Jan,

Those are just my opinions. The HOTY's are chosen by a vote of the membership of the American Hosta Growers Association. The plants chosen must be "good garden plants in all a regions of the country, are widely available and in sufficient supply and retail for about $15.00 in the year of selection." Essentially it's a marketing device designed to sell more plants.

That's why I think a plant like Cathedral Windows has little chance to be HOTY. It's too similar to Stained Glass and Guacamole. I could be wrong. But in the last two years we have seen the AHGA choose plants like Rainforest Sunrise and especially Abiqua Drinking Gourd instead of those plants that the AHS judges have considered better garden performers.

The Benedict Medal is only five years old, but I think it's a great measure of garden performance of a Hosta. Looking at the Award of Merit winners (sort of like Silver Medalists) gives us a chance to discuss and view a list of Hostas that have been judged to be outstanding garden performers and perhaps speculate on which of these will be the next Benedict Medal winner.

Steve