Looking outside of the vase

Karen E. Varga
Editor

Back in the day, I would wait with bated breath for the announcement of the dates of the upcoming high school dances, events that I always enjoyed. From the fancy gowns to the corsages and boutonnieres, it was a great excuse to get more gussied up than usual. However, things have changed since I was in school. No longer is the typical carnation and baby’s breath corsage enough for many high schoolers. While some may still crave the traditional look, many are jumping out of the box and looking for the most creative and unique combinations to stand out from the crowd. A quick search for “prom corsage” on Pinterest will bring up everything from a glow-in-the-dark flowers to orchid arrangments to a corsage that includes a peacock feather.

As you’ll find out in this month’s cover story, this desire for more unique plants and flowers has been changing the status quo in the floral industry. Floral designers like Rizaniño “Riz” Reyes in Seattle, Washington, are catering to both traditional and nontraditional customers, incorporating locally grown and unique plants like succulents and tillandsias into their table arrangements, wedding bouquets and boutonnieres. And that means there are new opportunities for growers to supply these designers with plants that weren’t traditionally used in the past. Find out more about this up-and-coming floral designer and what these trends mean to you starting on page 12.

Also in this issue you’ll see the first of our monthly, expanded Generation Next profiles, where we feature one of the members of the Class of 2015 and take an in-depth look at what makes them tick. Courtney Crawford, head grower at Millcreek Plants, found her passion for horticulture in high school, and has developed a special interest in improving chemical application and propagation techniques in the greenhouse. Read more about Courtney starting on page 20.

As the winter trade show season winds down and your greenhouses fill up with new plants, I wish you the very best for a successful spring season.

Karen E. Varga, Editor
kvarga@gie.net
216-393-0290  |  Twitter: @GC_Editor