Gardens at Ball

摘要

Premier trial and testing grounds for North America and beyond since 1930s. The Gardens at Ball in West Chicago, Illinois, have been the evaluation and testing grounds for the world's wealth of horticultural introductions and improvements since the early 1930s. George J. Ball created the first Ball Horticultural Company test sites at his Glen Ellyn, Illinois, greenhouse to compare various cut flower strains. Recognizing the importance of evaluation, and with the company's expansion to nearby West Chicago in 1928, he increased the trials to include outdoor gardens composed of bedding plants. In 1933, the Gardens resembled traditional row trial-style displays for seed varieties. This format is a useful way to compare growth habits, flower quality anddisease resistance between varieties.