Nicholas Staddon, Company Spokesperson and Plantsman, Everde Growers USA - 13 December 2023

“An insider view from the horticultural industry of America: practices, trends and challenges.”
Originally from England, Nicholas Staddon is a passionate plant lover and has spent nearly three decades in the US horticulture industry most recently as Company Spokesperson for Everde Growers. Everde is a major player with 6700 acres in production over 15 farms growing 33 million plants and 5000 varieties a year. Previously Nicholas worked with Monrovia for 25 years as Director of their New Plants Program where he worked closely with breeders, hybridizers, and professional plant explorers to create new plant varieties for the nursery sector: adjusting pest and disease resistance, care requirements, size, flower and foliage production etc. Nicholas’s roles mean that no one is better placed to give us an inside view of the nursery sector in America. He talks to us about Everde’s operations, its new plant introduction program and some of the breeders it works with around the world. He discusses current plant trends and cultural shifts in America. He also talks about some of the planting restrictions and water issues California is facing at the current time and the University of California Landscape Irrigation Trials. He suggests some good plant choices for the Southwestern region of America and other low water gardening areas. To cap his presentation off he shares his recommended book and magazine list.