If you enjoy seeing how new flowers and vegetables perform in real-life East Texas conditions, mark your calendar for the 2025 East Texas Horticulture Field Day in Overton. Held Thursday, June 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., this free event offers something for every gardener, whether you are a professional landscaper, Master Gardener, or just someone who loves plants.

Hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension, the annual field day is one of the longest-running events of its kind in the South. For decades, researchers and Extension specialists have trialed hundreds of plant varieties under the tough love of East Texas heat and humidity. It is a rare opportunity to evaluate side-by-side comparisons of annuals, perennials, and vegetables to see which ones can truly stand the test of our local conditions.
        

The day kicks off at the East Farm Horticulture Area on County Road 133, just outside Overton, where attendees can explore more than 200 varieties of flowers and vegetables from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. Some of this year’s stars include petunias, coleus, vincas, mandevillas, and tomatoes. This is an ideal chance to walk the beds with fellow plant lovers, compare notes, and photograph your favorites for future reference.
         

From 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the event shifts to the nearby Overton Research and Extension Center at 1710 FM 3053. There, attendees can explore container trials and demonstration gardens that focus on real-world landscape applications. These test plots showcase plants in raised beds and containers, with different soil mixes, irrigation strategies, and maintenance levels. It is all designed to help growers, retailers, and gardeners make better-informed decisions.

         

The beauty of the Overton Field Day is that it combines scientific research with garden practicality. Trial plots are tended by Texas A&M AgriLife experts as well as Smith County and Rusk County Master Gardeners who take careful notes on bloom times, disease resistance, heat tolerance, and overall performance. But the results are not locked in a lab. They are shared in a casual, hands-on setting where the public can see, touch, and ask questions. It is a great way to learn which plants are worth your time and money, especially in our often-unforgiving East Texas environment.

         

There is no charge to attend, and no registration is required. Parking is available on site at both locations. The event is held rain or shine, so dress accordingly and wear comfortable shoes for walking. Directions from Overton: For the morning session at the East Farm, take State Hwy 135 North for 2.3 miles, then turn left on CR 133. Go half a mile and look for maroon AgriLife flags. For the second location on FM 3053, take Motley Drive north for 1.5 miles. The center will be on the right.

For more information go to flowers.tamu.edu or visit the Smith County Master Gardeners Facebook page. Whether you are planning a landscape project or just curious about what thrives in our region, the Overton Horticulture Field Day is well worth the trip .Greg Grant, Ph.D., is the Smith County horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. He is the author of Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, Texas Home Landscaping, Heirloom Gardening in the South, and The Rose Rustlers. You can read his “Greg’s Ramblings” blog at arborgate.com, read his “In Greg’s Garden” in each issue of Texas Gardener magazine (texasgardener.com), or follow him on Facebook at “Greg Grant Gardens” or “Rebel Eloy Emanis Wildlife Sanctuary.” More science-based lawn and gardening information from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service can be found at aggieturf.tamu.edu and aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu.