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Plantsman Editor Journal: 



BY MELISSA MOORE 



jt UGUET 65 I drove live miles 

 M\ trom mv home and took part 

 •^L in the NENA Summer Expo 

 2003, co-sponsored by NHPGA and 

 hosted bv the Huntington Family. 

 Pleasant Street in Loudon is a route 

 a travel regularlv. I had been watch- 

 ing the creation ot the display 

 gardens since the growing season 

 arrived. I was anxious to see them 

 at their peak. With my reliable 

 Nikon 5005, (now obsolete, but still 

 an old friend) and notebook in 

 hand, 1 started my garden stroll. I 

 was thinking about my need tor 

 floral pictures through the upcoming 

 winter so 1 was working intentlv on 

 capturing tiie plants at their best. As 

 I worked, I recorded plant variety 

 names and was drawing little maps 

 in my notebook trying to keep my 

 notes accurate. Bv mv second roll of 

 film, I realized my efforts were re- 

 dundant. 



I had picked up a handbook 

 when I entered the display area as- 

 suming it was a catalog. At this 

 point, when I consulted it to check 

 the spelling on a plant variety I re- 

 alized it contained everything I 

 needed to identify the plants 

 throughout the entire display area. 

 Then 1 was thankful to have in my 

 hands such a useful tool. This Dis- 

 play Garden Directory prepared by 

 the Pleasant View Gardens staff cer- 

 tainly took many hours to produce, 

 but it is extremely valuable. To be 

 able to walk right up to the plant, 

 identify its color and variety, and 

 see it in bloom is an tremendous 

 educational experience. Together the 

 directory and display gardens com- 

 bine to provide prospective buyers 

 and garden enthusiasts with valuable 

 resources. Add to this the informa- 

 tion that can be accessed through 

 ihe Proven Winners website, and 



potential customers have many op- 

 tions for gaining information about 

 the inventory at Pleasant View Gar- 

 dens. 



The Power of Display Gardens: 



After spending some time strolling 

 through the display gardens, I have 

 discovered the wonder of the new 

 Coleus varieties. I have subsequently 

 promoted Coleus varieties with ev- 

 ery friend 1 know who loves to gar- 

 den. I tell them, 'Next year, it's Co- 

 leus. You fill containers with them, 

 and their foliage makes a stunning 

 display.' This is a complete surprise 

 to me, because the last time 1 

 looked closely there were only about 

 two or three Coleus varieties offered 

 to consumers. I've been reading my 

 gardening magazines, green house 

 trade publications, and green indus- 

 try news releases, but I missed this 





A sample of the numerous display gardens at Pleasant View Gardens. 

 A handbook helped identify all plants featured in the beds, window boxes, containers, or gardens. 



18 



The I'liiiitsimin 



