I Miss TPIE

David Liu
President
Foliage Design Systems
Orlando, Florida

Since I moved to the Orlando area about 12 years ago it seems that I keep missing the show and events at TPIE in spite of being almost there. I have meetings at local hotels and visit nurseries but last year the closest I got to the Convention Center was dropping my good friend Mike Lewis off before heading back up the Turnpike for some perceived priority. I actually dropped him off a block or two away such were the conditions of traffic. Later I learned that had I drove just a little closer, I would have seen several of my great, lifelong friends from this industry, (Blondie and Gary Bower amongst them) and that may have swayed my decision to stay just a little bit longer. Besides, the fish just where not biting back up in Orlando.

I miss TPIE. After skipping a couple of years, I can never seem to lay out a “design” as creatively as it should be. Wandering around TPIE with all the colors and plant varieties, new and old , helps me keep writing proposals for months to come. I love to visit old friends without whom I probably would have lost a good part of interest some time ago. I love the TOOLS! Pruners, sprayers you name it. Bill Lyon of Plant Tech can always be relied upon to come out with some new gadget. And although I will likely never need a potting machine or a Blue Comet 400,000 BTU gas heater I can stare at them until the salesperson thinks I am a good mark. New pesticides are perhaps my favorite thing as “not cool “ as that seems, and in particular the ones that reek havoc on mealy bugs, scales, mites, and gnats. Last year, Valent’s Safari and before that Tetrasan -- two of the most effective chemicals on the market for my money, and the environment is not at risk. Running concurrently with TPIE are some of the most meaningful educational tracts that our industry has to offer, and countless private affairs (can you say party?)!

The National Foliage Foundation will host its annual get together and you may be surprised to find out what important research has been funded and who in our industry over the years had been assisted by the Foundation’s scholarship program. Finally you never know who you’ll see at dinner at Mark’s Los Olas. This year I’m not going to miss it.