Manhattan is my vote..I have a very close runner up on the list but I will obey your rules and not mention it!

After touring the gardens in Nashville last year as well as those in the midwest, I would have to say Sun Power, although Atlantis has similar performance and is variegated so it may supercede its ancestor. Check with the folks on either coast.

OBL is fabulous but I don't know how well it grows elsewhere.

So I was talking to my good friend Robert Frost the other day. He was talking about this event, in Manhattan, that he was going to miss. He stated that he thought it might be one of the best events of the Millennium . A tear crept slowly from the corner of his eye down his cheek as he looked wistfully out his window at the Cathedral Windows at the corner church at the intersection of Brave Amherst and Olive Bailey Langdon Way, I told him to blot his Tiny Tears and buck up, and with no certain amount of Sum & Substance that I would attend in his place. He quickly steeled his look, wiping the wetness from his face, and with this weird way he has, looking a bit like Aussie actor Hugh Jackman that plays Wolverine, indicated that he would indeed derive a certain amount of Satisfaction by me attending this function in his stead.
So, when the fateful day arrived, time and place set, with a distance to be travelled, I used the app on my cell phone to activate the garage door opener. As the door opened, I emerged from the Silver Bay in my little foreign classic I likened to my baby, my Blue Angel convertible, looking forward already to the Journey's End of what would be a frightfully long but rewarding sojourn. I knew there would be no time for Hanky Panky this trip, so I put the top down and relied on Sun Power to deliver me to my self-appointed destination. I arrived like I said I would, and dropped off the ballot at the head table. I spun on my heel and walked out the door, anxious for the return trip. The ballot contained but two words: Leading Lady

^_^ --~

dave

'Atlantis'.

Don B.

H. 'Atlantis'

So many of my hostas seem to grow slow compared to what I see here, (my alkaline soil, maybe?) so I have to vote for SATISFACTION. I have two that have gotten huge in only a few years. They give me hope, lol.

My vote this year is for Sum and Substance

Journey's End

Paul

Cathedral Windows

At this point in the development of my hosta beds, and after growing hostas for 30+ years (I won't admit to a fixed number) I am going to cast my ballot for Blue Angel. They are such strong and vigorous growers and have very strong leaves walnuts bounce off them.

Every time I see Paul's Journeys End I keep promising myself I will get one - but haven't. My OBL is about to leap and is looking very good after being downed by playful squirrels it's first year. It should put FW out of business.

But my final vote: Blue Angels
Theresa

I'm enamored of Cathedral Windows.

Kate

'Satisfaction'
Can mine be the only vote for Satisfaction?

Journey's End

H. Atlantis

Wow, what a tough choice. I could easily vote for 3/4 of the list. I'll go with OBL. I must love it, since it's one of the few I have multiples of.

Looks like the world loves Atlantis, maybe I need one in my garden, too.

I have a beautiful Olive Bailey Langdon,so I'm torn between it,and Atlantis. My vote is for Atlantis. Mine has gotten huge in just a few short years. Phil

I note, like MadPlanter, that the world loves Atlantis, and I might be obliged to get one. So MANY of these are great growing hosta. What to do, what to do......

My vote is for Blue Angel.

As much as I love the fragrant ones, and grow Cathedral Windows which is gorgeous, I have to say that Blue Angel grew for me when I knew nada about hosta, and it has not skipped a beat, not spent a day looking bad. That kind of performance endears itself to an experienced gardener as well as the novice.

Interesting. I have all but Millenium and Hanky Panky (not sure if I really like the looks of it).

I'm taking your comment "The criteria really center on both attractiveness and reliable growth under varied conditions." to heart in deciding. Blue Angel (tried several) does not grow for me. Since most others do it disqualifies it in my opinion.

Manhattan is slow in my garden, though beautiful. Robert Frost can burn out and be attractive to slugs. It is certainly has been slower for me than American Halo. Atlantis and Satisfaction could be compared with Satisfaction being superior based on much faster growth.

The final toss up would be between Leading Lady and Sun Power. I'll say Sun Power because it is great in sun and shade. It is also a wonderful mother of so many great offspring - Abba Dabba Do, Zippity Do Dah, Atlantis, Lakeside Cha Cha to name a few.

I love Sum and Substance. It has grown very well in my garden, getting afternoon sun. It always looks beautiful.

I'll suggest Journey's End, fast growing, a newer one, and truly magnificent.

{{gwi:1069415}}

I hate to overlook Sun Power, but I know not everyone has this luck with it.

I don't own a lot of those on the list, so I really can't make a vote, but I do have Atlantis. I find it has good growth, good substance, is slug resistant and attractive. The wave and twist of the leaf is interesting. I can see why it has received the Benedict Garden Performance Award of Merit.

Definitely half of the listed hostas are worth it, I grow them and I would be happy getting them named. But I go with h.'Sum and Substance', is a nice grower, has a wonderful appearance, and has all those good looking and well growing children. Bernd

Satisfaction, please.

I voted earlier for Cathedral Windows but forgot to post my pic. Since it is one of my newest hosta and my most favorite one (at the moment anyway), I just had to add its pic here. Not only are those big leaves absolutely beautiful with the broad yellow streaks down the center of each (I'm probably using all the wrong words--sorry), but the blooms are extra large and so attractive and the plant is such a eager grower--just stick it in the dirt and let her go. She loves to settle in to a new garden home!

Cathedral Window--this is its 2nd season

Have to admit, however--after seeing the pics of Journey's End above, I'm wondering if I need to find space for another hosta or not. Those pics are gorgeous!

Kate

Journey's End.

What a lineup of great Hostas. There were at least 7 that are just as worthy.

Steve

I have several on the list but for me it comes down to the promise of 2 hostas (both purchased fall 2011). To break the tie between Satisfaction & Atlantis I went back to notes I made last fall (mid-Sept). I wrote great plant for Satisfaction after only 12 months of growing it - so I will have to go with Satisfaction.

Best all around hosta in my garden to date--Sun Power. It's never had a bad year.

Sandy

I would have to say Satisfaction. It has been outstanding for me, growing larger and more striking every year and never a problem.

chris

"Atlantis" all the way, a mature plant is really stunning.

Blue Angel.

tj

Atlantis

I only have four mature hostas on the list so really not qualified to choose. Even with only four to choose from I had to flip a coin to choose between Blue Angel and Sum and Substance. S&S won.