1. What is All-America Selections?

2. A non-profit organization,
founded in 1932
by Ray Hastings,
that promotes new garden varieties judged to have superior garden performance in impartial trials throughout North America.

3. AAS is the oldest, and most trusted national trialing organization in North America, supported by breeding companies.

4. Entries
Breeders enter new, never-before-sold cultivars to be judged in one of four categories:
Seed Ornamentals (flowers & foliage grown from seed)
Vegetative Ornamentals (flowers & foliage grown from cuttings)
Edible/Vegetables from Seed (self-explanatory!)
Herbaceous Perennials (perennials that die back each fall/winter)

5. AAS Trials Sites in U.S. and Canada
Seed Ornamentals – 40 sites
Edible/Vegetable – 28 sites
Vegetative Ornamentals – 18 sites
Herbaceous Perennials – 24 sites
Total of 80 AAS Trial Judges!

6. AAS Trial Site: Dallas Arboretum

7. AAS Trial Site: Rotary Botanical Gardens

8. AAS Trial Site: Green Bay Botanical Garden

9. AAS Trial Judges Horticulture professionals Seasoned trialing experts
Unpaid – they volunteer their time
Unbiased - cannot judge their own entries
The core of our success

10. What qualities make an AAS Winner?
Better tasting vegetables
Longer blooming annuals
Superior disease resistance
Unique colors or qualities
More flowers or fruits per plant
AAS Winners must out-perform other similar varieties on the market in order to win the AAS Winner designation

11. After the Trial; Introduction Criteria
Breeder gives the variety a marketing name
Breeder submits publicity photos
Seed/Cuttings in inventory
Germination tests results are submitted
Product is priced and ready to ship
Now it can be declared an “AAS Winner”

12. Publicity After Introduction
To:
Seed Companies
Distribution chain
Growers
Retailers
Garden Writers
Bloggers
Consumers

13. Publicity Program
Robust website:

14. Publicity Program Implementing Social Media: Pinterest Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Slide Share
Etc.

15. Publicity Program Display Gardens
Almost 200 public gardens grow and display the past five years of AAS Winners.

16. Display Garden: Dallas Arboretum

17. Display Garden: Denver Botanic Gardens

18. Display Garden: Michigan State University

19. Display Garden: Miami University, Hamilton Conservatory

20. Display Garden: University of Saskatchewan

21. Display Garden: University of Delaware

22. Display Garden: MSU South Mississippi State University