News

USDA unveils new Plant Hardiness Zone Map
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM), the first update since 1990. The new map —jointly developed by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Oregon State University’s (OSU) PRISM Climate Group—is available online at www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

For the first time, the new map offers a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based interactive format. The map website also incorporates a “find your zone by ZIP code” function. Static images of national, regional and state maps have also been included to ensure the map is readily accessible to those who lack broadband Internet access.

The new version of the map includes 13 zones, with the addition for the first time of zones 12 (50-60°F) and 13 (60-70°F). Each zone is a 10-degree Fahrenheit band, further divided into A and B 5-degree Fahrenheit zones.

To help develop the new map, USDA and OSU requested that horticultural and climatic experts review the zones in their geographic area, and trial versions of the new map were revised, based on their expert input.

Some of the changes in the zones are a result of new, more sophisticated methods for mapping zones between weather stations. These include algorithms that considered for the first time such factors as changes in elevation, nearness to large bodies of water, and position on the terrain, such as valley bottoms and ridge tops.

For more: www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov

News Notes

OFA announces new joint venture with ANLA
ANLA and OFA—the Association of Horticulture Professionals are launching a joint venture. It will initially focus on business education and advocacy.

The two national organizations are expanding on previous collaborations and forming a joint venture that involves sharing resources, including appropriate staff, to expand the capacity of the organizations to better support our members and advocate the horticultural industry’s interests before government and the general public.

The groups expect this partnership to:

• Further increase par- ticipation in advocacy efforts;
• Further expand and offer more robust educational programs;
• Widen the outreach to consumers;
• Nurture commerce opportunities to connect more industry buyers and sellers;
• Enhance support for research and higher education; and
• Unite the groups’ thousands of member companies to create a stronger voice and vi- sion for the industry.

Read more about the partnership in a Q&A with ANLA President Bob Lyons on page 14.

Imperial, Willoway Nurseries to carry on Plants That Work brand
Imperial Nurseries of Granby, Conn., and Willoway Nurseries of Avon, Ohio, announced the formation of a new product marketing partnership. The new partnership, Novalis LLC, has acquired the brand trademarks previously owned by Carolina Nurseries, including the Plants That Work and Plants That Work by Color brand names.

“The Plants That Work brand has been an important part of our branded product offering for over ten years, and we are thrilled to be able to move forward with it as part of our portfolio”, said Tom Demaline, president of Willoway Nurseries.

“We recognize the importance of branded products in today’s marketplace. The Plants That Work brand will continue to be an important vehicle for us to use when introducing new and exciting products to independent retailers,” said Greg Schaan, president of Imperial Nurseries.

Willoway Nurseries produces container and field-grown trees, shrubs perennials and annuals. The company serves independent garden centers, re-wholesalers and landscapers from the East Coast to the Great Plains. Imperial Nurseries serves independent retailers, re-wholesalers and landscapers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

For more: www.imperialnurseries.com; www.willowaynurseries.com.

Group to develop landscape water standard
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has initiated a project to develop a new standard, S623, Standardized Procedure for Determining Available Water for Landscapes and Estimating Landscape Water Use.

Those with interest and expertise in the subject matter are invited to participate in the project.

As the demand on water resources and the importance of water use efficiency grows, water agencies, regulators, land owners, landscape managers, and others require a standardized process to determine landscape water supply and demands to address local, regional and national objectives. The new document will standardize the ways in which both the available water resources and the irrigation requirements are quantified for landscape purposes.

For more: www.asabe.org.

GIE Media awarding a pair of horticulture scholarships
Nursery Management and the rest of the GIE Media Horticulture Group is seeking applications for its scholarship program for students studying environmental horticulture and structural pest management.

“Students at the top horticulture programs in the United States are the future of the green industry,” said Richard Foster, CEO and founder of GIE Media. “Our contributions – and those from companies and suppliers across the industry – will help support the academic and business education of these students and ensure their continued success.”

GIE Media is offering two, $5,000 awards for the fall of 2012. Both are cash awards for demonstration of outstanding academic performance and leadership. To be eligible, students must be enrolled at a recognized two-or four-year college or university working toward a degree in horticulture, environmental science or other field related to a segment of the green industry.

To download an application, go to www.NurseryManagementOnline.com and find the menu on the left side of the page labeled “Horticultural Scholarship.”