Oct 20, 2017

Southern Plant Conference Speakers Announced

The Southern Nursery Association (SNA) has announced final details of The 15^th Southern Plant Conference to be held in conjunction with The SNA Conference, co-locating with the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) in 2018. Both events will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center with The SNA Conference preceding MANTS on Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 8-9, 2018. MANTS will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 10 to Friday, Jan. 12.

Twelve top plant experts from across the country, the Channel Islands and the Netherlands, will share their knowledge and expertise during this two-day conference. The lineup includes:

• Shannon Currey, Director of Sales – Hoffman Nursery, Rougemont, NC

A New Perspective with Green Infrastructure

• Raymond J. Evison, OBE – The Guernsey Clematis Nursery Ltd and Raymond J. Evison Ltd, Guernsey, Channel Islands, GB

Clematis for Today’s Gardens

• Heidi Hesselein, Vice President – Pleasant Run Nursery, Allentown, NJ

New and Classic Ornamentals for Eastern Landscapes

• Hayes Jackson, Regional Extension Agent – Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, Anniston, AL and Director – Longleaf Botanical Gardens, Anniston, AL

Pushing the Limits to Expand Your Plant Palette

• Mark Krautman, Owner – Heritage Seedling, Salem, OR

Opportunities to Unite Plant Geeks and Conservationists

• Brent Markus, Owner – Rare Tree Nursery, Silverton, OR

Conifers and Maples from the West Coast to the East Coast

• Bill McLaughlin, Curator of Plants – U.S. Botanic Garden, Washington, D.C.

Beyond Echinacea: Native Plants Awaiting our Attention, Breeding and Selection

• Dr. Richard Olsen, Director – U.S. National Arboretum, Washington, D.C.

The Legacy of Plants and People and the Future of New Plants

• Kim Shearer, Tree and Shrub Breeder and Manager of New Plant Development Program – The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL

Chicagoland Grows a Greener World

• Rupert Spaargaren – W.J. Spaargaren, BV, Boskoop, Holland

European Trends Can Change the Nursery Industry

• Angela Treadwell-Palmer, Co-Owner – Plants Nouveau, West Newbury, MA

The Challenges of Bringing New Plants to Market

• Paul Westervelt, Annual & Perennial Production Manager – Saunders Brothers Nursery, Piney River, VA

The New Perennial Movement and Why It Matters

For more information, visit www.sna.org.