If you are a member of the Green Industry and anything like me, you are very fortunate. You wake up most days excited for what is to come. Maybe you’ll get a visit from your favorite customer, maybe you’ll get to talk plants with another nursery professional, or maybe you will learn something new that you had never heard before.  It is for these reasons, among others, that I love my job.  So naturally, when I was asked to help out at this year’s NJNLA Summer Plant Symposium, I jumped at the opportunity.

 If you have been lucky enough to attend the event in years past, you know that the Summer Plants Symposium ties together what NJNLA believes in most - furthering our educational background as green industry professionals, and strengthening both the business and personal relationships between its members.  If you were unable to attend the event, stay tuned, because as a volunteer, I was able to be part of the action and am here to fill you in on what you missed!

The event was held, for the fourth consecutive year, at the Rutgers Gardens on Tuesday, August 11th, and of course, being a NJNLA event, heavy rainstorms were predicted pretty much throughout the day.  However, the event was open, rain or shine, and no amount of rain could have slowed us down. I arrived at the gardens just before 8 am and was greeted by Rutgers interns who had already begun to set up chairs.  Curtains, side-tables for exhibitors, registration booths, and signs quickly went up; attendees started to stroll in and chat.  As the smell of coffee filled the air, I thought to myself “what a great day this is going to be!”

The group of attendees quickly split into two. One group was to stay at the gardens; the other was headed to the shore for a landscape design tour. Since I was at the gardens to help out, I stayed there and joined the crowd of industry professionals who were there for their pesticide credits. Company owners, both landscapers and nursery men and women, and some of their employees sat and took notes on numerous talks including new and updated rules for licensed pesticide applicators; weed and insect scouting in the lawn; and fertilization rates throughout the year, which covered how close you can get to a water way when using a liquid feed or a granular spreader. We also heard a talk on snow removal, emphasizing the importance of hiring someone who is experienced for the job. Talks were also given on one of our latest enemies, the Emerald Ash Borer. Even as someone who does not hold a pesticide license, I always find these talks to be useful in trying to diagnose what may be wrong with a plant. Learning the exit holes of certain bugs, the discoloring of foliage, as well as bite marks are all clues in identifying a plant’s health.

Just before the pesticide talks started up, the other half of the group filled up four small buses. These buses were off to tour three different gardens in the shore area, which were designed by Bruce Neary.  I was unable to attend these tours, but my co-workers raved about them.  Bruce discussed the importance of knowing your customer. Being down the shore, many of Bruce’s clients reside in these homes just during the warmer months. Therefore, he has to limit his plant pallet to woodies and perennials that are more “showy” during this time period. Also, one of the homes visited belonged to an elderly couple whose use of their garden had changed over time. What used to be gardens the couple could walk through, has now become gardens that can be viewed and enjoyed through different windows in the home. Members of this tour were able to collect their respective APLD, LLA and CNLP credits, and if nothing else, they enjoyed beautifully designed gardens, lunch on the Navesink River, and the company of plant-loving friends.

Meanwhile, back at the gardens, the CNLP exam was given to a few NJNLA members who were looking to advance themselves and their careers. CNLP, if you are not familiar, stands for Certified Nursery Landscape Professional and serves to demonstrate that as a green industry professional, you are up-to-date on any advances made within our industry, as well as plant care and identification. It is a great credential to show to homeowners and consumers. Congratulations to all who earned their certification at this year’s Summer Plant Symposium!  

In perfect timing, the pesticide credit classes wrapped up and attendees started dinner just as the landscape design tour buses arrived to join them. As an excited member of NJNLA and volunteer for the event, it was now my job to try and get the pesticide crew to stay for the keynote speaker, Dan Benarcik of Chanticleer Gardens.  From my experience, I find that some members are looking mainly for pesticide credits, while others are truly interested in plants and their specifics. But having been to Chanticleer Gardens before and knowing Dan as a passionate gardener for many years, convincing attendees to stay was the perfect job for me!  While in line, I met many new people, but also saw many familiar faces that I know from my work at Pleasant Run Nursery.  Some were tired and ready to head home, but I was able to convince many to stay to learn and network some more, which of course made me happy! 

Dan spoke to the group about fashionably late perennials - plants that are blooming in the garden after August 1st.  This was not only a great talk for any plant geek like myself, but also for a garden center looking to color up during the hottest days of Summer.  Dan’s talk was very inspirational, backed by pictures that were breathtaking and made you feel like you were walking through the gardens at Chanticleer.  Personally, I had no idea that many of the benches, woodwork, fences, railings, etc. were not only inspired by nature, but also handcrafted by members of the Chanticleer team.  Attendees were also given a sneak preview of some projects that are in the works.  Dan reminded us that a garden is about more than just the plants, color combinations, and textures, but also about the feelings it provides through different architectural elements.  By the time Dan was finished speaking, I knew I had to make plans to get back to Chanticleer again soon! 

The evening wrapped up with a silent auction offering many new and exciting plants from generous nursery growers throughout the state, raising money for the NJNLA Education Foundation. Thanks to the efforts of Keith MacIndoe, NJNLA Education Foundation President, and the rest of the foundation board, a check was presented to the Rutgers Gardens for $4,000! At the conclusion to the auction and the talk one final tour was given by Bruce Crawford of the Hydrangea trials they are creating at the gardens. 

 Overall, Summer Plants continues to be a growing success. More members attend each year to earn credits, make new friends, and network with old ones. If you were unable to attend this year, we would love for you to join us next year for what many of us consider one of the industry’s most educational and fun events.

This article was submitted by Rosalind Doremus, CNLP, of Pleasant Run Nursery, who attended and volunteered at the event.