PDSI Adds New Growers to its Group

Jennifer Zurko

Plant Development Services, Inc. (PDSI) has added new wholesale grower partners to its licensed grower group—five for Encore Azalea and seven for the Southern Living Plant Collection.

Bracy’s Nursery and Windmill Nursery in Louisiana, Carolina Nurseries in South Carolina, Hackney Nursery Co. in Florida, and Hines Nurseries (with locations in Arizona, California, Texas and Oregon) will now be suppliers of Encore Azaleas. Carolina Nurseries, Country Pines Nursery in Louisiana, Parson’s Nursery in South Carolina, Magnolia Gardens Nursery in Texas, Harrell’s Nursery in Florida, Greenforest Nursery in Mississippi, and Transplant Nursery in Georgia will grow and distribute plants in the Southern Living collection.
 
“The addition of these quality grower partners will expand Encore Azalea availability to more consumers in our current distribution area and provide much-needed increased distribution in California,” says Kip McConnell, director of PDSI. “[And] more and more gardeners across the Southeast will have a chance to enjoy the superior offerings of the Southern Living Plant Collection this spring.”

Introduced in spring 2008, the Southern Living Plant Collection provides consumers plants designed to solve specific landscape challenges and to thrive in Southern gardens. Each plant in the collection is the result of plant evaluations, plant trials, and consumer research, and is available through retail garden centers across the Southern United States.

Encore Azaleas are the invention of plant breeder Robert E. “Buddy” Lee of Independence, Louisiana. PDSI, based in Loxley, Alabama, assisted Lee in the 15-year hybridization and selection process, and now manages the group of wholesale growers, which brings Encore Azaleas to gardeners across the Southeast, Mid Atlantic, the Northwest and now California. GT