Such great heights

I just returned from an amazing trip to two national parks: Grand Teton and Yellowstone. We hiked trails and boardwalks, oohed and ahhed at canyons, waterfalls and geysers, and saw herds of bison, elk and even a grizzly bear. All told, I put nearly a thousand miles on the rock-solid Toyota Sienna hybrid we rented.

It wasn’t the quintessential summer vacation, mostly because I couldn’t justify the three-week road trip required to do the wild west right. Squeezing the voyage into eight days meant we needed to fly. But it was still a blast.

One of the advantages of flying over driving is the ability to see those fantastic mountains from a high vantage point. In yet another example of the sacrifices parents make for their children, I semi-reluctantly ceded the window seat on both flights to my sons. Such a steep price for making core memories! They were sufficiently appreciative, however, and I do believe the experience will stick with them forever. And I did get to peek around them to see nature’s majesty from the clouds.

Our cover story this month also takes an elevated view. Learn how the small, remotely-piloted aircraft colloquially known as drones are being used to upgrade traditional spraying equipment. Researchers share their progress, pros and cons, and include a case study on how Centerton Nursery is faring as an early adopter of this technology. Watch for more next month on how nurseries can use drones to take some of the pain out of inventory management.

Our frequent contributor, Michael Dirr, takes a high-level view of the Photinia genus before a deep dive into Photinia x fraseri, redtip photinia and related species. Read it on pg. 12.

For our field growers, learn what you can do to improve your soil health in a piece from William Errickson. Starting on pg. 24, he makes the case that soil health is an investment you’ll never regret – one with a huge potential payoff.

Also in this issue, we have part two of Marie Chieppo’s series on the horticulture industry’s progress on plastics and sustainability. Read it on pg. 18 for the latest research into alternative materials for containers.

Feel free to drop me a line if you think I should visit your nursery, particularly if you happen to be located near some natural beauty. I’m missing those mountains.