Annuals and Perennials on Display at the 2018 Michigan Garden Plant Tour

Annuals and perennials filled the trial and display gardens of four leading young plant suppliers and Michigan State University, who opened up their doors for the 2018 Michigan Garden Plant Tour this year.

The annual event, now in its 15th year, is a coordinated open house held to educate growers and industry professionals about new and existing plant selections and their performance in different settings. These companies put much time and effort into maintaining their display and trial gardens so others have the opportunity to access field performance and gain inspiration for new ways to use plants.

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Raker-Robertas (Litchfield, MI), Walters Gardens (Zeeland, MI), Four Star Greenhouse (Carleton, MI), Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI), and Mast Young Plants (Grand Rapids, MI) welcomed visitors this year. Raker-Robertas and Walters Gardens offered visitors the opportunity to tour their greenhouses and catch a glimpse of the work that goes on behind the scenes.

Walters Gardens showed off its new 15,000-square-foot Acclimation Range, where it will grow more than 1,000 different varieties of perennials and temperennials started via tissue culture or as unrooted cuttings. In addition to participating on the tour, several of the gardens held individual open houses for their customers, and Michigan State University held a trial field day program with presentations from Extension specialists, trial garden directors, and outreach specialists.

Visitors on the tour had the chance to see some of the newest perennials and annuals on the market in real world conditions, including in hanging baskets, containers, and in-ground garden beds. Check out some of the displays and annuals and perennials found on the tour.

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