Before there were designated horticultural gardens, all of the grounds were described as the way Milton pictured Eden: "A happy rural seat of various views."

They were designed in the early 1930s by T. Glenn Philips, who was the college landscape architect at the time (76).

They were located in the center of what is now East Circle and extended to where the Student Services Building now stands.

The newly designed garden included a grassy area with a fountain that was surrounded by ‘Red Jade’ crab apples in the middle.

Jack and Perkins released its ‘Spartan’ rose in 1955 in honor of Michigan State University's centennial.

Lowell Ewart took responsibility for the Michigan State University Trial Gardens.

Bedding plants would be started in the Horticulture Teaching Greenhouse around March and April and then would be transplanted in May.

Work on the new gardens began in 1989 after the Plant and Soil Science Building was completed.

After moving the new gardens to the current location, the department was unable to maintain the old gardens next to the Old Horticulture Building and the area was converted to a green space, but at the dismay of many students who enjoyed the area.

Lowell Ewart works in the horticulture department and develops new varieties of plants.

Plants are evaluated bi-weekly on vigor, uniformity, ornamental value, susceptibility to disease and illness, and tolerance to extremes in climate (like a really hot summer day in Michigan, or a really cold, rainy summer night in Michigan).

Typically only annuals are trialed because they are easy to breed- they only have a life cycle of one growing season so results of crosses are quickly seen.

The pond is a nice spot to enjoy water lilies and other aquatic plants.