Recently I returned from the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) in Baltimore, Maryland, one of the nation’s largest trade shows for the Independent Garden Center. More than 11,000 registered attendees came from 48 states and 16 countries to visit 956 exhibiting companies all there to...
Over the past couple of years, there has been an influx of pathogens and insects setting their sights on destroying your garden spaces. Starting with Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, there has been Impatiens Downy Mildew, Basil Downy Mildew, Sudden Oak Death (SOD), Emerald Ash Borer,...
2018 was one of the wettest years on record which made it just terrible for gardening. Farmers here, in the Garden State, had awful yields of corn, tomatoes and peppers and unless you were into aquatic gardening, many plants just rotted. Alas, that was last...
Here’s an attention getter for you… there is a Christmas tree shortage this year and you should expect prices to go up! Over the past year independent garden centers have known this truth and have been scrambling to have enough inventory to meet the demand....
One of my best life experiences was towards the end of our vacation, this past summer, when my family and a few friends went truffle hunting in Italy. Traveling on the Intercity train, we trekked nearly 100 miles north of Rome to Spoleto, Italy. Following...
Picking up on where I left off last month, I finished the summer right where I started it, touring gardens. I have a very good friend, Dan Bartiromo, who sells travel. Dan has always had the ability to put me in the right place, at...
Part of the beauty of my industry, aside from the plants, is that you can never know everything. Gardening tricks, academic answers pitted against practical solutions and the rate at which new plants are thrust into retail certainly keeps you on your toes. My favorite...
There is no question this past winter was one for the record books. A winter that held its grip on us until April, and then came the rain in April and May. Plant material was thrown completely off cycle and storm damage took its toll...
Reeves-Reed Arboretum is a nonprofit arboretum and garden located in Summit, New Jersey. I have personally been involved with this arboretum, in one capacity or another, for over 20 years. Having been on their Board of Trustees for many years, I now serve on...
Magnolia honors the French botanist Pierre Magnol (1638-1715) and there are several that differentiate themselves from “Star” and “Saucer” types. I have a friend who moved to Tampa, Florida and I am always amazed at the color and bold texture his plants afford him. Bright...