NHPGA 2008 News Archive

January - April

Millican Nurseries and ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition
March, 2008
Millican Nurseries participated on the ABC Network program, 'Extreme Makeover Home Edition'. In the episode, Ty and the crew help the Voisine's, loving, close-knit family, whose home was demolished after a devastating flood. Country music star, Rodney Atkins helps kick off the build.

Millican Nurseries donated the plant material for the home as well as provided staff to help supervise the planting.
For more information and additional video, click here.

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2007 Young Nursery Professional of the Year Award
January, 2008
Congratulations to Doug McElroy of Newton Greenhouses, Newton, NH. Doug is the recipient of the 2007 Young Nursery Professional of the Year award from the New England Nursery Association. This annual award was developed to recognize, honor and encourage participation, achievement and growth by an individual in the industry who has not yet reached the age of 40; who has shown involvement in his or her state association; who has contributed to the success of their company; and has portrayed a positive image of the nursery industry to the public. Nominations for the Young Nursery Professional of the Year are made by the individual New England state associations. Congratulations Doug!

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Welcome Dr. Brian Krug, UNH Specialist, Greenhouse Floriculture
January, 2008
We are pleased to welcome to New Hampshire the newest UNHCE Specialist, Dr. Brian Krug. Brian has a keen interest in sustainable production to greenhouse crops...how to produce crops more efficiently and cost effectively with decreased inputs (energy, labor, pesticides, fertilizers, etc.) and less impact on the environment. This will undoubtedly involve cross-disciplinary activities with other specialists - a wonderful benefit of working in a collborative university setting.

He will be continuing plant growth regulator experiments this spring for 6-8 weeks on crops such as marigolds, cosmos, geraniums, begonias, salvia, vinca, and Easter lilies. Brian will also be expanding his tissue analysis nutrition experiments with geraniums to better interpret desirable nutrient levels throughout the plant's growth cycle.

Brian will be spending a good deal of time traveling throughout the state with local county Extension agriculture educators this spring & summer meeting growers, refining research needs, offering guidance on production problems, and generally getting a handle on New Hampshire horticultureal opportunities and challenges.

If you have a problem which falls within Brians purview, don't hesitate to contact him or request a visit. He's looking forward to learning more about New Hampshire floriculture and is excited about his future here in the Granite State.

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May-August

UNHCE Greenhouse Energy Conservation Workshop
August 2008
A two-day workshop on conserving energy in your greenhouse will take place on September 16th and 17th in the Manchester area. The workshop on the 16th will be held from 9 am to 3:30pm at the Masabesic Audubon Center in Auburn. Featured speakers will be Dr. Brian Krug, UNH Cooperative Extension greenhouse and floriculture specialists, Dr. John Bartok from the Univ. of Connecticut who specializes in greenhouse engineering and Sadie Puglisi, UNH Cooperative Extension educator in agriculture.

Talks will focus on alternative fuels (the options, pros and cons and what it takes to make the shift) and will include a panel of growers who are using alternative fuels, a walk through the USDA virtual grower tool which can help calculate the cost of your fuel several years into the future, a talk on using crop scheduling to keep fuel costs down and a checklist of inexpensive and easy ways to cut costs in your greenhouse.

On the 17th, participants will be touring greenhouses and conducting hands-on energy audits to learn how to conduct their own audits. The cost for the workshop is $38.00 for both days with snack and lunch provided on the first day.

For more information contact Margaret Hagen at Margaret.Hagen@unh.edu

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Studley’s Announces Second-Generation Owners
August 2008
One of Rochester’s longest-running family-owned businesses has been handed down to the next generation. David and Jeffrey Meulenbroek purchased Studley’s Flower Garden from their parents, Pieter and Betty Jane Meulenbroek, May 13, 2008. Studley’s Flower Garden, which has specialized in providing its customers with fresh flowers from its downtown location for 80 years, was founded by Joshua Studley in 1928. From its origins as a florist with greenhouses, Studley’s has evolved through the years with market changes to provide a wealth of different products and services, from full service florist and garden center to landscaping and irrigation services. The Meulenbroeks bought the business from Studley in 1971. As evidence of its satisfied local customer base, Studley’s has been voted Rochester’s favorite florist for the past 14 years in an independent survey.

David and Jeffrey plan to continue offering cut flowers as well as flowering and foliage plants, annuals, hanging baskets, perennials and holiday plants. David will direct Studley’s extensive landscape and irrigation service operation while Jeffrey will devote most of his efforts to growing the greenhouse crops and managing the garden center. Both are New Hampshire Certified Landscapers by the New Hampshire Landscape Association.

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Boston Flower Exchange, Inc. Announces Floriculture Scholarship
July 2008
The Boston Flower Exchange, Inc. announces the annual Rachel Butterworth Dietz Scholarship. This is an award of $5,000 to a student in the New England region pursuing higher education in floriculture or ornamental
horticulture.
Applications will be accepted until September 15, 2008. The award is open to enrolled full-time students in higher education or graduating high school seniors who have been accepted into an accredited full-time floriculture or ornamental horticulture program. The Boston Flower Exchange requires that the application include an essay of one to two single spaced pages demonstrating the applicant's experience in the industry as well as future plans and ambitions in floriculture or ornamental horticulture.

An application is available at here

For more information please contact Tyler Matteson at the Boston Flower Exchange, 540 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, by phone at at (617) 426 6700 x101 or by e-mail at info@thebostonflowerexchange.com