<b>Trees, Ornamental & Bedding Plant:</b> Cooperation in Connecticut

Bob HeffernanBob Heffernan is the executive director of the Connecticut Green Industries Council. The group is an alliance formed by three organizations: Connecticut Nursery & Landscape Association, Connecticut Greenhouse Growers Association and Connecticut Florists Association. The council works to create joint marketing efforts and support the entire green industry. Heffernan spoke with Lawn & Landscape recently about several initiatives to promote plants and flowers throughout the state.

Q Tell us about the new Garden Stars program. What do you hope to accomplish with this effort?
A This new marketing program will be partially funded by two grants totaling $75,000 that went to the Connecticut Nursery & Landscape Association (CNLA) and the Connecticut Greenhouse Growers Association (CGGA) through USDA’s specialty crop block grants. The goal is to increase sales of plants grown by Connecticut nurseries and greenhouses within the state itself. We’ve picked 39 plants for promotion in 30 months, starting April 2010.

Q And you also have a PlantConnecticut program?
A Yes – PlantConnecticut is the green industry’s annual gift of landscaping to the people of Connecticut. Each year, we select one nonprofit site, and then install extensive landscaping. It usually involves dozens of workers and companies, with landscaping worth at least $30,000.

Q Talk a bit about the Garden and Landscape trail. How/why did this initiative get started?
A The Garden Trail was similarly funded by two grants totaling $50,000 to CNLA and CGGA, again under the specialty crop block grants. It was so successful last year that we carried it forward in 2010 entirely funded by our industry.

The concept is simple: Our state has hundreds of beautiful green-industry facilities that people would love to explore. The Trail provides a path for that exploration. Also included are botanical gardens in the state. There are official Garden Trail road signs throughout the state directing people to Trail sites. There’s also an official Web site: www.CTGardenTrail.com.

Q Who generally attends your Summer Field Day? Does it draw landscapers and retailers?
A CNLA’s Summer Field Day, like its Winter Symposium, draws about equally one-third garden centers, one-third landscapers and one-third growers. A large outdoor equipment show is a major show-stealer. Each summer, the show is held at a different green industry facility, which helps induce curiosity.


Q Do you think the invasive plant issues Connecticut faces has brought the various facets of the green industry closer together?
A When the invasive issue first hit Connecticut 10 years ago, the reaction was, “Why are they making such a big deal over this?” Over time, as the legislature began to pass mandates and plant bans, the industry realized this was a much more serious matter they had to pay attention to.

We have worked to convince our friends in the environmental movement that they will see more green-industry cooperation if they let us handle plant controls voluntarily. Just last week, our nursery growers agreed to voluntarily phase-out several cultivars of Japanese barberry – one of which, ‘Rose Glow,’ is a big seller (millions of dollars annually). We insisted on science and helped fund research at the University of Connecticut to determine invasiveness of cultivars.

Q How does the statewide agriculture program, “Connecticut Grown,” tie into various programs you’re doing?
A While we have always been supportive of Connecticut Grown, the program has historically been embarrassingly under-funded. The latest state budget plans to spend a meager $15,000 on the program. One of the state’s largest nurseries, Imperial, just this year began adding the Connecticut Grown logo to its plant tags and marketing. So our individual members have at times embraced it.

The author is managing editor of Garden Center magazine.