Month: April 2015

The International Floriculture Expo has announced Susan Packard, co-founder of HGTV, as the Keynote speaker for the International Floriculture Expo that will take place June 8-10, 2015 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. The 2015 show will be co-located with United Fresh and the Food Marketing Institute’s FMI Connect and is expected to draw 14,000 attendees. …

Nearly every gardener knows that one of the best strategies in choosing plants is to consult the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which identifies plants based on how tolerant the plant shoots are to cold temperatures. But plant roots are another story, and they often are less tolerant of sub-freezing temperatures than the shoots of the same plant. For businesses that grow nursery stock in containers, protecting container-grown plants during winter leads to increased labor costs and can cause high losses due to physical damage. …

Shrub Madness has come to a dramatic end this year with Fire Light® hydrangea being crowned the 2015 National Champion. Coming from a tough field of 64 contenders, the competition gradually narrowed to just two after multiple rounds of voting. At the end of the final round, it was neck and neck but ultimately Fire Light® hydrangea took the lead and solidly defeated 2014 Shrub Madness National Champion Let’s Dance® Diva! hydrangea shattering hopes of back-to-back victories. Throughout the competition, over 83,000 votes were cast with everyone vying for their favorite shrub!  This year’s Floral Four included Pinky Winky® hydrangea, Sweet Summer Love Clematis, Fire Light® hydrangea, and the 2014 National Champion, Let’s Dance® Diva! hydrangea. …