Florida Flower Trials begin May 18

The Florida Flower Trials takes place May 18 and 19 in Orlando. Over the course of two days, attendees will experience three Orlando-area trial gardens: Harry P. Leu Gardens; UF/IFAS Orange County Extension’s Discovery Gardens; and Walt Disney World's nursery. 

The experience will provide an early look directly from producers on the recommended growing, landscape use and retail strategies to create business success. There will also be educational sessions and a backstage tour of the Disney horticulture facilities.

Speakers include Dan Heims, Terra Nova Nurseries (Canby, Ore.); Tracy DiSabato-Aust, Horticultural Classics & Consultations (Sunbury, Ohio); Tyler Chandler, WinField Solutions PPG (Boca Raton, Fla.) and at least two of last year’s trial garden site managers-- Melissa Shepherd, Walt Disney World (Lake Buena Vista, Fla.) and, Kelly Greer, UF/IFAS Orange County Extension Services (Orlando, Fla.).

FNGLA Members can attend the conference for $175 ($200 after May 15). Non-members pay $210 ($235 after May 15). Full conference registration includes Thursday seminars, lunch, dinner, trial gardens’ open houses and admission to the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. 

Thursday evening’s dinner is also the local FNGLA chapter monthly meeting. Attend just the dinner for $25, FNGLA member price and $45 for nonmembers. 

The event is sponsored by Bioworks, Berger, OldCastle and Disney Horticulture; Brad’s Bedding Plants and Speedling -- the official growers for the 2017 trials; and, BrightView -- the event’s landscape contractor. 

For more information about the event, click here.

For information on sponsoring or to reserve a tabletop for your business, contact FNGLA’s Linda Reindl, lreindl@ fngla.org or FNGLA’s Billy Deal, bdeal@fngla.org for details.