According to a press release, AmericanHort will be opening pre-registration for Cultivate’21 Feb. 8-19, 2021 with general registration beginning on March 9.
Cultivate’21 is currently scheduled for July 10-13 in Columbus at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Cultivate’20 was moved to an online only event.
“Cultivate is a crucial event in the industry for learning best production practices and showcasing the industry’s newest plant varieties. We are cautiously optimistic that we will be meeting in-person this year,” said Ken Fisher, president and CEO of AmericanHort. “The health and safety of everyone attending is our top priority and we are working diligently with event and hotel partners to ensure every reasonable measure is taken to achieve this outcome.”
Key events include:
Saturday workshops – The Art of Talent Management, Building a Better Workforce, Company Culture, Moss Wall Workshop, Pest Diagnostics & Technology Workshop, and the Garden Retail Workshop are all programs designed to help industry businesses perform better.
Industry Production Tours – To provide inspiration and access to industry operations not otherwise available, participate in one of the four Saturday tours for a behind-the-scenes look. New this year is the Landscape Zoo Tour to the world-renowned Columbus Zoo that spans 588 acres, more than 200 of which have been developed as animal habitats and public spaces. Also available are the Garden Center Retail Tour, the Greenhouse Production Tour, and the Nursery Production Tour.
Women in Horticulture - A powerful, inspiring networking event for women in the green industry with an energetic talk by Leslie Halleck of Halleck Horticultural LLC, who will also moderate a panel discussion with Lisa Minter-Bustin of Minter Country Garden, Chilliwack, BC; Terri McEnaney of Bailey Nurseries, St. Paul, MN; Leslie Herndon of GreenScape Inc./Franklin Hills Farm Nursery of Holly Springs, NC; and Suzi McCoy, recently retired president of Garden Media Group. Lunch is included, and a portion of the ticket sale will go to a Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) scholarship fund.
MANTS Business Hub remains open to registered attendees through April 8
The 51st annual green industry marketplace continued to drive commerce and connection despite pandemic.
The Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) concluded its first-ever online tradeshow on January 8, bringing together exhibitors and buying companies to network, explore and discuss new products, and engage in commerce via the online Business Hub.
MANTS 2021 welcomed over 3,000 total registrants (including exhibitors) to the online Business Hub for three days of focused connection and commerce. This year’s show provided an opportunity for attendees from 42 states and 12 countries (including the U.S.) to interact and engage with 550 exhibiting companies to search, shop, learn, connect, and buy. Attendees participated in a mix of exhibitor-hosted online educational webinars and social events and engaged with exhibitors for one-on-one focused conversations and connections.
“I’m extremely proud of what MANTS was able to accomplish in convening our green industry suppliers and buyers and thankful to all who supported the MANTS Business Hub this year,” said MANTS Executive Vice President Vanessa A. Finney. “Despite not being able to meet in person due to the pandemic, we continued the tradition of MANTS meaning business in January, and we look forward to when we can all gather together in person once again.”
Attendees of MANTS 2021 were well-qualified buyers representing a high level of purchasing power. More than 94% of MANTS attendees identified as either the final decision-makers or those who made their companies’ purchasing decisions. Additionally, more than 90% of attendees identified as owners, vice presidents, managers, buyers or sales and marketing professionals.
“MANTS is a must-attend show for us every year because of the networking, and with this year’s virtual platform, we wanted to keep that element present through hosted virtual events,” said Hoffman Nursery Marketing Director Shannon Currey. “The Business Hub and our online profile let us build excitement, highlight what we had to offer, and bring people to those events. The MANTS team offered great support and helped us make this a successful show.”
All MANTS 2021 registered attendees can continue to connect and engage with suppliers, discover new products, and restock inventory via the Business Hub through April 8. MANTS 2022 is scheduled for Jan. 5-7. For more information, visit MANTS.com or call (410) 296-6959.
These ornamental, everbearing strawberries are the first non-blueberry additions to the collection since the Baby Cakes blackberry plant was introduced in 2016.
Photo courtesy of Bushel and Berry
Bushel and Berry introduces three new strawberry plants
Rosy Belle, Scarlet Belle and Snowy Belle are the first strawberry varieties added to the collection.
Bushel and Berry, the collection of berries from Star Roses and Plants, is excited to announce the introduction of three new strawberry plants for 2021. These ornamental, everbearing strawberries are the first non-blueberry additions to the collection since the Baby Cakes blackberry plant was introduced in 2016.
The new strawberry varieties are as follows:
Rosy Belle is both beautiful and tasty with rose, pink blooms and sweet berries that grow abundantly from spring until frost. It’s perfect as a border plant or grown in pots. Rosy Belle has a cascading habit that will reach 6-9” high.
Scarlet Belle has scarlet red blooms with yellow centers that produce juicy strawberries all season. Plant in patio pots, hanging baskets, or garden beds for a rewarding and scrumptious crop. Scarlet Belle has a cascading habit that will reach 8-12” high.
Snowy Belle is a deliciously sweet treat to grow in the garden and enjoy at the table. This strawberry variety has big, white flowers that produce an abundance of flavorful fruit. Snowy Belle has a cascading habit that will reach 8-10” high.
“These new strawberries are reliable with great performance in multiple regions of the country,” says Kristen Pullen, program manager. “They also have a quick production time of about 8-10 weeks from potting in greenhouse or tunnel production.”
With edible gardening continuing to rise among consumers, these compact, everbearing strawberries are a versatile addition to any garden space that will offer fruit all season.
The 51st annual Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show was different than any that preceded it. More than 550 green industry suppliers registered for the MANTS Business Hub, the venerable January trade show’s answer to the virtual exhibition hall. If you registered for the online MANTS Business Hub, it will remain open for 90 days.
More than 1,000 attendees and buying companies registered for the virtual event, which took place Jan. 6-8 and included opportunities to set up business meetings, have casual or serious conversations, or view educational webinars from exhibitors. Of those registered attendees, 94% were final decision-makers or influenced purchasing decisions.
“We’ve got really high-quality buyers on the hub,” said Vanessa Finney, executive vice president of MANTS.
On Jan. 6, Hoffman Nursery presented the first of three “Chat with the Breeder” sessions. John Hoffman spoke to breeder Dave MacKenzie of Hortech about his selection, Andropogon gerardii Karl’s Cousin. MacKenzie says he was traveling along a highway when he caught a glimpse of the big bluestem. It got its name after MacKenzie heard someone say, “It’s the ‘Karl Foerster’ of big bluestem. Karl’s Cousin has a tight, upright habit. Basal foliage begins as green-blue, with stems, leaves and flowers turning shades of purple-blue as the season progresses. With the plume, it grows up to 7 feet tall and resists flopping. It’s hardy in Zones 4-8.
Corbett Falgout of Senninger Irrigation reviewed some irrigation system management tips such as how to select the core components of a system, including pumps, piping, pressure regulators, and sprinklers. Next, he introduced Corey Lambert of Buckhorn Nursery in Zolfo Spring, Florida who explained how Buckhorn has reworked sections of the nursery for improved performance by replacing sprinklers, lowering system pressure, and finding the right mix between overhead irrigation and drippers.
Rosarian Ping Lim provided an update on the True Bloom rose program, available through Altman Plants. Lim and his team are breeding for attributes such as disease and insect resistance, fragrance, hardiness, vigor and ease of propagation. Lim says of the roses in the program, “All of the beauty and none of the drama.” He highlighted the varieties new for this year including Lion King, Tea Time, Tropica and Vigo.
Laura Robles of Walters Gardens explains the improvements in ‘Banana Cream II' during the MANTS new product showcase.
Finney presided over a new product showcase on Jan. 7, in which four panelists presented intriguing new products for the industry. Rick Watson president and manager of The Perennial Farm introduced several plants, including Nepeta ‘Cat’s Meow’ a deer-resistant cultivar of the 2021 Perennial Plant of the Year. Morgan Rider, a co-founder of Thriving Design, showed the C-Bite Garden Clips, which easily snaps to garden stakes to allow gardeners to build their own trellises, cages or other plant supports. J. Holland Jordan, vice president of marketing and business for The Whole Gardener, LLC’s Plant Nutrient Kit, showed the IGC-friendly flagship product, a kit that includes four nutrient products, a recipe book with “recipes” for 200 plants, measuring cups and an applicator. It’s designed to be a total package for the gardener, who can use the recipes and the included nutrients to create a custom fertilizer blend to meet the needs of whatever plant they want to grow. Lastly, Laura Robles, regional product manager at Walters Gardens, introduced several new plants, including ‘Edge of Night,’ the most compact hibiscus in the SUMMERIFIC line and the improved Leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream II.’
Arnulfo Hinojosa, vice president with the Federation of Employers & Workers of America, provided an update on H-2A and H-2B guest worker programs during a Jan. 7 informational chat. Webinar attendees were able to ask questions about the program, including predictions for how a new administration will impact the processing of visas.
MANTS also hosted a series of webinars from the Syn-RG group, which consists of five founding nurseries: Prides Corner Farm, Overdevest Nurseries, Willoway Nurseries, Saunders Brothers Nursery and Sheridan Nurseries. On Jan. 7, the Syn-RG group invited Michael Dirr to introduce his new hydrangeas. The three macrophylla species are Froggie, Azure Skies and Rock-N-Roll. Froggie is a mophead type with flowers that emerge green and turn pink. The larger, thicker sepals persist and hold color in heat and drought. Azure Skies flowers from May to June and again in September to October. Rock-N-Roll features a rich saturated pink without aluminum and periwinkle blue with aluminum. It’s highly resistant to mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.
In its second of three “Chat with the Breeder” sessions, John Hoffman met with Piet Oudolf about Panicum virgatum ‘Purple Tears’. Oudolf discovered this switchgrass in Hummelo, Netherlands. He selected it for its narrow, upright habit and the soft-gray flowering spikes and purple seed heads.
The Horticultural Research Institute hosted the tHRIve winter garden party Thursday evening, and emcee Harvey Cotten announced the annual donations to the various funds, including the Paul & Tatum Saunders Research Fund, the Overdevest Nurseries Research Fund and the Oregon Nursery Industry Endowment Fund. The newly established Pleasant View Gardens Scholarship Fund and the Dennis Walters Scholarship Fund were introduced, and Dan and Kathy Batson of GreenForest Nursery established the GreenForest Nursery/Gulf States Fund in honor of their twin grandsons. Brian Decker, president of Decker’s Nursery, challenged his fellow nursery owners to a $1,000 donation match in honor of the nursery’s 100-year anniversary. Several nurseries responded, including Scarff’s Nursery in memory of Peter Scarff and Willoway Nurseries, which multiplied the match by four. In total, HRI received more than $300,000 in donor gifts during the reception.
The new logo and tagline
Emily Bibens Chung, the executive director of Syn-RG, LLC, debuted the new logo and tagline for Handpicked For You in a Jan. 8 webinar. Aside from the reveal, she explained the program, which is a collaboration between growers and IGC retailers to tests and evaluate new plants, with the goal of awarding only the best tested and most trusted new plants the Handpicked for You® trustmark.
“We believe the IGC channel is the best channel to get the best plants to consumers,” she said. “That’s why you will not find the Handpicked For You trustmark at big-box stores.”
Attendees were able to search exhibitor profiles via the virtual tradeshow floorplan, alphabetized exhibitor list, or dive into more specific sections of the Hub to explore featured and new product information, images, and videos. Attendees were also given an allotted number of emails and appointments they could use to reach out and schedule conversations with exhibitors.
When the trade show is able to take place in the Baltimore Convention Center, as it does in a normal year, it’s a sight to behold. For its 50th anniversary in 2020, MANTS had 968 exhibitors and more than 12,000 total registrants (including exhibitors).
After a year of events going virtual, attendees and organizers alike expressed hope that they’ll be able to gather in person again soon.
“The MANTS show is a show that being there and meeting people is what it’s all about,” Rick Watson, said.
MANTS 2022 will take place Jan. 5-7, 2021.
A true plantsman, Matt was highly respected in the floriculture industry for his deep knowledge and being a trusted partner in addition to his unwavering commitment to quality and service.
Photo courtesy of Vaughan’s Horticulture.
Vaughan’s Horticulture announces the passing of Matt Willoughby
Willoughby, 45, was a sales representative for the Carolinas and Tennessee, and a member of the company’s key account team.
Vaughan’s Horticulture has announced the sudden passing of Matt Willoughby, 45, a sales representative for the Carolinas and Tennessee, and a member of the company’s key account team.
A kind and loyal friend to many, Matt grew up in the horticulture industry. As an Alabama native, he learned at an early age by working in his father’s greenhouses and retail garden center. Matt earned his B.S. degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Mississippi State University. He then worked for leading industry growers like Layman and Hines Horticulture where his responsibilities included sales among other things.
Matt found his true calling as a broker sales representative in 2011 at Henry F. Michell before joining the Vaughan’s Horticulture team in 2018. Along the way, he helped countless customers with his out-of-the-box thinking, created personal connections and built long-lasting friendships.
A true plantsman, Matt was highly respected in the floriculture industry for his deep knowledge and being a trusted partner in addition to his unwavering commitment to quality and service. His passion for horticulture was virtually unmatched and his relationships with breeders, customers and vendors were all built upon his sincere desire to help others.
“Matt will be missed by many in our industry, both in North America and internationally,” said Nathan Lamkey, president of Vaughan’s Horticulture and McHutchison. “His passion for floriculture and ability to build relationships allowed him to quickly establish a reputation for being a creative thinker who loved to develop new opportunities for his customers and vendors. We have already received many personal notes about Matt from customers, coworkers and peers all sharing how they will miss his guidance and friendship.”
Matt leaves behind his loving wife of 19 years, Jennifer, and three children including his son Samuel and his daughters Mason and Connor.
“As we mourn for a life taken too early, we need to focus on the family that Matt has left behind,” said Lamkey. “We have created a GoFundMe page as a platform to raise money for the Willoughbys, and we are asking our industry to help support Matt’s young family by making donations.”
Posted by Chris Manning
