Its Colder Inside the Ice Rink

2012-02-04T10:42:00.000-08:00

My son plays hockey. He's a goalie, the toughest position on the ice and the most nerve-wracking for a dad to watch. I have spend hundreds of nights inside cold ice rinks during the fall, winter and spring. In the winter we actually find warmth inside the rinks compared to normal temperatures in the teen or single digits outside. Not so this year.
The unseasonably mild winter in the Chicago area has made going into the cold rinks feel like it does in the late spring. Warm outside, cold inside the rink. It actually feels good coming back outside when the game is over and the mild winter air warms you up. Its upside down this year!

I have to believe the trees and other plants are experiencing the same thing. Many of us arborists are curious about the effects this mild, snowless winter is going to have on plants come spring. Has their dormancy been messed up? Will they break bud early (some witchazels have been blooming already) and if a late winter cold snap moves in will that cause dieback? We just don't know right now. It really is an awakening to Mother Nature and the fact that regardless of the effects on plants there is absolutely nothing we can do right now. Nature will take its course and we will be left with remedial work this spring and summer to help plants that are adversely impacted. If we don't get some snow or rain and the temps stay up I will be temped to get the hose out and water, especially my evergreen plants.
Its hockey playoff season, the march to the state finals played in the United Center. Usually I can't wait for spring but I feel like I am still waiting for winter.

ANLA Clinic High Energy in Louisville

2012-01-28T06:28:00.000-08:00

It was my first visit to the ANLA Clinic in Louisville. I owe a big thanks to American Nursery and Landscape Association's "event architect and Jill-of-all-trades" Kellee Magee. I can't even count how many trade shows and conferences I have attended over the years but this one is definitely different. Different in energy, flow and education. Different in an awesome, positive way. Social media seemed to take center stage and was integrated into nearly everything from discussions on how to start blogging to realtime voting for the 2012 plant introduction of the year. Set up in an American Idol theme, new plants for 2012 were introduced through a combination of stage shows, videos, music and all out ensemble performances. Plant Idol even saw an "appearance" of Her Majesty the Queen along with her newly wedded grandson. All of this streamed live across the Internet. It was this kind of creativity and energy that left me intrigued by the Clinic.

The nursery industry is hurting, we know that. It was refreshing to come to the Clinic and feel the energy of plant growers and garden centers who know that the game has changed but not gone away. I sensed they are forming a new game and with this sort of passion, a new nursery industry is beginning to emerge. It must.

OK so there wasn't much tree stuff going on, in fact, none. We partner, however, with nurseries and high quality garden centers are often outstanding sources of referrals for us. Our tree care clients want to know where to go to get quality plants and garden supplies. We refer them to our garden center partners. When we engage and partner we end up truly serving our clients.

ChicagoTreeMD

Its Colder Inside the Ice Rink

ANLA Clinic High Energy in Louisville