Grab your notebook and head out into your garden! TP2EAPutno !!!

11 years ago

Just got back from the Midwest Convention and it got me thinking about polls and lists. I see Paul did a major "Top 100" poll and the AHS does their popularity poll.

I did an article "handicapping" the Benedict Medal competition. (For those who don't know, the AHS started a process several years ago by which hostas become eligible and go onto the ballot for Benedict recognition and one hosta each year wins the Medal and goes onto the list of Best Hostas Of ALL Time.) Of the fourteen this year, I used my own special criteria to weed it down to four, then applied other criteria and narrowed it down to two. Neither of those two won... my third guess, Niagara Falls, did win.

SOOOOO

I did surveys a couple of times in past years that take a little different form - and you can prepare to vote by walking your garden and taking notes. In the past I did the survey in winter and people complained that they couldn't see the plants so they had trouble voting.

For years I've been saying that we don't need 500 different large green hostas. As much as I enjoy going in a wine shop and seeing 50 different white Bordeaux labels, I really only need one good one for under $10. This poll fills a gap. I call it TP2EAPutno - The Poll To End All Polls (until the next one.)

I will ask you to vote for a maximum of two in each of a bunch of different categories. In green, for example, we will vote for what we consider the very best Very Large Green hosta... but also the very best Large Green... Medium Green... Small Green... and mini Green. Same thing for various colors and color combinations.

The goal - if somebody says "I need a medium-diameter blue hosta... which one is the best?" we can pull out the results of our poll and see Halcyon. (OK... I know I should wait until we've voted, but seriously???)

Don't start putting votes here - there will be separate listings for each category. And please, only vote once even if you see the "ballot" posts on more than one forum... But start thinking about your favorites in each category. Some of them will be hard choices!

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Comments (5)

paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
11 years ago
This sounds like fun - I'll play!
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User
11 years ago
quote:
"And please, only vote once even if you see the "ballot" posts on more than one forum... But start thinking about your favorites in each category."

What do you mean by "more than one forum?"
You mean more than one thread?
Will there be a THREAD for each category?
Or will the THREAD be for GREEN....XL, L, M, S, mini?
Or will mini be in a totally separate category regardless of pattern/color?

I saw that one of my recent acquisitions, LEMON LIME, was a winner of the Benedict for some year, forget which. It is a very small/mini hosta. Was the award for the best MINI or the best color pattern or greenness?

Just curious.
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trudy_gw
11 years ago
Sounds like fun, looking forward to seeing the results!

Great seeing you and Sheila at the gardens! Asked Sheila if Paul was at the tour, she had seen him. Sorry I missed you Paul! Maybe another time.............
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idiothe
Original Author
11 years ago
Other forums? I'll be asking the same question on three different hosta forums... possible a fourth... and GW does not like any direct mentions of other forum names. I know some of the folks here also post on some other forums... I only want one vote from each person on each category.

In the past I've done one thread for each category... Green, medium, for example. But we were using it to while away the winter months when we couldn't play in the garden. I believe this time I'll combine things. So, for example, we'll start with Green... one thread to vote for your one (or two at the most) favorite green hosta in each of the size categories, which will be defined at the start of the thread.

There are three levels on the Benedict Award... Honorable Mention, Awards of Merit, and then the ultimate... one hosta is selected each year for the Benedict Medal. These are those selected as the best of the best - like the Academy Award for Best Picture. (and like the Academy Award, lots of people disagree as there are often several excellent choices in the running. I predicted First Frost would edge out Earth Angel for the medal this year... and Niagara Falls (my #3 in guessing what people would vote for, but I think I would have chosen it #1 or 2 if I'd gotten my ballot in in time...) won the medal.

So... the Benedict Medal winners so far are
2006 (First Honorable Mention list developed)
2007 (Second HM list)
2008 (Third HM list and first Award of Merit list)
2009 First Benedict medal awarded - June
2010 Second Medal awarded - Sagae
2011 Third Medal - Blue Mouse Ears
2012 Medal went to Niagara Falls

So far, I can't fault any of the choices. I believe each of those represents the very best of their "type." And the balloting indicates that they grow well everywhere.

Every year the ballot gets longer. I think there were 14 on last summer's ballot. This year I had to choose one from, I think 24. And it ain't easy - there are several I really love...

BTW - any AHS member can ask to be a judge. They do seek a geographical distribution, but I haven't known anyone to get turned down yet...
0
User
11 years ago
Cool. I get the picture now. Look forward to seeing the categories come up.

Green will be difficult for me, since I have many greens and love em all. But some look better consistently.
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Grab your notebook and head out into your garden! TP2EAPutno !!!

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paula_b_gardener 5b_ON

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Grab your notebook and head out into your garden! TP2EAPutno !!!

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paula_b_gardener 5b_ON

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