Visit a Trial Garden

 

 

Pacific Northwest (Tacoma) Trial Garden
Point Defiance Park, 5400 N. Pearl Street, Tacoma, WA 98407

The trial garden is inside Point Defiance Park.  There is no charge for getting into the park. The park and garden opens ½ hour before sunrise and closes ½ hour after sunset.

Enter the park at the Pearl Street entrance. Once you enter the park, stay in the left hand lane – you will drive past the Lodge, tennis courts and Pagoda.  Continue in the left hand lane “below” the Lodge where the road will split into two lanes, around a raised flower bed—take the left hand road around the corner back toward the front of the park and the exit. The dahlia garden is on your left, where the parking spaces start.

 

Bonneyville Mill Trial Garden
53373 County Road 131, Bristol, IN  

The trial garden is inside Bonneyville Mill Park.  There is no charge for getting into the park.

Hours (subject to change without notice):

• January, February, November, December – 9 AM-6 PM
• March, October – 9 AM-7 PM
• April, September – 9 AM-8 PM
• May, June, July, August – 9 AM-9 PM
• MILL HOURS: Apr 22-Nov 9, Tue-Sun – 10 AM-5 PM

 

The North Central Trial Garden (Minneapolis)

The North Central Trial Garden is located in Chanhassen, MN on the grounds of the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The cost to visit the arboretum is $20, but the arboretum is part of the American Horticulture Reciprocal Garden Network.

The arboretum is open 363 day a year; closed only on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Hours change seasonally. Please visit the Arboretum Website for info on hours and tickets.

The trial garden can be found on 3-Mile Drive, across from the Chinese Garden. 

 

Piper Creek Trial Garden

In 2025, we moved the Trial Garden from the home of Lorne & Marilyn McArthur in Red Deer County.  The trial garden is now at the Olds College of Agriculture and Technology located at 4500-50 Street, Olds, Alberta Canada, T4H 1R6

The space allotted to us is shared with students of the horticulture program and includes a Lily trial garden and fruit trees.  The area is fenced because of the deer and you can drive right in but you have to close the gate behind you.  The best time to visit is one of our summer events (see our website) but you can go anytime.  If you want someone to meet you there you can contact Herb or our President Shirley Cullum by email, but you are welcome to go anytime. There are picnic tables and washrooms inside the college building.  There is a hotel and restaurant right on campus.  See campus map. 

The Olds Campus has a wetlands walking trail.  Visit this site for more info . 

There is no charge to visit the trial garden or the summer events. For more information please email us.