'^- 



F R O M THE BOARD 



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Tammy Hathaway 



The show will consist of the usual 

 combination of displays, sales and 

 information. Thirty displays are ex- 

 pected. These will be professionally 

 judged and awards will be given (the 

 NHPGA will again sponsor the award 

 for cut flower arrangement). Eight or- 

 chid vendors, the show's first green- 

 house vendor (Sunglo from Seattle), 

 and vendors of novelties and sup- 

 plies will be offering their products. 

 Some of the plant vendors will give 

 talks and there will be demonstra- 

 tions of cut flower arranging. 



It's a specialized show, but its 

 theme is one that continues to fasci- 

 nate many people; this is an oppor- 

 tunity to learn and appreciate. Hours 

 on Friday and Saturday are lOam- 

 9pm and on Sunday, 10-5. Admission 

 is $5.00. ..or $4.00 for senior citizens 

 and children under twelve The show 

 is handicapped-accessible and there's 

 plenty of parking. 



loanna Eckstrom is in charge of ad- 

 vertising and publicity: she can be 

 reached at 603-654-5070. 



Lectures Everyiwhere... 



what once was an occasional high- 

 light of the gardening year is now a 

 regular feature. Our calendar page 

 can no longer accommodate the 

 numbers of lectures and clinics on 

 gardens, gardening, and the land- 

 scape. Here are some that come to 

 mind. (I'm sure there are more.) 



Rolling Green (603-436-2732) in 

 Greenland and Gateway Gardens 



One of the recent goals of the NHPGA board has been to establish 

 a research fund. We believe that the growth of any industry is tied 

 to research and that such a fund, properly used, could benefit the Green 

 Industry in New Hampshire. 



We've begun investing: we're currently putting $400 a month into the 

 MFS Total Fund, a growth-orientated mutual fund; we plan to have 

 $10,000 invested by the end of this year. Eventually we hope to have a 

 fund large enough to allow interest to be used to support research rel- 

 evant to NHPGA members' concerns. So far, the money has come from 

 dues and the proceeds of annual meetings. We have yet to do any offi- 

 cial fund-raising. 



Although the initial investing is underway, much hard work is ahead of 

 us. Objectives and priorities will have to be decided; rules governing the 

 fund's administration will have to be written; perhaps most importantly, 

 fund-raising events will need to be planned. 



We will keep you posted on our progress and — as always — if you have 

 ideas or suggestions, feel free to contact any of the board. All of us — 

 as progressive growers, retailers, and wholesalers — will benefit from a 

 research program. 



Tammy can be reached at 603-778-3912. 



(603-229-0655) in Concord— are two 

 retail nursery/garden centers that of- 

 fer lectures and workshops. Rolling 

 Green's are in late winter/ early 

 spring; clinics and talks seem to be 

 at Gateway year-round. Non-profit or- 

 ganizations are also offering a lot of 

 information. The Kimball-jenkins Es- 

 tate (603-225-3932) in Concord held a 

 Spring Garden Lecture Series; The 

 Fells (603-763-4789) in Newbury of- 

 fers a series of workshops and tours 

 from May through October; The Ur- 

 ban Forestry Center (603-431-6774) in 

 Portsmouth offers talks, demonstra- 

 tions and tours year-round. 



Topics range from practical — Cook- 

 ing with Herbs (Rolling Green), Sum- 

 mer Pruning (Fells), and a Blueberry 

 Clinic (Gateway) — to the esoteric — 

 York Gate (Kimball-)enkins), A Plants- 



man's View of the Czech Republic 

 (The Fells), and a four-part series on 

 the development of New England's 

 domestic gardens co-sponsored by 

 SPNEA and the Urban Forestry Center. 

 Costs vary — some are free; most have 

 a minimal charge. (Non-profit organiza- 

 tions use these events as fund-raisers.) 

 The quality of most seems high — a 

 lot of good information is available. 

 Although you may not want to put 

 the listings of your competitor on 

 your bulletin board, it might make 

 sense to make your customers aware 

 of these offerings and hope that this 

 isn't the beginning of the develop- 

 ment of a whole new breed of well- 

 informed "armchair gardener" and 

 that the interest generated will gen- 

 erate sales. 



Laughton's Garden Center Inc. 



Cal Laughton, Florist 



Distributors of Nursery Overwintering Blankets 



WHOLESALE AND RETAIL NURSERY 



NURSERY STOCK • ANNUALS • PERENNIALS • FERTILIZERS • INSECTICIDES 



1-800-633-0159 

 155-165 Princeton Blvd., No. Chelmsford, MA 01863 



CHARLES LAUGHTON, PRESIDENT • DAVE POLGREEN, NURSERY SALES 



APRIL ♦ M AV 1996 



