All-America Selections’ Awards Help New Plants Reach Public
There are so many unknowns in the world, wouldn’t it be nice to know what will appear in your garden? Sure, planting something and waiting to see what appears can be fun, but considering the amount of work that goes into gardening, it’s nice to know you’re growing a reliable, productive plant.
Thanks to All-America Selections, that is possible. Every year since 1933, this nonprofit organization has introduced new flower and vegetable varieties from seed. To receive this distinguished honor, the winners are chosen by unpaid, independent judges.
The result?
“Plants with a guarantee,” says Nona Wolfram Koivula, executive director of All-America Selections, which is based in Downers Grove, Ill.
“The plants that receive the AAS honor have proven their performance in trials across North America,” she says. “The decision is guaranteed unbiased because each seed breeder’s identity is a deeply guarded secret.”
You can trust these varieties to perform well in your garden, agrees Jim Waltrip, director of Seminis Garden, the home garden division of Seminis Vegetable Seeds, an Oxnard seed and plant breeder and producer.
“These varieties are tested strictly on the basis of their advantages for the home gardener,” he says. “This enables gardeners to try new and improved vegetables and flowers that are also dependable.”
Because of their reliability, many of the AAS winners have gone on to experience years of popularity. Some former winners include the “Sugar Snap” pea, introduced in 1979. “First Lady” marigold is another favorite that dates to 1968.
The immensely popular “Celebrity” tomato was an AAS winner in 1984. It was introduced by Seminis, which has won many AAS awards over the years. Other well-known winners by Seminis include “Big Beef” tomato, “Bell Boy” pepper, “Thumbelina” carrot, “Red Sails” lettuce and “Blushing Beauty” pepper.
In this year’s trials, Seminis won with its “Super Star” onion and “Giant Marconi” pepper.
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Award entries are submitted by independent breeders, seed companies and universities. The entries are then tested over a growing season in conjunction with their closest comparisons. Judges are responsible for sowing the seed, growing the plants and evaluating their performance all summer. They are also required to taste each vegetable.
Each entry is scored from 0 to 5 based on a variety of characteristics. An independent accounting firm receives the entries and only those with the highest average scores are considered for an award.
Characteristics considered for winning include multiple disease resistance and overall plant health. Vegetables require a good flavor and yield, and flowers should bloom all season, requiring no pinching or pruning. Unique flowers and colors are also sought.
Each year there are 30 to 50 entries, from which emerge three to 12 winners.
For information on mail-order seed sources and local retailers that carry seed and plants for All-America Selections, visit the Web site at https://www.all-americaselections.org.
Some mail-order nurseries that carry AAS seed include:
* Burpee, (800) 333-5808, https://www.burpee.com
* Johnny’s Selected Seeds, (207) 437-4301, https://www.johnnyseeds.com
* Park Seed, (864) 223-8555, https://www.parkseed.com
* Nichols Garden Nursery, (541) 928-9280, https://www.nicholsgardennursery.com
* Ed Hume Seeds, (253) 859-1110, https://www.humeseeds.com
* NK Lawn & Garden, (800) 328-2402, https://www.nklawnandgarden.com
