Interest in greenlife is on the rise
Well, it really was a delight to go to a conference after a couple of years of not going anywhere. The International Plant Propagators Society celebrated its 50th anniversary at their conference held at the Fairmont Resort in Leura, which was where their first conference was held. Slowly borders are opening and events are happening. Catching up with friends and colleagues from different businesses was a highlight for many.
I was asked to speak at their conference about changing and recurring trends. While researching for my presentation, I was happy to discover that the current trend in interest in both indoor and outdoor plants, and horticulture generally, is on the rise. We have all seen the social media posts on various platforms and we have young people to thank for this rising interest. The more they post images of their green beauties, the better it is for our industry all-round. Online sales have risen and the concerns young people have about their health and wellbeing, and the environment, is also contributing to growth in plant sales and plant accessories.
On another note, I think we have scored some bragging rights from the conference as well, as both our publisher Gabe Mostafa and regular contributor Daniel Austin received awards. I was so proud of both of them as they both support the industry in many ways. Gabe has sponsored IPPS conferences and other sectors since Hort Journal Australia began by advertising and covering the event. And, as you would know, Dan writes monthly articles on behalf of the propagators and his articles are very well received. I always receive positive feedback about them. Congratulations Gabe and Dan, it is lovely to see you both get the recognition you deserve.
For those nurseries that have been affected by natural disasters perhaps the rising interest in the environment will see improvements to infrastructure that will include more green cover and spaces. Michael Casey, President of the Australian Institute of Horticulture and regular contributor to the journal, was recently invited by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) to be on a technical panel to assist with the World Green Cities Awards. Michael has been involved with green infrastructure for some time now and sees enormous benefits for our community. We will be hearing a lot more from Michael on this topic.
Education is the theme of this issue. Green infrastructure is a topic well suited to our industry and more training in this area can only benefit everyone in the community, not just the horticultural industry.
Enjoy the read.
Karen Smith and your Hort Journal Team