One way I know a plant could work well in my garden is that I look for the red, white, and blue logo of All-America Selections on seed packets, on bedding plant tags, or in catalogs. Even AAS winners from several years ago are more likely to prove successful than nonwinners.
The AAS testing program is an independent nonprofit organization that tests new plants. They have about 80 test gardens from Alaska and Canada to California and Florida. They also have almost 200 display gardens all across the continent that are used not for judging but to show gardeners how well the plants grow locally.
