Garden Center Magazine

Does your team know how to talk about pests, beneficial insects and product selection in ways that build trust with customers?

Drew Jeffers, horticulture agent and county coordinator at Clemson Extension, is taking the Garden Center Conference & Expo stage this August in Nashville with a practical, step-by-step system designed for garden center employees to confidently diagnose plant issues brought in by customers.

Drew will cover how to ask the right questions, rule out common problems and recommend safe, effective solutions without overprescribing treatments or relying on guesswork. He'll also will share easy-to-understand IPM principles, customer communication strategies and real-world examples from extension fieldwork.

Takeaways include how to borrow successful models from extension programs to train your team, reduce customer returns and establish your business as a trusted source of plant care knowledge.

Register at the link below and add Drew's IPM retail staff toolkit session to your show schedule!

https://www.gardencenterconference.com/

Red Ninja hosta won the Plant of the Year Award at the RHS - Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show 2026.

“Of all the plants, this is the one I would most want to add to a collection,” one judge said. Others praised its distinct color and overall appeal.

Touted as the world’s first truly red hosta, Red Ninja is available exclusively in the Bloomin' Easy Plants brand in North America through a licensing partnership with Concept Plants and Pioneer Gardens.

“The hype around Red Ninja is unlike anything we’ve experienced,” said Bloomin’ Easy President DeVonne Friesen. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring such a rare and remarkable introduction to Bloomin’ Easy brand partners across North America. And no, it’s not AI.”

Bred by Danish plant breeder Ninja Kramer, Red Ninja was developed as a full-plant mutation of Hosta ‘First Blush’.

Red Ninja availability in North America will be very limited for the first few years as supply catches up with global demand.

Read more about Red Ninja and the other winners and runner-ups at Chelsea here:

https://www.gardencentermag.com/news/red-ninja-plant-of-the-year-2026-chelsea-flower-show/