All-America Selections (AAS) hosted its annual Summer Meeting for the first time in the state of Michigan. More than 70 attendees came together Aug. 7-9 to tour central Michigan’s trials from a base in East Lansing.
The event is an opportunity for breeders, brokers/distributors, mail order seed companies, seed packet companies, growers, retailers, AAS Display Gardens, AAS Trial Judges and the media to network and learn more about recent AAS Winners and varieties that are currently being trialed by the AAS Judges.
The AAS Summer Summit was held in conjunction with the Michigan Garden Plant Tour, which features a number of trials throughout the state. Michigan State University is a trialing site for AAS Flowers, Bedding Plants, Cool Season and Vegetables, and an American Garden Award garden. C. Raker and Sons is an AAS Trial site for flowers, bedding plants and cool season, and an AAS display garden. A number of recent AAS Winners were beautifully featured throughout their extensive trial and display beds.The group also went to Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids to visit Elzinga & Hoeksema Greenhouses, Mast Young Plants and the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Mast Young Plants is an AAS Trial site for vegetables and bedding plants. After touring their trials, the group participated in a live consumer panel discussion where five non-gardening consumers shared their thoughts and ideas regarding why they don’t pursue a horticulture hobby and what our industry might do to convince them to buy a few flowers or plants.
An annual highlight of the AAS Summer Summit is the Awards Banquet. This year it was held at the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
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AAS Summer Summit tours Michigan
The organization also presented two awards of recognition