North Carolina now feeling watering woes
Officials in Raleigh, N.C., have banned outdoor watering, WRAL.com reported. Stage 1 restrictions prohibit watering by automatic or non-automatic spray irrigation systems, hose-end sprinklers and soaker hoses. The city has also stopped issuing lawn and landscape irrigation establishment permits. The Army Corps of Engineers has predicted that Falls Lake, the city's main reservoir, could run dry this summer. Garden retailers and landscapers are struggling to deal with the ban. Homewood Nursery recently e-mailed customers, encouraging them to contact city officials about the stringent restrictions.

NRF hails economic stimulus legislation
Nat'l. Retail Federation praised the Bush administration and Congress for the quick passage of an economic stimulus bill that will provide tax rebate checks for many Americans. "This is simple, targeted stimulus that will quickly put money into consumers' pockets where it can boost growth by creating demand through all sectors of the economy," said Steve Pfister, NRF sr. v.p. for gov't. relations. Questions remain whether consumers will actually spend rebates. Bloomberg.com reported on a survey by American Century Investments that showed 2 out of 3 Americans don't plan to spend their rebates. Others plan to use the money to pay on credit cards and outstanding loans.

Retailers gear up for IGCS
The Independent Garden Center Show is preparing for even bigger crowds at this year's event, Aug. 19-21 at Navy Pier in Chicago. Almost 5,000 buyers attended in 2007, and organizers are making plans to accommodate thousands of additional attendees this year. The show floor has been expanded with room for 429 exhibitors. Education sessions covering garden retail topics will be held throughout the 3-day event. A free concert by the rock band Kansas will be presented on opening night. Registration is $395 per person and includes access to the sales floor and all workshops and sessions. Garden Centers of America will host a pre-show tour of Chicago area garden centers Aug. 16. Cost is $140 per person. Retailers can register for both events on the IGC Web site.

Novalis expands grower network
The Novalis consortium added 7 companies to grow for the Novalis Plants That Work by Color program: Armstrong Growers, Beds & Borders Inc., Carolina Nurseries, Peace Tree Farms, Sunbelt Greenhouses, Tanasacre Nursery and Wenke Greenhouses. Also, Bailey Nurseries is now part of the program. It will grow shrub and perennial selections as well as offering breeding. The first plant from Bailey is Diervilla sessilifolia Cool Splash, which will be available in 2009-2010.

Clearing land for biofuels could aid warming
Clearing land to produce biofuels such as ethanol could exacerbate global warming, Washington Post reported. Independent analyses published in the journal Science found that clearing rainforests, grasslands, savannas and peatlands would create a "carbon debt" and actually increase global warming pollution. The findings could prompt policymakers to re-evaluate incentives for producing ethanol-based fuels.

Target tries larger, eco-friendly stores
Target will launch 2 store prototypes this year that are bigger and green certified, according to a report in the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal. The newly designed SuperTarget stores will be 186,000 square feet, about 12,000 square feet larger than existing locations. Eco-friendly features include low-flow fixtures in the restrooms, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that cut energy use 30 percent more than required by most cities and light fixtures that require two low-mercury bulbs instead of the typical four.

View from a blog
• The media is in a tizzy about the possibility of recession. Are we all upset over nothing? Open Register
• Colombia makes sustainable strides with its Florverde program. Project: Green Industry

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