Pike Nurseries assets divvied up
4 bidders will divide the assets of Pike Family Nurseries, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The company went on the auction block last Tuesday. California-based Armstrong Garden Centers bid nearly $5.2 million for a Pike store in Charlotte, N.C., the right to use the Pike Nursery name, plus other retail locations and inventory assets. Geo. Schofield Co. bid $1.2 million for 1 store and the hardscape inventory of 2 other stores. Skinner Nurseries bid $1 million for the inventory of 2 stores. Gary Pike, son of store founder William "Pete" Pike, bid $490,000 for the assets of 2 Pike stores.

Phytophthora ramorum retail protocol released
APHIS released its official regulatory protocol for retail nurseries infected with P. ramorum this winter. The document outlines investigation, quarantine and disinfection procedures. P. ramorum is the pathogen responsible for sudden oak death. Susceptible plants include all species, hybrids and cultivars of Rhododendron and Viburnum.

Consumers aren't waiting to file returns
Consumers eager for refunds checks were quick to file their taxes in February, a survey from Nat'l. Retail Federation showed. "With high gas prices, a sluggish housing market and low wage growth, consumers are in the middle of the perfect storm," said NRF president and CEO Tracy Mullin. "Americans who receive a tax refund will be anxiously awaiting those checks to buy necessities, pay down debt or indulge in something they had been putting off." The survey found that 61.2% of consumers filed their tax returns by the end of February. The remaining are expected to file in March (23.7%) and April (15.2%). Of those expecting a refund, 27 % will spend it on everyday expenses, 12.1% will treat themselves to a major purchase and 12.1%will take a vacation. Consumers will also pay down their debt (46.5% vs. 43.1% in 2007).

Home Depot reports profit drop
The housing slump is affecting Home Depot's bottom line, according to USA Today. The retailer's 4Q report showed net income dropped 27%. Sales are expected to decrease as much as 5% in 2008. The average customer transaction fell to $54.96 as consumers cut back on large purchases.

Publishers say young will embrace gardening
The under-35 set will breathe new life into gardening, the trade magazine Publishers Weekly reported. Interest in aesthetic improvements and a desire to grow their own food will prompt young consumers to take up trowels. Gardening information readily available on the Internet will help make the hobby more accessible to novices.

Calif. legislators may curb pesticide spraying
A bill recently introduced in the California State Assembly would require the governor to declare a state of emergency before pesticides could be sprayed over cities, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Concern over a pheromone sprayed to combat light brown apple moth (LBAM) prompted the legislation. LBAM is threatening nursery crops, particularly in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. If the legislation is passed it won't halt spraying planned for this summer. New measures would be enacted next year.

View from a blog
• Are veggies your key to Gen X and Y? Open Register
• While manufacturers and retailers push their environmentally friendly products, companies are having a hard time finding employees who are trained to fill "green jobs." Project: Green Industry

Worth a visit
Unless a grower or retailer truly creates a niche market, selling purely from any one sustainable category isn't commercially viable. So how does a retailer make selling multiple sustainable categories viable? Only on GreenBeam.com.