The Mother’s Day 2026 scores are in, spreadsheeted and tabulated, and the results are better than I anticipated based on the emails I read: a super solid 8.4 in the U.S. and a fairly dismal 6.3 in Canada (except in British Columbia, which scored 8.8 as a province—but more on Canada in a minute).

Here’s the map:

That’s based on 133 scores from 48 states and 10 provinces (great job covering the country, kids; the only states missing are Alaska and Hawaii!).

Looking at Mother’s Day weekends from years past, I see that the average since 2012 is 8.3 in the U.S. and 8.4 in Canada, so we did well, considering.

As for perfect scores, just 27% of you sent in 10s (three of which came from British Columbia). That’s considerably below the average of 41% perfect 10s, and the lowest number of Mother’s Day 10s since 2018 (17%) and 2019 (26%). That’s why it didn’t feel like a good weekend to me, because I saw fewer 10s as I opened your emails.

You were also up against a strong 2025 Mother’s Day result of 8.9 in the U.S. and 8.5 in Canada. That may have led you to score the weekend a bit softer than if you’d made a big increase over PY. But again, this is hardly a scientific survey; your comments below tell the real tale.

My dear Canadian friends, let us take your low score with a grain or two of salt, as it includes a 1 from Manitoba and a 2 from Saskatchewan. If I expunge those scores, the national score jumps all the way up to 7.4, much closer to your 12-year average of 8.4. But even 7.4 would be the softest Mother’s Day score in Canada since 2014’s 4.1. Generally, you’re solidly in the 8s and low 9s for this weekend. Blame that lingering cold.

Of course, you BC growers and retailers are wondering what I’m on about, because your Mother’s Day was tremendous—8.8 as a province, with three perfect 10s (and two 7s). Nova Scotia in the Atlantic provinces provided a fourth 10 to the country, even though my correspondent, Cathy Oulton from Bloom Greenhouse, said Saturday was a big day but Sunday’s weather was “not great”—cool with intermittent rain. Still, it turned into a top 3 weekend for her, hence the high score.

But otherwise, much of Canada was simply still too winter-like to inspire folks to buy as much as they normally would. Joanna Steckle in Ontario saw snow on the ground several mornings in a row, and winter jackets are still the norm in her greenhouse.

Here are the provincial averages:

BC                               8.8
Atlantic                       8.5
Alberta                        7.0
Ontario                        7.0
Quebec                        7.0
Manitoba                     3.5
Saskatchewan             2.0

No sales yet in the frozen tundra of the territories, and hence no scores.

But hang on to your toques, folks, because my guess is that when the weather finally breaks, cabin fever and pent-up demand are going to hit Canada like a CN freight train!

As you can tell from the BC scores above, the Pacific Northwest killed it once again, averaging 9.6. Washington state scored two perfect 10s and a 9.5, while Oregon scored two 10s, a 9.9, a 9 and an 8. Idaho got a 9.

The Mountain region was just a tenth behind at 9.5. Wyoming scored two perfect 10s. Montana sent three scores: 10, 10 and 9.9 (from someone who always wants a little bit more, he says). Colorado scored a 10 and an 8.5. Utah scored an excellent 9.

The West also scored 9.5. California was 9.0 on two 10s, an 8.5 and an 8. New Mexico and Nevada each scored a perfect 10. Arizona’s heat held off for a 9.

New England, at 7.2, struggled like much of Canada with lingering winter weather. New York, one of the East states (the East overall scored 7.8), also struggled with that weather. Wrote my regular contributor Sig Fiele of Atlantic Nursery on Long Island, “There is just no rhythm this year, no consistency, no pattern for ordering. When the sun is out, the registers are humming, but we just have too many overcast, windy and cold days. This was very possibly our slowest Mother’s Day weekend. On the bright side, Friday was one of the best, which eased the pain a bit.”

Sig scored Mother’s Day a 6.

As I’ve done a couple of other times, I called up the Ventusky historical weather maps. Here’s the temperature map for Sunday, May 10 at 11 a.m.:

You can see the chilly green areas of Canada and the upper Midwest. (Then again, BC looks chilly, too, eh?)

Here is the precipitation map for the same day/time:

Nothing widespread, just a big blob over Texas and Oklahoma, which seems typical for this time of year, plus rain across Pennsylvania, New York and New England. On Saturday, that front you see over the Atlantic was across the Southeast.

Oklahoma (10+ [which I score as 10]). “A madhouse all day.”—Tami Adams, Calvert’s Plant Interiors

Washington (10+). “Just shy of record, and considering that we are still short staffed and still only have one register and need three on a weekend like this, it was nothing short of perfect. The weather was as close to perfect as you could get. Pleasant, a Goldilocks day. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right … And sales—we were pushed without feeling frantic. The day paced out nicely … It was a perfectly amazing Mother’s Day, both personally and professionally. And today is another gorgeous day. We’ll see how the rest of May holds up.”—Kathy Wheaton, Kathy’s Corner

South Dakota (10). “Worn and frazzled for sure, and a 10 by all means. Super busy, with beautiful weather. Dust is still settling, but probably at or near record sales. Let’s keep the momentum going.”—Tim Sime, Jolly Lane Greenhouse

Wyoming (10). “Best Mother’s Day weekend ever. We are fully moved into our new location, and it is paying off!”—Nate Foss, Rayne Gardens

British Columbia (10). “The year has been very busy so far. The weather has been great. The week before Mother’s Day was really strong. Mother’s Day weekend was busy, busy, busy. Lots of high-end sales. Both GC’s were up substantially over last year. I have brought in more plants and higher-priced options. Vegetables and fruits are popular, as always.”—Pamela Pilling, Canadian Tire

California (10). “Weather was warm and sunny in rural Lake County, north of the Bay area. It lived up to its reputation of being the busiest weekend of the year, but very manageable.”—Tanya Striedieck, Star Gardens Nursery

Washington (9.5), Oregon (9.9), Idaho (9). “Wow! That was some of the best weather we have ever had for Mother’s Day. Garden Centers and store fronts were packed all day from what I could see! There were a few spots that seem to still be waking up from winter in some mountain regions, but other than that, it was ‘petal’ to the metal!”—Tom Van Wingerden, Van Wingerden Greenhouses

New Jersey (9). “Since we have had variable weather for the spring of 2026, early sales were off, but Mother’s Day week was outstanding. We shipped at near capacity most days this past week and were very grateful we had increased our shipping capacity during the off season. The week of 5-11 looks promising as well.  If we can keep this pace up for the next three weeks, spring of 2026 will be in the record books. Hopefully, the garden centers saw good sales this past weekend and will be restocking in earnest.—Bill Swanekamp, Kube-Pak

Ohio (9). “Strong sales Friday and Saturday, despite rain moving in at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Considering the cool weather and slower start to this season, we were surprised that Saturday sales were only slightly under last year, which was our all-time record sales for a single day.”—Kim Grant, Strait Gate Greenhouses

Utah (9). “Our region seems to have turned the corner for more consistent spring weather. Helped us have a great weekend, and customers were out in abundance. Looking forward to a successful May … anticipating a solid three weeks ahead!”—Scott Engh, Sun River Gardens

Alabama (9). “Absolutely crazy. Rained out from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., then still drizzling rest of day. But people came out anyway. Full parking lot all day. Never seen that many people shopping in the rain. Feel like new greenhouse and covered shopping just paid for itself! We were prepared for a 5 rating, but got a 9. So happy! So blessed!”—JD Boone, Dothan Nurseries

Colorado (8.5). “We had a great weekend, sold lots of mixed pots, perennials and just about anything with a flower on it. This Mother’s Day was almost as good as last year, which was spectacular.”—Gene Pielin, Gulley Greenhouse

California (8+ [which I scored as 8.5]). “Good, not great. We hoped for a stronger weekend. Trying to figure it out …”—Tom Courtright, Orchard Nursery

New Hampshire (8.5). “It was a great holiday but needed to be a little be greater to keep up with inflation. Just shy of a hoped prediction …”—Matt McElroy, Newton Greenhouse

Michigan (8). “No records, but not bad considering the forecast for possible frost earlier this week. I think if we can get a string of consecutive days with warmer weather, we will be fine. I just hope our window doesn’t close before then.”—Jerome Vite, Vite Greenhouses

Kentucky (7). “Cold, nasty, rainy mist (fifth Saturday in a row) until about lunch, then cleared and had a real nice day but lost almost half of Saturday. The Thursday-through-Saturday totals showed us up about 10% overall. Pricey planters still sitting … $40 was seemingly the max amount.”—Jesse Shelton, Shelton’s Greenhouses

Virginia (7). “We were all set for a great day—staffed and stocked, with comfortable shopping weather. But not enough shoppers showed up. Customer transactions were down 8% compared to 2025. Our average sale was up almost 2%, but fewer customers buying fewer items made it a disappointing day.”—Duane Weaver, Milmont Greenhouses

Editor’s note: Duane rated Mother’s Day Sunday 7, but the entire week 5, which I also included in my spreadsheet.

British Columbia, Alberta (7). “Overall, a good weekend. However, still ground to be made up, with the winter weather holding on longer earlier in the season than expected.”—Derek Rogalsky, Van Belle Nursery

Minnesota (6). “Well, not to sound like a broken record, but daytime temps were good, Saturday and Sunday overnight temps hit freezing again. It certainly could have been a lot worse, but we barely hit 2021 sales levels for the weekend. We need a great stretch of weather and no more freezing nights. A lot of days left in May, and a lot of empty garden beds that still need plants. The question now is can we make up for these first two weekends? I guess we will find out!”—Jay Holasek, Fred Holasek and Son Greenhouse

“Returns” means this will be the second annual Carolina Nursery Summit, and it is slated for June 23 at NC State’s McKimmon Center in Raleigh.

Hosted by the North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association (NCNLA), this event is designed specifically for growers, managers and employees of nurseries, greenhouses and garden centers (and industry decision-makers) who can come together for a full day of education, networking and practical discussion focused on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s ornamental plant industry.

Topics include pest management, root health, automation, workforce efficiency and customer onboarding. Speakers include Dr. JC Chong of SePRO (and our own PestTalks newsletter author!), who will present New Management Approaches to Beetles in Nurseries, offering research-based updates on controlling redheaded flea beetle, ambrosia beetles and flatheaded borers through insecticides, repellents, biological control and cultural practices.

Dr. Kristopher Criscione of Virginia Tech will present Integrated Container Rootzone Management for Improved Root Growth and Development, focusing on strategies that support healthy root systems in container-grown nursery crops. The session will address substrate selection, water management, aeration, nutrient delivery, rootzone monitoring tools, and the connection between rootzone conditions, pest pressure and disease management.

The Summit will also explore emerging technology and labor-saving solutions during Amplify Your Workforce, presented by Isaac Hennen of Burro. This session will highlight how autonomous robots can help nursery operations reduce labor costs, improve efficiency, and support tasks such as plant transport, spacing, consolidation, scouting, mowing, spraying and harvesting support.

Rounding out the afternoon, Katie Elzer-Peters of Garden of Words (and a regular Green Profit contributor) will present Zero to Hero: How to Create a Simple Onboarding Workflow for New Wholesale & Nursery Clients. The session will provide practical strategies, templates and workflow ideas to help businesses follow up with new contacts, encourage repeat orders, and simplify the customer onboarding process using systems they may already have in place.

In addition to educational programming, the Carolina Nursery Summit includes time for attendees to visit with sponsors, make industry connections and network with peers throughout the day. Lunch is included with registration.

The Carolina Nursery Summit is open to both NCNLA members and non-members. Registration is $150 for NCNLA members and $175 for non-members.

To register and view the full schedule, speaker lineup and event details, click HERE.

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden in Miami (Coral Gables, actually) will be the venue of the 11th Independent Plant Breeders Conference November 16-18. It’s being hosted by the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead.

This conference offers an excellent opportunity for plant breeders, industry partners and experts to get together to capitalize on the growing demand for new crops in the U.S. You’ll gain valuable insights into commercialization and partnerships, networking, feedback and innovation in plant breeding. And you’ll get to tour Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, a world-renowned leader in tropical plant conservation and research. Talk about inspiration!

The conference includes:

• Tours of the diverse nursery production operations at Costa Farms, unique tropical agriculture research facilities at UF/IFAS, and a one-of-a-kind commercial orchid production nursery

• A welcome dinner and social mixer at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

• A 1½ day program featuring speakers, student poster presentations and networking opportunities

• Complimentary daytime access to Fairchild

HERE is the website for more information.

Sponsorship information is available on the conference website. The organizers sincerely appreciate your continuous support, and welcome suggestions for program topics and recommendations for potential speakers.

Photo: Light Bio

While I’m holding the fort at Ball Publishing’s Orlando office, editor Jen Zurko and videographer/photographer Osvaldo Cuevas made a road trip to Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants in Michigan to take nighttime photographs of Firefly petunia for an upcoming feature on innovation.

Their trip brought to mind a recent Greenhouse Tech Team Facebook post about Firefly by a woman who wanted to know who has grown it and what’s been their experience with it.

Immediately, the negative comments started flying. Some folks questioned its ability to glow, others said it’s a dog of a petunia variety. Some said it isn’t worth the money. I saw words like “Yawn,” “Trash” and so on. Like I said, pure negativity.

Which is fine—it’s a free country! You do you, as the kids say.

But I decided to weigh in with my own views, half practical and half philosophical, which I hoped would offer a level-headed perspective on the topic. Wrote yours truly:

I would definitely reach out to Raker-Roberta’s for cultural assistance. It’s not a regular petunia ... and that’s what makes it interesting!

You can try it, struggle, call it a dog, and give up; or you can decide it’s something cool and new that will attract your customers' attention, and put in the effort. Everybody gets to decide for themselves. I guess the nice thing is, the more growers who give up on it, the few who figure it out will be able to write their own ticket with it.

In other words, zig when others zag.

Or as Anna Ball says, “For every trend, there’s a counter-trend.”

Agree? Or disagree? Drop me a LINE.