The Firefly bioluminescent petunia has captured attention both inside and outside the floriculture industry for its ability to bring natural illumination into homes and gardens. But where did it come from, how is it changing the game in plant genetics research, and perhaps most importantly, when and how will growers and consumers be able to find it…

Steve Costa, the president of Headstart Nursery in Gilroy, CA, is a proud graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. So proud, in fact, that he recently provided a sizable donation to support the restoration of the school’s Horticulture Greenhouse Complex and further its learn-by-doing approach to agricultural education. In this episode, I talk to Steve…

Growers in the floriculture industry face many challenges when it comes to retaining key talent and building the next generation of industry leaders. The same holds true for both university Extension and the supplier community, two critical segments of the greenhouse market. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, I talk to Melinda Knuth of…

The cover story of Greenhouse Grower’s November issue provides a closer look at Kind Earth Growers, a wholesale plant nursery in Ottsville, Pennsylvania, that offers more than 215 species of seed-grown native perennials and aquatic plants under 20,000 square feet of controlled-environment production. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, …

The Garden Media Group released its official 2025 trends report in early September. In this episode, I sat down with Katie Dubow, president of Garden Media Group, to get a first-hand look at what’s in this year’s report, and how you as a grower, or if you’re in another segment of the industry, can respond. Here’s our conversation.…

Lauren Kirchner left Waller, Texas when she was 18 to pursue a career in marketing and finance. She never thought she’d return to join her parents in running Spring Creek Growers, but that’s exactly what happened. Over the last couple of years, Lauren worked with her parents on an ownership transition at Spring Creek, and that was quickly followed …

Last week’s episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower was part one of my conversation with Tom Costamagna of Young’s Plant Farm, Greenhouse Grower’s 2024 Head Grower of the Year. Please check it out if you have not already. In this episode, I continue my conversation with Tom, where we talk about the tools he uses to solve problems in the greenhouse, …

Earlier this year during Cultivate’24, our team at Greenhouse Grower presented our Head Grower of the Year award to Tom Costamagna of Young’s Plant Farm. Tom has a rich history in floriculture, and following the award presentation, I had an extensive conversation with Tom about everything from his background, to how he thinks outside the box when p…

Aren Phillips is a Greenhouse Systems Manager at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, MI. He is a team leader on several projects at Walters Gardens, including sales forecasting, automation, data collection and analytics, and the potential of artificial intelligence. Aren was part of a panel discussion at Cultivate’24 on smart technology adoption, and he wi…

Josh Smith is Vice President of Kopke’s Greenhouse in Wisconsin. During Cultivate’24, Josh joined Tamara Bartlett of Bartlett Instruments for a discussion on bringing a tech-sector mindset to greenhouse production, and how to eliminate time-consuming tasks and develop SOPs for automating common greenhouse practices. In this episode, Josh talks abou…

Greenhouse Grower editors Brian Sparks and Julie Hullett were at Cultivate’24 in Columbus, OH, walking the tradeshow floor, attending education sessions, and connecting with friends across the floriculture industry. In this episode, Brian and Julie offer their top takeaways from one of the industry’s largest annual gatherings.…

During Cultivate’24 last month, Denise Godfrey of Olive Hill Greenhouses in Fallbrook, CA, participated in a panel discussion on sustainability in floriculture. Denise brought the grower perspective, and she was joined by a group representing all sectors of the industry, including breeding, packaging, benchmarking, and university research. I caught…

Greenhouse Grower’s July cover story features a closer look at how university horticulture departments from across the country are attracting new blood to the industry while fostering career development. I had the chance to talk to six department heads about a wide range of topics, and we’re using this podcast as a way to offer extended versions of…

Greenhouse Grower’s July cover story features a closer look at how university horticulture departments from across the country are attracting new blood to the industry while fostering career development. I had the chance to talk to six department heads about a wide range of topics, and over the next few weeks this podcast will include extended vers…

Greenhouse Grower editors Brian Sparks and Julie Hullett revisit the Spring of 2024 and look ahead to Cultivate, including what they’re most looking forward to at this annual horticulture industry gathering.Oleh Greenhouse Grower

Greenhouse Grower’s July cover story will feature a closer look at how university horticulture departments from across the country are attracting new blood to the industry while fostering career development. I had the chance to talk to six department heads about a wide range of topics, and over the next few weeks this podcast will include extended …

Michelle Opela, Senior IPM Manager at Costa Farms, will be giving two talks at Cultivate on the topic of IPM and biocontrols in the greenhouse. Michelle’s career path started with studying biology at Cornell University. After a brief stint in marine biology, she joined Costa’s R&D team eight years ago, eventually finding her way into managing the c…

Mari Carrasquillo, Vice President of Marketing and E-Commerce at Costa Farms, has more than 25 years of experience in creating brand strategies for companies such as Whirlpool, KitchenAid, and Food Saver. She joined the Costa Farms team in 2021 and currently focuses on developing and managing digital and e-commerce programs. Mari will be joining a …

Greenhouse Grower Senior Editor Julie Hullett recently caught up with Cheryl Wagner, who runs a small greenhouse business near Ann Arbor, Michigan. In addition to being a staple at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Cheryl also hosts an annual Art and Garden Show at her greenhouse, the most recent one taking place on May 5. The event allows local artisa…

In early February, Skagit Horticulture in Washington announced it would be shutting down within a couple of months. Then in early April, the news broke that Smith Gardens had stepped in to acquire a portion of Skagit’s operations. In this episode, we talk to Scott Crownover at Skagit and Eric Smith at Smith Gardens to learn more. https://www.greenh…

So far in 2024, we’ve seen too many large greenhouse operations shutting down, and while there are many reasons for this, one of the biggest is the lack of a succession plan or an exit strategy. In this episode, I’m joined by Chris Cimaglio, Managing Director of PivotPoint Business Solutions. Chris and his team specialize in helping growers build v…

Greenhouse Grower’s April issue features a heavy focus on perennials, from new varieties to production tips. We also addressed marketing trends, what consumers are looking for in new plants, and how growers and breeders are responding. In this episode, I sat down with Justin Wisniewski and Kris Smith at Aris Horticulture and Must Have Perennials to…

Doug Cole is the owner of D.S. Cole Growers, a young plant and finished plant grower based in Loudon, NH. The team at D.S. Cole is constantly on the hunt for what’s new, and the company also places a huge emphasis on certification for clean production, sustainability, and more. I caught up with Doug in the middle of a busy spring season, right befo…

Urban Buds City Grown Flowers is a St. Louis-based company that emerged from the shell of an abandoned greenhouse to become a favorite supplier of cut flowers in their community. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, I spoke with Mimo Davis, co-founder of Urban Buds, about her path from social work to floriculture, how the company emerged…

Plantpeddler in Cresco, IA, is one of the floriculture industry’s most innovative growing operations. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, we catch up with the Plantpeddler team to learn more about their variety trials, the importance of industry advocacy, and much more. Here’s our conversation.…

Metrolina Greenhouses is widely considered to be an industry leader not just in adopting new greenhouse technology, but in doing so for the right reasons. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, we catch up with Abe and Art Van Wingerden of Metrolina to learn why and how they take this approach, and much more. Here’s our conversation.…

Florida-based Costa Farms, the top grower on Greenhouse Grower’s Top 100 Growers list, kicked off the year in a big way with the acquisition of Battlefield Farms. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, we caught up with Joche Smith, CEO of Costa Farms, to learn why now was the best time to make a move like this, what else Costa Farms has p…

Hoffman Nursery in Rougemont, NC, has been growing ornamental and native grasses for more than 35 years. This week we had the chance to catch up with David Hoffman and Alex Stanley at Hoffman Nursery, right before the winter trade show season kicks off. We talked about what they’re most excited about for the coming year, and a lot more.…

As we wind down 2023 and plan for the coming year, Greenhouse Grower editors Brian Sparks and Julie Hullett reflect on their favorite moments from floriculture in 2023, and why they’re excited about the coming year.Oleh Greenhouse Grower

Jan Gulley is one of the owners of Gulley Greenhouse in Fort Collins, Colorado. Gulley Greenhouse is an innovative operation that pays close attention to consumer needs, as well as trends in new varieties. We recently talked to Jan about her love of plants, why continuing education is so important, and what’s next at Gulley Greenhouse.…

Brian Weesies manages summer field trials at Mast Young Plants. In this discussion, we talk about the importance of plant trials to other growers, brokers, and consumers, and the goals the Mast team sets each year.Oleh Greenhouse Grower

Just about everyone in the floriculture industry has met or worked with either Dr. Bridget Behe of Michigan State University or Dr. Terril Nell of American Floral Endowment at some point. Their paths have crossed at many points, and now they’ve each made the decision to step away from their long careers. While it seems like no one ever really “reti…

Abby Lange is a facility manager at Texas-based greenhouse tomato operation Village Farms Fresh. She started with Village Farms Fresh as an intern more than eight years ago while pursuing a degree in Plant Science. She now manages 20 acres of tomatoes, and her wide range of responsibilities include managing the greenhouse climate, prioritizing main…

Matt Foertmeyer of Foertmeyer and Sons in Ohio, and Denise Mullins of Smith Gardens in Washington were two of the 14 members of the inaugural HRI Leadership Academy. The academy was launched by AmericanHort and the Horticultural Research Institute in early 2022 and is designed to develop and foster the skills the green industry needs to perform bet…

During Greenhouse Grower’s Evening of Excellence event at Cultivate’23, we had the honor of presenting our Head Grower of the Year award to Drew Koschmann of Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan. You can learn more about Drew in the October issue of Greenhouse Grower, which should be hitting mailboxes around the beginning of the month. Please enjoy…

Jonathan Cude is a third-generation owner of Kansas-based Sedan Floral, one of Greenhouse Grower’s Top 100 growers. If there’s one thing you learn quickly when talking to Jonathan, it’s that when he’s confronted with a problem, he’s not one to sit around and wait for a solution to present itself. Whether it’s dealing with technology adoption or pla…

Kristine Lonergan is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Garden State Growers, which grows annuals, perennial, and houseplants across three locations in New Jersey. I recently caught up with Kristine to talk about lessons the company learned from the 2023 growing season, how they are planning for 2024, and why it’s important to get out in the…

In the first episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, we talked with Art Van Wingerden, one of the owners of Metrolina Greenhouses. This week, we’re talking to Art’s brother, Abe Van Wingerden, about why 2023 was a success for Metrolina and its customers, the power of data, and why it’s important to stick to your plan during tumultuous times. Here’s…

Art Van Wingerden is one of the owners of Metrolina Greenhouses, one of the nation’s largest greenhouse operations. Metrolina is a multi-generational family business that recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Art works with almost 60 contract growers from across the country, and manages growing operations for Metrolina. We talked to Art about M…