The 2010 Raker Trial Gardens will be open July 14 – September 3, 2010.
Each year, Raker hosts our Trial Gardens to provide the horticulture industry, and anyone with a horticulture interest, the opportunity
to evaluate Annual and Perennial cultivar performance grown under Midwestern conditions.
In our Gardens, we introduce and evaluate new varieties, research existing varieties, and ultimately, share the information we collect
with horticulture professionals and the gardening public.
The Gardens consist of well over 1,000 Annual and Perennial varieties. In addition to beds dedicated to showcasing our Sponsors’ newest
and best varieties, we separate our Gardens into distinct trial environments:
Row Trials
Over 600 varieties of Dianthus, Echinacea, Gaillardia, Grasses, Ipomea, Lovelia, Mint, Nemesia, Sedum, Snapdragons, and Zonal Geraniums
Hanging Basket Trials
More than 300 varieties of vegetative Calibrachoa in 14-inch baskets
Large Container Trials
A collection of 2011 new varieties and combinations
We gather and post plant data for the above Trials every two weeks beginning in June. Information we collect relies on the cultivar,
but generally includes: time to flower, plant habit, flower size, height, spread, and overall performance.
Raker maintains Perennial Areas (Groundcover, Butterfly, First Year Flower, & Shade) and Demonstrations focusing on Green Roof and
Native Plant varieties.