Sell more houseplants; tomatoes as holiday plants; CNYSNLA news; Cornell LA students present GardenAerial plans

Abolish houseplant “section” to increase sales
Situational displays more effective. Via Garden Center Magazine.
ROC green roof cost grows
The green roof atop the Civic Center parking garage in Rochester is 1.6 million over budget. Story in Democrat and Chronicle tips lots of people off to the fact that it even exists. |
CNYSNLP holiday luncheon fun AND educational
Things learned: 1. Fernando Araya named CNY nursery person of the year—congratulations! 2. Dave Iannuzzi missed his calling in stand-up. 3. Rocking Horse Farms in Jamesville is building a retail store. 4. CNY in Bloom is moving to the SRC Events Center at Onondaga Community College.
A Groupon success story & more
In last week’s Green Profit Buzz, there were lots of juicy tidbits. One is about a successful Groupon campaign. I’m a non-believer in Groupon and have criticized it in the past for being nothing more than a Ponzi scheme, which I still think it is, but…this is the second “good” groupon report I’ve heard in a week, so I am trying to keep a more open mind.
Cornell LA students present GardenAerial ideas
What a fun time at Stantec—Cornell’s Landscape Architecture students, led by newly hired Asst. Professor Josh Cerra, presented designs for Rochester’s impending GardenAerial project to the community on December 9th. Some wonderful ideas there! Hope to be able to link to images soon.
Garden Media Group presents trends for ’12
According to Garden Center magazine, trends for the coming year include (human) health, gardening for/with children, tech, neon colors, water wisdom, corporate conscience and urban/guerilla gardening.
That poinsettia you bought? Here’s the back story. 
Debra Lee Baldwin’s fascinating look back at the origins of this particular euphorbia as a Christmas plant. (Thanks to Cornell’s Bluegrass Lane’s facebook page for the lead.)
Greenhouse Management mag releases iPhone & iPad apps
I haven’t checked them out but they look interesting.
Tomatoes as holiday ornamentals?
Also from Greenhouse Management, a really interesting bit about packaging dwarf, windowsill tomatoes as holiday/hostess gifts. Clever, timely, cool.
2011 a light year for acorns
It could mean a higher risk of tick infestations in humans, and it’s not a good scenario for the creatures of the forest, but this isn’t a scary global warming issue—it’s just the natural ebb and flow of wild crop production. From the NYTimes.
Nurseries in Great Britain to stop selling impatiens
Graham Rice reports that there’s a “plague” of downy mildew in England so severe that nurseries are actually ceasing sales of impatiens gown from cuttings. The disease has been reported in upstate NY as well.
The GardenRant Handmade Gift Extravaganza
Amy Stewart offers up a bevy of presents—many are wonderful, and one or two is even local. I also noted this awesome moleskine garden journal on the Urban Gardens blog yesterday, thanks to a Proven Winners tweet. Then there are Mary Gray’s really awful gifts you should NOT buy your favorite gardener (though I think the little eggs are really cute!).
The greenest of all green business cards
Gosh do I just love this idea! Instead of having business cards printed up, carry around a little stamp—imprint a used cocktail napkin, the back of an envelope, someone else’s lame business card, you name it!
Gorgeous perennials in containers
I always have perennials in containers, probably because I acquire too many plants and then don’t get around to incorporating them into the border. No matter why, it’s become a habit I now enjoy—spurge, for instance, holds up tremendously well practically year-round. Here are some pretty designs via Green Profit magazine.
Purely for your viewing pleasure…
…this slide show of Piet Oudolf designs via thehighline.org, via torontogardens.com (a fave blog).

Tagged as: Amy Stewart, CNY, CNYSNLA, containers, Cornell, garden center magazine, gardenaerial, GardenRant, Green Profit, green roofs, greenhouse management, groupon, house plants, iPad, iphone, josh cerra, landscape architects, New York Times, perennials, Piet Oudolf, poinsettias, Rochester