Year in review

Graphic River; Adobe Stock

Well, 2020 was a tough act to follow. But 2021 tried its hardest to be a memorable year in its own right.

We began by wondering if 2020’s quarantine gardeners would return and if the historic increase in customers would continue. Demand stayed high and supply stayed low.

In February, we toured the Heritage Museum and Gardens, the home of the North American Hydrangea Test Garden. The Cape Cod institution presents its finest face in the display gardens, but growers would be most interested to walk the test garden, where evaluations are made that determine which H. macrophylla becomes the next big thing.

In March, we dived into a very different plant: mangave. We learned about the breeding process behind the cross of Manfreda x Agave to create one of 2021’s trendiest plants. Hans Hansen, the breeder responsible for many of the mangave cultivars on the market today, shared why he’s fascinated by this plant and what’s next.

In April, we covered the topic of plant shortages, already a problem due to soaring pandemic sales but exacerbated by the Southern freeze. Would they spell better margins for growers? Demand was sky high.

In May, we learned which roses were top performers at the American Rose Trials for Sustainability. The trial is split by region, so growers from all over America could use the results to find roses that will excel in their area.

For the June cover story, we learned how Hibernia Nursery is applying automation to solve problems. From potting systems to pruning machines to an irrigation system that cuts down on water waste and labor, this Florida nursery aims to innovate.

In July, we covered the so-called “green lining” of the pandemic. Although lots of new gardeners were created in those months of quarantine, we looked further into the future at why it’s critical to educate the next generation about the power of plants — and how to do it.

Our August cover story came from Cultivate’21, our first in-person event since the pandemic hit. In July, Art Parkerson and Jake Pierson led a Nursery Swap Shop session at Cultivate. Pierson is co-owner of Pierson Nurseries and leads the Nursery Community Connector Group, a grower-centric focus group that is part of AmericanHort. The two men asked the question to the growers in the room: You just had two of the best years ever. You may be profitable for the first time ever. How are you spending that cash? Are you buying more land, doing those capital improvements you've been meaning to do, taking care of your employees? The answer depends on a multitude of factors and isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. We talked to small and large growers and spread the story across two months.

September was our annual State of the Industry issue. We published our exclusive research, the result of an extensive survey of you, our readers. In addition, we profiled Jon Reelhorn, industry leader and owner of Belmont Nursery, a California nursery, greenhouse and retail garden center. We learned how he got started, how he built Belmont into what it is now and why he gets involved in industry associations.

October’s cover story focused on how Greenthumb Nursery continues to recover from a double-storm disaster that struck North Carolina in 2018. Kevin Cagle shared how he responded when the unexpected happened, and provided a few basic precautions growers can use to prepare for potentially extreme weather conditions.

November’s cover story was about McMakin Farms, a South Carolina nursery that runs a liner production operation and a B&B tree farm. John McMakin, Jr. shared his approach to the supply chain crisis, cost inflation and more.

The Nursery Management staff hopes you enjoyed 2021, and we wish you a healthy and prosperous 2022!