Floral

Professional florists, amateurs, youth and artists can submit floral displays for the floral show and competition, which will be June 3 at the Brown Deer Golf Course in Coralville. Categories include miniature floral, cut flowers, container gardens and floral art, with this year’s theme of “Flower Power: 40 Years of Celebrating Youth.” …

Some cut flowers and potted plants are better than others at fending off the aging process, known as senescence. To help tomorrow’s blooms stay fresh longer, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant physiologist Cai-Zhong Jiang is investigating the gene-controlled mechanisms of plants’ aging. Such probing may eventually reveal how to modify flowers’ aging-linked genes, or the proteins that are products of those genes. …

The Center for Family Business at the University of New Hampshire recently named grower Pleasant View Gardens of Loudon, N.H., as the 2010 Family Business of the Year. …

The ash clouds from Iceland’s volcano slowed down the pace of trade and had a significant impact on business supply chains, with revenues lost and costs mounting for storing unshipped products. Clearly the volcano has the potential to severely disrupt the global economy. How can companies prepare themselves for the worst case scenario and minimise the damage? …

Taiwanese orchids have won a silver medal at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, which kicked off Tuesday in London. …