Premier trial gardens in three Southern states will host members of the horticulture industry as part of the Southern Garden Tour, June 2-4, 2026. Tour hosts – Young's Plant Farm in Auburn, Alabama, the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia and Metrolina Greenhouses in Huntersville, North Carolina – welcome growers, plant breeders, plant brokers, educators, landscapers and allied trade members of the horticulture industry to evaluate hundreds of new variety introductions in their respective Trial Garden Open Houses throughout the first week of June during the annual event.
The Southern Garden Tour begins with an industry open house at Young's Plant Farm on Tuesday, June 2. The University of Georgia Trial Gardens will host an industry open house the morning of Wednesday, June 3. On the final day of the tour, Metrolina Greenhouses will host its industry open house on June 4. Industry visitors are also welcome to visit each of the three trial gardens throughout the summer.
Industry members can register for each stop of the Southern Garden Tour at the event's website. The collaborative website provides information on all three trial garden sites, along with travel resources and event details.
Trial gardens demonstrate the true real-world performance of new plant introductions, enabling industry members to make informed decisions about their garden and landscape success.
"The Southern Garden Tour often gives horticulture industry professionals their first opportunity to observe emerging plant genetics and objectively evaluate their performance in the heat and humidity of three intense Southern climates," said Dr. Mark Yelanich, director of research and development at Metrolina Greenhouses. "It's also a valuable opportunity to network and connect with industry peers, while experiencing the design and beauty of some of the premier trial gardens in the Southeast."
For more information:
Southern Garden Tour
southerngardentour.com/
