Last week, our Vice President Lyndsi Oestmann attended the Gold Key meeting for all Proven Winners® Gold Key Growers. The meeting takes place over two days at Spring Meadow’s facility in Grand Haven, Michigan where all of the top growers from across the country and Europe come together to learn about research and development at Spring Meadow, learn of new varieties for 2020 that Gold Key Growers get access to a full year early, are educated on Spring Meadow’s marketing efforts, and get to hear from various speakers.
Spring Meadow’s facility (above).
A Gold Key Grower
Loma Vista Nursery is honored and privileged to be a part of such a distinguished group of growers. In order to be a Gold Key Grower of Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs, a grower must meet certain quality standards and grow a certain number of Proven Winners® plants. You can learn more what it means to be a Gold Key grower HERE. A main part of the Gold Key meeting is getting to visit trial gardens of new plants Proven Winners is working on. The Gold Key Growers are handed flags and get to put their flags into plants they think are worthy of being a Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs in the future. This input helps them choose which plants to brand and sell in the future.
Flags placed in an unnamed, but popular, hydrangea trial (above).
Two Days of Michigan Bliss
One of the best parts of the trip for Lyndsi is to meet all of the top growers from around the country and Europe. “A lot of great networking and idea sharing goes on at the two-day meeting,” Lyndsi says. “I’m able to get tips that will better Loma Vista Nursery, and in return, I am also to share the amazing things we are doing at our nursery to help inspire other growers.” Not only does Lyndsi enjoy the networking, learning about the new varieties, and everything else that goes on at the Gold Key Growers meeting, but Lyndsi also enjoys visiting Michigan. “Grand Haven is beautiful in the summer,” she says. Lyndsi flew up Monday, and while there, she visited an awesome locally owned book store called The Bookman, picked up a copy of The Immoralist by Chloe Benjamin and enjoyed a relaxing happy hour. Although she enjoyed the peace and quiet away from her family, she missed them by the second night and was excited to go home and see them.
Megan, one of the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs’ breeders/geneticists talking about some new hydrangeas.
The Importance of Trial Gardens
Loma Vista Nursery is continually trying to bring our customers the best plants, and in order to do so, we make sure to visit multiple trial gardens and other nurseries to make sure we are offering the best genetics to our customer and to make sure we are staying at the forefront of new trends, potential issues, new ideas, etc. We are always trying to improve our operations and our products for our customers.
Tim, another Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs breeder/geneticist, discussing a lilac landscape trial.
Again, we are so honored and privileged to be a Gold Key Grower of Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs. Not only are their plants beautiful, but we know they are hardy and stand the test of time. Check out some photos below of new Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs that Loma Vista Nursery will be carrying soon! To read more about our involvement with Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs, check out our website page about it HERE.
Legend of the Fall® Fothergilla Available NEXT YEAR.
Oso Easy® Double Pink NOW AVAILABLE at Loma Vista Nursery
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