Behind the Scenes with Nursery Management magazine

Box office smash

At a huge trade show like MANTS, you need great plants on display to convince attendees to take a second glance at your booth. But with a little creativity in your display, you can stop passersby in their tracks.

There were plenty of great booths to visit this year, but the Oscar for most inspired booth design (if there were such a thing) might go to Virginia’s Riverbend Nursery for its “Plant Premiere.” The star-studded cast of perennials strolls down the red carpet in a display that includes some of the most famous tinseltown landmarks, the “Hollywood” sign and Chinese theater. This one’s going to be a star.

For more: www.riverbendnursery.com
 

Size matters

While a few booths were sporting huge palm trees that certainly attracted attention, some smaller trees caught my eye. Meehan’s Miniatures is a Maryland nursery that specializes in dwarf and miniature varieties of plants and trees. Japanese maple, boxleaf and juniper varieties abound, as well as starter and finished bonsai plants.

Meehan’s propagates and grows 75 percent of its own stock, and the founders, Hugh and Martha Meehan, keep a blog on the nursery’s website with photos and descriptions of some of their favorites. If you’re looking for something tiny, check them out!
 

For more: www.meehansminiatures.com/index.html