AARS
announces 2009 winners
All-America Rose Selections named its
2009 winners last week: Carefree Spirit, Pink
Promise and Cinco de Mayo. Carefree Spirit has a
mounding habit and produces deep-red flowers with white
accents. It was hybridized by Jacques Mouchotte and
introduced by Conard-Pyle Co. Pink Promise is a hybrid
tea with large pink flowers and dark-green foliage. A
percentage of sales will be donated to Nat.'l. Breast
Cancer Foundation. Pink Promise was hybridized by Jim
Coiner and introduced by Coiner Nursery. Cinco de Mayo
is a floribunda with lavender flowers and a hint of
rusty red-orange. It was hybridized by Tom Carruth and
introduced by Weeks Roses.
Atlanta will
continue outdoor watering ban
Atlanta will continue its
ban on outdoor watering despite the fact Ga. Gov. Sonny
Perdue approved loosening statewide restrictions. State
officials OK'd one 25-minute hand watering session per day. "We
are still in a Level 4 drought," said Atlanta Mayor Shirley
Franklin. "And we still are under an obligation to cut our use
10%. We can't allow outdoor watering and meet that goal." A
30-day exemption for new landscaping is still in effect, but
Atlanta will no longer exempt watering for lawn overseeding and
aeration. Franklin did announce that
pools will be exempted from the restrictions effective
immediately.
Human hair — the
ultimate weed control?
Forget cedar mulch, coconut fibers
and plastic disks. Recycled human hair is the cure for your weed
woes, according to Florida-based company
Smart Grow. The business uses recycled hair from the wig
industry, beauty parlors and barber shops to create weed barrier
mats. The fibers are 100 percent biodegradable and contain 15%
nitrogen and other micronutrients. Researchers at Univ. of Fla.
are testing the mats on tomato plants. Aaron Palmateer, assoc.
prof. of plant pathology, told ABC News that the tomatoes are
showing
increased yield. "We were really amazed. It's really
promising," he said.
Customer
satisfaction dropped in 4Q 2007
Customer satisfaction with goods
and services declined in the 4th quarter of 2007, according to a
report released by Univ. of Mich.
American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The index fell
to 74.9 on ACSI's 100-point scale, down 0.4% to its lowest score
of 2007. "Falling customer satisfaction has a dampening effect
on consumer demand, and household debt-to-income ratios affect
consumers' ability to spend," said Claes Fornell head of ACSI.
"Both are moving in the wrong direction, brewing up a double
whammy that may hit the economy hard."
BHG launches
Nature's Garden Web site
Better Homes & Gardens recently
launched
Nature's Garden, an interactive Web site where users can
discuss backyard flora and fauna. Other features include a
photo-sharing forum and discussion page.
Executives weigh in on presidential choices
While people in TX,
OH, VT and RI vote today in presidential primaries, corporate
executives have already voiced their opinions that the next
president should run the country like a business. In a
survey of 500 U.S. executives by global human resources
company Development Dimensions Int'l., the top responses
regarding the key attributes the U.S. president should have to
be successful are: courage to make major changes (51%), ability
to make things happen (41%) and skills to develop a strong
leadership team (32%). Respondents rated entrepreneurship,
executive presence and learning orientation as least important.
As important as they consider leadership to be for a president,
executives still said they would vote on candidates' positions
on issues (60%) before leadership traits and abilities (28%).
Hortanswers Web site serves Zones 4-6
A new Web site that
allows home gardeners and professional horticulturists to gain
information about plant pests, diseases, and performance in USDA
Hardiness Zones 4, 5 and 6 has been launched by Univ. of Ill.
Extension.
Hortanswers is designed to provide basic information about
the disease and pest problems of plants plus determine the right
plant for the right place in the garden, said Greg Stack,
Extension horticulture educator and one of the designers of the
site.
Consumers aren't
waiting to file returns
Consumers eager for
refunds checks were quick to file their taxes in February, a
survey from Nat'l. Retail Federation showed. "With high gas
prices, a sluggish housing market and low wage growth, consumers
are in the middle of the perfect storm," said NRF president and
CEO Tracy Mullin. "Americans who receive a tax refund will be
anxiously awaiting those checks to buy necessities, pay down
debt or indulge in something they had been putting off." The
survey found that 61.2% of consumers filed their tax returns by
the end of February. The remaining are expected to file in March
(23.7%) and April (15.2%). Of those expecting a refund, 27 %
will spend it on everyday expenses, 12.1% will treat themselves
to a major purchase and 12.1%will take a vacation. Consumers
will also pay down their debt (46.5% vs. 43.1% in 2007).
Home Depot
reports profit drop
The housing slump is affecting
Home Depot's bottom line, according to USA Today. The
retailer's 4Q report showed net income dropped 27%. Sales are
expected to decrease as much as 5% in 2008. The average customer
transaction fell to $54.96 as consumers cut back on large
purchases.
IPublishers say
young will embrace gardening
The
under-35 set will breathe new life into gardening, the trade
magazine Publishers Weekly reported. Interest in aesthetic
improvements and a desire to grow their own food will prompt
young consumers to take up trowels. Gardening information
readily available on the Internet will help make the hobby more
accessible to novices.
