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Connecting the dots

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For 33 years, the National Gardening Survey has presented a statistical picture of who the gardening consumer is and where they are going. And according to garden retail analyst Ian Baldwin, who presented his analysis of the results yesterday at the 2011 Farwest Show, the picture has been very clear over the last several years. […]

Northwoods Nursery wins sustainability award

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Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber and the Oregon Sustainability Board presented Northwoods Nursery and One Green World with a 2011 Oregon Sustainability Award yesterday. The wholesale and retail grower won in the small business category. It was one of just two businesses, and six organizations overall, to be so honored. The nursery, founded and owned by […]

Shady trees discourage shady characters

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We in the nursery industry know that “trees are the answer.” Here is another piece of evidence. Researchers with the U.S. Forest Service did a study in Portland, Ore. and found that homes with large street trees out front have a lower incidence of crime. From the abstract of the study: The authors estimate the […]

Home improvement retailers report a stronger spring

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Most growers that I talk to this spring report that they are very busy with spring shipping. They tell me that their customers are ordering more plant material this year than they did in 2009. This morning, The Wall Street Journal reported a similar uptick in business among the big box stores such as Lowe’s […]

Edibles and green walls combine to form new trend

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You’ve heard how hot edibles have been in the nursery industry over the last year. Thanks to the sour economy and a desire for sustainability, more and more gardeners are motivated to grow their own food. You’ve also probably heard of green walls, which offer ecological as well as aesthetic benefits. Well, now here’s a […]

Pay by scam

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Increasingly, mass market retailers are paying wholesale nurseries for plants only when (and if) they are sold to the consumer. It’s called “pay by scan” (excuse the typo in the headline). The grower absorbs the cost of any plants that die or are stolen, and they also pay to keep them alive on store shelves […]

Love … exciting and new

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According to the OAN, the Farwest Show is the best place to discover the latest and greatest plants, thanks to the New Varieties Showcase: “No other show that we’re aware of makes this type of investment in a new plant display, either in terms of valuable show floor or publication space or staff time” said […]

Garden Centers of America tour comes to Oregon

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The Portland area will play host for the 2009 Garden Centers of America Summer Tour, which will be June 28-July 1. The 12-stop tour consists entirely of OAN member garden centers, including Al’s Garden Centers, Bauman Farms, Yard n’ Garden Land, Tsugawa Nursery, Shorty’s Garden & Home, Drake’s Seven Dees Garden Centers, Portland Nursery, Garden […]