She’s been president-elect for two years; now Lori Wheat, of Lafayette Florist, Gift Shop and Garden Center, is the new president of the Society of American Florists. She succeeds Oscar Fernandes of Equiflor/RioRoses of Doral, Florida, who has been President and Chair since 2023. Lori was installed at SAF’s 140th annual convention, which took place this week in Scottsdale, Arizona. Here’s Lori (right) with Oscar and past president Michelle Castellano Keeler.

Lori’s husband, Brian (a man you never want to arm-wrestle with), shared some photos of the event on his Facebook page.

Congrats, Madam President!

A great time was had by all in bucolic Cresco, Iowa, a couple weeks ago, when young plant/finished plant/retailer Plantpeddler held its annual Variety Day, which this year also celebrated 45 years since Mike and Rachel Gooder bought the business and put it on the floriculture map.

Cresco, located in northeast Iowa, is pretty far off the beaten path, so Mike and Rachel treat all 500 attendees (which included Ball Publishing’s Kim Brown and Paul Black and Paul’s wife, Annie) like long-lost family members, even hosting a "Feast at the Farm" at their own home the night before.

The Plantpeddler team.

But as good as the barbecue, beer, music and fellowship is, they come for the trial gardens—1,500 varieties of vegetative annuals from the world’s leading breeders, in containers, baskets and beds. Attendees vote on their three favorites; this year’s winner is Begonia SweetSpice Appleblossom, bred by David Kerley and offered by Beekenkamp, and available in the 2026 Plantpeddler program.

In fact, the Top 25 favorites was once again dominated by begonias, with 11 winning varieties—probably because begonias have long been a Plantpeddler specialty.

But the Nos. 2 through 4 favorites are NOT begonias. They are:

Bracteantha Sunbrero Orange by Kientzler

Calibrachoa MiniFamous Uno Ember Eclipse by Selecta One

Mandevilla SunParasol FiredUp Orange by Suntory

And No. 5 is yet again a begonia: Begonia R’Ilona Revita by Koppe

Along with the activities in the trial gardens, supporting sponsors hosted a trade show, with a full slate of presentations on the main stage. Sessions began with Carlos Bogran from BioWorks informing growers on biorational management of disease and pests. The subject then switched to greenhouse structures and equipment, with talks from Griffin/Westland, BFG, Stuppy Greenhouse, Westbrook Systems, Green-Tek, Dramm and BioTherm. Lastly, two achievement plaques were presented to Brad Meyer of Bachman’s and Al Zylstra of Dramm.

Still haven’t made the trip to Cresco? How about for the holiday season? Plantpeddler Poinsettia Variety Day 2025 is December 4.

And for a good look at the trial, with some variety hightlights from participating breeders (like Chad Underwood from Syngenta), check out Plantpeddler’s VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS.

I’ve covered the highlights of the Cultivate’25 Monday morning keynote here (that’s thanks to Bill Calkins’ excellent summary). But if you missed it and want to hear every syllable from all three speakers—Ken, Matt and Charlie—AmericanHort has made the recording accessible to everyone in the industry—even non-members! All you have to do is CLICK HERE and register to view.

If you do, you’ll gain insights on how to plan and navigate the changing market climate driven by rising costs and manage business challenges like labor and product availability. You’ll also get thoughts on the political climate and regulatory policy and opportunities.

Want to know what the Proven Winners brand has up its sleeves for the coming season, with some trends, merchandising ideas, networking and a lunch thrown in? Then plan on attending one of the fall Roadshows they’re planning for November.

Their experts will be in Nashville, Tennessee, Wednesday, November 12; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a week later on Wednesday, November 19. These events are for everyone in the business—growers, retailers, landscapers, broker reps—anyone who works in the green industry who wants to learn about upcoming trends, brainstorm with like-minded industry pros and learn all about new plants, products and programs from Proven Winners.

“We have some amazing new plants, programs and resources to share this year to help our partners and customers boost profits in the spring,” says Jessica DeGraaf, Proven Winners director of retail accounts. “These Roadshows are a great way to learn what Proven Winners can do to help you succeed, but they also help us learn how to be the best partner we can be. I hope we see you there!”

The Roadshows are free, but space is limited and you need to register in advance to secure your spot. Do so HERE.

Feed your plants, that’s what!

The company Oberland Agriscience Inc., based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has figured out how to farm the larvae of black soldier flies as if they were tiny cows, scooping up their poop (“frass”) and processing and packaging it into Oberland BSFL frass, an organic fertilizer and soil amendment (the larvae then get “devitalized” as they say and used as a protein source for animal feed).

Oberland BSFL frass is nutrient-rich (3-3-2), containing organic matter and naturally occurring chitin—a compound found in insect exoskeletons. Chitin has been shown to promote beneficial microbes and support plant immune responses, contributing to increased plant resilience.

Oberland says its BSFL frass enhances root development, nutrient uptake and soil structure, while supporting beneficial microbial activity and water-retention capacity. And because it’s certified for organic use in both the U.S. (OMRI) and Canada (Ecocert), it’s suitable for both organic and conventional systems.

Oberland BSFL frass is available in pellet form and suitable for large-scale farming and industrial agriculture, greenhouse operations, vineyards and orchards, lawns, turf & landscaping, and home gardens and houseplants.

It’s new, so you may be understandably skeptical. That’s why Oberland has published the results of three trials, on tomatoes, lettuce and strawberries.

Want to try it for yourself? Oberland is offering samples. Email their SALES DEPARTMENT to get some.

Seems an odd thing to concern yourself with when it’s 95F in the shade, but it’s never too hot to crank up the savings on energy and crank up the health and quality of your crops.

To that end, BioTherm has created a VIDEO on the topic of greenhouse heating that’s all about creating the perfect environment for your crops to thrive. In the video, you’ll explore the key strategies, systems and products you can use to efficiently heat your greenhouse and keep plants healthy all season long.

From hydronic heating and root zone systems to unit heaters, you’ll learn the pros, cons and best applications for each method. Whether you’re a commercial grower, hobbyist, or somewhere in between, you’ll get the knowledge you need to make smart heating decisions.

What you’ll learn:

• How to choose the right heating system for your greenhouse
• Energy-saving tips to reduce costs while maintaining optimal temperatures
• How BioTherm’s climate solutions can help you grow perfect plants

Here’s your chance to influence pest management research in the U.S. The USDA’s IR-4 Project is seeking your input to help them prioritize funding and research regionally and nationally. So if you are experiencing pest management challenges on ornamentals and feel you lack the proper tools to deal with them, this survey is a great place to start!

CLICK HERE to access it.

Maybe you have an idea for a research project. IR-4 can help with that, too—you can fill out a Project Request Form HERE.

Now, to be considered at their 2025 Environmental Horticulture Workshop, you’ve got to get your survey or project request in by August 29.

In other IR-4 news, the program will be hosting the 2025 Environmental Horticulture Workshop in Kansas City, Missouri. At this every-other-year event, stakeholders involved in the Environmental Horticulture Program will collaborate to set national and regional research priorities for the next two-year cycle.

Learn more and register HERE.

If you’re headed out to the Farwest Show next week in Portland, Oregon (as GrowerTalks publisher Paul Black is), why not plan a visit to Terra Nova Nurseries, one of the world leaders in plant breeding? They’re in Canby, just 35 minutes south of the Oregon Convention Center in the heart of Oregon’s nursery country.

The Open House will let you get the first look at Terra Nova’s newest introductions, along with complimentary refreshments while exploring the summer display gardens. Daily giveaways will add an element of fun, with prizes and gifts available throughout the week. And you can pick the brains of Terra Nova’s breeders and sales team.

“The Farwest Show draws many of the industry’s trade professionals to the Pacific Northwest, making it the ideal time to unveil our latest innovations in plant breeding a short drive from the show,” said Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development at Terra Nova Nurseries. “The region is a cornerstone of the nursery industry, and we’re eager to highlight Terra Nova’s leadership in delivering genetically superior and commercially viable plant varieties at our nursery and breeding operation’s headquarters.”

The Open House will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and by appointment only on Friday.

For more information or to schedule a Friday appointment, email Terra Nova HERE.

I like to support our important state horticulture associations, which is why I’m happy to report that the North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association has just hired Cyndi Lauderdale as its new Director of Education.

In that role, Cyndi will oversee the planning and execution of all NCNLA educational initiatives, including Green & Growin’ Education, the Carolina Nursery Summit (which debuted this past June), the NCNLA Scholarship Program, and the Certified Plant Professional and Future Plant Professional certification programs.

Cyndi most recently served as a Horticulture Extension Agent for NC State University in Wilson County, where she was involved in educational outreach, community engagement and the development of practical horticultural programs. She has delivered workshops and resources on topics including soil science, plant propagation and pest and disease management.

“We are excited to welcome Cyndi to the NCNLA team,” said Katie Bennett, Executive Vice President of NCNLA. “Her industry expertise, passion for horticultural education, and longstanding service to the industry make her the ideal person to guide our educational efforts and collaborate with our committees and members.”

Here are a pair of topics you are bound to be interested in:

Success with your Latino Workforce
Field Diagnosis of Plant Diseases        

Both are available online through the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and their popular Greenhouse Training Online program, which lets you and your staff grow your knowledge from the comfort of your home or office.

Success with your Latino Workforce is taught by Dr. Claudio Pasian, Professor Emeritus at the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio State University, where he taught for 25 years. This course will prepare non-Latino supervisors or coworkers of Latino employees to improve communication and efficiency in the workplace with a mixed culture workforce. This year they have increased the Spanish language training component of the course, including an AI chatbot to help in translating Spanish horticulture terms. This intermediate course is only offered in English.

Field Diagnosis of Plant Diseases is taught by Dr. Carrie Harmon, Director of the UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center in Gainesville and Co-Director of the National Plant Diagnostic Network. The course will help you identify diseases and differentiate between disease and other issues and learn field-friendly diagnostic methods. This intermediate course is part of the Plant Health Professional Certificate.

The courses run from September 8 to October 3, and each costs $285 per participant, with a 20% discount if you register 5 or more. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with PhD professors, and quizzes. Two new modules are activated each week during each course, for a total of eight learning modules.

CLICK HERE for more info and to register.

I hope you read Bloom Beat, our cut flower newsletter, even if you don’t grow cut flowers. First, because you’ll learn something interesting every time; and second, because editor Lindsay Daschner shares some really beautiful photos from her farm—which often include her right-hand pooch, Tater.

Here, the caption was “Pulling orders with my number one girl.” If you want to see more beautiful cut flower photos—and more of Tater—check out Lindsay’s Facebook page.

Speaking of cuts, and also for you cut flower fans, meet Moderna Dolce ranunculus, named Best in Class and Best in Show at the recent SAF Convention. Hortistician Dr. Marvin Miller was on hand and sent me the photo (although he admitted to being more partial to this mum, called Everest Blanco, by Con Selections, which also earned a Best in Class Award. He called it “extraordinary”).

Moderna Dolce was developed by Biancheri Creazioni, an Italian breeder and producer of ranunculus and anemones. They were introduced to the U.S. in 2024, and are known for their unique, shimmering petals and long vase life.