All-America Selections (AAS) cultivates a vast network of partnerships across the horticultural landscape, collaborating with diverse organizations and companies throughout the distribution chain to “grow and show” AAS Winners.
This collaborative effort ensures that these exceptional plants reach gardeners nationwide. From the initial breeding and trialing stages to the final display in public gardens, each partner plays a crucial role. This network comprises several distinct garden types, each serving a unique purpose in the AAS mission. This article is designed to illuminate the characteristics and contributions of each of these vital garden types, providing a comprehensive understanding of how AAS Winners are brought to life.
All-America Selections Trial Gardens/Trial Grounds
Behind every AAS Winner is a dedicated team of volunteer judges and a network of unique gardens: AAS Trial Grounds. These are the proving grounds where new plant varieties are put to the ultimate test. At locations across the country, from bustling seed companies to tranquil university gardens, judges cultivate new entries alongside established varieties, meticulously observing their performance. Each AAS entry is known only by a code, ensuring unbiased evaluation. Over the course of the growing season, judges score each entry based on a range of criteria, and these scores determine which plants rise to the top and earn the prestigious AAS Winner designation.
All-America Selections Display Gardens
Imagine strolling through a vibrant garden, each plant a proven performer, hand-picked by experts. That’s the experience awaiting you at an AAS Display Garden. These public gardens, extension gardens, and even some garden retailers showcase the very best in horticulture—AAS Winners. From dazzling annuals to robust perennials, every winning variety, identified by its AAS designation and name, offers a glimpse into top-performing plants. These gardens are living proof of what thrives, inspiring home gardeners with ideas and confidence. Discover a Display Garden near you and experience the beauty of AAS Winners firsthand.
All-America Selections Introduction Gardens
Behind the scenes of the horticultural world! AAS Introduction Gardens are exclusive sites, typically located at greenhouse facilities or universities, offering industry professionals—growers, brokers, and others—a first look at the latest and greatest AAS Winners. During peak season Open Houses and Field Days, these gardens showcase the most recent two years of winning varieties, from seed-propagated annuals to vegetatively propagated plants and/or edibles and vegetables. It’s a unique opportunity to see how these exceptional plants perform in a real-world garden setting, providing valuable insights for industry decision-making. Each AAS Winner is clearly marked with signage provided by AAS, ensuring easy identification and study.
All-America Selections Preview Gardens
Meet the storytellers of the plant world: AAS Preview Gardens. These talented garden communicators—bloggers, writers, and horticultural experts—get an exclusive sneak peek at the latest AAS Winners. They are sent seeds of the current year’s winning varieties, they then cultivate these exceptional plants and share their experiences with the world through engaging articles, blog posts, and more. These passionate communicators play a vital role in introducing AAS Winners to home gardeners, inspiring them with firsthand accounts and practical advice.
We hope this overview clarifies the diverse roles within the All-America Selections (AAS) network and demonstrates the organization’s extensive reach, both within and beyond the traditional horticulture industry. From breeders developing groundbreaking new varieties to the dedicated judges evaluating their performance, and from the display gardens showcasing their beauty to the communicators sharing their stories, a vast network of individuals and organizations plays a vital role in the journey of an AAS Winner. Earning the coveted AAS Winner designation is no small feat, requiring exceptional performance in trials across diverse climates and conditions. But once a plant achieves this prestigious recognition, a dedicated community is eager to share its superior garden performance with the world.
