Consumers are attracted to the 

 beautiful change in color; the buds, 

 which are still green during the 

 trading phase, slowly change during 

 flowering until they attain their fi- 

 nal white. 



The Viburnum has a vase life of 

 about 14 days. Stalks should be 

 wrapped in bunches of ten and 

 traded in water. Retailers are ad- 

 vised to use shrubbery nutrient to 

 \combat the growth of bacteria, and 

 the consumer should also be sup- 

 plied with a sachet of shrubbery 

 nutrient. This will improve water 

 intake and development of flower 

 clusters. (Its important to recog- 

 nize that shrubbery nutrient is only 

 suitable for bouquets in which only 

 shrubbery is used. When used in 

 combination with other types of cut 

 flowers, use a general cut flower 

 nutrient.) 



Viburnum is available at Dutch 

 auctions from February through 

 May. ^ 



PPGA HIGHLIGHTS 



Professional Plant Growers Association is developing special interest 

 groups (SIGs) to meet the needs of the various segments of the 

 PPGA membership. The Geranium SIG has been In operation for more 

 than a year — now a Retail SIG has been established. It's designed to 

 help small garden centers build their businesses, growers diversify into 

 retailing, and larger retailers train their staffs. 



The Retail SIG is developing ways to help its members succeed. 

 Seminars present the principles of merchandising and display in a prac- 

 tical, hands-on manner. Tours of successful retail businesses show re- 

 tailing principles in action and give participants ideas to take back to 

 their home stores. Four newsletters go to members each year — two of- 

 fering retailing ideas and information for store managers — and two that 

 can be used as consumer newsletters to be sent to customers. 



Barbara Falls of Michigan State University has been appointed coordi- 

 nator and organizer of Retail SIG activities, seminars, newsletters, and 

 services. Fails is an Associate Professor at IV1SU with a Ph.D in floricul- 

 ture from Virginia Tech. She's taught retail floriculture for 13 years and 

 has created and manages an on-campus retail flower and plant store 

 where she trains students In retail floriculture. For commercial floral re- 

 tailers, Fail developed a retailing short-course she teaches each sum- 

 mer — and a retail greenhouse evaluation program to help improve mer- 

 chandising. 



Retail SIG membership dues are $16? a year. This includes the newslet- 

 ters and reduced rates on all Retail SIG events. Seminar/tour combina- 

 tions are scheduled during PPGA's 1994 conference in Buffalo, NY, in 

 September — and again in |une, 1995. 



For Information, contact PPGA, PO Box 27517, Lansing, MI 48909- 

 0517; the phone number there Is 1 -800-64 7-PPGA. ^ 



Newton Greenhouse 



32 Amesbury Road, Newton, NH 03858 

 603-382-5289 



Quality Plants 

 green and flowering 



from 3" to 10" pots 



Holiday, bedding plants, & dish gardens 



year round cut snaps, 



cut tulips and iris in season, 



gloxinias and African violets 



Licensed propagator 

 of Mikkelsen & Ecke New Guinea Impatiens 



Cabpentedc^ 



"The Qeranium Specialists" 



Wholesale Growers 



2 1/2" Geraniums (year round) 



4" Pre-finished Geraniums 



2 1/2" Ivy Geraniums & Fuchsia 



Martha Washington Geraniums 



Spring Hanging Baskets, Lilies/Bulbs 



Azaleas, Cyclamen, Poinsettias, Foliage 



JOHN B. CARPENTER, President 

 ROBERT J. CARPENTER, Generai Manager 



603/659-3391 



220 SOUTH MAIN STREET 



NEWMARKET, NH 03857 



lUNE/IULY 1994 



