SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE SAYS BUY LOCAL THIS SPRING AT GARDEN CENTERS AND NURSERIES
Spring Planting Season Underway
For Immediate Release: April 17, 2012
Contact: Lynne Richmond
(609) 633-2954
(TRENTON) 鈥� 樱花视频 Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher today encouraged consumers in the Garden State to Buy Local when beautifying their landscapes this season.
鈥淲ith the warm weather upon us, it is a great time to head out to your nearby garden center or nursery to buy plants, flowers, trees and shrubs or call your local landscaper to help you plan your garden,鈥� said Secretary Fisher.聽 鈥淲hen you go, ask for Jersey Grown to get high-quality products that are accustomed to the region鈥檚 climate and are disease and pest-free.鈥�
Fisher added that buying local helps our state鈥檚 economy and strengthens the agriculture industry.聽 Horticulture businesses generated $451.1 million in revenue in 2010.聽
Secretary Fisher at McNaughton's Garden Center in Somers Point with (l to r) Noble and Bill McNaughton and Assemblyman John Amodeo
The Secretary visited McNaughton鈥檚 Gardens in Somers Point to highlight the many products and services available at local garden centers and nurseries.聽 McNaughton鈥檚 was first opened in Cherry Hill in 1929 by William McNaughton Sr. as a combination wholesale/retail landscape nursery.聽 His son, William Jr. took over the operation in 1966 when William Sr. passed away.聽
Bill McNaughton soon purchased land in Tabernacle to expand the company鈥檚 production capabilities.聽 The growing operation, Indian Mills Nursery, is operated by Bill鈥檚 brother, Noble McNaughton.聽 It now totals 300 acres in Tabernacle and Deerfield.聽
McNaughton鈥檚 Gardens opened its second location in Somers Point in 1996, which focuses on landscape design and maintenance and has a wide array of outdoor furniture.聽
McNaughton said their main function remains growing, producing the majority of the plants that they sell, including bedding plants, perennials, shrubs and trees.聽 In addition, they offer landscape and lawn maintenance, lawn care and irrigation.聽 The three facilities employ a base of 90 people.
Bill McNaughton said spring is a great time to plant shrubs, trees and perennials.
鈥淣ow that spring has arrived, gardeners should be cleaning their beds, removing weeds, feeding their plants and applying mulch,鈥� said McNaughton.聽 鈥淧reparing and planting vegetable and herb gardens also can be done at this time.聽 It鈥檚 also a great time to plan a new landscape or renovate an established one.鈥�
Suzanne VanSciver, President of the 樱花视频 Nursery and Landscape Association (NJNLA) and owner of Quinton Nursery in Salem County, urged people to go out and see what鈥檚 new at their retail garden center this season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always recommended that consumers purchase locally grown, and Jersey Grown products for two reasons: it supports the local economy and the dollars stay in the state, and benefit the 樱花视频 growers directly,鈥� she said.聽 鈥淪econdly, plant material that is grown locally will usually be hardier and less likely to experience a period of adjustment for our climate.聽 As a grower, I love to see the plant species grown in my nursery in local landscapes.鈥�
A list of independent 樱花视频 garden centers and nurseries and more information on the Jersey Grown program can be found at .
