Welcome to the second day of the Farwest Show. Day One had its share of highlights, and today (Friday, Aug. 23) is certain to be no different. We’ll start with the Friday morning seminars:

• Jim Ault, director of research for the Chicago Botanic Garden, will give a seminar presentation entitled, “From Native Habitats to Your Landscapes: A Model for Domesticating Our Natural Plant Heritage.” In it, he will talk about the market for new plants based on native selections. It will be at 9 a.m., Room B-110, and is part of the “Extra! Extra! Breed All About It!” track.
• Joe Rothleutner will continue the breeding track with a 10 a.m. seminar entitled “The Science of Tree Improvement” (also in B-110). He is the tree improvement specialist at the Morton Arboretum in Chicago, and his discussion will include traditional breeding as well as techniques that “push the genetic envelope,” such as ploidy manipulation and mutagenesis.
• The cleverly-named “Protect Your Plants or Lose Your Pants” track will run from 9 a.m.–noon in Room B-113, and will include coverage of insecticides, fungicides, weed control and disease management.
• Kelly Norris, at 9 a.m., will give his perspective on how to engage audiences in the horticulture industry with exciting plants and passionate experiences. His seminar will be part of the “Building Passion for Our Industry” track in Room B-115.

The afternoon will be packed as well. At 1 p.m., Richie Steffen of the Great Plant Picks program will give a Demo Stage presentation on “Great Plants Seeking Great Growers,” where he will outline how the GPP program works and can benefit growers, retailers and the public. At 2 p.m. on the Demo Stage, Crystal Cady will moderate an expert panel that will give “Forecasts and Predictions on the Future of Our Industry.” And at 2:30 p.m., Maria Zampini of UpShoot LLC will give a talk on how to increase interest in the services you offer during the Women in Horticulture networking event (VIP Lounge, Second Floor).

Even though the show is just one day old, so much has already happened. In case you missed it, Wild Swan™ Anemone from Monrovia Growers was chosen “Best in Show” by the New Varieties Showcase judges, coming out on top of 44 other showcase selections. Meanwhile, Bamboo Gardens claimed the Ted Van Veen Best of Show booth honors for 2013, thereby winning a free 10×10 booth space for 2014. And finally, the OAN announced that Gov. John Kitzhaber has proclaimed that September will be “Fall is for Planting Month” in the state of Oregon. It’s a great opportunity for retailers to remind homeowners of the many benefits of fall gardening.