Crystal White (Zinnia angustifolia), a 1997 All America Selection

New plant varieties don’t just happen. It takes years of
work to get that perfect
tomato plant ready for you. Here’s how it’s done.

In 1999, All-America Selections celebrates 67 years of
testing and introducing improved
new flowers and vegetables. All-America means all of North
America. AAS is the oldest,
most established testing organization on the continent.

When you see the red, white and blue logo of All America
Selections on vegetable and
flower seed packets, bedding plant tags or in catalogs, it’s a
promise of gardening
success.

AAS winners have been introduced since 1933. Gardeners
trust
them, knowing them to be
superior new plants worthy of their gardens. The nonprofit
organization has taken the
guesswork out of finding reliable new flower and vegetable
varieties.

Clusters of plum-type red fruits make Juliet a 1999 All America Selections tomato.

AAS was founded in 1932 by W. Ray Hastings when he was
president of the Southern Seedsmen’s
Association. It began with an
association donation during a meeting in Atlanta.

Hastings proposed the idea of AAS as a way for home
gardeners to learn which varieties
were significantly improved. He encouraged all seed companies
to begin trial grounds to
test new varieties.

He had the support of the seed companies and independent
breeders to enter new, unsold
varieties into the trial.

AAS began with a network of 10 trial grounds. The trials
were grown and evaluated by
skilled, impartial judges.

Winners have been introduced each year since 1933. In 1934,
30 AAS award-winning new
varieties were introduced. There haven’t been that many
since.

A Simplified System

AAS trials have been conducted every year since 1932. The
number of judges and sites
may vary, but the trials are conducted each year.

In 1984, the AAS board of directors decided to simplify the
award system and award only
two types. An AAS gold medal award is reserved for a breeding
breakthrough. These awards
are rare, given only once or twice a decade.

The other AAS award honors a flower or vegetable for
significant achievements proven to
be superior to all others on the market.

AAS doesn’t advertise. Magazines, newspapers, garden club
bulletins and Extension
Service agents spread the news about AAS winners announced
each
September.

In 67 years, there have been 323 flowers, 255 vegetables
and
17 bedding plant award
winners — a total of 595 AAS award winners since 1933.

One of Georgia’s four AAS display gardens is in the Annual/Perennial Garden of The State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens.

Trial and Display Gardens

A network of almost 200 AAS display gardens in the United
States and Canada allows
gardeners to view the most recent AAS winners.

These gardens are open throughout the growing season and
may
charge a small fee. Many
are near large cities. AAS display gardens can be botanical
gardens, garden centers,
shopping malls, universities, colleges, resorts or state
fairgrounds.

In Georgia, Callaway Gardens in
Pine
Mountain has both trial and display gardens. Another trial
garden is at the University of Georgia
in Athens. Other display
gardens are at the State Botanical Gardens
in
Athens, Oak Hill
Gardens at
Berry College near Rome and The Cloister at Sea
Island.