News From All-America Selections and AHGA

All-America Selections recently announced the three winners of the 2008 Exemplary Education Award, recognizing successful educational events, presented to one AAS Display Garden in three categories. The three categories are based on the estimated number of garden visitors for the growing season during which AAS Winners were featured to the public.

Category I Winner: Purdue Extension Tippecanoe Master Gardeners
Category II Winner: Park Seed Trial Gardens
Category III Winner: University of Vermont Waterfront Park

Check out the May issue of GPN for more information on Winner’s Circle varieties.

In separate news, the American Hosta Growers Association (AHGA) also announced the Hosta of the Year for 2009: Hosta ‘Earth Angel’.

One of the largest variegated hostas, it boasts large, heart-shaped, blue-green leaves and a wide yellow border that becomes creamy white during summer months. It produces tall, straight scapes of large, near-white flowers in late June and July that demand attention. Like its award-winning parent, in shade or part sun, this outstanding hosta reliability makes an impressive specimen mound relatively quickly in all parts of the country, according to AHGA.

Given the increasing number of hosta cultivars introduced each year, the AHGA Hosta of the Year contest was established in 1996 with the goal of helping nurserymen and gardeners choose the right hostas for their sales areas and gardens.

The winning variety is selected by a vote of AHGA members. Award-winning hostas must be good garden plants in all regions of the country, be widely available and in sufficient supply as well as retail for about $15.