Administrative Advisor - Dewayne Ingram (Univ. Kentucky)

Call to order:

Donna Fare called the meeting to order during the evening of 7/26/00. Donna and Richard Beeson explained the agenda for the meeting and procedures for travel during the meetings.

Election of officers:

Bill Klingamen was nominated by Allen Owings to fill the open executive committee seat for 2001. It was explained that the executive committee member becomes the secretary for the following year and eventually the chairman of the committee in the third year. Current officers and executive committee consists of Donna Fare (chair person), Mike Arnold (secretary), and Gary Knox (executive committee member). The motion was modified to nominate Mike Arnold as chairman, Gary Knox as secretary, and Bill Klingamen as executive committee member. The nominations were seconded by Ken Tilt. Nominations were closed and the slate of officers for 2001 were elected unanimously.

Departmental Reports:

Auburn University: Ken Tilt indicated that the university was switching to a semester system from a quarter system, but little change was expected this year in positions.

University of Arkansas: John Lindstrom provided handouts on the status of plants in his trials. He announced that they had hired a new department head, David Hensley, and a new home landscape position, James Cole.

University of Florida: Richard Beeson indicated that the department was in good shape, but in a bit of a state of flux with multiple new or refilled positions available, particularly in the landscape areas.

University of Kentucky: Win Dunwell indicated that they were recruiting for a landscape research and teaching position. Win suggested that a permanent director for the arboretum was needed and that Bob McNeal was considering retirement. Win commended Dewayne Ingram on his efforts in establishing the HortCouncil as a political advocate for the Department of Horticulture.

Louisiana State University: Ed Bush announced that the Horticulture and Horticulture Extension departments were merging at LSU. They are currently looking for a new department head, but otherwise had no changes in positions. They asked to announce that Jeff Kenney was looking for a graduate student. The Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association have funded an extension assistant position to help out Allen Owings.

Mississippi State University: Patricia Knight indicated that they were up to about three acres of trial gardens at the Poplarville station. She announced that their department head, Dr. Richard Mulonax, had retired. Two positions were open at the Coastal Experiment Station and two more were planned.

University of Tennessee: Bill Klingamen indicated that the department was in a severe state of flux with eight open positions. Terri Starman was leaving for a position at Texas A&M University and Don Williams, Will Witte, John Day and Don Calhoun had all retired or will retire soon. An extension specialist was hired.

Texas A&M University: The TAMU Horticulture Gardens have grown to about 6 acres of developed area, with 40 or more acres available for expansion. The gardens had recently taken over the All-America Trials from campus grounds, but no support moneys had been provided. Mike Arnold announced that Terri Starman was hired for the teaching / research floriculture position and that their department head, Dr. Sam Cotner, had announced his intention to retire next summer (2001).

USDA McMinnville Station: Donna Fare indicated that the ornamentals entomologist had left for another location and that an opening for the position was available at Tennessee State University. The station was looking for state funding for two more positions at the station, an agricultural economist and a soil scientist. The National Arboretum was looking for floriculture and tissue culture positions. John Hammon was appointed the new research leader.

Update on 2001 meeting in Texas:

It was agreed to meet on June 14 and 15 in College Station, TX. Mike had previously distributed a preliminary information sheet to the group via email (see attachment). Yucca Do Nursery, Peckerwood Gardens, and the original Antique Rose Emporium were suggested as possible tour sites.

Old Business:

Dewayne Ingram urged that the group document their productivity to a greater extent. He suggested that the group find ways to hold each other more accountable. He suggested the development of factsheets on each trialed taxon and further utilization / development of the groups' website.

Win Dunwell updated the group on his presentation on the groups' activities at a mini-symposium held at the Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Science Meetings last winter in Lexington, KY. Win took the lead on development of a manuscript based on the talk for submission to the symposium proceedings in HortTechnology. Win distributed draft copies of the manuscript, entitled "Plant Evaluation Program: SERA/IEG-27: Nursery Crops and Landscape Systems" and asked us to review it for changes for the next morning. Mike Arnold pointed out that Turnera ulmifolia L. was not included for 1999 in the list.

The meeting was adjourned for the night and resumed at 8:00 am on the following morning 7/27/00.

The meeting resumed with a discussion of the Plant Evaluation Committee's activities and the group website which was maintained by Bernice from Ken Tilt's group at Auburn University. Copies of the distributor information form were distributed for discussion and it was suggested that the plant sponsor include when to take the data and any traits to be evaluated. Sponsors are to send in a photo or image of the trialed taxon for use on the website. Data can be retrieved by contacting Bernice. Gary Knox suggested a PDF file so that it could be done on-line. It was agreed to change the responsibility for solicitation of data collection by cooperators from the plant evaluation chair to the sponsor of the plant. Ken suggested submitting large data files directly to the evaluators if the trial contained numerous reps and/or species within the trial group.

Ken explained the website and provided a handout of the general layout. Gary Knox suggested the addition of state of the evaluator / cooperators.

It was agreed to place the minutes of the meetings on the website.

Everyone agreed to send a distributor list with future distributions.

Plants were to be coded with the two letter postal code for the state, two digit year of distribution, and two or more digit taxa distribution number for the plant from the sponsor. For instance Tom Ranney's lone distribution for 1996, Cornus mas 'Spring Glow' would receive plant number NC9601.

Garry Knox moved that each sponsor provide a 1-page summary for their plants' performance. Donna Fare seconded the motion and the motion carried.

New Business:

John Lindstrom provided handouts on a proposed fall 2000 evalation plant Cercis canadensis 'AR2000-7' for Jerald Klingamen who could not be in attendance. John made a motion that it be evaluated. Allen Owings seconded the motion and it was approved.

John Lindstrom made a motion to evaluate Condradina canescens 'SPH' in 2001. Patricia Knight seconded the motion and it was approved by a voice vote.

John Lindstrom made a motion to evaluate Stachys cocinea in 2001. Garry Knox seconded the motion and it was approved by a voice vote.

Garry Knox made a motion to evaluate Michellia skinneriana in fall 2000. John Ruter seconded the motion and it was approved by a voice vote.

Garry Knox made a motion to evaluate Magnolia x (Gresham Hybrid) 'JonJon' in 2001. Allen Owings seconded the motion and it was approved by a voice vote.

Allen Owings made a motion to evaluate Lagerstroemia indica 'Tight Wad' in 2001. Gary Knox seconded the motion and it was approved by a voice vote.

Mike Arnold made a motion to evaluate Ulmus parvifolia (unnamed weeping form) in 2001. Gary Knox seconded the motion and it was approved by a voice vote.

Aimee Coker from Flowerwood Nursery, Bushnell, FL, presented a talk on their Encore Plants program. She mentioned that they required 40,000 units for a minimum offering and 100,000 units if plants were in a promotion.

Mike Arnold suggested developing target actions for the group to document productivity. Win Dunwell's HortTechnology manuscript was cited as an example of the type of activities needed. Allen suggested year-end reports by each sponsor on their plants under review. Dewayne Ingram suggested a summary report upon lapse of the termination date for each taxon evaluated. It was suggested that each sponsor be responsible for writing up an article for the Southern Nursery Association Research Conference Proceedings for a taxon after its evaluation period is complete. Patricia Knight suggested displaying the plant at the SNA show after its evaluation if its performance was good. Ed Bush brought up concerns about policies on controlled plants.

A discussion was held concerning submission of a grant to the J. Frank Schmidt Foundation to support the groups' efforts. Win Dunwell volunteered to take the lead in the effort.

Garry Knox asked about attendance of non-members and made a motion that the host institution be allowed to invite guests. The motion was seconded by Patricia Knight and approved by voice vote.

Ken Tilt suggested Flip Album and Flip CD maker as a photo managing program from FlipAlbum.com. Ken commented that the free ware Flip View was much less useful.

Call To Adjourn:

Donna called for additional agenda items and nobody responded, so she called for a motion to adjourn. John Ruter so motioned, Gary Knox seconded the motion, and the motion carried.

The group then toured the Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, Florida.