Fueling the Future of Horticulture

The Rocky Mountains provided a picturesque backdrop for the 43rd Annual National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC) at Colorado State University last week. NCLC is an annual three-day event that brings together landscape and horticulture students, industry leaders, and many of the top businesses in horticulture. John, Jill, and David Hoffman attended this year and had a fantastic time meeting and catching up with students and professionals alike.

Again this year, Hoffman Nursery sponsored the Annual & Perennial Plant Identification competition. The event tests students’ knowledge and speed, tasking them with identifying annual and perennial plants in a limited amount of time. During the competition, 50 live plants are placed around a room, allowing the students to examine. Participants had 55 seconds to identify and write each plant’s scientific and common name correctly. “We had a great group of over 100 enthusiastic students who were ready for the challenge,” John Hoffman said. “It’s always a fun and exciting time.” Molly Roy from American River College in Sacramento, CA placed first in this year’s competition.

Hoffman Nursery’s involvement in NCLC extends beyond the Annual & Perennial Plant Identification competition. It begins months earlier. We give a boost to local programs at Alamance Community College, University of Mt. Olive, and Sandhills Community College by hosting workdays at the nursery. Students help with landscape tasks and earn funding for travel to the NCLC. We are very proud of the students who participate in the competition. And we are happy to have a hand in fueling the future of horticulture.

Check out photos from this year’s event below. To see even more of the action from NCLC, search the hashtag #NALPNCLC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.