September/October 2019 - 8

HEADLINES/CALENDAR
HRI Celebrates $240,000
in Contributions During
Cultivate'19
By Jennifer Gray, HRI Administrator, AmericanHort
The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), the
AmericanHort foundation, is pleased to announce
the receipt of $240,000 in donations during its
reception, held in conjunction with Cultivate'19 in
Columbus, Ohio.
More than 150 industry professionals attended
the summer reception, which celebrated HRI
supporters. The reception recognized more than
$240,000 in donations supporting horticultural
scholarships and research.
Friends and family of the late Gunter Mecking
attended and announced the creation of the Gunter
Mecking Scholarship Fund. This fund, created with
the financial support of numerous donors including
the Mecking family, Peter Orum, Gabriel Lambert,
and K.C. Browne, will support a new generation of
horticulture students as they work to earn degrees.
Albert J. Gates III of Pro Packaging LLC became
the most recent member of HRI's Heritage Circle
with an announcement of a planned gift to HRI
that will establish a scholarship fund in his name.
Planned gifts like this one create a permanent
legacy through the eventual establishment of
endowed research and scholarship funds.
Long-time HRI supporter Peter Orum (Midwest
Groundcovers) presented a donation from Platt
Hill to the John B. " Jack " Hill Memorial Research
Fund. Hill's donation of $75,000 elevates this fund,
which celebrates the memory of Hill's father, to
HRI's Platinum Circle.
Two organizations were celebrated for completing
fund pledges to HRI during the reception. The
Alabama Nursery & Landscape
Association
Research Fund reached $25,000 and joined HRI's
Silver Circle and the IPPS Southern Region of
North America Fund reached $50,000 and joined
HRI's Gold Circle. Funds created by organizations
like Southern Region IPPS and ALNLA provide
enduring research benefits for their stakeholders.
Spring Meadow Nursery and the Deppe
family were recognized for a milestone: The
Spring Meadow - Proven Winners Research
and Scholarship Fund exceeded $900,000 this
summer. This fund was created in 1994 by Dale
and Liz Deppe with an initial gift of $5,000 toward
a $20,000 goal. Originally created to exclusively
fund research, the fund expanded in 2004 to create
scholarships for horticulture students. To date, this
fund has granted nearly $150,000 in research grants
and over $75,000 in scholarships.
Additional gifts were made by donors to honor
loved ones, including donations made to celebrate
industry icon Ernest Wertheim's 100th birthday.
Monies raised from the donations made during
events like this, and throughout the year, fund the
activities of the Horticultural Research Institute's
research and scholarship programs, along with
educational outreach activities for the organization.
HRI tackles the biggest challenges - everything
from disease management to water quality and
availability - to bring you the information and
best practices you need to perform better, grow
faster, and prepare for the future.
For information about HRI,
visit www.
HRIresearch.org or contact Jennifer Gray at
614.884.1155 or JenniferG@AmericanHort.org.
Retailers' Choice Awards Given at
Cultivate'19
* Proven Winners: Aqua Pot Self-Watering Ceramic
* Willoway Nursery: Buxus NewGen 'Freedom' and
'Independence'
For more information, visit www.
thegardencentergroup.com.
CALENDAR
spoga + gafa
Cologne, Germany
www.spogagafa.com
GWA 2019
Salt Lake City, Utah
Star Roses and Plants Launches
Bloomables
Star Roses and Plants has launched Bloomables, a
collection of its best flowering genetics that are easy to
grow for the grower and the consumer.
" These varieties of roses and woody plants look great
The Garden Center Group announced the 15 recipients of
the Retailers' Choice Awards at Cultivate'19 in Columbus,
Ohio. The products were chosen by 45 judges and narrowed
down from nearly 70 entries.
Following is a list of companies and products that
received recognition.
* Bailey Nurseries: Illicium BananAppeal
* Ball Hort: Petunia 'Midnight Gold'
* Concept Plants: Senecio 'Angel Wings'
* CTI Plastics: Plastic Pots made from recycled plastic
from the sea
* Dümmen Orange: Basewell Plug Rooting System and
Chrysanthemum 'Rainbow Circus'
* Flamingo Holland: Ficinia 'Ice Crystal'
* ForemostCo: Croton Ty Dy
* Hort Couture: Coleus 'Pink Tuna' and Coleus
'Red Snapper'
* Iseli Nursery: Arctic Series of Japanese Maples
* Monrovia: Hydrangea. Seaside Series 'Newport'
* North Creek Nurseries: Iris versicolor 'Purple Flame'
at retail and offer high reward in the garden, " said Bradd
Yoder, president. " This one-of-a-kind lineup is the only
program to focus on the blooms and flowers of plants,
allowing consumers to have a garden that blooms all
season. "
Bloomables consists of over 35 different varieties that
have been carefully selected by Star Roses and Plants'
product managers. In addition to a noteworthy flower
and standout garden performance, the varieties may have
bright colors, unique textures or interesting foliage. The
optional brand will be available at retail in spring of 2020.
Features of the collection include consumer-friendly
tags. The tags present the common name first, which
consumers are more likely to recognize. In addition, there
is a simple call out, showing why the plant is special or how
it can be used.
" We want to boost consumer confidence by making
roses less scary and simplifying shrubs, " said Kyle McKean,
director of marketing. " We hope to do that through our
tags, containers and other point of purchase materials. "
Orders are now being taken for spring.
For more information, visit www.bloomables.com.
8 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
gardencom.org
Arett Open House
Atlantic City, New Jersey
www.arettopenhouse.com
Griffin Pennsylvania Expo
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
www.griffins.com
BFG Supply Co. Expo
Cleveland, Ohio
Sept. 25-26
www.bfgsupply.com
Great Lakes Expo & Michigan Greenhouse
Growers Expo
Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.glexpo.com
MANTS 2020
Baltimore, Maryland
Furnishings Market
Atlanta, Georgia
www.americasmart.com
Tropical Plant International Expo (TPIE)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
www.tpie.org
Jan. 22-24
Dec. 10-12
Jan. 8-10
www.mants.com
Atlanta International Gift & Home
Jan. 14-21
Sept. 8-10
Sept. 25-26
Sept. 1-3
Sept. 4-7
http://www.HRIresearch.org http://www.thegardencentergroup.com http://www.spogagafa.com http://www.gardencom.org http://www.arettopenhouse.com http://www.griffins.com http://www.bfgsupply.com http://www.glexpo.com http://www.mants.com http://www.americasmart.com http://www.tpie.org http://www.bloomables.com
September/October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September/October 2019
