President's Letter: We need rain
Where were the April showers to bring the May flowers? Wow, has the weather has been dangerously dry lately. I was remiss in mentioning in last month's President's Letter that April is Water Conservation Month in Florida. As I look at the drought map, much of our state in the panhandle is under abnormally dry conditions, while in the peninsula much of the state is in severe drought. Many areas across the state are under local watering restrictions due to drought conditions. This underscored the importance of consistent and appropriate irrigation design standards for local and state officials to utilize. As I'm writing this, 14 million Floridians reside in areas of drought according to the drought monitor; this is over half of the state's residents. March was the 58th driest March on record since 1895, and the timeframe between January and March was the 42nd driest on record since 1895. We need rain.
Speaking of water.. Are you planning to install irrigation systems? Check out the new and improved Landscape Irrigation and Florida-Friendly Landscape Design Standards. These were improved standards your FNGLA Irrigation Committee was instrumental in developing with the help of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. These standards were implemented in May 2024.
Hats off to the FNGLA Royal Palm and Manasota chapters for hosting their First Annual Joint Chapter Clay Shooting Competition. The event was a success, and many thanks to the volunteer leadership of both chapters, along with the sponsors for putting together such a great event.
In late April, FNGLA Chief Executive Officer Tal Coley and I met with the Florida Irrigation Society (FIS) Executive Director Cheryl Harris and current FIS President Gail Huff. We met over lunch to discuss how the two associations can synergize together and reach a common goal of efficiently irrigating landscapes across the state, providing our customers and FNGLA members value. The meeting was great - and the first of many more to come.
And, speaking of what's to come: time is running out to book your hotel rooms for this year's FNGLA Annual Convention at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando. I'm looking forward to a great time and some karaoke.
FNGLA Annual Convention will take place June 19 - 21, 2025. Register to attend now.
As I said back in February, we must “stay anchored in our mission” and continue the pursuit of the association. Keep the Mission Statement of the Association in front of your mind and “always promote and protect the future of Florida’s nursery and landscape industry.”
Your FNGLA 2024-25 President,
Phillip Hisey
