A Darwin Perennials Extravaganza
Finally! A Darwin Perennials Day where our visitors stayed dry! We were blessed with fantastic weather this Wednesday and over 500 visitors. With 30 perennial and hard goods vendors to meet with, there was a lot to do. The Darwin Perennials, Kieft Seed, Star Roses and Plants, Ball Seed WebTrack, and Mixed Perennial Combo demonstrations were under tents in case of rain – and we used them for shade instead. (Did I mention it didn’t rain?!)
Visitors received a quart-sized Sombrero Baja Burgundy Echinacea as a parting gift, but even better… a list of Specials from Ball Seed’s perennial vendors that participated. Perennial suppliers generously offered a discount for new orders booked by June 30. Ball Seed WebTrack hosted a competition and handed out an iPad to a lucky WebTrack To Go user, and Allan Armitage did the same to promote his new books “Of Naked Ladies and Forget-Me-Nots” and “It’s Not Just about the Hat.” (Speaking of show specials: Allan is offering attendees a 10% discount if you use coupon code “Darwin” at check out, now through July 30. Go to his website: www.allanarmitage.net)
Also met with enthusiasm were our two guest speakers. Bob Blew came over from Centerton Nursery to explain “Why We Grow What We Grow” and Greg Soles from Darwin Perennials presented a method to extend the seasonality of perennials and decrease costs while doing so. Transcripts can be found here and here.
If you missed the fun, The Gardens are open again for our annual (literally and figuratively) Ball Seed Field Day and Landscape Day Friday, July 28. Come see how our (this year-GORGEOUS) perennial beds have transitioned color through the summer and see the comparison trials progress! RSVP your visit to that event here.