Reporter's Notebook

OFA CEO John Holmes passes away

John R. Holmes, CEO of OFA – an Association of Floriculture Professionals, died unexpectedly Feb. 12 in Columbus, Ohio. Holmes was hired as exec. director of OFA in February 2002. Born in Indiana, Holmes’ career began on the staff of the Indiana House of Representatives. He worked in the government affairs division of the Nat’l Assoc. of Mutual Insurance Cos. and with the Ind. Health Care Assoc. Before joining OFA, he was the exec. director of the Alliance of Indiana Rural Water. Holmes received a law degree from Indiana Univ. and was licensed to practice law in Indiana. He was certified in association management by both the American Society of Assoc. Executives and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

-- Sarah

High gas prices are a plus for local retailers

High gas prices have meant more business for small, local retailers, Lansing State Journal reported. Consumers are opting to shop close to home, rather than make a trek to far-flung big boxes. "Because of the cost of gas, they're thinking now that, 'OK, I may save a couple of dollars, but I'm spending a lot more than that in fuel costs.' So, they are making the decision to stay closer to home," said Jim Cicorelli, owner of Frank's Food Mart stores in Charlotte and Potterville, Mich.

Garden center restaurant makes headlines

Cafe Osage, the restaurant within Bowood Farms, a family-owned garden center in St. Louis, is whetting the appetites of area residents. A report in St. Louis Post-Dispatch praised the eatery's New American cuisine. The menu features herbs grown on the cafe's rooftop and bison raised on the family's farm in Clarksville, Mo. Click here to read a complete profile of Bowood Farms that appeared in Garden Center Magazine.

Connecticut presents invasives workshop

You still have time to register for the Conn. Invasive Plant Working Group symposium "Cherish Our Natural Heritage: Managing Invasives to Promote Native Diversity." The symposium is open to the public and will take place Oct. 1 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Univ. of Conn. in Storrs. Keynote speaker Doug Tallamy will present "A Case for Native Plants." Concurrent afternoon sessions will cover habitat and management in grasslands; forest understories; aquatic invasive plants; invasive control practices (including organic control); and non-plant invaders. Registration fee is $40 (postmarked by Sept. 10), $55 if postmarked by Sept. 24.

Lend a hand to hurricane victims with SNA forum

On the heels of hurricane Gustav, Southern Nursery Assoc. activated its Disaster Assistance Forum. You can use this forum to give updates on industry members hit by the storm or to give an update on your own situation. You can also use this link to post any supplies that you're willing to lend or donate. Now we prepare for hurricane Ike.

Companies team up to launch tag recycling program

John Henry, a Multi Packaging Solutions company, and Blackmore Co., a supplier of hort. equipment, plastic trays, growing media and fertilizer, have partnered to offer customers a tag recycling program. Clean styrene tags will be collected and recycled to produce plant trays. "This is an important step in reducing the carbon footprint of our industry by taking advantage of styrene's excellent recyclability. Our partnership with John Henry will address what had traditionally been the missing link in the recycling chain — a collection mechanism," said Skip Blackmore, pres. of Blackmore Co.

Overdevest launches sustainable program

New Jersey-based Overdevest Nurseries, the company behind the Garden Splendor plant brand, introduced a new line of eco-friendly patio plants this summer. The company's Footprints brand is available to independent garden centers in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Footprints plants are grown using sustainable elements, such as compost made from renewable soil ingredients and recycled irrigation water. Plants are potted in natural-component containers and labeled with biodegradable tags. Among the varieties included in the program are Pennisetum 'Rubrum,' Rudbeckia 'Chim Chiminee' and Knock Out rose.

Conard-Pyle introduces White Out rose

Conard-Pyle Co. introduced White Out rose (Rosa 'Radwhite'). This shrub rose was bred by William Radler, creator of the popular Knock Out series. White Out will be available to retailers for spring sales. According to Conard-Pyle, White Out is the closest thing to a white Knock Out rose, and the best white shrub rose it's introduced. The rose reaches 3 to 3½ ft. tall. Flowers are pure white, single form and typically have 5 petals. Foliage is dark green, with young foliage almost black. White Out is very compact and disease resistant.

Garden retailer wins EPA award

U.S. EPA's Office of Solid Waste selected Matterhorn Nursery in Spring Valley, N.Y., to receive the 2008 Waste Wise Gold Achievement Award for a New Partner. The award recognizes outstanding progress in waste reduction practices in the first year as a Water Wise partner. The award will be presented next month at a conference in Arlington, Va. To qualify for the award, Matterhorn submitted its first-year data detailing waste reduction, cost savings and promotion of EPA's Water Wise program to employees and customers, some of which was detailed in Garden Center Magazine (scroll to bottom half of page) in its Project: Green series.

California finds first Asian citrus psyllid

Calif. Dept. of Food and Ag. (CDFA) and USDA made a "presumptive positive detection" of a single Asian citrus psyllid in San Diego. According to federal regulations, before the identification is final, it must first be verified by a USDA entomological laboratory in Washington, D.C. The insect was found in a trap 11 miles north of the border with Mexico, near Sweetwater Reservoir. Inspectors spent Labor Day weekend setting and checking traps, and conducting visual surveys. A single detection of this pest triggers a quarantine, so confirmation by the USDA would set that process in motion. In the interim, CDFA will restrict movement of host plants at wholesale and retail nurseries within 5 miles of the find site. The psyllid is a vector of huanglongbing (HLB) disease. All citrus and closely related species are susceptible hosts for both the insect and the disease. There is no cure once a tree becomes infected. The pest and disease have been detected in Fla. and La. The pest (but not the disease) have been found in TX, GA, MS, SC and AL.