The West Madison Agricultural Research Station will be holding its Family Horticulture Day on Saturday, May 15, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

 

Commercial Field Days will be held August 5, 2010.

 

Urban Horticulture Day will be held August 21, 2010.

 

For information on the specifics of each program link to their website here.

 

Many of the other Agricultural Research Stations in the University of Wisconsin - Madison system also hold field days later in the summer.  To access information about a specific station's events, check out the ARS website.

For an updated UW Extension Garden Fact Sheet on Late Blight, link here.

 Garden Phlox

 Suggest Phlox when customers ask for . . .

• Perennials for a butterfly garden
• Companion plants for coneflowers and daylilies
• Something fragrant that also makes a good cut flower
• An old-fashioned favorite
• Perennials that will grow well in containers

• Conduct a seminar showcasing mildew-resistant phlox cultivars. Share culture tips to keep these perennials in good shape.
• Encourage "smell tests." Help customers make selections based on fragrance, as well as color and form.
• Nostalgia is still resonating with consumers this year. Include phlox in a summer sales event touting "Grandma's favorites."
• Include phlox in "buy 2, get 1 free" specials. It will encourage customers to quickly establish a nice collection

Notable Cultivars per Novalis:

 

Source: Garden Center Magazine, 4.26.2010

 There are three types of customers:

In which group do the majority of your customers fall?

 

Loyal Customers:  They drive your business. They are free salesmen.  Their word of mouth advertising is more valuable than gold. Do you and your employees recognize that you need to continue to foster your relationship with these customers?

 

Neutralizers:  These customers come and go -- they aren't overly excited by your products or your service - but they aren't unhappy either. 

 

Diminishers:  They are always unhappy and they aren't afraid to tell people.  Their word of mouth advertising is something you want to work at preventing. 

 

What do you need to be doing to grow your loyal customer segment and reduce your diminisher segment?  How have you empowered your employees to create a positive environment?

 

Source:  Focus Strategic Solutions, Madison WI.

 The day will include:

 

 

Pre-registration is required.

 Are you have trouble coming up with combination plantings?

 

Ball Horticultural Company's Simplybeautifulgardens.com has recipes for Sun, Sun/Shade and Shade containers that will help you refresh your thinking.

 A common problem for growers during the spring season is overgrown plants. Some growers lower greenhouse night temperatures to save on energy costs, while daytime temperatures are warm due to sunny days. Cool night temperatures along with warm sunny days often result in plant stretch. The greater the difference between day and night greenhouse temperatures, the more stretch occurs.
   
Bedding plants may become too tall if they are started too soon, are spaced too closely, are shaded by overhead hanging baskets, or are grown in low light greenhouses caused by old plastic. Fast growing herbs such as basil, chives and dill and vegetable plants easily become overgrown, especially if started too early. Depending on the extent of these adverse factors, growers can sometimes use cultural practices and chemical growth regulators to salvage plants by reducing stretch. Read more. . . .