Seal of Approval

Jennifer Polanz

A group of large nursery growers has created a consortium designed to extensively trial plants and provide a “seal of approval” of sorts based on six criteria. The program would be exclusive to independent garden centers.

The consortium, called Syn-RG, consists of Sheridan Nurseries (Georgetown, Ontario, Canada), Willoway Nurseries (Avon, Ohio), Saunders Brothers (Piney River, Virginia), Overdevest Nurseries (Bridgeton, New Jersey) and Prides Corner Farms (Lebanon, Connecticut).

Ed Overdevest explained the process at a reception at MANTS, and unveiled the “seal,” called Handpicked For You. It’s designed to go on plants that have undergone a three-year trial process and met all the criteria. The consortium has talked with major breeders and asked them for cooperation in trialing plants early before they get to the consumer level. “If a plant doesn’t pass muster, it won’t be certified,” Ed told the crowd. The idea is to target younger consumers who aren’t confident with gardening to ensure they are successful.

Plants start the first year in trials at the grower level at all the consortium partners. In Year 2, they are trialed again at the grower, as well as at the retail level. If the plant meets the requirements, in Year 3 it receives the certification of “Handpicked For You,” which can be included with existing tags and POP. It will not be a new brand, as several members of the consortium were quick to point out that it will complement existing brands.

The criteria for the certification are: duration of interest, hardiness, production performance and landscape value, disease and insect resistance, invasive tendencies and drought tolerance.

The target launch date is Spring 2017 and there are a few plants in the pipeline that have been selected to begin the trialing period, including a boxwood, a virtually sterile barberry and a double-blooming series of daylilies. GP