Catalog descriptions of new plants may catch our attention, but often provide little useful information about how these emerging varieties will perform in your garden. Fortunately, as in chicago botanical garden and Cuba Hill Center Test by placing plants side by side under typical garden conditions. In this episode, Richard Hawke and Sam Hoadley Dive into some of the similarities and differences between their pilot programs. They compare notes, swap stories and clear up some misunderstandings as they prepare for their presentation on Thursday, March 6th2025 as part of the “Knowing to Grow” lecture series Philadelphia Flower Show.

Field evaluations are a core component of plant trials at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Trials at the Cuba Hill Center in Hockessin, Del., focus on plants native to the mid-Atlantic region. In trial gardens, both staff and visiting gardeners can compare the flower color, habits and pollinator attractiveness of various varieties, such as a series bee balm Shown here.

CBG Factory Assessment Plan is one of the largest and most diverse in the country. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

the latest one Sedge test The Mount Cuba Center has identified a number of breeds that are well suited to Turf grass replacement. Photo courtesy of Cuba Hill Center

The shading structure in the center of Cuba Hill makes it possible to grow sun-hating plants under precisely controlled light conditions.