NDSU Celebrates 20 years of the Horticulture Research and Demonstration Gardens

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — NDSU’s Department of Plant Sciences invited gardeners of all levels to celebrate the anniversary of its gardens. From speakers to tours of the garden itself.

“Today’s event is our twentieth anniversary celebration of the NDSU Horticulture Research and Demonstration Gardens. They were established in October of 2004, so we’re in our twentieth year. And we just want to celebrate this hidden gem with the community,” said Esther McGinnis, Associate Professor and Director of the NDSU Extension Master Gardener Program.

The celebration showcased the ways of gardening, which includes how to be a better gardener, the evolution of the NDSU garden, and what is special about daylilies.

“Horticulture is very important because this field covers, you know, our fruits and vegetables. It covers landscape plants like annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs, and then also turf grass. So that’s a very important field and certainly an important field for all homeowners too,” said McGinnis.

NDSU’s garden has the largest public collection of daylilies in the nation. The daylilies are in commemoration of a man who helped establish the garden and loved the flower. The garden also includes over 200 species of various types of flowers.

“People can come and see which ones do well in our climate, which ones don’t. It’s equally important for people to see the plants that don’t do well because then they can avoid them and they won’t waste their money on them,” said McGinnis.

As the festivities came to an end, McGinnis hopes people are able to walk away with new knowledge of learning how to garden.