Page 5 - MNLGA Free State Spring 2024_WEB SPREADS

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Contents

This winter has provided a chance to learn more about the MNLGA Board
President’s role in serving our association and I am pleased to take on this 9 THIS BUSINESS OF OURS Mike Hemming
opportunity. Both Vanessa Finney and John Murphy (now Director-at-Large)
Mild Winter Leads to Promising Spring
have been generous with their time meeting and communicating about
the role. 14 IT’S TIME FOR SHARING Jerry Faulring
The Soil Food Web
The board has been busy with discussions about the invasive plant bill
under consideration by the Maryland General Assembly. I’ve also been 22 MEMBER EVENT Lauren Bottcher
involved with discussions about this as a member of Maryland’s Invasive Chesapeake Green Recap
Plant Advisory Committee (IPAC). Several members of the MNLGA with 28 GROWING WITH EDUCATION Ginny Rosenkranz
interest in or potentially impacted by the bill have weighed in with valuable page 9 page 28 Native Perennials Not Dear to Deer: Part 2
feedback. This helps us in turn pass along suggested alterations through
our lobbyist, Lindsay Thompson, to those working. We’ve also been 34 MNLGA ANNUAL MEETING Kelly Finney
LESLIE HUNTER CARIO discussing some ideas to share with the University of Maryland as they work
Chesapeake Horticultural Services 36 MNLGA MEMBERS DOING BUSINESS AT MANTS
to fill open faculty and extension positions that interact with Maryland’s
green industry. Stay tuned for updates on these positions later this year. Kelly Finney
We look forward to working with the new hires, and wish John Lea-Cox and page 68 38 GREEN GROWER
Karen Rane well in their retirement! Teamwork Driving Success at Babikow Greenhouses

In addition to well-organized and timely support from Vanessa, the MNLGA 42 MANTS MEANS BUSINESS Kelly Finney
staff team, and members of the board and board committees, something
else that strengthens our association is our membership. All of us surely 54 FEATURED MEMBER Carol Kinsley
benefit from involvement with the association through professional Delmarva Native Plants
development, networking, industry updates/representation, and benefit 64 TOTAL PLANT MANAGEMENT Stanton Gill
programs. Each of us also has something to offer by supporting one page 22 Staying Profitable by Adopting New Technology and
another and volunteering in ways that will benefit others with our industry Biological Control
knowledge, which are both areas that I look forward to exploring more and 66 AMERICANHORT
hearing your ideas. In the meantime, please encourage membership in the
News from the Hill
MNLGA with those who you think would benefit or could help others.
68 CULTIVATING COMMUNICATION Wendy Brister
The annual Chesapeake Green Symposium held in February was a good
#cottagecore – The Hashtag You Didn’t Know Your
way, as always, to learn from others, share ideas, network, and for those Garden Needed!
presenting to share their knowledge with others. There is much more to DEPARTMENTS
look forward to this season - a Social Media and PR workshop at Ladew
4 President’s Message
Gardens, a Biocontrol Seminar, and a Technology Field Day at Ruppert 6 Director’s Message
page 54 page 64
Nurseries, Inc., so please come out and see what the excitement is 8 Association Officers
all about! A 8 Directory of Advertisers
27 CPH
Leslie Hunter Cario 60 Annual MNLGA Sponsors
President Maryland Nursery Landscape and Greenhouse Association (MNLGA) 62 Maryland Green Industry Calendar of Events
74 New Members
lesliecario@cheshort.com ON THE COVER: 78 Press Release
www.chesapeakehort.com Larura Hagman of Waverley Farm helped roll out there new Ready 79 MNLGA Mission Statement
Hedge at MANTS.
80 Membership Benefits Program
Executive Director: Vanessa A. Finney 81 MNLGA Chairs and Committees
Quercus Management Staff: E. Kelly Finney, Lauren Bottcher and 81 MNLGA Board of Directors
Michelle Paris Hahn
Phone: 410-823-8684 | Fax: 410-296-8288 | E-mail: office@mnlga.org Design: Gregory J. Cannizzaro Graphic Design (contact information page 41)
Web: mnlga.org | Free State e-mail: freestate@mnlga.org © 2024 Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association, Inc.

4 SPRING 2024 • Free State News Membership Matters • SPRING 2024 5