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“Allan is one of the greats in floriculture history. He made his mark in breeding and trialing new cultivars, and is known for his common-sense approach and fearlessness in expressing his opinions, which have done much to keep growers’ selections from detouring into short-term fads and dead ends. What sets Allan apart is his competitiveness and energy. He travels widely and gets out to see firsthand what is going on and is very knowledgeable. He is not only a professor of knowledge but also of ideas, and is visionary in his outlook. He trods where others fear to go.”
— Dick Meister, Chairman Emeritus and Editor-At-Large,
Meister Media Worldwide, Willoughby, Ohio
Allan was joined by his wife Susan, daughter Laura and grandchildren Mary Grace and Hampton at his retirement Open House June 19, 2013.
"It's not the recognition that keeps this man going. It's the sharing of his love of the dirt, flower and seeds. The stories he can tell to make a connection with these. It's the smiles, the jokes and the laughter that let my dad know that there's more to his legacy than happily ever after." — Excerpt from a poem by Laura Yarbrough, Allan's daughter, who spoke at his retirement reception at University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
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“Because of Dr. A’s zealous enthusiasm for plants, new and heirloom, I was intrigued from day one in our greenhouse management course. His classroom was never boring, but engaging with a combination of plant histories and modern greenhouse growing techniques. I have always admired his willingness to grow with the newest technology and trends. He encouraged me to think more seriously about my path while reminding me to have fun along the way.”
— Shanna Tomlinson, South Florida
Longtime GGÂ Editor Delilah Onofrey Says Goodbye
“Before the vegetative annuals revolution, Allan wrote about specialty annuals. He also introduced and popularized many of them. Many still think of Allan as ‘the perennials guy’ because he was an early proponent, but that was just one category of interest. When he sees potential, he contributes his time and talent to make it happen. He never says, ‘What’s in it for me?’ It’s more important to him that great ideas see the light of day and are nurtured. He is very generous and accessible, a popular speaker and writer, always learning and sharing. When you’re with Allan, good things follow.”
— Delilah Onofrey, director of Flower Power Marketing, Westlake, Ohio
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"I want to point out how dedicated Allan is and how much his students mean to him. He maintains relationships with them [after graduation], he encourages them and he pushes them. Some of them don't want to be pushed. But he does it for their own good. I appreciate not only what he does for the garden, but also his contribution year after year in the classroom." — Doug Bailey, Department Head, University of Georgia Horticulture Department, Athens, Ga.
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"Ten years ago I started volunteering at the Trial Gardens at UGA, never knowing that Dr. Allan Armitage would become a dear friend of mine. Under his leadership I have learned more about plants and people than in all my formal education. The Trial Gardens are the best because of him. He will be missed."
— B.J. Garrett, Master Gardener Volunteer at the University of Georgia Trial Gardens, Athens, Ga.
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"Because of Allan's love for perennials, this group has exploded onto the scene in the last 20 years and is still one of the fastest-growing categories in garden centers today. Allan is one of those responsible for bringing perennials to the attention of the gardening public. The dollar impact of some of the work he has done is immeasurable." — Steve Cofer, Cofer's Home and Garden, Athens, Ga.
Allan Armitage's Greatest Annuals And Perennials App
“All through Allan’s career, his love for plants has made a tremendous impact on the industry. His work in the Trial Gardens, introducing new plants into our market, and his many books and world tours, made gardening accessible and doable for all, from the uninitiated to the master gardener. His latest endeavor to bring information right to a person’s fingertips through his Armitage’s Greatest Perennials and Annuals app, is the next best thing to having Allan standing right next to you, feeding you all the information. This will help to revolutionize education and knowledge of plants, stimulate and inspire interest, and change buying trends.”
— June Croon, The Plantage, Mattituck, N.Y.
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“Allan’s students are like his kids and he continues to cultivate our minds like a well-tended garden. Allan is without question the undisputed champion of the herbaceous plant world. Allan’s work introducing so many new and exciting species and varieties of plants, his reference books, articles, innovative software and constant flow of ideas all make his work meaningful for generations of gardeners and horticultural professionals to come.”
— Vincent Simeone, author and director of Planting Fields Arboretum, Oyster Bay, N.Y.
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“I first met Dr. A when he visited our school, the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture Program in Niagara Falls, Canada, in 2010. He told us fascinating stories regarding the horticultural history of the how the famous poem In Flanders Fields popularity came to be, as well as his never-ending journey to find the specific species of bean referenced in Jack & the Beanstalk. I was immediately drawn to his excitement of wanting to share how plants have shaped the evolution of our society and his passion for relaying this information as if it were a really good campfire tale, making it a story you wanted to pass on to others. As a fellow gardener, I found this very inspiring.”
— Andrea Weddum, landscape designer,
Gelderman Landscaping Services, Waterdown, Ont.
Landscapes Are Driving Chinese Floriculture
"Allan has been an icon to me in the plant industry for the last 25 plus years. His knowledge and ability to teach and communicate on every level has inspired everyone he has met. I will always recall his stories using his daughter as and example and words to keep it simple. His ability to showcase new introductions at the UGA Gardens and share that information with the industry was a win-win on both sides. Everyone wants to hear what Dr. A thinks about a plant and how it will sell. The poems that Allan wrote at the end of every Garden Trip were incredible. They created fabulous memories of friends and places and laughter for the sheer joy of being a gardener and loving plants."
— Karen Root, fellow traveler, horticulturist and plant geek, Wilmington, N.C.
California Spring Trials 2013: Cascading Heucheras Are A Winner For Growers And Consumers
"Allan is always enthusiastic about whatever it is he takes on. He is a champion of our industry and a recognizable face that promotes what we really do – get great plants out to the public. Allan has also promoted the use of native plants and the native plant movement. He saw the value in promoting natives and realized this sometimes overlooked group of plants had great potential in the trade. He coined the word 'nativar' to add value and promote the best garden worthy native plant varieties. Allan has been a treasure to this industry and I wish him health and happiness in his 'retirement.' Knowing Allan, this is not a real retirement but the beginning of a new chapter in his illustrious career. I wish him all the best!" — Steve Castorani, owner, North Creek Nurseries, Landenberg, Pa.
Looking forward, marketing itself effectively will continue to be the biggest challenge the floriculture industry faces, according to Dr. Allan Armitage, professor emeritus of horticulture at the University of Georgia, where he taught for more than 30 years.
“We have to be more creative and market ourselves,” he says. “Until we get a national marketing program that everyone throws money into, we will not go anywhere. We need to promote the message that using our products is healthy and makes people feel better. We have to focus on the young people. We need to have a message for them – that they need plants, they need us – and it has to reach them on TV and social media.”
The garden of tomorrow is all about lifestyle and ease, and it doesn’t go much further than the deck. That means growers need to produce more lifestyle plants and “paint-by-number” combinations that customers can use to decorate their homes, Armitage says.
“Young people don’t want to put up with all of this,” he says. “They want to buy something and walk out of the store. There’s no time to do it themselves now, when they have to take their kids to soccer practices and baseball games. Families are much busier than they were 20 years ago and now, there truly is no time. If they want to make the house look nice, they hire a decorator. There are always going to be people who love to garden, but they’re in the minority now.”
To accomplish this and bring the industry forward to meet the challenges of selling to a younger demographic, Armitage says what we need are influential leaders to bring all of the different sectors together, and change the face and the perception of the floriculture industry. Who are the influential leaders who will bring us all together and lead the floriculture industry into the future to capture the attention of the next generation of consumers? Armitage says he wants to see big growers step up and be the change.
“Who is the pied piper out there? I think the leaders of today are the big growers,” he says. “As an industry, we have to do something together to tell people our message. The biggest issue now is who is going to do it? When I think of the leaders of yesterday, those who have brought this industry to where it is today, I think of people like Paul Ecke Jr., Glenn Goldsmith and Will Carlson. They took people by the shirttails and dragged them into modern horticulture. We can sit around and talk about them and some of these guys are still around. But the fact is, there are not a lot of vocal leaders in our industry anymore.”
Armitage has been an influential leader of the industry for many years. View the slideshow below to find out what some of the people he has impacted most had to say about him.
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Laura Drotleff is a former Editor for Greenhouse Grower.
See all author stories here.