Valentine’s Day is important to lovers. Mother’s Day is important to mothers. But to whom are Earth Day and Arbor Day important? Earth Day and Arbor Day should be important to all of us in the floriculture industry, and especially important to those of us who promote the plant and garden products that add environmental benefits to the earth.

During the ribbon cutting ceremony on March 25 at the World Floral Expo in Rosemont, IL, Harrison (Red) Kennicott, chief executive officer of Kennicott Bros. Co. in Chicago, pointed out an interesting twist of fate.

United Supermarkets opened the flagship of its next-generation United stores March 5 in Amarillo, TX. The 55,000-square-foot store features a totally new design, according to a news release. United has been operating stores in Amarillo since 1971.

“This is our first United location which reflects our new brand strategy,” said Monica Schierbaum, senior director of marketing for United Supermarkets in Lubbock, TX. “It is a bold statement and truly represents the United Supermarkets brand and what we stand for.”

The first day of spring was officially ushered in March 20, but outside my office window there remain more than 18 inches of snow blanketing dormant grass. This cruel winter season unfortunately refuses to release its grasp on the northern parts of the United States. Meanwhile, on the West Coast, hot weather and lack of rainfall continue to challenge flower growers.

Cinco de Mayo continues to be a magnet for avocado sales -- led by guacamole -- as sales in 2013 jumped almost 25 percent over already-robust sales in 2012.

"This is a big holiday for avocados, and it keeps getting bigger," said Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of the Hass Avocado Board, based in Irvine, CA.

But make no mistake about it. Despite its Hispanic name and Mexican origin, this is an American holiday.

There are many factors to be considered in selecting a strawberry variety for planting. Certainly yield per acre is an important consideration, for at today’s high input costs, low yields would make almost any farming venture economically unsustainable. Shelf life is also important, particularly for a strawberry crop grow in California for customers on the East Coast.

But at Santa Cruz Berry Farming Co. LLC, the first criterion is flavor, according to Fritz Koontz, managing partner.