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Maria Zampini photo
Maria Zampini
President, UpShoot LLC

On the Road Again

October 2 – 3
Nashville, TN
New Music City Center 
Tennessee Green
Industry Expo

Maria’s Work
in Words
Garden Center Magazine

Garden Center Magazine
Retail Ponderings: More
Than Mums and Pumpkins 

Nursery Management magazine 
Nursery Management
Profitable Partnerships

HGTV Home Plant Collection Logo
KNOW HOW! Blog

Maria is now a regular contributor to the hgtvhomeplants.com blog. Click on “Know How!”

UpShoot is our name, NEW is our game!

newvarieties SHOWCASE

New Plants that is! And one of the first places we debut new plant introductions each year is the New Varieties Showcase at the Farwest Show in Portland, Oregon. New Varieties entrants are also featured in the August issue of OAN’s The Digger Magazine.

This year is no exception as two plants we represent are featured NVS submissions including Marleys Pink Parasol Japanese Snowbell and Lo-Hugger American Cranberry.

And Our Retailers Choice Winners Are…

The Gardencenter GroupThese two plants also took home Retailers Choice Awards from The Garden Center Group! Danny Summers, Sid Raisch and a group of local retailers selected the show’s best and hottest new products for retail!

Marleys Pink Parasol is a weeping Styrax that will fit in smaller landscape areas and patio containers.  It has larger, glossier leaves as well as delicate, cotton candy scented flowers.

Marleys Pink™ Japanese Snowbell

Download the sales flyer and press release here for Marleys Pink Japanese Snowbell.

A selected native, Lo-Hugger is an American Cranberry with a fast growing habit. This edible evergreen groundcover produces red berries along side dark green foliage which turns deep burgundy in the winter months.

Lo-Hugger American Cranberry
For a list of liner and finished product growers for these two winning plants, along with detailed plant profiles and photo albums, please consult upshoothort.com.

Squash

Summer Squash Sharing

Each year the garden has zucchini but this time we tried Tri-color Squash (and more) courtesy of Renee’s Garden Seeds.

Renee's Garden Seeds

Here is one of my most favorite ways to share a bountiful harvest of zukes!

Zucchini Nibbles
4 small unpeeled zukes, sliced thin (3 cups)
1 cup Original Bisquick
1 med onion, chopped finely (½ cup)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup vegetable oil
2 T chopped fresh parsley
½ t salt
½ t seasoned salt
½ t oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
4 eggs, slightly beaten

Stir all ingredients until blended. Spread in greased rectangular pan. Bake 25 minutes until golden brown at 350 degrees.

Zucchini Nibbles

Zucchini Nibbles are great hot or cold. Enjoy!

Garden Writers Association

A Month of Firsts!

GWA booth

August 8-11th was the 66th GWA Annual Symposium in Pittsburgh, PA. It marked several first’s for UpShoot and me personally including:

• It was the first time UpShoot was an exhibitor!

Maria and Kelly Norris

• I was privileged to present the new plant talk titled “Garden Plants for Success” with my “gardening brother,” Kelly Norris, author and Horticulture Manager of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.

Gardenpedia

• My upcoming book with co-author Pam Bennett of The Ohio State University was formally announced! Our publisher, St. Lynn’s Press debuted “Garden-pedia: An A to Z Guide to Gardening Terms”during the exhibition period.

• Next year’s symposium will be in LA! I look forward to John Bartram (aka Kirk Brown) gracing our booth with his presence again!

John Bartram
Maria, John and Dawn

Starbucks

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

While not a regular coffee drinker, I will admit I do like to treat myself to the occasional white hot mocha from Starbucks. The extra kick of caffeine helps keep this energizer bunny going on her hectic travel schedule.
Starbucks coffee
I noticed at my local Starbucks they package and give away their coffee grounds to gardeners as one of their recycling efforts. Coffee grounds make a great addition to your soil or compost pile!

Coffee grounds from Starbucks

Additionally I recently gained an interesting Instagram follower; takeoutyourgarden.com.  They promote reusing your paper and plastic cups as terrariums and seed starting pots.
Terrarium

What a great way to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

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