The Trial and Cutting Beds



Each year seed companies and nurseries come out with new offerings. Bright pictures proclaim their revolutionary beauty. Although pictures are worth a thousand words, it doesn't guarantee them to be true. So each year in our trial beds, we plant a selection of what is new. Some of them may be All-America selections, or some may be chosen out of curiosity. Annuals are evaluated for later use and perennials are examined for both beauty and hardiness. New vegetables are even grown so the visitor can judge the latest award winners (and the gardeners can fill their crispers). Some vegetables may even be ornamental enough to warrant use in a display bed or an arrangement in Kingwood Hall. We also grow several different cultivars of a species, such as the sunflower, in order to judge their individual merits against one another. The trial beds are an important evaluation tool, but also are a lot of fun as we wait to see what the next star will be.

During Mr. King's days, fresh flower arrangements were always found in Kingwood Hall. That tradition is continued today. When in season, fresh flowers and greens are harvested weekly from the Kingwood grounds. Part of the trial beds are devoted to cut flowers. Gladiola are planted annually along with other bulbs and annuals. A considerable amount of space is devoted to those plants whose flowers dry well, such as statice and straw flowers. They are used in workshops, lectures, Christmas decorations, and winter arrangements. The trial and cutting beds at Kingwood are fun and colorful. They are a frequent stop.