Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

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 […]

Meet the Leader: Ben Verhoeven

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PresidentPeoria Gardens Inc.OAN member since 2012 OAN roles/positions:• OAN Board of Directors Executive Committee – member at large Tell us about yourself As a second-generation nursery owner, I grew up on a farm my father, Tom Verhoeven, started in 1983. My first job was filling flats for pocket change. Agriculture was just one my interests […]

Making every step count

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Every family has traditions. In the Fessler family, we have one time-honored tradition that dates back long before my time. Each winter — typically on a cold, wet winter Saturday — our extended family gathers in Grandpa’s shop to make sausage. It’s taken decades of practice, but the process has evolved over the years into […]

Going halfway to understand the new buyer

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In the nursery and greenhouse industry, we have always had to follow and understand consumer trends. Otherwise, we will never be able to build business models capable of enduring countless shifts in behavior. The changes in preferences and mores also influence a government that is tone deaf at times, more concerned with shaping behavior than […]

Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace postponed due to winter storm damage

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Organizers have made the decision to postpone the Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace due to widespread power outages and winter storm damage. The show now will take place four weeks later, on Wednesday and Thursday, March 17–18, 2021 at www.NurseryGuideLive.com. It originally had been scheduled for February 17–18, but this was before an ice storm […]

Keynote presentations at Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace provide insight on green industry trends in 2021 and beyond

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It’s all about preparing your nursery or greenhouse business for the future. There will be two keynote presentations — one on supply chain logistics and the other on digital marketing — at the Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace event, March 17–18, 2021. Those who register to attend the Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace can also attend […]

February 2021

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Japanese spirea is a steady seller for many wholesale growers. Growers discuss about several outstanding selections in this issue. Plus, as the green industry shifts to online tools during the pandemic, our writers break down the new opportunities virtual shows have for businesses. To help, we share tips for setting up a virtual booth for […]

Horticulture authors to speak at Penn State symposium

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The 25th anniversary Garden & Landscape Symposium will be held 9 a.m.–1 p.m. on Saturday, February 20, and feature two speakers. A bring-your-own-drink happy hour will follow in the evening. Kelly Norris, author of New Naturalism: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden, will deliver a keynote address. He is known for looking […]

McHutchison and Vaughan to establish one Chicago office

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McHutchison and Vaughan’s Horticulture are consolidating each company’s young plant division into a single Chicago office. The city was chosen because many of both brand’s customers are located in the Midwest region, and three are also nearby universities with strong horticulture programs. Together, the companies employ 106 people, and are seeking to fill newly created […]

The battle with Bambi

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Growers have several tools available to defend against plant damage from deer and elk Oregon’s deer and elk are prized by hunters and non-hunters alike, and thus represent an income-generating game and wildlife-viewing species for many communities across the state. But for many nursery operators, these majestic animals are a serious detriment. Deer, elk, and […]