CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 06/24/15

The Trial Gardens at UGA to host open house July 18

By Samantha Anderson

For more than three decades, the Trial Gardens at the University of Georgia have introduced thousands of new plant varieties to home gardeners and landscape designers. From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 18, the public will have the opportunity to get a first-hand glimpse of these new varieties and other Georgia favorites at the gardens’ annual open house.

Each year at the Trial Gardens’ open house, visitors get an up-close view of a new showcase of ornamentals, ranging from vibrantly colored flowers to hardy shrubs.

This year the garden staff is in the process of updating the perennials section and has implemented new technologies to reduce pathogens and weeds in the soil in order to produce healthier plants. Many of the newest perennials, annuals and show-stopping roses will be in full bloom during the open house.

Located on the main UGA campus between Snelling Dining Commons and the R.C. Wilson Pharmacy Building, the lush oasis displays hundreds of annuals and perennials from plant breeders around the world.

“The Trial Gardens at UGA are one the best kept secrets in northeast Georgia," said John Ruter, a UGA horticulturist and director of the gardens. "Our annual open house is our chance to share one the most beautiful parts of the UGA campus with the community and share some of what we've learned over our last year gardening."

The gardens are always open to the public, but the open house is an opportunity for visitors to get exclusive knowledge about this year’s most promising plant varieties. Ruter will lead tours throughout the morning, showcasing some of the gardens’ latest additions.

He will also be signing copies of his newest book, “Landscaping with Conifers and Ginkgo for the Southeast.” Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the open house.

Plant nurseries and breeding companies send hundreds of new plants each year and fund the gardens by paying to have their plants evaluated. The goal of the Trial Gardens is to see if the plants can survive in the Southeast’s hot and rainfall-variable climate. The funds go toward the gardens’ upkeep and a team of students who work to keep the gardens running.

The Trial Gardens also serve as a teaching and research facility for the UGA Department of Horticulture and other academic departments on campus.

The open house will be held rain or shine. The gardens' staff requests a $5 donation to help offset the cost of the event and support the gardens, located at 220 West Green St., Athens, Georgia.

Parking will be available in the McPhaul Child Development Building parking lot, across from Stegeman Coliseum. Additional parking can be found in the South Campus parking deck. For more information, visit ugatrial.hort.uga.edu, email trial-gardens@uga.edu or call Juliet Swanson at 770-298-9151.

Samantha Anderson is a student writer with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Authors:
Samantha Anderson
Experts/Sources:
John Ruter
A couple browses this year's collection of annuals at The Trial Gardens at UGA during the industry open house in June. The gardens' staff will be hosting its annual Public Open House on July 18.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
HurricaneHeleneGreenhouseDamageCropped CAES News
UGA Extension supports resilience in Georgia farm communities after Hurricane Helene 12/19/24 Emily Cabrera
Hurricane Helene wrought sweeping devastation across Georgia’s agricultural sector in late September, leaving an indelible mark on both the land and the people who tend it, bringing focus to vulnerabilities in Georgia’s farming industry and the need for more robust safety nets. In addition to the physical destruction, the hurricane took an emotional toll on Georgia’s farmers. In response, UGA Extension has prioritized mental health support.
University of Georgia startup CytoNest Inc. released its first commercial product this year, a fiber scaffold that optimizes cell manufacturing and tissue engineering. (Photo by Lauren Corcino) CAES News
UGA again ranks No. 1 in new research-based products 11/04/24 Brandon Ward
The University of Georgia once again ranks No. 1 among U.S. universities for the number of commercial products to market based on its research, according to an annual survey conducted by AUTM. For nine straight years, UGA has placed in the top two and has never appeared out of the Top 5 in the 11 years the survey has been reported by AUTM. UGA industry partners and startups released a record 66 new products developed from the university’s research in fiscal year 2023, on which the AUTM report is based.
Combining data collection and analysis with plant pathology, precision agriculture and robotics, the UGA team will build a photographic library of the foliar symptoms caused by onion diseases and other physiological disorders, feed them into the AI software, and use machine learning to identify the diseases based on pattern and color recognition from the images. CAES News
UGA uses AI, robotics to improve Georgia’s Vidalia sweet onion crop 10/23/24 Jordan Powers
A multidisciplinary team of UGA researchers aims to enhance the competitiveness of Vidalia onion growers in Georgia by providing them with the ability to confidently detect onion diseases early, enabling them to make management decisions on their crop at a critical time. These abilities, researchers say, should result in increased yield and quality of marketable onions and an overall increase in efficiency and productivity.
Associate Professor Rhuanito Ferrarezi poses with a Gerber daisy grown by students in his 4050/6050 Greenhouse Management class in fall 2023. CAES News
Upcoming UGA plant sales bring color to fall 10/15/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Fall weather means fall gardening, and several groups at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will be offering the fruits of their labors at ornamental plant sales across campus this semester. On Friday, Oct. 18, the Trial Gardens at University of Georgia will hold its annual Fall Houseplant Sale, and on Wednesday, Nov. 20, greenhouse management students will offer their ornamental plant sale at the South Milledge Greenhouse Complex.
Although it may not fit the traditional image of a well-kept lawn, this landscape is the result of careful planning and a deep commitment to ecological stewardship. CAES News
Done with mowing? How to transform your lawn into a native, perennial landscape 09/12/24 Emily Cabrera
On a tour of her Blairsville, Georgia, home, Becky Griffin navigates a swaying maze of perennial grasses interspersed with pussy willows, switchgrass and boneset. Although it may not fit the traditional image of a well-kept lawn, this landscape is the result of careful planning and a deep commitment to ecological stewardship. As a native plant enthusiast and coordinator of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, Griffin hand-selected each of these native plants for the countless ecological services they provide year-round.
Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium CAES News
Keep on the grass 08/29/24 Emily Cabrera, Scott Michaux
When the University of Georgia Bulldogs step between the hedges at Sanford Stadium, the grass on Dooley Field needs to look perfect. More importantly, though, it needs to help safeguard the health of athletes who compete on it. Gerald Henry plays a big role in the latter. The UGA Athletic Association’s endowed professor in environmental turfgrass leads a research team in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences committed to creating sports fields that look good and perform well to limit the occurrence of injuries.