K-State Open House Brings Gardening Research to Life

Friday, June 12, 2026

father & son looking at field


WICHITA – Imagine the possibilities – a lush green lawn that requires no water, a towering shade tree free from everyday disease problems, or a landscape dotted with vibrant pops of color from annual flowers that grow with minimal care. For 55 years, these are the kinds of horticultural projects that the John C. Pair Horticultural Research Center in Haysville, KS has been studying. Testing a wide range of plants — from trees and shrubs to turfgrass, fruits, vegetables, and even industrial hemp — their research helps identify and develop the best performing plants for Kansas.

Since 1971, K-State plant researchers at the Pair Center have looked for the greenest turf grasses, maple trees with the best fall color, the toughest evergreen trees, the most drought tolerant plants, and more in order to recommend the best plants to grow in the weather extremes of Southcentral Kansas.

To provide the public with an up-close, firsthand look at this research, the John C. Pair Horticultural Research Center will host a public Open House on Saturday, August 8 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The open house is designed for all ages of the community and will include tours, interactive booths, kid’s activities, tram rides and more.

Tours of various research trials will be given throughout the day, and highlights include:

• No Irrigation Turfgrass Trials
• Recommended Trees For Kansas
• New Annual Flower Variety Testing
• Water-Wise Landscape Design Research
• Local Vegetable Variety Testing
• Mulch-Driven Soil Improvements
• Best Cut Sunflower Varieties
• Industrial Hemp Variety Trials
• Organic Sweet Potato Production
• Best Drought Tolerant Turfgrasses

“The John C. Pair Horticulture Center is a one of a kind, nationally recognized research facility that betters our lives every day in ways most Kansans don’t even realize,” said Abbey Draut, Horticulture Agent with the K-State Extension Office in Sedgwick County, and one of the event’s organizers. “With the open house, we want to invite the community to come out and discover everything that the Pair Center has to offer in order to help them be more successful gardeners.”

Image of John C. Pair Horticulture Center

The Open House is scheduled as a come and go event. Admission is free. There will be time to see current research, talk to the experts, and get answers to gardening questions.

The public open house is being hosted by K-State Extension, the Sedgwick County Extension Master Gardeners, and staff at the John C. Pair Horticultural Research Center. Further information about the event can be found on the event flyer.

Draut added that “whether you are growing trees, lawns, food crops, or flowers, the research conducted at the Pair Center not only supports the success of every home gardener, but also supports innovation and growth of local greenhouses, nurseries, sod farms, landscape companies, golf courses and parks across Kansas.”

An additional field day event will be hosted earlier in the week, on Thursday, August 6th, and is designed for members of the horticulture industry, including those working as landscapers, arborists, golf course managers, municipal park staff, sports field managers, and garden center employees. Additional information about the 2026 Kansas Turf & Ornamentals Field Day and online registration can be found here.

Group looking at grass test plots

Attendees look at grass test plots

Source

Abbey Draut
316-660-0142
abbeyd@ksu.edu