I may not know what day of the week it is, but I do know it’s Earth Day. And this year, it seems that Earth Day is really taking on a whole new meaning. Despite it being the 50^th anniversary of the first Earth Day, it’s also amazing how this Earth Day is quite unlike any other over the 50-year history. For example, last week there were 287,700 flights globally. Compare that to a year ago for the same week (740,900 flights) and that’s a 61% reduction in flights (and carbon emissions into the upper atmosphere). Even more shocking, there has been a 68% reduction in global oil use when comparing last week with the same week a year ago.

What’s been the result? Well, a lot bluer skies across much of the globe. But also a lot more people staying at home. I contacted Green Industry friends across the globe (Europe/Scandinavia, East Asia, South America, Central America, Australia and Russia)—the fact is that in areas where garden centers (or similar) are open business is uniformly booming. Where there are strict stay-at-home orders that have closed Green Industry businesses, people are suffering tremendously. There's no grey area—it’s literally white or black.

Oddly enough, that’s been the crux of Earth Day since the beginning.

Anyone who thinks they know what's going to happen moving forward with regard to COVID-19, in my opinion, is a fool. There’s just not enough data.

One thing is certain: there are two polar opposite viewpoints when it comes to resuming regularly scheduled programming. States like Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas are quickly moving to at least reopen their economies partially. An argument can be made that some states easing into reopening the economy, in a specific region of the U.S., will afford epidemiologists and economists a better understanding of how a broader relaxing of restrictions could play out over a larger geographic area.

On the opposite side, minus a few notable state/municipality exceptions in the U.S., an argument could be made that, overall, the Green Industry in the U.S. has been spared much of the complete economic devastation seen in other sectors of the economy. Does the Green Industry want to risk a scenario where a "second wave" causes states to take even more drastic actions that could result in closure of Green Industry firms? It's something that certainly worries me as a University of Georgia faculty member who cares deeply about the growers I serve. Public perception is reality these days and we’ve been lucky to have public perception largely on our side. I hope it stays that way.

Kudos to the National Association of Landscape Professionals for their efforts to construct and maintain a COVID-19 resources website specifically for landscape contractors. It’s no small task trying to keep up with changing mandates, news releases, etc., but NALP has certainly done Yeomen’s work in attempting to keep up.

It has several categories including Financial Resources, Webinars/Podcasts, a listing of State Orders, and a comprehensive news feed. One thing I found very helpful, in particular, is their information on Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Loans program.

The National Accociation of Landscape Professionals Student Career Days Virtual Event was certianly a first and as such they should be commended for blazing the trail that so many others will follow in the future.

Speaking of NALP, I also wanted to commend them on putting together the NALP Student Career Days Virtual Event. They put it all in place in less than two weeks, which is lightning fast given the fact that they blazed a trail that no other Green Industry group had done. NALP has also made the content available through the end of June. You (being anyone, although students are strongly encouraged) can both register and access the vast array of webinars and other content here. 

Thanks to my colleague over at Inside Grower, Jennifer Polanz, for this bit of news I lifted from her amazing newsletter:

Trade shows and industry events continue to change their formats to meet the new challenges of COVID-19, and AmericanHort is the latest to announce a new format for its flagship tradeshow Cultivate. It will transition to Cultivate’20 Virtual, a 100% online event the week of July 13.

“Although it will be different from the face-to-face interaction we experience at Cultivate, attendees can still find much-needed resources and be able to engage with the new products, new varieties and top-notch industry education to help their business and organization perform better and improve,” says Ken Fisher, AmericanHort President & CEO.

The event will include a 3-D digital tradeshow where exhibitors and attendees can share information, view video presentations, chat live and make connections. More than 50 live educational sessions will be offered and attendees can even go to the HRI online Garden Party, an event to socialize and show appreciation for the work of HRI supporters and researchers. The town hall will still take place virtually, and there will be roundtable discussion groups and other opportunities for online networking.

Best of all, the Expo-Only pass will be free for everyone, and the All-Access Education Pass will be free to AmericanHort members and discounted for non-members.

“We’ve all had to learn to be innovative and adapt our business practices to this challenging environment,” says Susie Raker-Zimmerman, chairwoman of the AmericanHort board of directors and vice president of Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants. “I’m excited to be part of an online option that allows our industry to connect with peers and continue to maintain a sense of community.”

You can find out more at www.CultivateVirtual.org.

Just yesterday, I was visiting one of my mentors (Carol Seadale—an amazing lady and literary scholar) from Angel Creek Nursery (Watkinsville, Georgia) who pointed out a proposed cultivar of Ulmus crassifolia. It made me remember the fact that when (long ago) I lived in East Texas, cedar elm was one of the best trees in that east Texas to midlands region, especially in mid-summer when it got dry.

Native to the region, the species does well from Zones 6 to 10 and doesn’t seem to give a rip what the soil type or pH is. It just produces a tight canopy on a ball that remains a solid green for the season.

Even better, the cultivars Mourning Cloak and Question Mark seem to perform as good nesting and forage species for butterflies. Nope, there aren't a lot of cultivars out there, but you should certainly gain some pollinator habitat should you plant these species (or cultivars) out. Establishment should occur with relative ease.

Whether you're a landscape contractor or grower, does it seem like you’re on a bit of an island these days? For many folks, communication seems a little hit-and-miss, as so many of us are trying to communicate in non-traditional formats. That’s especially true for us in Cooperative Extension, being that most university faculty and county agents/faculty are working from home and not actively engaging with growers and landscape contractors like we typically do.

Enter Dr. Mengmeng Gu at Texas A&M University, who decided to provide a new forum for folks to do a little learning and a little chatting with university faculty regarding questions and/or concerns they may be having. Their first "Chat with Green Aggies" will occur on April 23, 2020 (tomorrow) at 12:30 p.m. Central. You can register here for the webinar—and registration is limited to 500 persons so register soon.

Topics will include thrips on landscape roses, a new edible landscape tree, chinch bugs on St. Augustine grass, and soil microbes benefiting plant health. These short presentations will be followed by an open discussion.

FYI—the Texas A&M Crew plans on doing it again on April 30, so contact Dr. Gu if you want info on that webinar.

Not to be outdone, yours truly and my University of Georgia colleagues in Agricultural Economics, Entomology, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science will also be hosting a webinar on May 1, 2020 at noon Eastern (no registration needed—just click to enter).

The webinar, titled "Lunch with the UGA Ornamentals Team," has a format that’s a little different than the Texas A&M format, in that it's an open Q&A. Bring your questions on pesticide/herbicide choice, new plants, what’s that pest?, etc. and we can play stump the chumps—horticulture style. Sure to be full of sarcasm and laughs (because I'm the MC), I hope you can join us.

Please note that the meeting is at noon Eastern, so in true southern style you're allowed to have an adult beverage at the beginning of the meeting. Those in more western time zones are allowed to be heathens, if they so choose. You Europeans will certainly just be hitting your stride, so please liven the scene up. Note that the meeting is limited to 500, so log in as close to the start time as possible (I open the meeting up at 11:50 a.m. Eastern).

Oftentimes, I can’t say it any better. That’s why I hand it over to those who know the words. Please share it … embrace it … and enjoy the show in its entirety.

"I’d like to start with a song that I just wrote. Showed it to him and he said he liked it."

Turn off the news. Build a garden.

Please excuse the expletive—and just remember to love one another. We’re not going anywhere without one another.