September is here! That means the Farwest Show is in the books, the days are shorter, football is back, the kids are headed for school, the Halloween candy is almost on store shelves … and, of course, the September issue of Digger is out and available! We have several exciting features in this month’s issue for you:

• The main feature is an article on railroad gardens (PDF) by Elizabeth Petersen. These clever creations are enjoyed by a growing group of homeowners who design these tiny landscapes, populate them with miniature conifers and groundcovers and show them off to their friends! But some retail nurseries and even The Oregon Garden are getting in on the act as well.
• Whitney Rideout of the OAN’s sustainability program has profiled Krueger’s Tree Farm, which has made several water efficiency and erosion control improvements (PDF).These projects were funded with help with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The article gives advice for other nurseries on how they, too, can take advantage of these opportunities and get the best outcome.
• An article by Miles McCoy profiles ways that nurseries can stretch their water supplies and make every drop count (PDF). As one might expect, it’s all about efficiency measures — and the article explores several of them.
• Despite the care nurseries are taking with production processes, the spread of Phytophthora ramorum remains a threat to nursery operations. But how did it get started? Plant pathologist Niklaus Grünwald explains (PDF).

Digger has been serving the nursery industry in the Pacific Northwest and nationwide for more than 50 years. It is mailed for free every month to nearly 8,000 nursery professionals. Would you like to be one of them? Simply fill out this handy online form. Would you like to advertise in Digger or other OAN publications, or sponsor an OAN event? It’s a great way to reach the people you want. Check out our new Exposure Kit for 2012.