Wilsonville, Oregon – The 2016 Farwest Show, August 25-27 in Portland, Oregon, is calling for entries for this year's New Varieties Showcase. A mainstay favorite every year on the show fl oor, the New Varieties Showcase features the industry's premier marketplace introductions for 2016 and 2017. Farwest will be accepting applications for inclusion in the Showcase through March 31, 2016.
As in years past, eligible plants include trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses and bamboo, ground covers, wetland and aquatic plants, vines, bulbs and annuals. Breeders, licensors, and growers are invited to submit their best and brightest new plants to be sold in 2016/17. All entries must be available for purchase and order from one or more of the exhibitors in this year's Farwest Show. A team of retailers, landscape designers, and growers will evaluate the varieties for the Judge's Choice Awards. Visitors to the Showcase will select their favorites for the People's Choice Awards. Top picks and merit awards will be announced at the show.
At Farwest 2015, 49 plants from 17 companies from all corners of North America and the Netherlands were presented. Winner of the Judge's Choice Award was Clematis 'New Love', introduced by Concept Plants. Top pick for the People's Choice Award went to First Editions® Ruffl ed Red Magic® Crape Myrtle, introduced by Bailey Nurseries, Inc. A complete review of all 2015 entries and winners can be seen at: http://farwestshow.com/nvs.shtml
Farwest is now accepting entries for the 2016 Showcase. Entries will be evaluated for characteristics such as new color, better manners, increasingly compact shape, extended seasonal interest, and improved landscape and production performance. For questions, contact Crystal Cady, at 503-582-2006 and ccady@oan.org. Complete details and entry submission form can be found at: http://farwestshow.com/nvs.shtml
"We're expecting another outstanding New Varieties Showcase at this year's show," said Crystal Cady, event and member services manager at the Oregon Association of Nurseries, producers of the Farwest Show. "Everyone looks to see what's in the Showcase. It's one of the industry's leading forecasters of what growers, landscapers, retailers, and, ultimately, gardeners will be asking for in the coming years."
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The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), based in Wilsonville, represents more than 800 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon's ornamental horticulture industry is one of the state's largest agricultural commodity, with annual sales of $830 million. Oregon's nursery industry is a traded sector; nearly 80 percent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state. For information, visit www.oan.org or call 503-682-5089.
The Farwest Show, the largest green industry show in the West, is produced by the OAN, a trade organization that represents and serves the interests of the ornamental horticulture industry. Any revenue realized by the OAN is reinvested into the industry through education, research, marketing support and government relations. For more information about the 2016 Farwest Show, visit www.FarwestShow.com or call 503-682-5089.
CONTACTS: Allan Niemi, Director of Events, Oregon Association of Nurseries, aniemi@oan.org or 503-582-2005 Tom Kegley, Tom Kegley Communications, tkegley@rev.net or 843-991-4366
Source: The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN)