All cultivars were evaluated every two weeks from April 21 - July 28. Plants were given a rating from 0-5 (0 = dead and 5 = could not look better in the garden) based on garden performance. Taken into account are plant habit, foliage color, number of flowers, and presence/absence of insects or diseases.

At the end of both the spring (April 1 - June 1) and summer (June 1 - August 1) evaluation periods, awards were given out to those cultivars that really stood out in the gardens. Lists of these awards can be found under Awards.