Chad Miller

Photo courtesy of Chad Miller

Greenhouse Management: With your new position at Colorado State University, you’re working as trials manager as part of your workload. How has your transition to this role been?

Chad Miller: The trial manager role was actually one of the major reasons I was attracted to this job. I was looking for a little shift in my career focus. Taking over the trial garden director position was certainly right up my alley. It’s obviously been a big transition. I just hit the ground running in January. I’ve been working with the staff that were already here, the students and research associates, and making sure the gardens were implemented this year. It’s been great. It’s been hectic, but I’m looking forward to having one full year under the belt.

GM: Are there any certain plant traits or characteristics that you’re drawn to right now?

CM: There’s a lot of folks asking about the pollinator side of things, and those asking about being more water wise. People are always observing which ones have buzzing going around them and asking if we’re taking data on pollinators. And then of course, considering that we’re in the mountains, there are concerns of water use and water use applications. Folks are definitely concerned about irrigation and what plants can be more drought tolerant or handle dryer periods at times. So those are definitely a couple of trends. And of course, people always want ones that have flower power, right? Those often also stick out. And then if there’s any combination thereof, of those three, folks are extremely delighted.

GM: What advice do you have for any growers out there who are deciding what to grow for their next season or their next year?

CM: I think people are looking for fun and interesting things, something that’s not just the old run-of-the-mill, but those things that are different. Our best of the show was the Dahlia Dahlegria Apricot Tricolor. And it’s a single-petal plant, so it did get a few more questions. The single value is how people notice the single dahlia had more pollinators on it than some of the doubles or multicolored dahlias. It’s one of those things that’s slightly different, and I think that’s what folks look for.

It’s about the ooh’s and ah’s. When I’m out in the gardens and taking data or sometimes just going for a walk, I just like to observe people or talk with the crew, and it’s just nice to listen and hear what people are talking about and how they’re talking about plants. So, I’m just trying to make mental notes of what people are oohing and ahing over.