Terry Nyman; GFLNLA Ed Day recap; Perennial Plant of the Year

• Starting off this week’s edition with some sad news: Terry Nyman passed away on Sunday. Here is a link to his obituary. Terry was a wonderful guy and he will be very sadly missed by his colleagues at Northern Nurseries and all of us in the upstate NY landscaping community.

• The GardenScape Professionals Association (aka GFLNLA, or simply Region V) held their Ed Day yesterday in Henrietta and it was very good and well attended! Jeff Hathorn and I picked up the headline speakers Maria Zampini and Judy Sharpton, and during the ride to the hotel I grasped the main points they would deliver in their talks (which were nontheless quite worth attending—great info there). They are:

1. Visit and know your competition.
2. Do not carry inventory.
3. DO NOT SELL IMPATIENS (until there is a solution to the downy mildew problem). This last Ms. Sharpton could not emphasize enough, and with good reason. You are supposed to be the expert. Don’t set your customers up for failure.I attended much of the Garden Center track, and it was interesting to note that the audience was comprised of people who already run successful garden centers. Something to be learned from that.

• Reserve your space NOW in the March-April UGJ!
• Nominations are open for the 2013 Red Fox Young Retailer and Young Grower Awards. Deadline March 1.
• Ear to the Ground Pro has a fancy new facebook page! Check it out and please join us there!
• Two good pieces from the NYTimes:

1. Inviting the Garden Inside (a profile of Tovah Martin with great pictures)
2. Don’t Call the Cleaning Crew. That Yellow Spill Is Art

• From Tree Hugger: This 80,000-Year-Old Aspen Grove Clones Itself!

• Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ (variegated Solomon’s seal) is Perennial Plant of the Year™. This is a GREAT choice and should be a super-easy sell.

DATES AND DEADLINES ARE HERE.

Tagged as: GardenScape Pros, impatiens downy mildew, Judy Shaprton, Maria Zampini, New York Times, Perennial Plant of the Year