UBCBG Botany Photo of the Day

UBCBG Botany Photo of the Day, a group on Flickr.

Botany Photos from the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden.

Source: Flickr Group Photo Pool.

Executive Director Job Opening for APGA

APGA is currently looking to fill its opening for an Executive Director in Kennett Square, PA.

The American Public Gardens Association (APGA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization located 25 miles southwest of Philadelphia. APGA's mission is advancing Public Gardens as a force for positive change in their communities through national leadership, advocacy and innovation. With APGA's leadership and advocacy, public gardens will grow in relevance to people's appreciation and understanding of the irreplaceable value of plants.

Link to full job posting: http://publicgardens.org/content/apga-career-475

2012 Taipei Bloom Art exhibition sees arrival of its Princess Blossoms

By Grace Soong--The awe-inspiring Princess Blossoms (百變公主) of the 2012 Taipei Bloom Art (花現台北 - 爭艷再現) made her first appearance, yesterday, at the Taipei Yuanshan Expo Dome pavilion (爭豔館), flaunting her festively decorated dress. Ornamented with over ten kinds of plants and measuring five meters in diameter, the dress took a crew of 30 flower arrangers one week to construct and garnish, according to Vice Supervisor of the Taiwan Floriculture Development Association (TFDA, 台灣區花卉發展協會) Huang Li-chuan (哳麗娟).

A follow-up exhibit to the 2011 Taiwan International Flora Expo, the Taipei Bloom Art currently features Christmas and New Year under themes of a ³Magic World´ (魔法世界) and ³Happy New Year´ (花慶元旦), as created by nearly 1,000 flower arrangers and floral landscapers. The themes will regularly change as holidays such as the Lunar Chinese New Year and Valentines Day roll by, and so will Princess Blossoms' dazzling dress, organizers of the exhibition revealed.

Except for the eve of the Lunar Chinese New Year (Jan. 22), the 2012 Taipei Bloom Art will
be open to the public till April 8 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Yuanshan Expo Dome. For more
information, please visit http://tba.ishow.gmg.tw.

Source: http://www.chinapost.com.tw

Dewar Nurseries Earns Veriflora® Certification

Dewar Nurseries, Inc. of Apopka, Florida has met the stringent requirements to earn Veriflora certification for sustainability in the growing process. Recognized as the gold-standard in the floriculture and horticulture industries, Veriflora® certification requires growers to meet strict sustainable agriculture standards including water conservation, energy efficiency, ecosystem protection, and integrated waste management. In addition, growers must comply with fair labor practices that ensure a safe, equitable and healthy work environment, and industry-leading product quality requirements.

Veriflora certification is conducted by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a global third-party certifier of environmental, sustainability and agricultural product quality claims. This independent certification process involves detailed on-site inspections, documentation audits, in-depth interviews, annual monitoring, and demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement.

“We are excited to welcome Dewar Nurseries to the Veriflora program,” said Nathan Smith, SCS’ Food and Agriculture Sustainability Services Director. “When growers’ products are Certified Sustainably Grown™ it differentiates them from competitors and provides their clients with the assurance that they support fair labor practices and environmental sustainability in their operations.”

Conference, workshops to cultivate growers' knowledge

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Operators of greenhouses, nurseries and garden centers can learn about new production techniques and get advice on marketing at the 2012 Indiana Flower Growers Association Bedding Plant Conference and a series of free educational workshops across the state.

The statewide IFGA conference will be Feb. 23 at Crossroads Greenhouse in Indianapolis. The Educational Series for Greenhouse and Nursery Growers and Garden Centers, funded by the Indiana Department of Agriculture, will be held at various sites beginning Jan. 18.

The conference will include sessions on temperature and light management, plant growth regulators, pest management, and marketing and economics for growers. It will begin with a tour of the greenhouses. Sessions will feature speakers from Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue universities, along with owners of successful greenhouses and marketing operations.

2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones.

For the first time, the map is available as an interactive GIS-based map, for which a broadband Internet connection is recommended, and as static images for those with slower Internet access. Users may also simply type in a ZIP Code and find the hardiness zone for that area.

No posters of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map have been printed. But state, regional, and national images of the map can be downloaded and printed in a variety of sizes and resolutions.

Source: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

Study shines light on ways to cut costs for greenhouse growers

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Greenhouse bedding plant growers can save themselves time, money or possibly both by giving cuttings in propagation more light, according to a Purdue University study.

Flower growers use cuttings from Central America and Africa to start spring bedding plants in greenhouses during winter and early spring. Those cloudy days and cool temperatures make propagation time- and energy-intensive.

Roberto Lopez, an assistant professor of horticulture, and horticulture graduate students Chris Currey and Veronica Hutchinson study ways to minimize inputs and production costs in the floriculture industry while improving product quality. Based on what they were hearing from growers, they realized that light wasn't getting the attention it needed from the industry.

"In their minds, temperature has always been the most important thing. They didn't think about light," Lopez said. "We knew that light was significant, but we realize we didn't know what level to recommend."

Future of Farming

It's a concept that could revolutionize conventional agriculture by drastically limiting the amount of water needed to create the perfect product. Traditional farmers need 75 gallons of water to raise just one head of lettuce. A new technique allows growers to use just a cup and a half to do the same thing. It's happening right here in the Bay Area. Vicky Nguyen has details on "farming 2.0" in this report.

View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.