Metrolina Greenhouses announces Summer Trials

2021 TRIAL GARDEN OPEN HOUSE

HUNTERSVILLE, USA:  Metrolina Greenhouses will hold its annual Trial Gardens Open House for members of the floriculture industry from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 9.

The annual event is part of the Southern Garden Tour, which includes stops at Young’s Plant Farm in Auburn, Alabama, on June 7 and the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, on June 8.

Metrolina Greenhouses will also open the Trial Gardens to gardening consumers for its Home Garden Panel consumer research event on Friday, June 10. This event will only be open to advocate-level industry members of Metrolina Greenhouses’ Home Garden Panel to interact with gardening consumers in research discussions and focus groups.

This year’s Trial Gardens open house marks roughly 20 years since the operation began hosting its annual summer trials.

The Trial Gardens will evaluate more than 2,000 items:

  • 1,956 annuals
  • 418 perennials
  • 375 second-year perennials
  • 203 2-gallon combination hanging baskets
  • 126 planters

Additionally, Metrolina Greenhouses’ research and development team has chosen heuchera to evaluate this year for its perennial genus trial.

Attendees should RSVP for the Trial Gardens at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0e45aeae2ba64-2023

2021 TRIAL GARDEN OPEN HOUSE

This year, Metrolina Greenhouses celebrates its 50th Anniversary. Established in 1972, Metrolina Greenhouses has held plant trials for the past 40 years, beginning in the driveway at Tom and Vickie VanWingerden’s house.

Today, Metrolina’s expert research and development team evaluates more than 2,000 plants in its Trial Gardens annually, and over 15,000 varieties in both public and private trials each year. The team’s work provides critical analysis of varieties that will grow best in the Southeast region.

Because gardening consumers are the ultimate customer, Metrolina Greenhouses has committed to understanding consumer perceptions and buying behaviors. By gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, Metrolina’s Home Garden Panel conducts annual consumer gardening research that informs Metrolina and its partners about gardening consumers’ purchasing habits, decision drivers and item preferences. This knowledge guides product development focused on meeting gardeners’ needs while promoting their continued success and satisfaction.

Metrolina Greenhouses is an industry-leading wholesale greenhouse producer of ornamental plants and services. Established in 1972, Metrolina Greenhouses now includes two locations in Huntersville, North Carolina and York, South Carolina, and spans more than 200 acres of greenhouses, over 300 acres of outdoor growing space and more than 1,000 acres total. Its Huntersville, North Carolina headquarters is the largest single-site heated wholesale greenhouse operation in the U.S. A privately owned operation, Metrolina Greenhouses employs up to 1,200 people annually. The highly automated operation grows 75 million plants per year and serves more than 1,400 retail outlets for Lowe’s Home Improvement, The Home Depot and Walmart, and fulfills online ordering for these retailers, shipping plants to consumers’ homes in 50 states. The operation strives to provide a world-class employee experience and excellent customer service through continued innovation and sustainable practices. Learn more about the operation at http://www.metrolinagreenhouses.com

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