Plant Shortages 

By Jake Pierson 

 

One of NENA's founding principles is the education of its members.  As a member of the NENA board, I believe in the importance of this directive.  In regards to that mission, I wanted to share a serious issue in our industry with all of you.

Growers have been barely getting by for the past several years. They were hit hard by the recession and reduced their production quite heavily.  These reductions are industry-wide from bare root woody liners, finished woody stock, perennial liners, bedding plants, and even annuals.   

The shortage of plants is real.  It WILL impact your business. The entire industry will face this for some period of time. As for us New Englanders, we may feel it more acutely than other parts of the nation. Growers are indicating a stronger demand for plant material for next spring.  That means that re-ordering from available inventories will be very difficult and as we tend to receive our material later than much of the country we could feel the pinch more acutely. Early ordering is paramount.  Please remember it is not "business as usual."

I urge you to look ahead and plan for this real problem.  Please take this seriously as I, and NENA, believe that demand for our products will increase this year and beyond.  We hope that this information can be used by all to have a profitable year.

Jake Pierson of Pierson Nurseries in Biddeford, Maine is a Director on the New England Nursery Association Board of Directors

  

 

NENA Annual Meeting & Election of Officers 

NEW DATES! Join us December 2-4, 2015 in Boston for the best GROWS experience ever!

Ed & Jake's Top Seminar Picks
Our thanks to Ed Bemis and Jake Pierson for representing NENA on the New England GROWS Education Advisory Committee.  Here are some of their top seminar picks:

*Planting Choices for the Living Landscape, Rick Darke
*A Cornucopia of New Flowering Trees & Shrubs, Michael Dirr, Ph.D.
*New Annuals & Perennials for the New England Landscape, Mark Dwyer
*Finding Solutions to Customer Demands, Bruce Crawford
*Keeping Bees Healthy, Kimberly Stoner, Ph.D.
*The "X" Factor of Modern Customer Service, Anne Obarski
*Phyto Landscapes: Using Plants to Clean Up Polluted Water, Soil & Air, Kate Kennen, RLA
*Understanding the Importance of Soil pH, Deborah Picking Henson, Ph.D.

Click here to see the full program in the GROWS Guide.

Energized Exposition
GROWS' exposition will be jam-packed with the hottest new plants, equipment, technology and more!  Attendees will be looking to make purchases before year- end. Check out the extensive list of the industry's leading suppliers and get ready for savings! There will be plenty of show specials offered on the tradeshow floor. Click here to be linked to GROWS' exhibitor search. New exhibitors are added daily.

GROWS REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN. Click here to register.
Tailor your Grows experience with a choice of two registration options:

ALL ACCESS PASS - This pass includes exclusive admission to New England Grows seminars, the chance to engage with leading industry experts and the opportunity to earn CEU credit.  You'll also gain unlimited access to the exposition, filled with 500+ of the industry's top suppliers, informative Sprint Sessions, innovative Learning Hubs, demos and much more! Sign up early for the best rates!

EXPO ONLY PASS - This pass provides admission to the exposition-only at New England Grows.  It does not include access to the Grows educational seminars or the opportunity to earn CEU credit.

Be sure to get the badge that's right for you.  Remember, if you need to earn CEU credit, you must have an ALL ACCESS pass.  

Proceeds from New England Grows go directly back to the industry to support the work of NENA and other green industry organizations including annual research grants to the region's six Extension programs.  Funds from the show also support related community-based programs, such as the Boston Schoolyard Initiative, vocational schools, and the FFA program. So, when you participate in New England Grows you benefit your business AND our local industry!

Congratulations - Michelle Harvey, co-owner of Lakeview Nurseries in Lunenburg, MA was recently appointed to the Massachusetts State Board of Food and Agriculture. She has long been active in government policy, having traveled to Washington D.C. for many years to help educate elected leaders about issues impacting agriculture. In this new role, she will work to keep the Massachusetts' food supply safe and secure and its agriculture economically and environmentally sound.

The Top 100 IGCs of 2015 - Garden Center magazine has announced their list of Top 100 Independent Garden Centers for 2015. Companies are ranked based on 2014 sales volume. Congrats to NENA member Weston Nurseries of Chelmsford & Hopkinton, MA for making the Top 20! Click here to see the complete list.

National Garden Bureau (NGB)announces crops of the year- The NGB recently announced the four plant classes that will be featured in the 2016 "Year of the" program. For the bulb crop, 2016 will be the Year of the Allium; For annuals, 2016 will be the Year of the Begonia; For vegetables/edibles, 2016 will be the Year of the Carrot; For perennials, 2016 will be the Year of the Delphinium. Read more.

New online horticultural lighting course for greenhouse & ornamental plant growers - Michigan State University Extension is offering a non-credit, pre-recorded online course on Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting. The course is intended for greenhouse and ornamental plant growers and others interested in the fundamental concepts about how plants respond to light quality, quantity and in duration. For more information or to register, click here.

Garden Trends Report for 2016 - Check out the trends that the Garden Media Group predicts could shake up the garden & outdoor living industry this coming year.

2015 Growing Good Kids Book Awards - Two children's picture books have received the 2015 "Growing Good Kids - Excellence in Children's Literature Award," jointly administered by the American Horticultural Society and the International Junior Master Gardener Program. This award recognizes children's books that promote an appreciation of gardening, plants, and the environment. This year's winners are:

The Prairie that Nature Built, by Marybeth Lorbiecki and

Before We Eat: From Farm to Table, by Pat Brisson.