Hines Horticulture works to stage turnaround
Hines Horticulture, on the edge of financial default, still hopes to stage a comeback, according to TheReporter.com. Financial statements show the company's operating income has been negative for the past 12 months. In August, the company was suspended from the NASDAQ stock market when its share prices fell below $1 each, and then it was completely delisted from the exchange in October. Also in October, the company hired Miller Buckfire, a New York-based consulting firm that handles large-scale restructuring, mergers and acquisitions and debt refinancing. Jason Matsuura, director of corporate finance for Hines Horticulture Inc., told the paper he could not say what changes the turnaround firm had planned for Hines, but said it is looking at its options.

Wooden planters could hold emerald ash borer
Wooden planter boxes sold at Lowe's stores in Minnesota and across the U.S. could be harboring emerald ash borer, a pest responsible for destroying millions of trees in the Midwest, the Duluth News-Tribune reported. Minn. Dept. of Ag. asked consumers to check for wooden planter boxes labeled Nature's Own Planters, manufactured in Indiana by Lawson Products. The planters come from an area under federal quarantine for emerald ash borers. "We are asking people to either burn the planters or double-wrap them in 6-millimeter plastic bags and put them in the trash," said Geir Friisoe, plant protection division director for MDA, in a statement.

Watchers gear up for Backyard Bird Count
The Great Backyard Bird Count, led by Nat'l. Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, will take place Feb. 15-18. Participants will be counting birds in their immediate location and entering results at www.birdcount.org. "Each tally helps us learn more about how our North American birds are doing and what that says about the health and future of our environment," said Tom Bancroft, chief science officer for Audubon. "These volunteers are counting not only for fun, but for the future."

Quality time trumps gifts this Valentine's Day
Traditional gifts such as candy, flowers and jewelry will see a slight decrease in popularity this year with more consumers preferring gifts of experience and gift cards, according to Nat'l. Retail Federation's 2008 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey. Almost half of all consumers (48.2%) plan to celebrate with a special night out, compared to 45.3% last year, and 12.3% will give a gift card, compared to 11.3% last year. Nearly 48% will buy candy, 35.9% will buy flowers and 11.8% will buy clothing.

GCA to visit N.C.retailers this summer
Garden Centers of America will tour retailers in Raleigh, N.C., and the surrounding area June 22-25. Stops include DeWayne's Home & Garden Showplace, Fairview Greenhouses & Garden Center, Garden Supply Co., Homewood Nursery & Garden Center, L.A. Reynolds Garden Showcase and New Garden Landscaping & Nursery. Participants will also visit the JC Raulston Arboretum at N.C. State Univ., Monrovia Growers, Piedmont Carolina Nursery and Plant Delights Nursery. Early-bird registration deadline is June 6. Cost for GCA members is $550 per person; $750 for nonmembers.

More employers ditch group health coverage
Some small businesses are canceling group health insurance and choosing to give employees a monthly stipend toward the cost of individual policies, USA Today reported. Many of these same businesses are also depositing funds to pay part of employees' medical costs into tax-free accounts workers can tap. The shift is touted as a lower-cost way for employers to offer workers some kind of health coverage, while making smaller and more predictable financial contributions toward that coverage.

View from a blog
• A Gen Y horticulture fan has her say. Open Register
• Univ. of Md. is seeking funds for its "green" research farm. Project: Green Industry

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Learn to grow Echinacea purpurea 'Purity.' There's nothing boring about this white-flowered selection. Only on GreenBeam.com