Announced in the fall of 2011, the AAS Display Gardens contest was created to celebrate the 80th anniversary of All-America Selections. By September of this year, 15 gardens met the rules and criteria, which included submitting photos, proof of publicity, overall description of the design and the achievement of that design.
The Rules:
- A list of AAS Winners used in the design must be furnished
- A minimum of 50 percent of the total landscaped area must be AAS Winners and be labeled as such
- There must be a written statement that describes the location of the site and the design features
- Between five and ten photographs of the design must be submitted
- Local publicity is expected and will be part of the judging criteria
- Contest is for current year plantings only
The Criteria:
- 30 percent of the score was based on the quantity of AAS Winner varieties used
- 20 percent of the score was based on the overall attractiveness of landscape design
- 20 percent of the score was based on the creative use of AAS Winners in the design
- 20 percent of the score was based on any promotion of the display to local media and garden visitors/members
- 10 percent of the score was based on photo quality and design description/explanation
The Categories:
There were three categories, based on number of visitors to that garden in one year:
- Category I: fewer than 10,000 visitors per year
- Category II: 10,001 – 100,000 visitors per year
- Category III: Over 100,000 visitors per year
The Winners:
Category I: fewer than 10,000 visitors per year
- First Place Winner: Mississippi State University-South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station, Poplarville, Mississippi.
- Second Place Winner: LSU Burden Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- Third Place Winner: Parker Scripture Botanical Gardens, Cornell, Oriskany, New York.
First Place Winner Mississippi State University-South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station, Poplarville, Mississippi.
Category II: 10,001 – 100,000 visitors per year
- First Place Winner: Horticultural Art Society Demonstration Garden, Colorado Springs, CO.
- Second Place Winner: Agriculture Canada Ornamental Gardens, Ottawa, Ontario.
- Third Place Winner: Toledo Botanical Garden, Toledo, OH.
First Place Winner Horticultural Art Society Demonstration Garden, Colorado Springs, CO.Category III: Over 100,000 visitors per year
- First Place Winner: Rotary Botanical Gardens, Janesville, Wisconsin.
- Second Place Winner: Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, Colorado.
- Third Place Winner: Marjory McNeely Conservatory, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
First Place Winner Rotary Botanical Gardens, Janesville, Wisconsin.
A complete collection of photos from all contest entrants can be found on the All-America Selections Flickr and Facebook accounts.
