News

Winners announced for Burpee’s 2012 “I Can Grow” Youth Garden Award
With overwhelming interest and participation, school and community gardening continues to grow in popularity across the nation as Burpee Home Gardens announces the winners of its 2012 “I Can Grow” Youth Garden Award. In its third year, the “I Can Grow” Youth Garden Award received more than 500 applications – double the amount received in 2011 – from community and urban school gardens across the United States.

This year’s grand-prize winners are: Islands High School in Savannah, Ga.; P.S. 323 in Brooklyn, N.Y.; The Village of Arts and Humanities in Philadelphia, Pa.

All winners will receive up to 500 vegetable and herb plants, including the Burpee BOOST collection; five gallons of Daniels Plant Food; one hose-end sprayer; and a Flip Video camera to document the garden’s progress throughout the year on the Burpee Home Gardens blog. Grand-prize winners will receive $2,500 in garden supplies and on-site assistance for initial garden layout and installation from the experts at Burpee Home Gardens. All applicants will receive vegetable and flower seeds from Burpee, as well as educational materials, to keep their gardens growing.

The 2012 “I Can Grow” Youth Garden Award assists established or start-up school and community gardens that demonstrate well-developed and staffed plans for youth-centered educational programs emphasizing nutrition and food production, environmental awareness, social responsibility and scholastic integration.

For more: www.burpeehomegardens.com/blog 

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Darwin Perennials Day to be held June 21
Showcasing the newest perennials for North America, the third annual Darwin Perennials Day will be held June 21. Held at The Gardens at Ball in West Chicago, visitors will see the latest varieties for 2013, compare top-selling plants in the Zone 5 overwintered trial gardens and meet industry experts.

Open from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., the event includes a grab ‘n go breakfast and sit-down luncheon. Aside from the new varieties, other event highlights include seed-raised perennials from Kieft-Pro-Seeds, lowering shrubs from Ball Ornamentals, mixed container ideas with perennials, educational seminars and industry-acclaimed speakers.

For more: www.darwinperennials.com

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USDA celebrates 150 years
In 2012, USDA will commemorate and celebrate the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln signed into law an act of Congress establishing the United States Department of Agriculture.

Two and a half years later, in what would be his final annual message to Congress, Lincoln called the USDA “The people’s department.” At that time, about half of all Americans lived on farms, compared with about 2 percent today. But through its work on food, agriculture, economic development, science, natural resource conservation and a host of issues, USDA still fulfills Lincoln’s vision by touching the lives of every American, every day.

For more: www.usda.gov
 

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OFA and ANLA announce new event for 2013
Building on the joint venture announced in January, the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) and OFA – The Association of Horticulture Professionals, are introducing a new event for the winter of 2013. With a target audience of business leaders and decision makers, the new event will focus on the business skills and innovations needed for sustainable success in this rapidly evolving economy. More details on the event will emerge this summer.

For more: www.ofa.org and www.anla.org
 

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Downy mildew on impatiens makes headlines
West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP) — Starting in late October each year, Palm Beach County enters a colorful phase as millions of impatiens are planted to jazz up the entrances of gated communities and add punch at shopping centers, banks and resorts.

But this year there’s trouble with the flowers known for their hues of coral, orange, pink, red, lavender, purple and white. After early January’s damp cold snap, landscapers and their clients began noticing that the impatiens were dying. Now countless plants have been ripped out, costing homeowners associations thousands and more for a multimillion-dollar flower business that blooms when snowbirds visit.

For more: www.necn.com