Nursery Calendar
TPIE January 18-20, 2012
FNGLA's Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition takes place every January in Ft. Lauderdale at the Broward County Convention Center.
This is one of the biggest tropical plant trade shows in the United States, attracting buyers and sellers from all over the world. This year, attendees will be able to travel to Costa Farms to look at their bedding plant trials.
Contact Sabrina Wade at the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association for more information or check out their web site - www.fngla.org
Wintergreen Show again in Atlanta GA January 26-27, 2012
This up and coming show, organized by the Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA), moved from humble origins in Athens GA to the Atlanta area in 2010. In 2012, it will again be staged at the Gwinnett Civic Center in Duluth. This is an area with many affordable hotels and excellent restaurants, so consider making the trip to Georgia for an early peak at spring bloomers.
Although the thermometer may be hovering around freezing outside, the action will be hot inside with attractive exhibits and challenging educational programs presented by horticultural experts like Allan Armitage, Michael Dirr, John Ruter, and other University of Georgia professors. Keep an eye out for former football Coach Vince Dooley who has become an ardent plant enthusiast since auditing one of Dirr's classes.
Grandiflora exhibited in Athens for the first time in 2008, bringing lots of winter color like Dianthus, Achillea, Diascia, Nemesia and Shasta Daisies.
To learn more about this event, visit www.ggia.org
Gulf States Hort Expo January 19-20, 2012
Exciting regional Trade Show in Mobile AL and one of the first of the season. Great food at local restaurants, gambling just down the road in Biloxi MS, and Grandiflora will be there at the show with a unique display to kick off the trade show season. The Mobile show often coincides with Mardi Gras, and the city has nightly parades complete with marching bands, floats, and bead throwing.
The SNA Research Conference, formerly held in conjunction with SNA, has been hosted for the last few years by the Gulf States Horticultural Expo at the Mobile Outlaw Convention Center in Mobile. This year, the same format will probably apply with presentations of papers beginning on Wednesday before the trade show opens.
Pictured is Grandiflora's 2007 booth with a bowling theme, "Roll with Grandiflora".
More can be learned about the trade show and research conference at www.gshe.org
South Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association Trade Show February 2-4, 2012
One of the first shows of the year. Grandiflora will be there and you should be too. Room rates for hotels right on the beach are very inexpensive that time of year, and there are plenty of great restaurants and golf courses nearby.
Photo shows part of our 2005 SCHI booth with the theme "A New Idea is Born" to introduce our new name, Grandiflora.
For more info, go to www.scnla.com
Spring Garden Festival March 24-25, 2012
Over 200 exhibitors, music, food, seminars, children's activities, and plant auction with celebrity auctioneer Storm Roberts of WKTK - at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville FL, late in March.
Check out the new Children's Garden, Conservatory and recently re-worked Bog Garden. Watch out for alligators!
For more information about the festival, go to www.gardenfestival.org
To learn more about Kanapaha Botanical Garden, the second largest botanical garden in the state of Florida, visit www.kanapaha.org
Floriculture Field Day Returns to Disney's Epcot in Orlando in May 2012
The Perennial Field Day merged with the University of Florida Annual Trials eight years ago, and then the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) joined in a partnership with the University of Florida, Grandiflora and Ornamental Outlook Magazine to make this event even bigger and better.
In 2009, the University could no longer fund the trials due to budget cuts, but the seminars went on as planned. It was decided to move the event to Orlando and partner with Walt Disney World, Leu Gardens, Knox Nursery and other nurseries in the area to further expand this excellent horticultural program in spring 2011. The gamble paid off, and the event was a huge success, with attendees getting amazing hotel rates at the host Disney resort hotel. Many folks brought their families and stayed extra nights taking advantage of the reduced rates.
Look for a similar format in 2012 with breeder trials at EPCOT, tours of growing operations as well as private and public gardens, and a full slate of excellent speakers.
Join us! Call or e-mail Grandiflora or FNGLA for more information. www.fngla.org
Southeast Color Connection Postponed Indefinitely
The Southeast Color Connection is a victim of the sluggish economy and has been shelved for 2012. The SECC takes place in Greenville SC and doubles as a trade show for Floriculture products and liners combined with an outstanding educational program for growers, landscapers and retailers. Plus, Greenville is a beautiful and friendly city with many fine restaurants.
Grandiflora has set up an exhibit there for many years. At the 2003 show, our "Plantnik" booth (see photo with salesman Mark Gruver) got us lots of attention! Grandiflora has also won two "Best Mixed Container" contests at the SEGC.
For more information about the trade show and educational seminars, visit www.southeastcolorconnection.org
Perennial Plant Association National Seminar in Boston July 1-7, 2012
The next PPA Symposium will take place in Boston MA, and attendees will be staying downtown at a ridiculously low room cost.
Last year's annual meeting was held in Atlanta GA and included trips to retail nurseries, growers, Armitage's trial gardens at UGA, private mansions, a cemetary (with plants to die for), several botanical gardens, and even Vince Dooley's private garden.
Contact the PPA for more info at www.perennialplant.org
The Landscape Show (formerly known as FNATS) September 29-30 and October 1, 2011 in Orlando FL
The Landscape Show (FNATS) - a Trade show and educational seminar in Orlando FL - falls at the end of September this coming year. This 3-day event is the biggest horticultural trade show for landscaping plants and products in Florida.
In 2004, our Plantnik booth won best large exhibit! In 2006, our Painters booth also won best large exhibit. In 2008 we constructed a bowling alley complete with a wooden lane, balls and pins, and salesmen in Grandiflora bowling shirts. Since 2008 was an election year, we chose an election theme (see picture). Frank refused to dress as Obama, although Mark volunteered to come as Uncle Sam.
For more information, visit the FNGLA web site - www.fngla.org
IPPS - International Plant Producers Society Southern Region Meeting October 23-26, 2011
The IPPS will be meeting in Valdosta GA this October. Besides the excellent talks that will be presented by internationally known speakers, there will be three days of touring regional wholesale nurseries including Monrovia in Cairo, UGA trial sites, and garden centers like Tallahassee Nurseries.
Last year's program in Raleigh NC was a huge success, with the highlight being a trip to Tony Avent's Plants Delight.
Note the name change from Propagators to Producers as the association recognized that only 25% of its recent papers were on propagation and the rest were about every other aspect of production.
For more information, visit the IPPS Southern Region of North America web site - www.ipps.org/SouthernNA/
Great Southern Tree Conference in Gainesville December 2011
The Great Southern Tree Conference is a cutting edge educational event centered around an outdoor demonstration area on the University of Florida campus. Developed through the joint efforts of the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association and the University of Florida, this conference brings in tree experts from around the country to teach about tree selection, landscape usage, production, establishment, marketing and management issues in the southern United States.
For more information, visit the FNGLA website - www.fngla.org