June 23, Overton
US: Ornamental field day in East Texas
The event, slated for June 23, will be held rain or shine.
Gardeners, professional landscape managers and seed company representatives will learn which landscape plants do well under East Texas conditions, said Dr. Brent Pemberton, Texas A&M AgriLife Research ornamental horticulturist. Pemberton said he started the trials in 1993 to meet the needs of commercial seed companies, local nursery managers and gardening enthusiasts.
The 2015 East Texas Horticultural Field allowed the public and professionals to look at and learn about more than 400 varieties of ornamentals. There will be even more varieties this year at the event June 23. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Dr. Brent Pemberton)
The field trial beds cover about 1 acre and are visible from the road. The center headquarters are about 2 miles north of downtown Overton on Farm-to-Market Road 3053.
The trials include some of the standards of previous tests, including both old and new varieties of vincas, ornamental peppers and sweet potatoes, trailing petunias, verbenas, dahlias, coleus and cannas, Pemberton said. This year, an increased number of rapid-blooming perennial varieties, such as coreopsis, shasta daisies, gerberas, dianthus, phlox and salvias, which are billed as having the potential of blooming the first year from seeds or sets, will be on display.
There will also be almost 50 varieties of portulacas from about six new series that have been released over the past several years, he said.
“We try to assemble as many species as we can,” he said. “There are some that have been around for years, recent releases and new ones, but some varieties on display won’t be seen on the market until next year.”
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