Widespread wildfires prompt greater demand for fire-safe plants and landscaping As the wildfires of Labor Day 2020 tore through Oregon, the impacts on homes and forests were sevbere. The flames devoured a million acres of forestlands, and destroyed more than 4,000 homes. The impacts are something foresters, landscape professionals and nursery operators must pay attention […]
Catching eyes — and customers
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An engaging trade show booth, with attentive staff working it, is a lifeline for businesses The Farwest Show is back in 2021, and for exhibitors, that means one thing — time to prepare your “A” game. Whether the booth is offering plants, supplies or something else, anyone involved in nursery trade shows knows a good booth […]
The approachable container
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Helping consumers break the rules of design, for fun and profit Traditionally, annuals fill the shelves of garden centers come Mother’s Day. The beautiful pieces wait for customers to pile them into carts, move through the check-out line and carry them home to fill containers and hanging baskets. But the popularity of pots stuffed with […]
Cultivating the curious
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How retailers can engage with a flourishing generation of new gardeners As the pandemic gripped the world in early spring 2020, toilet paper, yeast and canning supplies weren’t the only products disappearing off shelves. Plants flew out of many garden centers at an unprecedented, or at least unexpected, pace. All of a sudden, everyone in […]
Can-do conifers
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As home gardening booms, these unheralded trees shine as wise, low-maintenance investments In a northwest region surrounded by forests of Doug fir, Ponderosa pine, grand fir and hemlock, people could easily take conifers for granted. However, many gardeners recognize the versatility and minimal care that make them a staple in the landscape. Even before COVID-19 […]
Reblooming is booming
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Consumers are drawn to new annuals, perennials and shrubs offering easy, continuous interest When many consumers approach a garden designer or visit a garden center, they know two things for sure: They want low maintenance, and they want color from spring till fall. “I’m looking for successive bloom,” said Jenna Bayer, owner of Jenna Bayer Garden […]
The next genera(tion)
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Breeders diligently pursue what they hope will strike the market’s fancy and become a hot seller When the perennial craze hit the Northwest 40 years ago, some breeders were front and center with plants to satisfy the gardeners who couldn’t wait to create an English garden in their backyard. The passion for blowsy borders has […]
Exciting, unusual and underused shrubs
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Trees frame the garden, perennials clothe it, but shrubs give it the bones that bring everything together. Yet so many of these essential plants never make it into the landscape. Shrubs like the exquisite Camellia × williamsii ‘Night Rider’ from New Zealand with its deep maroon red flowers and brilliant, reddish-purple new growth or vibrant, […]
A corner of the market
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The path of the specialty nursery has unique challenges and rewards There are many Oregon wholesale growers that offer something for everyone. For them, it’s all about variety — growing and shipping as much of what their customers need as possible. Specialty growers, by contrast, are a whole different breed. They pick one plant and […]
Plants for pollinators
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Strong consumer interest drives demand for pollinator friendly plant selections As bees and other pollinators decline, the importance of building habitat in home gardens, parks, fields and commercial properties has edged into the public consciousness. Wholesale and retail nurseries can benefit from the market demand for plants that attract and nourish bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. […]
