Articles and posts by Curt Kipp

Minnesota enlists dogs against emerald ash borer

By Curt Kipp — Posted May 21, 2012

The invasive emerald ash borer, a 1/2-inch beetle, has carved a path of destruction through the American Midwest and the East Coast. But now Minnesota officials are trying something new to combat the pest:

Rare vine blooms in Canby

By Curt Kipp — Posted May 9, 2012

Dan Heims of Terra Nova Nurseries sent us these photos of a Jade Vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) in bloom at one of Terra Nova’s greenhouses. The blooms sport a highly unusual shade of green. “It is amongst the rarest of vines,” he said. “I saw it once in the Caribbean and literally was having to back […]

2012 Farwest Show announces themed nursery tours

By Curt Kipp — Posted May 7, 2012

The 2012 Farwest Show will present three special themed nursery tours — “Gen(i)us Acer,” “In the Shadow of Mt. Hood,” and “New Plant Trials.” The tours are scheduled in the two days immediately preceding the show — Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 21–22. The show itself will be Thursday–Saturday, Aug. 23–25, at the Oregon Convention Center […]

Dwarf conifers highlight the May issue of Digger

By Curt Kipp — Posted April 27, 2012

Dwarf conifers (PDF) are on the cover of the May issue of Digger magazine. This issue has an unmistakable greenhouse focus. Go here to read the entire issue as a flipbook — fast connection recommended — or download the individual articles as PDF files. Additional articles in the May issue include: Leader Profile (PDF) — […]

OSU names new dean of agriculture

By Curt Kipp — Posted April 18, 2012

Oregon State University has selected Dan Arp as the new dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. He replaces Sonny Ramaswamy, who departed to accept a position heading the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in Washington, D.C.

Begonias are big in the April issue of Digger

By Curt Kipp — Posted April 10, 2012

A feature article on the re-emergence of begonias (PDF) is the cover story for the new April issue of Digger magazine. This issue has an unmistakable greenhouse focus. You can read the entire issue page-by-page as a flipbook here — fast connection recommended — or download the individual articles as PDF files. Additional articles in […]

World’s largest hanging flower basket unveiled

By Curt Kipp — Posted March 23, 2012

The Garden Corner retail nursery in Tualatin, Ore. today unveiled what is believed to be the world’s largest free-standing hanging basket. Measuring 16 feet tall and 10 feet wide, and weighing in at more than 2 tons, it truly is a behemoth. Garden Corner worked with several partners, all based in Oregon, to create this […]

World’s largest hanging basket to be unveiled

By Curt Kipp — Posted March 22, 2012

It weighs in at a whopping 2 tons and contains nothing but Oregon nursery products. The flowers, the moss cloth, even the basket and support structure — all are made in Oregon. The Garden Corner retail nursery (21550 S.W.108th Ave., Tualatin, Ore.) will unveil the world’s largest hanging flower basket at 10 a.m. on Friday […]

Friday webinar will bring update on boxwood blight

By Curt Kipp — Posted March 21, 2012

The American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) will hold a webinar at 8 a.m. Pacific time, Friday, March 23, updating growers on the latest developments with boxwood blight (Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum). Growers who wish to participate must register in advance. The disease was first confirmed in the United States last fall, and causes defoliation and branch […]

Retail sales improve in February

By Curt Kipp — Posted March 19, 2012

Retailers — particularly those geared toward the outdoor lifestyle — did much better in February than they did a year ago, according to new figures released by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The numbers indicate that retail sales, overall, were 8.6 percent higher than February 2011. At building material, garden equipment and supplies dealers, the […]