AHS Popularity Poll
AHS Members, don't forget to cast your votes for the current Popularity Poll in the Members area.
Each year the American Hosta Society (AHS) conducts a popularity poll among its members to determine their favorite Hostas.
The ballots are included with the Hosta Journal and members return their submissions by mail. Popularity polls are important to Hosta gardeners, letting everyone know which plants perform best in the gardens throughout the years.
AHS Hosta Popularity Poll 2007
Bob Olson St. Louis Park, Minnesota
I'll quickly dispense with the 2007 Popularity Poll with two observations: First, the glacial rate of change in the list persists—2007 looks like 2006, which looks like 2005 and so on. Second, participation has declined in the past 10 years. The number of voters this year is only 60% of that in 1997.
Most of us have been following the process leading to the selection of the first Benedict Medal winner in 2009. I couldn't resist comparing the semi-finalist list with the Popularity Poll. But, alas, the Benedict list isn't proving very exciting either.
The winners of the 2008 Benedict Awards of Merit are:
- H. 'June'
- H. 'Sagae'
- H. 'Blue Mouse Ears'
- H. 'Striptease'
- H. 'Gold Standard'
- H. 'Halcyon'
- H. 'Regal Splendor'
- H. 'Whirlwind'
- H. 'Stained Glass'
The Benedict Garden Performance Award judges have pretty much chosen the hostas most popular in the AHS Popularity Poll. The lists are awfully similar. The Benedict selectors rated 'Blue Mouse Ears' and 'Whirlwind' higher than the rank-and-file AHS members, and they don't care as much for 'Sum and Substance', but these are small differences. I also observe that they, like the AHS Popularity Poll voters, don't seem to value miniature hostas.
My prediction is that Hosta 'June' or 'Sagae' will win the first Benedict Medal. If that proves the case, a cynic might ask, “Why not just give the medal to the winner of the Popularity Poll? Or have the entire membership vote on the Benedict Medal?” (I await the firestorm of reaction from the elite Garden Performance voters.)
Finally, it would be nice to get as broad participation as possible in the annual AHS Popularity Poll. I am working on a way to make it possible to vote conveniently online via the AHS Web site. We would still allow paper ballots to be mailed directly to me for those who prefer; I enjoy the personal messages some of you send along with your ballot. I would miss that if we went entirely electronic.
As for the Mini Poll, it belongs to five now-deceased hosta pioneers: Bob Savory, Russ O'Harra, Herb Benedict and William and Eleanor Lachman. Of the 10 miniatures on the list, three are Bob Savory's seedlings ('Baby Bunting', 'Lemon Lime' and 'Tiny Tears') and three are sports of these seedlings ('Pandora's Box' from 'Baby Bunting', 'Twist of Lime' from 'Lemon Lime' and 'Cookie Crumbs' from 'Tiny Tears'). Two were discovered and registered by Russ O'Harra ('Popo' and 'Feather Boa'). H. 'Green Eyes' is a Herb Benedict seedling (his wife Dorothy had lovely green eyes), while 'Little Wonder' is a Lachman seedling prized for producing its own high-quality seedlings. H. venusta is a species from the wilds of Japan.
The 2007 results were tabulated and provided by Popularity Poll Chairman, Bob Olson.
They were announced in The Hosta Journal vol. 39, No. 2
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1 |
H. 'June' |
2. |
H. 'Sagae' |
3. |
H. 'Sum and Substance' |
4. |
H. 'Blue Angel' |
5. |
H. 'Striptease' |
6. |
H. 'Krossa Regal' |
7. |
H. 'Paradigm' |
8. |
H. 'Guacamole' |
9. |
H. 'Paul's Glory' |
10. |
H. montana 'Aureomarginata' |
11. |
H. 'Stained Glass' |
12. |
H. 'Blue Mouse Ears' |
13. |
H. 'Regal Splendor' |
14. |
H. 'Halcyon' |
15. |
H. 'Gold Standard' |
16. |
H. 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' |
17. |
H. 'Great Expectations' |
18. |
H. 'Liberty' |
19. |
H. 'Sun Power' |
20. |
H. 'On Stage' |
21. |
H. 'Fragrant Bouquet' |
22. |
H. 'Niagara Falls' |
23. |
H. 'Whirlwind' |
24. |
H. 'Guardian Angel' |
25. |
H. 'Spilt Milk' |
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MINI HOSTA POPULARITY POLL |
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1. |
H. 'Pandora's Box' |
2. |
H. 'Baby Bunting' |
3. |
H. 'Lemon Lime' |
4. |
H. 'Tiny Tears' |
5. |
H. 'Twist of Lime' |
6. |
H. venusta |
7. |
H. 'Cookie Crumbs' |
8. |
H. 'Green Eyes' |
9. |
H. 'Popo' |
10. |
H. 'Little Wonder' ( tie ) |
| 11. |
H. 'Feather Boa'( tie ) |
Previous years listings are in the members area.
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