification will remove the garden from the AAS Display Garden program.

4. How much does it cost to become an AAS Display Garden?

There is no cost to become an AAS Display Garden.  All-America Selections® provides the seed of Winners that are propagated from seed and plants of Winners from the Vegetative and Herbaceous Perennial trials. We provide a complimentary Display Garden sign to be placed in the garden near the AAS Winner display (or where the majority of AAS Winners are planted).  The required variety markers are also provided at no cost to the Display Garden unless they choose to create their own. We do not compensate any Display Gardens as it is assumed most Display Gardens have landscape programs and that the AAS Winners can be incorporated into the landscape design.

5. Do I need to evaluate the AAS Winners?

No, AAS Winners have already been evaluated by a panel of unbiased, professional horticulturists and deemed AAS Winners. As an AAS Display Garden your role is to grow these winners in an attractive design and introduce them to the public.

6. Do I have to plant every AAS Winner I receive?

We ask that you plant as many of the winners as feasible in your garden, making sure each is labeled as an AAS Winner with either a variety sign provided by AAS or one of your own creation.

7. Do I need to plant all the AAS Winners together?

No, you do not need to plant all the AAS Winners in one spot. Many gardens choose to create one display featuring all AAS Winners, while other gardens like to spread the AAS Winners throughout their grounds. We only ask that each AAS Winner is labeled with the variety name and note that it is an AAS Winner.

8. What about Display Garden signage and variety markers?

A weatherproof sign is sent to each garden to clearly identify each garden as an official All-America Selections® Display Garden. We ask that the sign is placed in the bed where the majority of the AAS Winners are on display. If your garden requires consistent brand signage and chooses to create their own, we ask that you use our color logo whenever possible. Variety markers accompany the AAS Winners. Although you may choose not to use AAS variety markers, we do require each All-America Selections® Winner to be clearly identified by a label that includes the variety name and designation as an AAS Winner and our color logo if possible. You can find additional informational signs on the AAS Website that are free to download and print. 

9. Can I donate or sell my AAS Edibles?

Yes, you are welcome to donate, or sell, leftover seed or transplants of your AAS Winners. You can also donate or sell the produce grown from AAS Edible Winners.

10. Do I have to label each AAS Winner?

Yes, the primary purpose of the AAS Display Gardens is to help educate garden visitors on which plants are worthy of the AAS Winner designation. A garden can choose to use our free variety markers or print their own, as long as the label includes the variety name and the words “AAS Winner”. We prefer that you also include the appropriate regional or national  AAS Winner logo.

Policy to Maintain Official Display Garden Status

The AAS Board of Directors’ policy is that entities granted Display Garden status are expected to grow and maintain their gardens in an orderly, visually-appealing fashion. These gardens may be visited by AAS Officers, Directors, and Judges during the course of the growing season. Those AAS Ambasadors are asked to make a report to the Executive Director. If at any time we feel the garden is not living up to our standards, a conversation with that garden will take place to plan improved participation in our program.

Display Garden Application

MISSION STATEMENT

“To promote new garden varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America.”

CONTACT

5201 Walnut Ave. Suite 3
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Phone: 630-963-0770

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