Valleybrook Gardens sold to Josami Holdings
The sale of the Abbotsford location follows the sale of the Ontario facility two years prior. John Schroeder, founder and CEO of the Valleybrook Group of companies, announced the sale of Valleybrook Gardens Ltd. , located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The shares of the company were purchased by Josami Holdings Ltd., a family-owned company newly incorporated by Joe Abi-Ad. This transaction follows the sale of Valleybrook Gardens (Ontario, Canada) Ltd. two years ago. “When my wife Kelly and I started in the nursery industry 40 years ago as a newly married young couple, we didn’t know what the future held,” Schroeder said. “What we did know was that we would only be satisfied by producing the highest quality plant material, and that innovative marketing and branding was going to be a key to success. We had always expected that this would create the value which would allow us some day to sell our company, so it could continue on after us.”
Heritage Perennials, the blue pots, Jeepers Creepers, Backyard Fresh and Rock Stars are some of the plant brands which the nursery will continue to produce under license from Valleybrook International Ventures, Inc., which continues to be held by the Schroeder family. “The nursery has an excellent reputation, an experienced management team, and a loyal workforce and customer base,” Schroeder said. “We found a buyer who values what we have built, and who plans to build on that foundation together with our existing staff and management. After 40 years at the helm, this was a perfect opportunity for us to move on to new adventures.”
Joe Abi-Ad has over four years of experience in the industry as the CFO of a large Canadian nursery and sees this as an opportunity to take the next step and run his own company. “I look forward to continuing the legacy built by the Schroeder family in this well-managed business,” Abi-Ad said. “The Valleybrook brands have always differentiated themselves from others through their exceptional quality, thus making the company a highly attractive acquisition target. We will continue to provide the highest quality plants and best service to our customers.”
OHP announces changes for Pedestal Insecticide
Pedestal will have a new EPA registration number, new product code, and be available in OHP packaging. Package size, use rates, Restricted Entry Interval (REI 12 hours), and controlled insects remain the same. Pedestal, with the active ingredient novaluron, is a suspension concentrate formulation labeled for use on ornamentals and tomatoes grown in greenhouses and nurseries. Among the insects controlled are not only thrips, but whiteflies, armyworms, stink bugs and more. California registration is currently pending. For more information on OHP, visit its site here . Approved entries will be featured on the Farwest website and displayed on the show floor. The Farwest Show announced June 30, 2019, is the final deadline to submit entries for the New Varieties Showcase. The New Varieties Showcase will highlight cutting-edge plant varieties from around the world. Industry experts and show attendees will judge the featured plants, singling out their favorites for Best in Show and People’s Choice awards. This year’s Farwest Show is Aug. 21–23 at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Ore.
To have a plant variety considered for inclusion in the Showcase, fill out an entry form that is available for download (PDF) here . Return the completed New Varieties Showcase entry form by June 30 to Zen Landis at zlandis@oan.org or FAX it to 503-682-5099. Accepted entries will be invoiced $75 per variety. To qualify for approved entry, plants must exhibit qualities such as greater hardiness, increased bloom time, more vibrant color, improved habit or better disease resistance. Entries must be new-to-market introductions for 2019 or 2020. Also, entries must be available for purchase from a designated grower or supplier exhibiting at the 2019 show. Approved entries will also be featured online at www.FarwestShow.com and displayed in the New Varieties Showcase on the floor with Macore plant tag labels. Previously at the 2018 show, 60 varieties were on display, including annuals, grasses, perennials, shrubs and trees. For questions, contact Zen Landis at zlandis@oan.org or 503-582-2011. AmericanHort has announced its 2019 class of HortScholars. The 2019 HortScholars will be set on a path to success at Cultivate’19 where they will be exposed to the breadth of the horticulture industry, its opportunities, and its leaders. The program offers a beyond-the-classroom experience, giving insight and awareness of the industry, its supply chain, and where they might find a home for their passion. With a focus on professional development, the HortScholars will attend educational sessions, network, and work with industry mentors during Cultivate’19. With almost 50 applications submitted, the organization announced that 2019 was another record-breaker for HortScholar applications. Here are this year's scholars: 
Josiah Baleis pursuing a degree in Horticultural Science at The Ohio State University focusing on Greenhouse and Nursery Management. From a young age, he has had a passion for plants and that has led him to complete several internships in different segments of the horticulture industry, including: a wholesale nursery, retail garden center, and even a non-profit aquaponic facility. Kalyn Helmsis attending University of Arkansas majoring in Horticulture, Landscape, and Turf Science with an emphasis in Greenhouse Production and a German minor. She also works as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in greenhouse production. After graduation, she hopes to do research on sustainable alternatives in the field of floriculture. Marcus Jansenis working on his master’s at Iowa State University, researching the physiological responses and performance of peach and nectarine trees grown in a high tunnel production system compared to a conventional field production system. He has held internships with Bachmans Inc., the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, and Ball Horticultural Company. Andrew Kielionis a student in the Horticulture Program at College of DuPage pursuing a Horticulture AAS, Greenhouse Management Certificate, and Sustainable Urban Agriculture Certificate. His interest in plant breeding led to his employment at the College of DuPage Greenhouse and PanAmerican Seed Research Company. He is even working on a few capsicum hybrids in his home garden. Annika Kohleris a master’s student at Michigan State University studying herb and ornamental production in controlled environments. Her passion for horticulture is led by her drive to produce edible and ornamental crops sustainably without compromising quantity or quality. With a background in both organic field production and controlled environments, she hopes to become a research technician for a controlled environment company. Felicia Millethas worked as an arborist in Connecticut for the past seven years. This year, she enrolled in the University of Connecticut’s Associate Degree program in Plant Science, concentrating on Ornamental Horticulture, to learn more about ornamental trees and shrubs in the New England region. Her interest in finding replacements for invasive species in the landscape has led her to become more involved in nursery production and plant propagation. The HortScholars will be giving Ignite! presentations at Cultivate’19 on Monday, July 15 at 11 a.m. in the Knowledge Center on the trade show floor. DURHAM, NH – Bees are essential for most of the fruit and vegetable crops produced in New England. The value of pollination to agriculture is estimated at more than $200 billion a year worldwide. However, the abundance and diversity of pollinators are declining in landscapes across the United States. Scientists at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) working in the  New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station  are conducting research that not only assesses the state of our native bees but also develops ways that citizens can help support these members of our ecological and agricultural communities. For several years, experiment station researchers have been assessing the status of the state’s native pollinators. During the first assessment of New Hampshire’s bee population, scientists found that the Granite State has more than 100 native bees. They also discovered nearly 20 bee species that had not been previously documented in the state. The White Mountain National Forest alone is home to nearly 140 species of native bees, including two species of native bumble bees that are declining in the Northeast. Unfortunately, scientists also have discovered that three of the state’s most important bumble bee species have experienced drastic declines and range constriction over the last 150 years, with a fourth bee also in significant decline. In addition, scientists found that 14 wild bee species also are in drastic decline in New Hampshire. Despite the declines, landowners, property managers, farmers, and landscapers have been eager to create and enhance pollinator habitat. “The interest in helping pollinators has been astounding. There are literally hundreds of pollinator gardens and habitats that have been installed in New Hampshire alone in the last few years,” experiment station researcher Cathy Neal says. Neal, who also is a nursery and landscape horticulture state specialist with UHN Cooperative Extension, has conducted nearly 10 years of wildflower meadow trials at the experiment station’s Woodman Horticultural Research Farm. She has found that wildflower meadows comprised of a mixture of herbaceous perennials are extremely valuable places for bees to forage for food. In fact, she has developed a mix of wildflowers specifically ideal for New Hampshire. Those interested in creating a wildflower meadow to support New Hampshire’s native pollinators can learn more at the upcoming field day, Connecting the Dots for Pollinator Conservation: Wildflower Meadows and Pollinator Habitat. The event is Tuesday, July 30, 2019, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station’s  Woodman Horticultural Research Farm .

Valleybrook Gardens sold to Josami Holdings

Valleybrook Gardens sold to Josami Holdings
The sale of the Abbotsford location follows the sale of the Ontario facility two years prior. John Schroeder, founder and CEO of the Valleybrook Group of companies, announced the sale of Valleybrook Gardens Ltd. , located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The shares of the company were purchased by Josami Holdings Ltd., a family-owned company newly incorporated by Joe Abi-Ad. This transaction follows the sale of Valleybrook Gardens (Ontario, Canada) Ltd. two years ago. “When my wife Kelly and I started in the nursery industry 40 years ago as a newly married young couple, we didn’t know what the future held,” Schroeder says. “What we did know was that we would only be satisfied by producing the highest quality plant material, and that innovative marketing and branding was going to be a key to success. We had always expected that this would create the value which would allow us some day to sell our company, so it could continue on after us.”
Heritage Perennials, the blue pots, Jeepers Creepers, Backyard Fresh and Rock Stars are some of the plant brands which the nursery will continue to produce under license from Valleybrook International Ventures, Inc., which continues to be held by the Schroeder family. “The nursery has an excellent reputation, an experienced management team, and a loyal workforce and customer base,” Schroeder says. “We found a buyer who values what we have built, and who plans to build on that foundation together with our existing staff and management. After 40 years at the helm, this was a perfect opportunity for us to move on to new adventures.”
Joe Abi-Ad has over 4 years of experience in the industry as the CFO of a large Canadian nursery and sees this as an opportunity to take the next step and run his own company. “I look forward to continuing the legacy built by the Schroeder family in this well-managed business,” Abi-Ad says. “The Valleybrook brands have always differentiated themselves from others through their exceptional quality, thus making the company a highly attractive acquisition target. We will continue to provide the highest quality plants and best service to our customers.”
SePRO introduces Zio fungicide
The solution provides preventative control of multiple diseases and can be mixed with traditional fungicides, according to the company. SePRO Corporation  has announced the introduction of Zio fungicide, a solution providing golf course superintendents, landscapers, and growers with a new tool to manage several important turf and ornamental diseases. Zio is a revolutionary bacteria hand-selected from a library of 60,000-plus microbes to protect plants against destructive diseases and improve quality. It colonizes the plant while producing compounds to control harmful plant pathogens including Rhizoctonia (brown patch), Pythium spp. and anthracnose. Zio has been scientifically proven to provide preventative control of resistant fungi utilizing multiple modes-of-action. Additionally, Zio can be mixed with traditional fungicides to enhance efficacy and minimize the risk of resistance development. "Zio is technology, unlike anything we have seen before in this industry. It truly is a new world plant protectant," SePRO vice president of marketing Sam Barrick said. "Zio is the type of product that can redefine how we as an industry approach disease management." “It’s a pretty rare instance when superintendents, growers, and landscapers can utilize a product that checks all the desired boxes; effective, broad-spectrum and resistance adverse,” SePRO portfolio leader Mark Brotherton said. “These benefits are largely attributed to Zio’s multiple MoA. It produces compounds that halt fungi respiration, deprive pathogens of iron and enzymatically breakdown fungal structures. Zio also rapidly colonizes the plant and soil profile, occupying sites where pathogens would otherwise infect the plant.”
Zio is labeled for a wide range of use sites including turfgrass, production ornamentals, landscapes, and vegetable transplants. It is also OMRI certified for organic production. “After several years of research, the results have been promising,” SePRO research manager Dr. Kyle Briscoe said. “Zio not only effectively controlled the diseases being evaluated but also improved plant quality.”
 
Zio fungicide is now available for use and can be purchased from a local SePRO distributor. For more information please contact a SePRO Technical Specialist or visit the  Zio website . Nursery Management’s top 6 stories for May 2019
Legalized hemp production, sudden oak death and how Loma Vista Nursery reduces pest related risks highlight the list. The 2019 Farwest Show , Aug. 21–23 in Portland, Oregon, will offer three tours from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20. This year’s three tracks will look at retail garden centers, sustainable business processes and procedures, and wholesale nursery operations. The Farwest tours are sponsored by The Peters Company of Wilsonville, Oregon. Participants may choose a particular tour that best suits their interests. The tours give industry professionals an opportunity to engage with the best in the industry and gain valuable knowledge along the way. The cost is $99 per person for those who register before July 31 and $119 per person for those who register Aug. 1 or later. Space is limited as the tours can only accommodate 50 people each. Registered attendees will be transported by motor coach and provided with lunch, beverages, and snacks. All tours will depart and return from the north entrance of the Oregon Convention Center. Personal vehicles are not allowed. Tour 1: Go-to Garden Centers (Retail Tour) — This tour will explore four of the Portland area’s retail garden centers with reputations for exceptional customer feedback. Attendees will see the merchandise displays, product designs and retail space layouts that make these businesses the highest-rated local independent garden centers on Google and Yelp. Stops will include Cornell Farm (Portland), Farmington Gardens (Beaverton), The Garden Corner (Tualatin), and Dennis’ 7 Dees Landscaping & Garden Centers (Lake Oswego). Tour 2: Seeds for Tomorrow (Sustainability Tour) — This tour will shine a light on the sustainability efforts at three different green industry businesses, revealing what is alike and what is different. Participants will see how these operations invest time and money to reduce environmental impacts, improve energy efficiency and transform company culture — and they will also see the returns on these investments firsthand. Stops include The Oregon Garden (Silverton), Little Prince of Oregon Nursery Inc. (Aurora), and Brentano’s Tree Farm LLC (St. Paul). Tour 3: Growing Landscape Solutions (Wholesale Tour) — This tour will showcase the high-quality trees and shrubs grown in the fertile Willamette Valley south of Portland. Participants will see a range of plant selections across four sites, including growing operations for Japanese maples, grafted conifers, specimen plants, hedge-and-border solutions, azaleas and woody ornamentals. Stops will include Countryside Nursery (Aurora), InstantHedge (Canby), Highland Meadow Nursery Inc. (Molalla), and Woodburn Nursery & Azaleas Inc. (Woodburn). Registration is required for all Farwest tours. Get your tickets online at  https://farwestshow.com/register/ . A comprehensive national effort among 30 industry and academic entities led by Texas A&M gains ground in the battle against rose rosette. The team has tracked the disease across the U.S., developed new diagnostic tools and expedited breeding with hundreds of new molecular markers. Tracking rose rosette
Since the project’s beginning in 2014, part of its $4.6 million grant helped establish roserosette.org . The website serves to track disease distribution, said Dr. Kevin Ong, director of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab in College Station. It is also a clearinghouse for educational rosette information. Pathologists have verified more than 2,100 rose rosette occurrences in about 30 states through user photo submissions to the website so far. In Texas, rose rosette is most highly concentrated in a few northern counties around the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Meanwhile, states across the Midwest from Kansas to Maryland comprise the densest affected U.S. regions. Detecting the disease
Researchers continue to test an array of genomic tools they’ve developed since 2014 to verify reported rose rosette. The group’s plan – along with the renewal of their U.S. Department of Agriculture grant in 2020 – is to produce a serological test, which functions like a home pregnancy test for rose rosette in the field. “These are tools that could be used for consistent, economical rose rosette confirmation,” Ong said. This would lead to quicker determinations on rosette presence and more time for growers to plan interventions. But once the virus is detected, understanding how to proceed presents its own challenges. Understanding the virus
The initiative’s virology team, led by Dr. Jeanmarie Verchot with Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Dallas, seeks solutions to rose rosette from clues about its underlying emaravirus. The team seeks to capture the virus in field plots at Dallas and to clone it for observation under greenhouse conditions. “Very little is known about the mechanisms of this virus and how it interacts with plants,” Verchot said. Among her team’s duties is reconciling varied reports on the virus’ genome size and complexity. They will explore gene segment counts, symptomatic effects of each segment on rose plants and the effects of combined segments. “We want to know, ‘how is the virus stopped by resistance mechanisms in plants?’” Verchot said. “’Do they block the virus replicating itself, or block it from ever entering the vascular system? How does the virus interact with the plant?’ We’re at the beginning of all those experiments now.” 
Controlling the mite
In another aspect of the rosette initiative, entomologists seek to control populations of the eriophyid mite Phyllocoptes fructiphilus. The arachnid is currently known as the sole distributor of the virus among roses, and entomologists are seeking vector-control methods beyond excessive, expensive miticide application. “They’re looking at possible pathogens and microbes that might help control the mite from a biological sense,” said the grant’s leader, Dr. David Byrne, professor and AgriLife Research rose geneticist, College Station. Still, he said, any mite control measures will need to be bolstered by naturally resistant plants. “In areas where you have rose rosette, you need resistance to rose rosette. Period,” Byrne said. Breeding resistant roses
About 4% of roughly 1,200 rose cultivars observed during the ongoing grant period exhibit resistance potential after three years, Byrne said. He seeks molecular markers underlying rose rosette resistance to help breed better varieties. Molecular markers denote plant traits associated with their presence along chromosomes. They let researchers quickly select viable cultivars to use for breeding. About 3,000 markers are now identified, compared to roughly 150 at the grant’s beginning. The new markers are unassociated with rose rosette. But based on other traits they represent, they allow researchers to weed out 50% to 75% of seedlings as poor candidates early in horticultural greenhouse trials. “By the time I actually get to field trials, I’ve saved about 90 percent of the work,” Byrne said. “New technology can up that number even further.”
Major research field plots of the rosette initiative exist in Delaware, Tennessee and Oklahoma — high disease-threat areas. Byrne also explores rose-damaging blackspot disease as a concurrent molecular marker project. Next steps
With a 2020 grant renewal, teams will screen commercial roses for resistance, guaranteeing solutions are more applicable to desirable industry varieties, Byrne said. “We want to dissect what resistance and immunity really is at the molecular level,” Byrne said. “We want to get usable markers that we can demonstrate in action to breeding companies.”
His team plans to implement field spectral imaging to detect pre-symptom responses to rose rosette. They also seek better screening techniques off the field; insights into environmental characteristics of the vector eriophyid mite, and bolstered reporting of rose rosette to the national website. An added provision would support continued work to address blackspot disease. “This is ongoing research, so new discoveries can influence and change how we approach rose rosette disease in the future,” Ong said. The disease has claimed an estimated $40-$50 million in rose industry losses alongside thousands of jobs, researchers said.

Photo courtesy of John Schroeder
Valleybrook Gardens organizes tour to South Africa
The 12-day trip in October will journey from Johannesburg to Cape Town, and feature horticultural, natural and cultural experiences. John Schroeder recalls flying as a passenger into the Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in a propeller-driven airplane. After his plane touched down on a gravel strip, the pilot hoped no warthogs would run out in front of the plane. In that same reserve, he has sat in a Jeep a mere 20 feet away from a pride of lions. The wildlife is a main reason why Schroeder and his wife, Kelly, who own Valleybrook Gardens in Abbottsford, British Columbia, are inviting horticulture industry professionals and other interested people to South Africa for a tour for the fourth time, Oct. 17-29. “It's wild kingdom in a very luxurious kind of setting,” Schroeder says. The tour will be limited to 16 participants and has a few remaining spots left, he says. Many attendees in the past have worked in horticulture, but not all have. The Schroeders have led horticulture tours around the world for nearly 20 years. After attending the 1999 World Horticultural Exposition in Kunming, China, they began organizing their own tours, visiting distant locales to see nurseries, garden centers, botanical gardens and other horticultural and non-horticultural attractions. In 2001, Valleybrook led its first tour, to South America. Since then, the Schroeders have hosted tours to Australia, India, Israel, Italy, Japan and New Zealand. South Africa is the only country where they have organized multiple tours. “We love travel, and we've discovered that traveling with a small group of people who share an interest — in our case, horticulture — is a very pleasant way, and a very fun way, to travel,” Schroeder says. King protea, the national flower of South Africa
Photo courtesy of John Schroeder
The case for global tours
A testament to the value of these tours, Schroeder says, can be found in a story he tells about a nurseryman from Valleybrook’s first tour to South Africa. “One of our members, whose family owns a wholesale as well as a retail nursery, spotted a merchandising idea and display idea at one of the garden centers we visited,” Schroeder says. “When he came home, he implemented that concept in his garden center, and he literally says that that made him a million [dollars] of revenue over the years.”
While Schroeder cannot guarantee the upcoming trip will pay back a million dollars to every attendee, he says several of them have seen marketing practices that they have successfully implemented in their own operations. “Going to other countries and just seeing how people do things is such a great way to get new ideas — a new way of looking at things,” Schroeder says. “Actually, the fellow with the million-dollar idea — he's coming back this year on the tour. I think that is quite a testament, as well. It was 15 years ago, I think, that he came on the first one, and he's willing to come back and do the same tour. Much of it will be similar, and a number of things, of course, will be different.”
A Cape Dutch house in Stellenbosch, South Africa
Photo courtesy of John Schroeder
Johannesburg to Phinda to Stellenbosch to Cape Town
In addition to being organized by the Schroeders, who have visited South Africa in the past, the tour will, in part, be led through guides. “They really make some of the history and the country come alive by the things that they can tell us,” Schroeder says. Day 1 of the tour kicks off with arrival in Johannesburg, a visit to Doonholm Nursery in Midrand and a stay at The Residence in Houghton. To accommodate the differences in backgrounds and interests between attendees, the Schroeders have provided two different programming options for Day 2 of the tour, in and around Johannesburg. They have provided the option of visiting Broadacres Lifestyle Centre and Eckards Garden Pavilion , for those looking to soak up horticulture information; and the option of touring Soweto and the Apartheid Museum , for those aiming to learn more about the history of South African society. After two days in Johannesburg and three days at the Phinda Mountain Lodge in the Phinda Private Game Reserve, the group will fly southwest to Cape Town and, from there, travel to Stellenbosch, a wine region with a Dutch influence, which Schroeder notes is evident in its architecture. On Day 9, attendees will visit Babylonstoren Estate , a Dutch farm east of Cape Town. “We saw that for the first time on our last trip and it was just amazing,” Schroeder says. “[They have] a five-acre display garden where they do a lot of food production, like fruit production and things. They have a restaurant onsite where they [do] all the cooking.”
A guided tour of Robben Island , where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 of his 27 years in imprisonment, follows on Day 10. Then, on Day 11, attendees will visit Boulders Beach to see the colony of African penguins — also known as jackass penguins for the braying sound they make. Schroeder says this and Valleybrook’s other trips aren’t money-making ventures for the nursery, nor is the focus of them solely on horticulture. The main goal is to provide valuable experiences around the globe. “There's enough business in there to make it a worthwhile business experience, but we’re there to really have a great travel experience and to experience the country, to meet people, to come home and say, ‘You know, that was just a fantastic time,’” Schroeder says. For more information about the tour, click here . For a full itinerary and registration forms and conditions, email John Schroeder at js@valleybrook.com
The 2019 Canadian Greenhouse Conference will take place Oct. 9 to 10 at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada,  according to its website . Registration for the 2019 conference begins on Aug. 1. A price breakdown is available on the event's website and is subject to change. The annual event features two days of educational sessions, as well as a trade show with 330 booths. The 2019 event also will feature a bus tour to local growers on Oct. 8. Tour stops will likely not be finalized until late August. Tour capacity is capped to 80 people and pre-registration is required. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $66 million to support 407 projects that will strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, threat mitigation and safeguard the nursery production system. Also included is $6 million for the National Clean Plant Network that will support 26 projects that focus on providing high quality propagated plant material for fruit trees, tropical trees, grapes, berries, citrus, hops, sweet potatoes and roses free of targeted plant pathogens and pests. This year, funded projects include, among others: 
Spotted lanternfly: $10,073,380 to support comprehensive response efforts including mitigation, treatment evaluations, monitoring tools, impact assessments, biological control and outreach in PA, MA, NJ, NY, VA, DE, and NC;
Exotic fruit fly detection: $6,030,000 in Florida and Texas;
Agriculture detector dog teams: $5,155,792 to programs in California and Florida to enhance package inspections, a program in Hawaii to detect Coconut rhinoceros beetle, and detector dog training for these teams;
Forest pests: $1,756,679 for various detection, methods development, or outreach to protect forests from harmful pests in 22 states;
Honey bee and pollinator health: $1,718,083 to protect honey bees, bumble bees and other important pollinators from harmful pests;
Giant African snail: $1,331,601 to support ongoing eradication efforts in Florida;
Stone fruit and orchard commodities: $1,097,643 to support pest detection surveys in 20 states;
Phytophthora ramorum and related species: $1,107,965 in 14 states and nationally for survey, diagnostics, mitigation, probability modeling, genetic analysis, and outreach;
Grapes: $602,364 to enhance surveys for grape commodity pests and diseases in 15 states;
Citrus: $462,000 to support citrus commodity surveys in California and Louisiana; and
Palms: $581,721 for pest survey and management in seven states. In addition to these allocations, USDA is reserving $3,810,245 to support rapid response during invasive pest emergencies should a pest of high economic consequence, such as Asian gypsy moth, European cherry fruit fly, coconut rhinoceros beetle, exotic fruit flies or spotted lanternfly be detected anywhere in the United States or U.S. Territories. How to enter
Submissions should be 30-60 second videos that feature snapdragons. They may be skits, animation, testimonials or other types of videos, as long as they feature and promote snapdragons. There are five ways to enter:
Facebook: Between Feb. 14 and May 15, post a video featuring snapdragons on your personal or business page (“Video) and include the hashtag #SNAPDRAGONLOVE to receive one entry into the contest. You must have a Facebook account to enter via Facebook. Twitter: Between Feb. 14 and May 15, tweet a video and include the hashtag #SNAPDRAGONLOVE to receive one entry into the contest. You must have a Twitter account to enter via Twitter.Twitter accounts must be set to public. Instagram: Between Feb. 14 and May 15, upload a video with a caption and include the hashtag #SNAPDRAGONLOVE to receive one entry into the contest. You must have an Instagram account to enter via Instagram. Instagram accounts must be set to public. YouTube: – Between Feb. 14 and May 15, upload a video with a caption and include the hashtag #SNAPDRAGONLOVE to receive one entry into the contest. You must have a YouTube account to enter via YouTube. Direct submission: Between Feb. 14 and May 15, submit video to National Garden Bureau by emailing the file, or a  link to the file, to  info@ngb.org . Include in the email your name and contact phone number
Videos will be judged and scored based on appeal, creativity, and a demonstration of snapdragon love. Top video finalists will be chosen by a selection committee, will be asked to fill out an entry form and submit their video to the NGB office and will then be eligible for the $500 grand prize and two honorable mentions of $100 each. Royal FloraHolland , the Netherlands-based plant marketplace, is expanding its digital footprint. According to a press release , the company has purchased a 50 percent stake in Blueroots , a digital platform that facilitates digital interactions between companies in the floral sector. As part of the agreement, Royal FloraHolland and Blueroots are launching a joint project that aims to improve the "international competitive position of the Dutch floriculture industry" by digitizing the supply chain. "The effect of the joint venture is that the sales opportunities via Floriday will increase further for growers. In addition, they will gain more insight into precisely where their products are sold," the press release reads. "This is the unique value proposition Blueroots once started with. Data exchange throughout the chain will soon be possible in a modern way via the so-called API structure that will be rolled out as standard by Floriday. The trading companies behind Blueroots will gain access to the entire supply of flowers and plants, and a modern digital (API) link, via this collaboration. " 
A start date for the project has not yet been determined, according to the press release.

Valleybrook Gardens organizes tour to South Africa

The acquisition will further expand Brookdale Treeland Nurseries' impressive market share and product lines
SCHOMBERG, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 14, 2017) - Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Ltd. (BTN) , one of the largest and most respected growers of garden plants in Canada, today announces the acquisition of Valleybrook Gardens Ontario Ltd. , in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The addition of Valleybrook Ontario provides BTN the opportunity to service a more diverse market and will offer current and new BTN customers easier access to market leading products. The acquisition signals BTN's continued commitment to both their customers and position as market leader. Valleybrook Gardens will continue to own and operate their location in Abbotsford B.C. All Valleybrook brands for the independent garden centre market will continue to be produced in Ontario under their current license agreement with Valleybrook International Ventures Inc., to ensure consistency and uphold brand recognition for their popular perennial plant lines. The lines, including Heritage Perennials®, Jeepers Creepers®, Colour Craze™ and Garden Gladiators, will serve as a value-add for BTN. "We are excited to bring the teams at BTN and Valleybrook together to provide a greater selection of products to a wider range of retailers across Canada and the U.S. We understand and respect the unique relationship that Valleybrook has with each of their customers. We also hope to welcome new customers to BTN as a result of this larger offering. It is important to us that our customers and stakeholders can trust that we will always strive to bring them the very best," explains Jeff Olsen, President and CEO of Brookdale Treeland Nurseries. "We view this acquisition as collaborative in nature and are certain that shared best practices will result in greater strength across both organizations," Vice President Finance, Joe Abi-Ad adds. "We value the strong reputation that Valleybrook has in the industry and as such will be working to ensure absolute consistency in quality and service. We are pleased to be welcoming their entire management team to Brookdale Treeland Nurseries and look forward to working alongside them." The Valleybrook Gardens Ontario location will continue to operate under its current name, as a part of the BTN umbrella of companies. Brookdale Treeland Nurseries will continue to pursue the most trusted National product and service offerings through their growing brand. For more information visit www.btn.ca . About Brookdale Treeland Nurseries
Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Ltd. (BTN) is one of the largest and most respected growers of garden plants in Canada. Servicing garden retailers, landscape contractors, municipalities and golf courses throughout Canada and the Northern United States, Brookdale grows on over 700 acres of land spanning British Columbia, Ontario and New Brunswick. BTN specializes in growing shade trees, fruit trees, flowering shrubs, evergreens, broadleaves, climbing vines, grafted standards, perennials, annuals and more. The company works tirelessly to provide customized service and solutions to address each customer's unique requirements. Contact Information

Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Acquires Valleybrook Gardens Ontario

Acquired

Valleybrook Gardens is a perennial grower serving Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Date	6/14/2017
Round	Acquired
Amount
Investors	Brookdale Treeland Nurseries
Valuation	$99M
Revenue	0 FY undefined
Sources	1

First funding	6/14/2017
Last Funding	6/14/2017
Investor	Brookdale Treeland Nurseries
Rounds	1 Acquired
Board Seats
Type	Corporation
Location	Canada

Wells Fargo Success Story

Professional Services

Platform Overview

Valleybrook Gardens

Investors Count

Funding, Valuation & Revenue

Valleybrook Gardens Investors