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May 2024: Sustainability issue

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The May issue of Digger is our annual focus on sustainability. Columns: Growing Knowledge, an ongoing series provided by Oregon State University in collaboration with the USDA and in partnership with OAN. Download a PDF of this issue.

Making progress towards sustainability

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When I first saw that this month’s issue of Digger was focused on sustainability, I was apprehensive. I reactively thought about how my small nursery hasn’t reached a scale that would let us focus on sustainability. I thought about what larger nurseries are doing, such as Robinson Nursery. They have stopped shipping 600,000+ pounds of […]

Variegated plants add variety and texture to gardens

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Heucheras were once known for their flowers. Now, they’re regarded for their flashy foliage in different shades of red, purple and yellow. Dan Heims, president of Terra Nova Nurseries Inc. in Canby, Oregon, is known for introducing many variegated plants to the market, including variegated Heuchera. “I’ve always had a fascination with variegated plants,” Heims […]

Greenhouse structures vary, so pick the one that suits your operation best

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At Little Prince of Oregon Nursery, a wholesale annuals/perennials grower in Aurora, Oregon, Mark Leichty works with several styles of greenhouses, including gutter connect, Quonset-style and peak-roofed structures. His preference is a GK Machine peak-roofed greenhouse, part of the Donald, Oregon, company’s 5000 series. And, fitting with Leichty’s philosophy, you can find several of the […]

Garden centers have to navigate choppy waters when pricing their goods

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For almost five years, Crystal Cady owned her own garden and farming business, Sunflower Acres Farm & Garden in Salem. Through it, she would grow and source plants and garden products. She sold mostly at farmers’ markets and plant shows, where it almost never failed that her hanging flower baskets were more expensive than anyone […]

Member Profile: Country Garden Nursery LLC

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Imagine that your custom hanging baskets are so successful and have such a loyal following that when a customer in Tiburon, California, passes away, they’ve set up a trust so that your hanging baskets keep getting shipped to their town. That’s the kind of loyal customer that has made Melissa and Joe McLaughlin’s Country Garden […]

 The transition to Google Analytics 4

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When I discuss the need to measure online advertising performance with people I am often met with various forms of disinterest. The problem with traditional marketing and advertising is best expressed in this old quote: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.”  Once I explain […]