From Editor Matt McClellan: Light a spark

I met Joe Bartonek last January at a hip Baltimore speakeasy. We’re talking about the sort of place you need to know a password to enter. After 13 years of MANTS receptions, any new location is exciting, and this was a cool one. Joe serves the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association as a member of the board of directors. I’m not sure how involved he was in setting up the event itself, but by all accounts, he discovered the venue. After a conversation over a well-made Old Fashioned, I was sure we needed to write a story about Barton Nurseries.

When I told Joe I’d be in New Jersey to visit several growers and that I’d love to tour the nursery and do an interview, he made the time to show me around, even though he was shooting engagement photos that same day. I didn’t get to meet Joe’s fiancée (although I heard she makes a killer Shepherd’s pie), but I did get to meet Rhodie, short for Rhododendron — another adorable nursery dog.

Joe’s a second-generation nurseryman who is determined to continue the success of the business his father founded. To do that, he knows he’s going to have to adapt to the challenges of today’s world. Find out how in this month’s cover story.

We have a new series starting this month called LEAP Forward that will focus on innovations in nursery automation. The LEAP team includes researchers and professors from seven universities and the USDA. They’ve been working with growers to understand how automation can help address labor issues. The word LEAP in this case is an acronym for the topics you can expect to read about: Labor, Efficiency, Automation and Production. Check out their introductory column.

This month also includes our Spring Survival Guide, with information to help you get through the busiest season of the year. For 2026, we have articles giving you a heads-up on large-scale weather trends and giving you a gentle reminder that you can take steps to prevent skin cancer. We also preview the current state of logistics industry, and whether you can expect any shipping struggles this year.

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Did you already break any New Year's resolutions? Let me know at the email address below.