Hines to sell color nurseries
Hines Hort. will sell its 4 color nursery facilities in the Northeast and certain assets in Miami, according to a company statement. In March Hines sold 168 acres in Vacaville, Calif., for approximately $16.9 million. The company's recent financial statement shows net sales for the first 6 months of 2006 at $211.8 million, down 12.1% from the same period in 2005. "Despite our efforts, our market share in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast has continued to deteriorate," said Rob Ferguson, Hines CEO. "More intense competition, significant pricing pressures and customer consolidations have all contributed to the decline in net sales in these regions."

California leads in nursery retail sales
California is the largest nursery retailing state, according to a report issued by Univ. of Calif.-Davis and Calif. Assoc. of Nurseries and Garden Centers. Lawn and garden retail sales totaled $9.86 billion in 2004, the most recent year for which figures are available. The state also leads in nursery production. Combined floral and nursery production totaled almost $3.66 billion. Nursery production generated 93,567 jobs in California; lawn and garden retailing added another 96,690 jobs.

Garden policy summit convenes in September
Drake Univ. Ag. Law Center will host the 1st National Summit on Garden Policy in Des Moines, Iowa, Sept. 7-8. Participants plan to establish principles for garden policy, which they hope will help people and public officials see gardening as a way to create better communities. "Everyone is equal when gardening," said summit organizer Neil D. Hamilton, director of Drake's ag. law center. "It provides people with a common way of communication and can be an entry point to many different civic discussions." Conference sessions will cover how gardening can contribute to good health, the importance of urban gardens, the future of gardening and school gardens.

Airlines change policies for travelers
Glee and Ian Baldwin Garden Center Tour attendees can keep up with ongoing security changes through the TSA (Transportation Security Admin.) Web site and its British equivalent, DFT (Dept. for Transport). Flights from the U.K. have more stringent policies, and travelers should expect secondary searches when boarding the plane.

Worth a visit
Retail consultant Robert Hendrickson suggests that garden center managers look to nontraditional sources for a retail boost. Only on GreenBeam.com.