Athens, GA |
The city might have changed since its last visit, but the energy was every bit the same at Georgia’s premiere trade show and conference for the green industry. With more than two hundred exhibitors packing the Classic Center, excitement was at an all-time high as the Southeast Green Conference returned to Athens for the first time in over fifteen years.
“When we left Athens in 2009, it was just because we outgrew the area. But now that they’ve done the expansion, we are so excited to be back. Athens really is a horticulture city,” said Lanie Riner. “We were actually able to add fifty additional booths, which is huge for our industry, and attendee registrations are really high. Everyone has just got a really excited, positive vibe about being back in Athens.”
Like any industry, horticulture is constantly evolving — which is exactly why an annual event like this one matters so much to the people who depend on it.
“Things are moving fast — technology, plant breeding, best practices. And then of course we have the other side of that with emerging pests and those types of things,” Riner said. “Showing up every year to stay up to date on the latest scientific information that UGA is putting out, or getting the best equipment for your business — all of those things you can find here, including the education. It’s just an amazing thing to come to each year.”
For Sonya Harrison, the advances in plant genetics on display this year were especially striking. “There’s a lot of new genetics going on — we can make plants smaller, bloom more, tighter. It’s just amazing what science can do with plants nowadays,” Harrison said.
As for what’s trending this year, gardeners appear to be steering toward a more natural look, with native plants and pollinator-friendly gardens leading the way.
“Natives are huge. People love pollinator gardens and anything that can attract hummingbirds, bees, butterflies,” Harrison said. “Lavender is huge too. People just want to make pollinator gardens and get back to their native roots.”
With gardeners of every skill level represented at the conference, one piece of advice for beginners stood out above the rest: success in the garden depends entirely on the care that’s put into it.
“People think that they can just buy these plants and not feed them or water them, and not do proper care — and that’s just not how it goes,” Harrison said. “If you want them to thrive and really pop and bloom for you in your garden, then you’ve got to feed and water the babies. The more you feed them, the more they’ll perform for you.”
With so many vendors, experts, and industry professionals on hand, the overall goal of the Southeast Green Conference remains the same year after year — bringing people together to strengthen an industry that continues to grow in importance across the state.
“I hope they make new connections and continue to grow. Our industry is ever growing — it is the fourth largest commodity in agriculture,” Riner said. “I really hope they continue to build those connections and grow their businesses.”