Plant Nerds Returning to California Spring Trials

Posted by Brian Sparks|March 11, 2019

National Garden Bureau’s “Plant Nerds” From CAST 2018

The National Garden Bureau (NGB) is once again hitting the road for California Spring Trials with four influential horticulturists, all from popular public gardens. The goal and intent of the sponsored trip is to connect the originating breeder and broker side of the industry with consumers via public gardens.

The Public Gardens representatives attending the 2019 Spring Trials are:
• Mark Konlock, Green Bay Botanical Garden
• Jeff Kuehny, Louisiana State University AgCenter Botanic Gardens
• Mark Dwyer, Rotary Botanical Gardens
• Steve Poppe, University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center

Each year since 2015, NGB has invited a group of horticulturists to accompany them to the California Spring Trials. The list of “Plant Nerd” alumni now numbers more than 32 individuals whose exposure to this event has led to a greater understanding of annual, perennial, and vegetable breeding and the chain of distribution from breeder to consumer.

National Garden Bureau encourages the industry to use the hashtag #CASpringTrials (without a year) to build community and exposure for the event and the new varieties introduced there.
Sponsors for the trip include All-America Selections, American Takii, Ball Horticulture/PanAmerican See, Dummen Orange, Ernst Benary, Hem Genetics, Proven Winners, Sakata, and Syngenta.