Burpee and Heronswood Merge

Collectors of unusual garden plants are likely to find selections easier to obtain in coming years as a result of a recently announced merger between two giants in the mail-order plant industry and seed industry, respectively. Heronswood Nursery in Kingston, Washington, co-owned by Dan Hinkley and Robert Jones, is teaming up with W. Atlee Burpee & Company, headquartered in Warminster, Pennsylvania, to increase the availability of Heronswood's rare and unusual plant offerings to gardeners.

The merger of these internationally respected companies will afford the globe-trotting Hinkley more time to devote to plant exploration, evaluation, and breeding. Burpee, the first American seed company to sell seed coast-to-coast, will provide assistance with propagation and distribution of the specialized inventory of trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous perennials for which Heronswood is known. "This will allow us greater flexibility in evaluating the plants and getting sufficient numbers built up to offer to a broader audience," says Hinkley. Many of Heronswood's current offerings are the fruits of Hinkley's expeditions to a variety of sites in Asia, Central and South America, and North America.

For the legions of gardeners who have come to regard Heronswood's voluminous catalog as one of the rites of spring, Hinkley says there is no reason to worry about major changes. "We're going to continue to run the nursery here on our own as we always have. As far as the catalog and the breadth of offerings go, I don't think people will find noticeable differences," he says. "Ultimately, they will be more satisfied, because with the benefit of Burpee's expertise in retail sales and an expansion in production here, we'll be able to fulfill more orders."

What Hinkley envisions is a gradual streamlining of the Heronswood catalog. "We'll have the same mix that we've had thus far-strong in herbaceous perennials, along with a large listing of shrubs, trees, and grasses," he says. "Over time, there will probably be a reduction in the total number of plants we sell," he notes, "but the quality will improve."

"Robert and I are excited by this because it will allow us to relax and live our lives a little bit," notes Hinkley. "We've been so overwhelmed by the growth of the nursery in the last 10 years, and this agreement will allow us time to develop the nursery and display gardens here."

According to George Ball, Burpee's president and CEO, discussions with Heronswood on a cooperative arrangement have been in the works for a couple of years. He describes the relationship between the companies as symbiotic. "It's very much in the spirit of a partnership," he says.

Ball frames the merger as part of a back-to-the-future movement for Burpee, which will celebrate its 125th anniversary next year. "A company is constantly evolving," he says. "Burpee used to have a very extensive range of plants by mail-if you go back to 1880s, we were offering all kinds of transplants and bare-root plants."

Though some Heronswood plants-principally hellebores-are listed in Burpee's catalog this fall by prior arrangement, Ball stresses that both companies will be taking a slow and methodical approach to the merger and customers are unlikely to see immediate changes in either catalog.

The merger with Heronswood also expands Burpee's regional network of plant testing facilities. Currently Burpee has two trial farms in Delaware and access to testing facilities through subsidiaries in the Midwest and Southeast. "With the addition of a testing and growing area in the Northwest, we're developing a strong regional constellation," Ball says.

A Hull of An Idea

After 20 years of research, Brent Loy, plant biology professor at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, hit on something that could make a big splash in the lucrative world of snack food. Loy's pumpkins produce hull-less seeds that can be popped in an oven or microwave to become a delectable, bite-sized snack that is nearly 40 percent protein. The seeds contain no cholesterol, and their oil is highly unsaturated. "Consumer acceptance of the product is excellent," reports Loy.

The hull-less trait was first documented in 1934 in an Austrian publication, but Loy suspects it may have been known since the late 19th century. Early hull-less varieties did not appeal to gardeners, however, because they produced low yields and/or small seeds.

Loy's first release, 'Snackjack', was offered by several seed companies, including Harris Seeds and Stoke Seeds, last year. 'Snackjack' is a compact bush-type pumpkin, so it fits well into backyard vegetable gardens. The flesh of its attractive fruit is "pie quality," and each pumpkin produces between 500 and 600 seeds.

Loy continues to work on new varieties of hull-less pumpkins that are more resistant to fruit rot and produce still more and larger seed. "Although I expect 'Snackjack' to be popular among home gardeners because of its compact growth and attractive ornamental pumpkin," he explains, "some of my newer hybrids are geared more to the commercial industry." For commercial production, he is striving to develop a hull-less pumpkin that lends itself to mechanical harvest. Loy hopes to have another variety released within a year.

EPA Announces Chlorpyrifos Phase Out

Citing the protection of children's health, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in June its intent to phase out or eliminate certain uses of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos, a compound found in Dursban and many other popular home and garden pesticides. Chlorpyrifos is one of the most widely used organophosphate pesticides in the United States; currently, it is used on more than 40 different agricultural crops as well as in homes, office buildings, and schools, where its varied applications includes uses as a lawn and garden treatment, a termiticide, and in pet flea collars.

In August 1999, the EPA began a critical review of chlorpyrifos, as part of its effort to ensure that such older pesticides meet the tough safety standards established by the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), a law designed in large part to protect children from the toxic effects of pesticides. Based on its findings, the EPA determined that chlorpyrifos, which belongs to a group of organophosphate pesticides that can affect the functioning of the nervous system, poses a health hazard to children.

"This has been coming for a long time," says Scott Aker, head of integrated pest management at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. "The FQPA is forcing a re-examination of our old standby pesticides. We'll have to look for other options," he says.

Fred Whitford, coordinator of pesticide programs for Purdue University's cooperative extension service in West Lafayette, Indiana, is more dubious. "The EPA doesn't normally take products off the market due to misuse," he says. "Note that chlorpyrifos has only been taken away from public use-the one market lacking a strong voice to argue that this product is important to meeting its needs," he adds.

Under the agreement with the manufacturer, Dow AgroSciences, the production of chlorpyrifos for use in and around homes and other areas where children may be exposed will be gradually phased out. Retail sales of chlorpyrifos products in the United States will be allowed until December 31, 2001.

"The potential benefit is that a huge market could open up when smaller manufacturers see opportunities to market their pesticide products, particularly in soaps and oils. Right now there's only a handful of big players," says Whitford. Aker agrees. "Chlorpyrifos is in dozens of products, so this will have a fairly major effect on what we see on store shelves," he says. "It'll take some trial and error-and a smarter consumer-to find less toxic products that will be as effective."

Chlorpyrifos will remain available for various nonresidential uses, such as in ornamental nurseries, as well as for all crop uses in the United States except tomatoes. The agreement also includes restrictions in agricultural applications on apples and grapes, fruits regularly eaten by children.

For more information on chlorpyrifos, including a list of registered chemical alternatives, check the EPA's announcement on its Web site at www.epa.gov/pesticides.