The origin of modern plant tags dates back to 1949 at a hardware store in Montague, Michigan.
In service to a friend, Lou Schmidt created that first plant tag. Since then, we have built our business on trusted relationships that have lasted for generations.
FOR MORE: mastertag.com
Easy-care plants and pollinator plots are among the biggest 2019 gardening trends.
Hardy species, edibles, new colors, variegated foliage and support of the environment are just a few planting possibilities to look for as the spring growing season commences in earnest. To maintain their busy schedules, gardeners are also leaning toward low-maintenance care of their landscapes in 2019.
Alyssa Hagarman, a horticulture specialist at Hershey Gardens in Hershey, Pennsylvania, points to a surge in perennials and heirlooms this season for people not interested in replanting every year. While not native to North America, one species making the rounds regionally is Actaea simplex, or bugbane, a shade-tolerant perennial bearing late-season spikes of creamy white flowers on tall stems. Easy-care bugbane is a resilient addition to beds, cottage gardens, borders and naturalized areas, Hagarman says.
Meanwhile, Amsonia tabernaemontana — also known as bluestar — is a native perennial with dense clusters of pale blue spring flowers and golden fall foliage.
“Bluestar turns a brilliant yellow in autumn, so you’re going to get three seasons out of it,” Hagarman says.
This year’s annuals are “easy keepers,” too: standbys such as begonias, marigolds, zinnias and the vinca genus of flowering plants are all good bloomers and simple to care for, requiring no pruning as they fade out of bloom.
Maria Zampini, president of the horticulture marketing firm UpShoot, says gardening trend-watchers are probably asking themselves now the same question they do every year: “What problem will this plant solve for me?” Happily, that query has multiple answers, including disease- and pest-resistant plants your typical home gardener doesn’t have to spray with chemicals.
Impatiens work well in a garden, particularly when planted in a single color, Zampini says. With downy mildew affecting many impatiens, though, growers have had to diversify their offerings with begonias, fuchsias and coleus. But now, a new series of Impatiens walleriana is protected from the disease.
“People want something tough as nails so they don’t have to spend money on chemicals,” Zampini says. “And if they have a plant that deadheads on its own, they’re happy because they can spend more time on their kayak in the summertime.”
Whether it’s annuals, perennials or any native plant, more people are growing pollinator gardens with an eye toward a healthy environment. Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum), for example, grows in full sun or light shade in late summer, carrying large round heads of rosy pink flowers. Rising to a height of four to seven feet, the attractive plants entice pollinating birds and insects during the peak of the season.
“Butterflies and hummingbirds love them,” Hagarman says. “There are also some dwarf varieties coming out that would fit the garden of a general homeowner.”
As the National Pollinator Garden Network (NPGN) recently surpassed its goal of one million registered pollinator gardens, it’s evident that ordinary citizens are motivated to do their part for the planet, Zampini adds.
“It’s a feel-good story for sure,” she says. “It’s not just growing a plant that makes them feel good, they’re supporting nature as well.”
The environment’s renewed spot in the public consciousness has inspired growers to mix edibles into the landscape rather than cultivating them in separate food gardens, says Jody Davey, an indoor horticulture and programs specialist at Hershey Gardens.
Fruits, vegetables and herbs have made a comeback in the last decade, but Davey says gardeners who don’t want edibles taking over their plots are placing dwarf tomatoes and cucumbers in beds or along borders and walkways.
Bringing blueberries and raspberries into the garden is another popular trend in the burgeoning art of “foodscaping,” Zampini says.
“People are using their backyard as an outdoor living room or entertainment area, so you have more of these items making their way closer to the home,” she says. “There doesn’t have to be that second designated area.”
Tropical plants, including elephant ears and colorful canna lilies, are being incorporated into home landscapes, serving as a low-maintenance eye-catcher in the center of a conventional flower bed.
“Just one elephant ear grows so fast and big, people are going to be drawn to that, then you can grow more traditional plants around it,” Davey says. “It’s something that adds a little punch to the landscape.”
Zampini suggests finding plants that match Living Coral, named in January as Pantone’s 2019 Color of the Year. Certain types of roses, begonias, coneflowers and early-blooming tulips exhibit this vibrant yet mellow shade, while those yearning for variegated foliage can turn to a genus of coleus featuring a pink center and green edging.
Indeed, more growers are looking at attributes beyond the flower as 2019 rolls on. Diane Blazek, executive director of All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau, says bicolored and tricolored plants exploded onto the scene about six years ago, and show no signs their popularity is waning.
“There are purples, greens, and spots and dots,” Blazek says. “Hostas with color variations are all about the foliage.”
Ultimately, keeping apprised of new trends is critical for greenhouse growers aiming to sell their wares to landscapers, Davey says.
“I would think growers would want to produce product that will sell and sell very well,” she says. “Following trends and growing to them ensures their crops are popular in markets that landscapers ultimately cater to, whether residential or commercial.”
Douglas is a Cleveland Heights, Ohio-based freelance writer and journalist. His work has been published by Midwest Energy News, Crain’s Cleveland Business and The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Lambert Peat Moss’ success is based on our preoccupation for rigorous quality control and consistency of our products.
For over 90 years, Lambert Peat Moss, family-owned business, has been acknowledged as a leader in the production of superior growing media and a steward of the environment. Our devotion and passion for our products makes us the perfect partner, whether you are a professional grower or an amateur horticulturist. Well-known for our ability to quickly adapt to the customer’s requests and special needs, Lambert’s success is based on our preoccupation for rigorous quality control and consistency of our products.
At Lambert, quality is a priority; that’s why we maintain a complete in-house quality control laboratory. Our agronomists and engineers have developed procedures to make sure that every cubic foot of product leaving the yard complies with our strict standards. We reassess quality control procedures regularly to increase product quality and consistency. To comply with chemical standards, we sample products constantly and analyze for pH and EC. We also analyze particle size distribution, porosity and moisture content and we measure the yield and fitness of our bags at every production. Finally, we run random greenhouse tests to evaluate our products’ performance.
But the true pillar of Lambert’s success is our people. Our technical staff of experienced agronomists and soil technicians is always ready to help and advise our customers with any questions they may have. In addition, our sales team is comprised of industry veterans and experienced growers who truly love what they do and strive for customer success.
Lambert offers a large selection of professional & retail growing mixes as well as selected premium types of Canadian sphagnum peat moss for specific uses and productions. The “LM” and “GFM” series are professional growing substrates that use specially processed Canadian Peat Moss as a base to provide growers with a superior and consistent growing media. These mixes can use other components that may include perlite, vermiculite, coir, Ecopeat and composted bark. Lambert also produces organic mixes (OMRI Listed) for germination, growing or especially for crops that require high drainage. No worries about the quality of our ingredients as we always select the best quality available on the market!
Lambert Peat Moss also offers commercial growers our exclusive ECOPEAT, a highly fibrous natural wood fiber collected from our peat bogs. Depending on the characteristics you’re looking for, choose from our ECOPEAT as a stand-alone product or from our complete line of ready-to-use ECOPEAT Mixes (EPM). If you need exceptional balance of air space and water-holding capacity, with superior longevity and minimal shrinkage, EPM will be the best product to look for.
In order to meet and surpass the needs of our clients, Lambert proposes the possibility to customize all our «Standard» Professional Peat-Based Substrates and gives the option to custom blend virtually any formulation that suits the growers. Depending on the characteristics the producer is looking for, he can adjust the pH (up or down), or choose the peat grade, a nutrient charge, organic-approved inputs, biologicals or disease-suppressive products. We can provide endless possibilities to fulfill any grower’s expectations. Lambert can assist retailers to develop their own private label of retail potting mixes and landscape soils for the horticultural market.
Lambert proudly holds the VeriFlora® – Certified Peatland Products certification for responsible peatland management since 2011. This certification program is the industry’s most important standard. Compliancy with this program guarantees a firm commitment to ongoing improvement in the production of substrates for horticultural growth and sustainable practices.
The Lambert family and our employees take pride in providing customers with the highest quality of peat products and peat-based mixes while simultaneously nurturing the land that we harvest from. From our family to yours, we are honored to be at the root of your success since 1928.
FOR MORE: lambertpeatmoss.com
Ensure others remember you by following the four P’s: Prepare, pre-schedule, prioritize, and push yourself.
As we emerge from the flurry of winter industry shows and prepare ourselves for the next round of summer shows, networking is on a lot of minds. Everyone seems eager to make meaningful — and profitable — connections. Yet many seem at a loss as to how to go about doing so. I’m often asked what I think the secret is to good networking. My answer? Come prepared and be ready to get uncomfortable.
For many of us who may be introverted or socially uncomfortable, networking in social situations can feel completely overwhelming. If you’re new in the industry or a young professional, you may have no idea where to even start. You’re not alone.
This might come as a surprise to some of you, but while I’m a good tap dancer come performance time, I’m also a loner who must push myself to make dinner dates and networking meetups when I’m at industry conferences. It’s not inconceivable that you may never be able to find me between my speaking sessions at big events. I give up a lot of my energy to those I’m helping when I’m “on,” and I need to be by myself to refill my tank. I tend to retreat when I’m not on stage.
Nevertheless, industry shows are often the only place you’ll have the opportunity to have face time with important contacts who work cross-country. I run a business and therefore I must network constantly — regardless of my introvertish inclinations. You must always be open to the possibility that every single person you make a connection with in the context of a work event could represent a real opportunity. So, what can a person do to be more memorable to others, especially if she/he might naturally be more of an introvert? My four P’s: Prepare, pre-schedule, prioritize, and push yourself.
If you aren’t prepared for networking, you aren’t going to make much of a memorable impression when it happens. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked for business cards from folks I meet at shows, only to be told they don’t have one, or they’re out. The easiest thing you can do to make networking successful is show up with enough business cards. Even better, make a small postcard or other piece of memorable marketing you can hand out to key contacts. Also, go through vendors and speakers on the schedule before you show up. Know who is attending so you know who you want to connect with in advance. Being prepared makes a great impression and makes you feel successful in your networking interactions.
One of my strategies is to schedule dinners and business meetings with key contacts — or people I want to meet for the first time — before an event happens. That way it’s on my event schedule and I won’t be tempted to leave that encounter to chance. Trust me, if I can find an excuse to punk out and hang out in my hotel room by myself, I will. I don’t get to indulge that inclination if I pre-commit to scheduled meetups.
An important component of good networking is that you don’t have to see everyone when you go to industry events. We are all there for business and we need to make sure our time is spent wisely. While it’s tempting to only want to hang out with friends you like at industry events, that’s not always going to help you achieve your goals. Sure, there is a nice social component to all industry events — it’s always great to see people we know and like. But if you aren’t also prioritizing strategic business or career connections, then you’re missing the point of the event. As tempting as it may be, don’t have lunch and dinner with the same friends every day you’re at a show. Make sure you prioritize new key contacts and networking opportunities along with your social time.
You may know Brie Arthur, effervescent author of “The Foodscape Revolution.” She and I like to joke we are two sides of the same coin. While we both spend most of our time on green industry communications, she is clearly the bright shiny side of the coin; an extrovert extraordinaire whose endless energy for networking I admire greatly. Brie pulled a whammy on me when I was at the North Carolina Green and Growin’ show this past January. She wasn’t even at the show, but that didn’t stop her from networking on my behalf. Out of the blue, I got a group text from her, which included a friend of hers, with a suggestion that because we were both at the show, we should meet for dinner that night. Insert introvert nightmare. I totally had a date with room service and my unfinished PowerPoint presentation.
Nevertheless, I vetoed myself and texted her friend, who was happy to have a dinner date. I ended up meeting and having a wonderful dinner with the talented Erin Weston of Weston Farms. Of course I needed to meet Erin! And I’m so very glad I did. Don’t punk out.
No matter your strategy when it comes to networking, I truly believe the best way to make a memorable impression on people is to be yourself. Don’t be afraid to be authentically you — just make sure you show up ready to show up.
Leslie (CPH) owns Halleck Horticultural, LLC, through which she provides horticultural consulting, business and marketing strategy, product development and branding, and content creation for green industry companies. lesliehalleck.com
Years of research and experience rooted in the Dutch horticultural heritage help set Gavita apart.
Rooted in a deep history of Dutch horticultural heritage, Gavita has been a global leader in the professional horticulture and indoor-growing industries for more than 30 years. We were the first to introduce double-ended high-pressure sodium (HPS) light fixtures. From Canada to Russia, Norway and beyond, Gavita services the world’s horticultural needs.
Our innovative fixtures are what made us a leader in the horticulture lighting market. But it’s our commitment to post-sales support and serving as a partner for our clients that keeps us there. No one knows your crop better than you do. That’s why, instead of telling you what’s best for your plant, we listen to what you need. Then, we deliver. Together, we can identify your crop’s needs, and use that information to provide you with personalized lighting layouts, installation plans and support to help your production reach new heights.
Your success is also why we use premium equipment, materials and skilled labor in the production of every reflector and lighting system. It’s these differences that separate Gavita products from everyone else.
Among our arsenal of performance-measuring tools are a Spectrometer (GL Spectis 5.0 Touch), a 2-meter integrating sphere (a.k.a. an Ulbricht Sphere), and an irradiance/illuminance head capable of measuring photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) within a 200 nm — 1050 nm wavelength range. With all three, we can accurately measure lumen and lux output, photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), color rendering index (CRI), a full-colored spectrum, and more, ensuring you get the best possible products for your cultivation style.
During the design process, we thoroughly and rigorously test all of our fixtures to learn what works and what doesn’t. That means we can attest to the accuracy of our claims — and have the data to back it up. Through significant investments in testing equipment and personnel, we’re able to simulate real-world conditions and performance standards to ensure our products deliver the results you expect.
For more: gavita.com
