Reliving Darwin Perennials Day
Over 300 attendees, 25 suppliers, 19 spectacular trial beds, all showcased on one day – the premier perennial event of the year, Darwin Perennials Day. The live event was held Wednesday, June 26, 2022 and there were so many things to do and see!
The first stop is always registration to pick up your name tag and a goodie bag. After registration, hopefully the vintage truck filled with Salvia Rose Marvel caught your eye since it offered the perfect photo opportunity to make your day special and memorable. Continuing down the path were the supplier tents, which were filled with a plethora of new and tried and true varieties hosted by enthusiastic experts.
The next stop included a spacious area with educational tents showcasing information about Echinacea – when to grow seed vs. vegetative, how callused cuttings can benefit you in propagation, and solutions from the Ball Technical Support team to assist in growing a successful perennial crop. In the middle of the education tents was our new variety courtyard featuring exciting new varieties from 8 breeding companies.
And then of course there were the beautiful perennial gardens with comparison trial beds and themes. One favorite was “Fall Flowering”. Did you know you can schedule many of Darwin Perennials' first-year-flowering perennials to bloom in the fall? Just go to www.FirstYearFloweringTool.com to get started.
If you needed to take a break during the event, the pergola offered seating and showcased shade solutions ranging from our new Polemonium 'Golden Feathers' to mixed containers. A nice way to relax taking in the gardens with a violinist playing classical music in the background.
Lunch was hosted under the big tent and prizes were awarded for filling out our survey. Afterwards Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, Bug Lady Consulting, spoke about implementing biocontrol agents in your greenhouse.
So If you weren’t able to attend this year, start planning for next year and save the date: Wednesday, June 21, 2023. It will be here before you know it!