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Everybody wants to attend Spring Trials, but nobody has the time. But if you can take a weekend away from work, you DO have the time! We credit Scott Swift of Swift Greenhouses in Iowa as being the first grower we met who used the weekend strategy to attend trials.
Our Spring Trials Weekend Getaways have you fly to California late Friday afternoon, spend Saturday and Sunday visiting four to six trial stops in one of the three trial regions (Northern, Central or Southern), then fly back home on a late-night red eye. Yes, you might be a bit tired Monday morning. But you’ll have gathered enough ideas to easily last you the entire season. Do one region a year, and in three seasons you’ll have seen every Spring Trial!
The suggested itineraries:
Northern
Trials you can visit:
• Goldsmith/Syngenta
• American Takii
• Oro Farms and Danziger 'Dan' Flower Farm - at Headstart Nursery
• Pacific Plug & Liner (home to all the Agrexco companies: Cohen, Jaldety, Hishtil, Schwartz)
• Speedling (featuring ABZ Seeds, Hem Genetics, Greenex USA, MasterTag, Plant Source International, Schoneveld Twello and Thompson & Morgan)
• Golden State Bulb Company
Sample Schedule:
Fly in to San Jose International (SJC)
Lodging – Hilton Garden Inn or the Best Western Forest Park Inn, Gilroy
Distance/time from airport – 36 miles/45 minutes
Arrive Friday evening and take the easy 45-minute drive down highway 101 from San Jose to Gilroy. Check in, then do some outlet mall shopping and dinner at one of several area restaurants. We like the Mexican food at Chevy’s, which is a block west of highway 101 at the Leavesley Road exit.
Saturday
9 am Golden State Bulb
11:30 am PP&L (lunch)
3 pm Syngenta/Goldsmith (dinner)
Sunday
8 am Danziger/Oro
10 am Speedling
1 pm American Takii
Depart to San Jose International Airport for evening flight home.
Central
Trials you can visit:
• Dümmen
• Greenheart Farms
• Floranova
• Plant Haven (at Island View Nursery, and featuring HIP Labels, Westflowers and Hort Couture
• Imagination Canyon (home to Florist de Kwakel, GGG-International, Jiffy Products, John Henry, Northern Innovators and Skagit Gardens)
• GroLink (also featuring Knox Nursery and Green Fuse Botanicals)
• Ball
• Fides
Sample Schedule
Fly in to Los Angeles International (LAX)
Lodging – Ventura Beach Marriott
Distance/time from airport – 80 miles
Arrive Friday evening and drive north up 405 to 101 to Ventura. It’s about an hour and a half drive. Grab a quick bite along the way or at the Seaward Ave. exit, which is where you’ll find your hotel. Or head east into old Ventura for one of the eclectic restaurants there.
Saturday
8:30 am GroLink
11 am Imagination Canyon
3 pm Plant Haven (at Island View)
Sunday
9 am Fides
10:30 am Ball
Depart to Los Angeles International (LAX) for evening flight home.
(Note: Dümmen, Greenheart Farms and Floranova are roughly an hour further north, but could be substituted for the Saturday visits. See our map on the main schedule page.)
Southern
Trials you can visit:
• Proven Winners
• Ecke
• Plug Connection
Since there are only three trial stops in the south, you can also visit: Roger’s Gardens, a premier independent garden center; The Flower Fields; Armstrong Garden Center at the Flower Fields. Or take some time to tour downtown San Diego.
Schedule
Fly in to San Diego International (SAN) or John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana (SNA)
Lodging – Best Western Encinitas
Distance/time from airport – 28 miles from San Diego (62 miles from John Wayne)
Arrive Friday evening and head either north or south to Encinitas, depending on whether you flew into John Wayne or San Diego (John Wayne is sometimes less expensive).
Saturday
8:30 am Plug Connection
11 am Proven Winners
3 pm Visit Rogers Gardens, Corona Del Mar (near Newport Beach)
Sunday
9 am Ecke Ranch
noon Flower Fields, Armstrong Garden Center
Depart to airport for evening flight home.
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