23rd Northeast Texas Horticulture Field Day a hit with horticulture enthusiasts

• Writer: Adam Russell, 903-834-6191, [email protected]
• Contact: Brent Pemberton, 903-834-6191, [email protected]

OVERTON – Master Gardeners Linda Brown and Brenda Kinney sat in the shade behind the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center’s main building, waiting for barbecue lunch to be served Thursday.

The duo drove from Harrison County to join more than 250 attendees at the 23rd annual Northeast Texas Horticulture Field Day, where more than 500 varieties of ornamental plants and vegetables were on public display.

The field day was the first for both but they expect to return in the future.

“It’s nice to see what would grow well in the region,” Brown said after viewing the plant varieties earlier that morning. “It’s better for AgriLife Research to do the trial-and-error part and see what works and doesn’t work than it is for us to buy a plant and try.”

Dr. Brent Pemberton, Texas A&M AgriLife Research ornamental horticulturist in Overton, started the field trial in 1993 to meet the needs of commercial seed companies, local nursery managers and gardening enthusiasts who wanted information about how varieties performed in the region. The field day has become an opportunity to showcase plants and educate the public about plants and the conditions under which they perform best.

“A lot of our plant varieties are looking incredible,” he said. “I am very pleased with how most varieties performed and that the public has a chance to view them, ask questions and discuss them with us and then pick their favorites.”

Pemberton said the field day included varieties that have been popular for years but also gave attendees a glimpse of bedding plants that are not available to the public yet.

Dr. Joe Masabni, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service vegetable specialist, Overton, also presented several varieties of tomatoes for the field day. The day also included guest speakers who discussed plant varieties and how to attract pollinators.

Dr. Charles Long, resident director of AgriLife Research at the Overton center, said 250 attendees registered during the event and more attended the come-and-go field day. Long said the annual event always draws a mix of professionals and amateurs who are interested in horticulture, specifically the ornamental bedding plants.

“It was a very nice turnout and an excellent group,” he said. “The amazing thing about the field day is the variety of people who attend. We had Tyler Junior College faculty show up with a group of students. There were Master Gardeners from around the area, representatives from large seed companies and people who are just interested in bedding plants and how they perform in East Texas.”

The bedding plant industry has had a $500 million annual economic impact in East Texas over the past decade, and though not recession proof, it hasn’t experienced the downturn in consumer spending other businesses experienced, Pemberton said.

Kinney said the drive from Harrison County was well worth it. She said the number of varieties and colors on display were almost overwhelming. The two friends and gardeners said several varieties stood out and they hope to add them to their own gardens in the future.

“We mostly wanted to see plants that aren’t always available at retail stores and to see how they do here,” she said. “We both like plants that are unusual, that have different color blooms, and we found plenty here. We made a list.”