Universities schedule plant trial events

Univ. of Ga. Trial Gardens has scheduled its 20th annual industry open house in Athens, Ga., on June 15. The newest annuals and perennials from major flower breeders and brokers will be showcased. Admission is free of charge and a gourmet lunch, sponsored by Ball Horticulture, will be served.

For annual plants, the trial coordinators select the best cultivars for each color in each class of annuals (e.g. the best red begonia) and list them under “Best of the Best”. For both annuals and perennials, plants are selected for the Classic City Award; the very best plants in the garden over the entire season, considered to be well worth a place in any landscape.

Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center has scheduled its Overton Horticulture Field Day in Overton, Texas, on June 24. Visitors will be able to view hundreds of new varieties under trial along with award winners. They will also have an opportunity to choose their favorite plants. Lunch will be provided for registered participants.

Horticulture professor Brent Pemberton and Dallas Arboretum senior director of gardens Jimmy Turner will do a review of this year’s California Spring Trials. A presentation on trapping feral hogs, which are becoming a menace in a large part of the U.S., will be conducted by Billy Higginbotham, professor and extension wildlife and fisheries specialist.