For me, this is what we need. We need to talk; we need to meet; we need to get off Zoom; and we need to travel. We need to believe in who we are, what we do, and realize we are essential. We need to remember that the disruptions in supply chains, the shortages of materials and labor, and the price increases have all been here before, and we have not gone away. We do not even have to understand the underlying financial markets in China, Taiwan, or the Americas, it does not matter. We simply need to get on with it, and smile at each other. It is really not that difficult.

We need to get over hoarding, not worry about politics, and for goodness sake, we need to appreciate the business we are in. You could be in a Nike factory in China inspecting laces.

So, what did I do in 2021? Whenever possible, I attended gatherings like California Summer Trials and Cultivate and took the pulse of those who were able to travel in pandemic time. I hated the travel, but I loved hearing the positive vibes from almost every attendee. In November, I finally starting talking to groups again about our products in person. In December, I got off my butt and spoke to my local garden centers about forcing paper-whites and amaryllis. This does not seem like much, but variants have made doing a lot more a little scary.

And yes, once I got out and shook hands, bumped fists, drank a beer, and drooled over the latest and greatest in programs and plants, I saw halls full of optimism and became even more convinced that this is exactly what we need.

It was like magic, an elixir that no doctor could prescribe.

What we need more than ever is to get on with it and thank our lucky stars we are in this business.

Great New Plants Coming in 2022

I can lead the charge to greatness all day, but we also need to lead the charge to great plants for my daughters and neighbors. When you read this, I will not have had time to share my favorites from MANTS (I will do that next month), but here are a few plants that should shine in 2022.

Dwarf crepes: The plant world has dwarfified, and the movement to dwarf crepe myrtles is gaining speed.

Click here for more information.

Photo by Katya Austin on Unsplash