It is time to space the poinsettias; watch these robots work!

Christmas may feel far away, but preparations are in full swing at poinsettia growers. At US nursery Cromwell Growers Inc in Cromwell (CT), for example, they were busy with spacing the poinsettias last week - and no, not manually. In this fascinating video, posted on Linkedin by Chris Cybulski, we see…

Buxus ‘Little Missy’ named one of the top plants for boxwood blight resistance

Star Roses and Plants' Buxus ‘Little Missy’ was ranked in the top 2% of varieties resistant to boxwood blight in a recently published USDA analysis. “Boxwood blight continues to challenge the horticultural industry,” says Mike DuVall, Director of Products at Star Roses and Plants. “Our team at Star Roses…

UK: Plant Heritage accredits a further eight National Plant Collections

A collection of plant varieties named after, or associated with, 20th century English horticulturalist Ellen Willmott (1858-1934) has been awarded National Plant Collection status by Plant Heritage. The new collection, which is located in a private garden near Ipswich in Suffolk, celebrates the life,…

PPA announces Perennial Plant of the Year

Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta has been named the 2021 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association. Like a cloud of confetti, tiny white flowers (sometimes touched with pale blue) appear from early summer to fall. Undemanding and dependable, calamint provides the perfect foil for…

UK: Ball Colegrave reveals top varieties for 2021 season

The Summer Trials at Ball Colegrave was probably one of the only Professional Trial Grounds in the UK or even Europe opening its doors to its customers this season. “Trialling is at the heart of everything we do as we believe it is incredibly important for anyone involved in production and retail to see…

Darwin Perennials

"What a journey!"

The arrival of a bag of unrooted cuttings at the sticking line is the start of the production process to turn them into beautiful finished plants. It is also the end of a planning, growing, harvesting and logistics process that started 18 months earlier. Here is a quick recap of what it takes to get to that bag of Darwin…

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

China: World's oldest Alpine plants found in Hengduan Mountains

In a study published in the journal Science, researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences showed that the alpine flora of the Hengduan Mountains has continuously existed far longer than any other alpine flora on the Earth. The research team analyzed…

Thursd to organize Online Trade Fair

Online platform Thursd will organize an international online trade fair between 1 and 14 October. Many renowned companies have already reserved a booth. In this way they can still generate international attention for their products and services, when participation in the usual physical fairs is not an…

Syngenta shows off pelargonium and petunia newcomers

Pelargoniums are part of Syngenta's core products, so they keep on improving varieties. They have introduced a number of improvements and new varieties this year. Calliope (Pelargonium Interspecific)The extensive Calliope range features many different varieties with long lasting colours and good garden performance.…

Selecta One

Insights into the Selecta show garden

Selecta one's show gardens at their nursery Filla on the Lower Rhine (Germany) and at their headquarters in Stuttgart are in full bloom. They can be visited physically until September, but for the ones not able to visit them, they are brought to you. These videos below show a few highlights of their…

UK: National Plant Collection of Astilbe yields Brickell Award 2020

Malcolm Pharoah has been awarded the prestigious Brickell Award 2020 for his National Plant Collection of Astilbe held at Marwood Hill Gardens.The Brickell Award (named after Plant Heritage’s founding member and current Vice-President Chris Brickell) recognises excellence in cultivated plant conservation.A small, socially distanced award…

CambridgeHOK

One BMS system instead of 49 separate ones

In 2010 Eden Project recognised the need to control its indoor climates more efficiently. CambridgeHOK's team was chosen to implement a new Building Management System (BMS), converting it from no less than 49 separate control systems. Key part of the initial work was ensuring temperatures were always maintained…

Plant Heritage

Charity calls for help saving the UK's garden plants

Horticultural charity Plant Heritage is calling for anyone across the UK who is passionate about plants to help save ten plant groups which could be at risk, as part of its annual ‘Missing Genera’ campaign. The Missing Genera 2020 comprises ten different types of plants, including Aubrieta, which is…

Notes from the breeder's backyard

A little different this week as I come to you from my back patio here in Carpentersville, Illinois. If you joined me for the Day 4 Echinacea videos for Darwin Digital Days (recorded week 24) you may have seen these heavily budded but with no color. My Echinacea Artisan containers were in full bloom at…

Thursd to organize Online Trade Fair

The Thursd online platform will organize an international online trade fair between 1 and 14 October. Due to the coronavirus the uncertainty with regards to traditional fairs…

Darwin Perennials

Notes from The Gardens at Ball

Being unable to travel to visit customers does have some benefits. I am able to visit The Gardens at Ball in West Chicago as I please, and track the progress of all our great Kieft Seed and Darwin Perennials genetics as they mature and flower throughout the season. So, instead of “Notes from the Road,” I’d like to bring you…

Initial postponement Myplant revoked, new dates 15-17 February 2021

Myplant comes back in 2021. The trade fair had initially been postponed for 7 months, but the current circumstances have persuaded both exhibitors and the management of the event to reschedule it again. "It wouldn’t have made sense to hold the one international trade fair of reference for the industry in…