Trials by Fire

Chris Beytes

You can’t tell it from this pretty aerial photo provided by Snoopy, Ball Publishing’s loyal drone, but it was about to get very, very hot down there at Pleasant View Gardens’ annual open house in Loudon, New Hampshire—98F, to be precise, beating the previous high for the day by 5 degrees, according to Weather Underground (the average for August is a mild 78F).

Still, despite the tropical heat and humidity, Pleasant View drew nearly 550 visitors to its 23rd annual open house, with visitors coming not just from New England, but from 15 states total, including from as far away as Colorado (and two magazine editors from Chicago).

The purpose of the open house, said National Sales Manager (and third-generation family member) Andy Huntington, is “it’s a thank you to our loyal customers, a place for inspiration … as well as education … We are proud to be one of the few display gardens (not a trial garden) at a commercial greenhouse that actively hosts events throughout the summer, and is open to the public and has been used for picnics, family photos, weddings [and] local organizations’ meeting place.”

Andy adds that it’s a great place to network with growers, brokers and breeders. “We pull back the curtain and have every department interact with customers, sharing tips and knowledge with one another. It truly is a special event to us at PVG.”

A prime reason we were there was to see the new Proven Winners offerings. And while in town, we dropped in on the open house of D.S. Cole Growers, taking place the same day. Look for our videos of the two events at youtube.com/growertalks. GT