Wilsonville, Ore. – Conifers add year-round interest to gardens, parks, highways and cityscapes, yet they are often overlooked when designs are created. Oregon growers produce more grafted conifers than any other state in the U.S., and the Farwest Show, produced by the Oregon Association of Nurseries, hopes to showcase that fact by declaring 2011 “The Year of the Conifer.”
Conifers will appear in exhibitor booths throughout the 222,000 square foot trade show. Displays, demonstrations and the New Varieties Showcase will feature the array of texture, color and form conifers offer, educating show goers about the diversity of this versatile plant.
“Well-merchandised conifers sell themselves in garden centers and can be the center of attention in a garden or municipal setting,” said Oregon Association of Nurseries Director of Marketing Ann Murphy. “The New Varieties Showcase will demonstrate merchandising ideas for the newest conifer varieties and conifer displays on the show floor will exhort their visual attributes.”
Nursery tours held in conjunction with the Farwest Show will provide a spectacular array of conifers, both on display and in production. A tour on Wednesday, August 24, 2011, is dedicated to showcasing the Conifer Garden at the Oregon Garden, which has 600 unique conifer varieties and is one of the largest collections of dwarf and miniature conifers in the United States. The same tour will include three nurseries dedicated almost exclusively to growing specialty conifers — Meadowcroft Farm Inc. (Oregon City), Peace of Mind Nursery (Silverton) and Russell’s Nursery Inc. (Aurora). A & R Spada Farms LLC, Don Marjama Nursery Co. Inc. and Iseli Nursery Inc., — all world-class conifer growers — will be featured on other nursery tours.
The Farwest Show seminars will also feature important speakers on the topic of conifers, including Steve Mydelski of Russell’s Nursery, Richard Bitner, author of the new book Designing with Conifers: The Best Choices for Year-Round Interest in Your Garden, and the renowned Dr. Michael Dirr, who has a new tree and shrub finder phone app. Dr. Dirr will also appear on Thursday, August 25 with Coach Vince Dooley, famed winning football coach at University of Georgia. Dirr and Dooley will be giving a motivational talk to the industry as well as auctioning off a signed football.
The Farwest Show, now in its 39th year, is produced by the Oregon Association of Nurseries. For more information about the 2011 Farwest Show seminar schedule, nursery tours, show hours and other features, visit www.farwestshow.com or call 503-682-5089.
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The Oregon Association of Nurseries, based in Wilsonville, represents more than 1,200 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon's ornamental horticulture industry is among the state's largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $740 million. More than 74 percent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state. For information, visit www.oan.org or call (503) 682-5089.
Source: The Oregon Association of Nurseries
