NewGen™ Boxwood on display at Saunders Brothers Nursery.
Gift bags for Field Day attendees.
Piney River, VA – On an unseasonably warm October day, NewGen™ welcomed many of our new licensees to Saunders Brother’s Nursery for our first annual NewGen™ Boxwood Field Day. Joining the NewGen™ and Saunders Brothers team were 12 attendees from 9 different nurseries, along with several researchers and industry professionals.
The day was jam packed with a combination of technical talks on the latest boxwood research, tours of both field and container production, information talks about the NewGen™ program, and lots of fun. The Field Day provided an opportunity for licensees to connect with one another, and for us at NewGen™ and Saunders Brothers to learn more about the team we are working with to launch the brand.
Robert Saunders giving a technical talk on the Phytosanitary practices used at Saunders Brothers Nursery.
Licensees learned effective methods of producing the plants while getting to see them in a traditional production set-up. Most attendees will be receiving liners this fall or next spring, with the expectation of selling finished material the following year. The Field Day gave visitors a chance to get a sneak preview of what’s to come in the NewGen™ program.
Bennett Saunders enjoying a tour of the container nursery.
A Saunders Brothers taking attendees on a tour through the field nursery.
Several of the technical talks highlighted Best Management Practices regarding growing cleaner boxwood. Dr. Chuan Hong from Virginia Tech spoke on his latest research projects on boxwood blight, including his exciting findings for using mulch as a preventative against this pernicious disease. Robert Saunders discussed the phytosanitary practices put into affect at Saunders Brothers Nursery, which are aimed at producing cleaner boxwood. Other talks included more details about the program and how we plan to share our story with the industry.
A beautiful evening for a BBQ.
Saunders Brothers employees Amy and Adrienne enjoying the evening.
Paul and Tatum Saunders with employee Margarito enjoying the dinner festivities.
We capped off the night enjoying delicious local BBQ, bluegrass music, and fantastic mountain views at the home of Bennett and Lynn Saunders. The Field Day offered an exciting opportunity to network and learn more about the essential group of nurseries, joining our partner growers to launch the NewGen™ brand.
A beautiful sunset to finish off a fulfilling day.
Plants will be for sale starting in 2020. Check out our ‘Partners’ page for more details on where you can find NewGen™ plants. We will continue to update this page as more licensees have plants for sale.
NewGen™ sample plants on display during presentations.