Due to insufficient numbers, Costa Farms is unable to release the popular plant in 2022.

Costa Farms has announced that the popular Monstera ‘Thai Constellation’ is not going to be commercially available this year. The company has posted the following notice on its website and social media:

Here at Costa Farms, we know you’re excited about Monstera ‘Thai Constellation’ — and we are, too. We also know that so many of you are sad about the fact that it’s still not commercially available since we unveiled it at TPIE, an industry trade show, in 2020. The fact that we haven’t been able to release it for you has made our team equally sad. Ultimately, we can’t release it into the marketplace until we have sufficient numbers. Unfortunately, Thai Constellation has some quirks that are preventing us from producing the tens of thousands of baby plants we need from tissue culture. Now as we start 2022, we can no longer give a release date for Thai Constellation. When we announced it in 2020, our research and development team’s early trials looked promising. But we still need to solve for this issue of scale. We know many of you will be sad to read this—and we are sad too. We want you to know our growers are still working on solving these challenges and we will provide an update once we can more confidently do so. In the meantime, we will be offering 200 of our oldest mother plants to some of our retailer partners and donating the sales of these plants to charities that support local communities. Stay tuned—we’ll be providing more details in the next few days about which stores these 200 Thai Constellation plants will be available in.

For updates and more information, please see Costa Farms' website: costafarms.com

Participants can fill out brackets until March 6, and the contest runs until March 31.

It’s year nine for Shrub Madness, the thrilling contest that pits shrub-against-shrub in a fierce single-elimination tournament where 64 Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs compete in a no-holds-barred battle for the chance to be crowned shrub champion.

Shrub Madness brackets are now open in prediction mode until March 6. Players can create an account and fill out a bracket with their predictions as to which shrubs will win each faceoff to the final round.

Participants are eligible for month-long plant drawings, and at the end of Shrub Madness, four players are randomly selected to win a collection of the top four Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs standing.

Finally, the player with the bracket prediction closest to the final results will win a grand prize pack that includes the coveted top four plant pack, plus a plant geek swag bag that includes a $250 gift card from Corona Tools, plus the red carpet rolls out as a deluxe trip for two to Spring Meadow Nursery’s beautiful 20-acre trial and display garden in Grand Haven, Michigan is added to the grand prize.

The contest runs in prediction mode from March 1-6. To cast votes during the plant matchups and be eligible for end-of-round random prize drawings, players can register for an account on the Shrub Madness website now and any time until the last round of the competition.

From March 7-31, 2022, players can visit ShrubMadness.com to vote and send plants through to the next round of the competition. Registration is not necessary to vote in the competition, but only those registered can win plants and the grand prize. A new account must be created each year to play.

Join the Madness; who knows who will reign supreme and go home with this year’s spectacular grand prize?

Robin Sailor joins Bailey Nurseries as a territory sales representative in the Upper Midwest.

Bailey Nurseries is excited to announce Robin Sailor has joined the Bailey sales team as a territory sales representative. In this position, Sailor will partner with customers in southeast Minnesota, southwest Wisconsin, eastern Iowa and Missouri as Chuck Meyer, the current Bailey sales representative, transitions into retirement.

Before joining Bailey, Sailor worked in landscape design, retail nursery sales and garden center sales for over 20 years. “Robin brings to Bailey customers a wealth of experience in garden center retail and landscape design,” shares Dan Bailey, sales manager for Bailey. “She has worked for several Bailey customers during her career, so she joins our team with great familiarity of our products and services.”

An avid gardener, Sailor has spent her career involved with community garden outreach, as well as teaching and advocating for food security. “I am excited to be part of the Bailey team. I can remember unloading my first trailer over 20 years ago, feeling like a kid in a candy store,” adds Sailor. “I am looking forward to learning and sharing along the way.”

Applications are being accepted between March 1 and Sept. 2, 2022.

The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) will award more than $25,000 in scholarships for the 2022-2023 school year. These scholarships are made possible by nine endowed funds that aid students seeking a career in horticulture. HRI and its donor firms consider graduating students in horticulture to be the lifeblood of the green industry. Applications are due no later than Sept. 2, 2022.

• The Timothy S. and Palmer W. Bigelow Jr. Scholarship is awarded to a student who is a resident of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island or Vermont.

• The Usrey Family Scholarship is awarded to a student attending a school in California.

• The Bryan A. Champion Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student attending a school in Ohio.

• The Susie & Bruce Usrey Scholarship is awarded to a student attending a school in California.

• The Spring Meadow Scholarship is awarded to students who are interested in a career in woody plant propagation, production or breeding.

• The Mugget Scholarship is awarded to a student who plans to work in any aspect of the horticultural industry.

• The Carville M. Akehurst Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student who is a resident of Maryland, Virginia or West Virginia.

• The Gunter Mecking Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student who plans to work in any aspect of the horticultural industry.

• The Wright Family of Alabama Scholarship is awarded to a student who plans to work in the horticultural industry, with preference given to Alabama students pursuing greenhouse careers.

Learn more about scholarship requirements and the application process here. 

The not-for-profit has named Chris Sabbarese executive director and Virginia Sabbarese director of operations.

Garden Communicators International has selected Infusion Management Services, LLC (IMS) to manage the member-driven, not-for-profit organization. Chris Sabbarese is the new executive director of GardenComm. Virginia Sabbarese is the new director of operations. Chris Sabbarese has already served GardenComm as a longtime Allied Member, sponsor and former regional director.

"I look forward to helping develop strategies and organizational direction to broaden GardenComm's reach and brand relevance," Chris said. He has an extensive professional background in business and marketing. He has more than 12 years experience in the green industry and has been a GardenComm member since 2010.

"GardenComm is like no other organization in the green industry," Chris said. "They are knowledgeable and experienced horticultural professionals who effectively communicate the importance of what we do. They rally millions of engaged gardeners to get outside and enjoy their outdoor space. With their direct connection to the consumer and the brands who make the products they use, GardenComm members can effectively drive demand for their brands. I'm looking forward to helping the organization to strengthen the brand and broadening their reach in the green industry."

The GardenComm board voted unanimously to accept IMS' proposal, said Maria Zampini, president of GardenComm. "Chris brings a firm understanding of the organization, both as an engaged member and as an Allied member, which will bring new perspectives on how to grow the organization to become the communications hub for the green industry," she said.

Virginia Sabbarese will focus on supporting GardenComm operations, events, and member services. An experienced professional, she has worked in various administrative and financial management roles for Fortune 100 and 400 companies.

"She excels at analyzing procedures and developing methods to manage them efficiently and cost effectively," Zampini said. "Virginia's attention to detail will ensure that GardenComm's member support and daily functions of the organization will be effectively managed."

IMS replaces Kellen Company. "After six years, GardenComm's board decided it was time for a change," Zampini said. "I look forward to working with Chris and Virginia as we develop exciting new programs to introduce this year that will build GardenComm's momentum and carry us into our 75th year and beyond."