Colorado State University invites the public to vote on their favorite flowers from this year’s blooms during Public Evaluation Day at the CSU Flower Trial Garden.

Participants can visit the Trial Garden at 1401 Remington St. in Fort Collins from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 5 to view and judge more than 1,200 varieties of flowers. Get started at the gazebo where CSU horticulture experts will be available to answer your questions.

Help select Colorado’s top flowers

Each year, industry experts visit the Trial Garden to judge the annuals and perennials that perform best in Colorado’s harsh growing conditions. This process has a heavy influence on which varieties of flowers bloom from trial status to retail outlets. Consumers are also invited to weigh in on their favorites, a tradition that began in 2018.

Participants at Public Evaluation Day will view over 1,200 different varieties of annual flowers and nearly 400 new varieties to select the winning flowers.

Know before you go

• The event is free and open to the public.
• Free parking will be available on CSU campus lots on Saturday. Participants can park in the campus lot on the corner of Matthews and Pitkin streets, northeast of the University Center for the Arts.
• Participants will be given three flags to indicate their top flowers in both the Annual and Perennial Gardens.
• Guided 30-minute tours will take place at 9, 10 and 11 a.m.
• Folks can look at plants that thrive in the shade, which are good for people who live in apartments. They are located under the shade structure.
• Blue flags indicate new plant varieties.
• Hal’s Coffee will be available for purchase in addition to free refreshments.
• Door prizes will be awarded at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.
• Planting activities for kids of all ages with free plants!

About the Trial Gardens

Located across Remington Street from the University Center for the Arts, the Trial Gardens spans more than three acres, making it the largest university trial garden west of the Mississippi River. Each year, the gardens provide crucial information on the best varieties to grow in the Colorado climate – research that elevates some varieties to the retail space and, eventually, to home gardens across the state. Learn more at Trial Garden website. View additional events on the upcoming events page.