December 28, 2018

Plant of the Week: Brandywine™ Viburnum



I can't believe it is the last full week of 2018! You wouldn't know it is the middle of winter here in Michigan...temps are supposed to get up to the low-50s today. Makes for a nice trip into work. I'll take as many easy winter commutes as I can get, because I know we'll make up for it with plenty of white-knuckle drives in January and February.

It looks like Jane is already looking forward to next fall with her plant of the week post. But like she says, the winter months are a great time for garden planning.

I hope you have had a wonderful holiday thus far, and that your New Year is festive and safe.

See you in 2019.

- Natalie 


More than just fall beauty.

Viburnum nudum is a native viburnum and has a lot to offer besides its elegant good looks.

The time for Brandywine™ Viburnum is more typically fall, when the glossy foliage turns burgundy and the abundant berries transform to pink, blue and purple. But now is a good time to think about making room for this lovely plant in your landscape planning. It's hardy to USDA Zone 5 and grows 5-6' tall and wide. Site it in full sun or partial shade.

We initially selected Brandywine™ as a pollinator for one of our favorite plants, 'Winterthur'. Like many plants, Viburnum typically needs another selection of Viburnum nearby in order to fruit. Some require a plant of the same species, others are more open-minded.

Brandywine™ is unusual in that it fruits well without a pollinator, making it a good choice for places where there isn't room for several plants.

This is a good plant for moist to even boggy sites. Wildlife enjoys its fruit, and the Spring Azure butterfly may choose it as a host plant.

Like other Viburnum, it isn't especially tasty to deer although it isn't as deer-resistant as V. dentatum or maybe V. carlesii.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

December 20, 2018

Plant of the Week: Arctic Sun® Cornus

The holidays are upon us! This week Jane writes about plants that light up the landscape in winter. While color is always a welcome sight in the landscape, I also love the plants that shed their color in winter but continue to stand tall, adding form and interest to a snow covered garden - holding a promise of things to come:



Wishing you a peaceful and happy holiday season.

- Natalie 



Let's add some color to winter!

This is the longest week of the year, and not just because kids are counting down the days to Christmas break. It's dark - the shortest day length of the year is this week. These short days, especially in northern areas, seem to go by at a snail's pace.

When there is daylight, you should be able to enjoy some color in the garden, and I don't mean holiday decorations. There's no better plant for winter color than the redtwig dogwood.

Arctic Sun® Cornus sanguinea has bright red, orange and yellow stems that enliven the landscape with or without snow. The fall foliage (right) is nice, too.

It's a compact (3-5') plant that's a good fit for most landscapes. Largely trouble-free, Arctic Sun® works well as a hedge or in rain and cutting gardens. It can stabilize banks, too. C. sanguinea has OK deer resistance but isn't quite as good as C. sericea. Still, it's a really useful plant that's hardy to USDA Zone 4 and grows in full sun or part shade.

When it's dark and dreary we need some color to keep things moving. Ancient cultures, particularly in northern latitudes, knew this. They all came up with a reason for a big party around the winter solstice, and that party typically included some evergreens and fire. And when their cultures changed, they kept the light going with Christmas trees and candles.

We still need evergreens and other color in winter. Red twig dogwood is an obvious choice; Physocarpus and Heptacodium are more subtle options for winter interest. Berries are great, too - Viburnum, Callicarpa and Ilex verticillata have lots of personality in colder months.

A bonfire is a fun way to include that traditional fire element into your midwinter celebration, but if that's not in the cards maybe a flaming desert like cherries jubilee can be arranged. That would surely make you popular at your holiday dinner!

Have a wonderful holiday!

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

December 13, 2018

Plant of the Week: Flying Machine™ Forsythia


This week Jane brings you Flying Machine™, a very special forsythia that comes to us from Dr. Kyung Ku Shim of South Korea. Its enormous flowers of deep, true golden-yellow fall from the branches intact, resulting in a doubly dramatic display: the first when it blooms, the second when its fallen blossoms carpet the ground, landing face up every time!

This is a brand new variety that won't come to retail until 2020, but if you're a garden writer with space for it and would like to give it a trial, let me know in the comments below!

- Natalie


Come fly with me!

We're right in the middle of the holiday season. There are parties and presents and prodigious amounts of food. So I'm sure that the first thing on your mind is Forsythia.

Maybe not. But we're almost to an important date for any of you planning to visit (or be visited by) loved ones this December: the first flight.

Wright Brothers National Memorial
at Kitty Hawk
December 17 is the 115th anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic flight in Kitty Hawk, NC. Think of them while you're huddled in Economy class fighting your neighbor for the armrest and waiting for that tiny package of pretzels like it's a Godiva chocolate. Wilbur and Orville had it rougher - they got no snacks and ultimately crashed their plane that day.

To celebrate the first flight I bring you Flying Machine™ Forsythia. It's a whimsical name for a fun version of the garden staple.

Flying Machine™ Forsythia

Very large (1"+) flowers are quite showy on the plant and then provide additional entertainment as they helicopter to the ground in one piece to create a stunning yellow carpet at the base of the plant.

Flying Machine™ Forsythia
Hardy to USDA Zone 6, Flying Machine™ Forsythia gets 5-8' tall and will grow in full sun or partial shade.

The Wright brothers didn't invent the helicopter (that came sometime later), but their invention surely inspired its development. After all, they proved that we could fly.

Now you know two pieces of trivia to share with that know-it-all uncle at the next family holiday gathering!



Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

December 7, 2018

Plant of the Week: Anna's Magic Ball® Thuja


Maybe it's the holidays, but Jane's Plant of the Week has a special place in my heart because its name reminds me of family.

My husband Joe grew up in a big Italian family. And like many big families, a grandparent played an active role in helping to raise their grandchildren. Joe's maternal grandmother was a constant presence in their lives and he has lots of wonderful stories about her. Her name was Anna, but they all called her Nunu. A little over twenty years ago she was able to meet and hold our first born child...who we named Anna after her. I just think it's a beautiful old-fashioned name - it's special to us, and it always makes me happy to hear it.

Like the plant of the week, Anna (or Nunu) tiny, but strong and she made a huge impact on a lot of lives. So as the holidays approach, here's to family and the plants that remind us of them!

- Natalie


If you can see it over the snow, it's perfect!


Sometimes you just need a little evergreen meatball. Here you go - but this one is a bright golden color rather than the green you may have expected.

Anna's Magic Ball® Thuja occidentalis is a delightful little plant that's ideal for edging borders or incorporating into patio planters. The only challenge may be seeing it above a heavy snowfall: it gets just 15" tall. Snow won't be a problem for it, though, as it's hardy into USDA Zone 3.

Anna's Magic Ball® Thuja
Anna's Magic Ball® is a useful landscape plant; there always seems to be a need for evergreens that stay small.

That bright color is a fun and often unexpected addition to landscapes. I'm generally pretty suspicious of yellow foliage, especially on evergreens. It can be garish or look anemic. But this little plant has a nice, fresh color that is quite healthy and appealing.

The only issue with it, as with other T. occidentalis, is that deer like it. But since it's so small it will often escape their notice or can be sprayed with repellent pretty easily.

Consider all of what T. occidentalis has to offer: it's adaptable, including a resistance to juglone so you can plant it near a black walnut. It will tolerate clay soil, wet soil, air pollution - lots of tough situations that other plants don't like. And while Anna's Magic Ball® is a tiny little thing, T. occidentalis comes in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors so you can find the one that's right for you.


Here's a 30-second video describing Anna's Magic Ball; share it with your readers so they can become familiar with this new little plant

And if you would like some inspiration on how to use it in the landscape, check out this Garden Answer video.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

November 29, 2018

Plant of the Week: Mirror, mirror...


This week Jane is bringing you a sneak peek of a fun new shrub that will come to garden centers in 2020, Wax Wings™ Coprosma. Also called mirror bush, you can see why. Its waxy, thick foliage shines like little colorful mirrors and each variety is so vivid!

I wish we could grow it in Michigan, but this is a southern plant for sure. So for you Texans, Floridians and the rest of you who don't see a speck of snow, ever, this plant's for you.

I fact, if you're a garden writer from zone 9 or warmer, shoot me a line and this summer (when it's safe to ship it) I'll send you a sample to try out in your own garden!

Now, on to Jane's Plant of the Week:


It's officially the holiday season.


Thanksgiving has come and gone, and there's no denying that the holiday season is here. For many people this time of the year means shopping, decorating, and lots of baking. We seem to collectively cram two months worth of calories into the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's. I don't go in for shopping and decorating, but admit to the baking part.

In colder climates, this time of the year also means the beginning of tropical vacation advertising. When there's a dip in the temperature you can count on the Jamaican tourist board to run ads showing their warm, sunny beaches and rum cocktails.

I can't go on a beach vacation right now, but maybe I'll spring for a tropical plant to help me through the winter. These Coprosma would work for that. They certainly are bright and cheerful. Some of our customers in colder climates have had success overwintering inside with other non-hardy plants like Sicilian Sunshine® Laurus and Jazz Hands® Loropetalum. I think that any of them would make the perfect hostess gift for a holiday party. Really, who needs another plate of cookies?



Winter means evergreens, but not all evergreens are meant for the North Country.


We're very excited to have some warm climate evergreens to offer, come 2020: Wax Wings™ Coprosma. These were bred in New Zealand to have nice dense habits and glossy, vivid colors.

This one's for warm climates, it should be planted in USDA Zones 9-11 and it will grow 1-2.5' tall and 3' wide. They will grow in full sun or partial shade.

Wax Wings™ Coprosma come in three colors:



Wax Wings™ Gold has gold leaves with a green center. There may also be some orange color in there from time to time.

Wax Wings™ Gold Coprosma

Wax Wings™ Lime is yellow and green with a red margin. In summer and fall, it will be darker, with more red and bronze.
Wax Wings™ Lime Coprosma

Wax Wings™ Orange is a sport of 'Pina Colada' with better color and a more compact habit as well as improved sun scorch resistance.

Wax Wings™ Orange Coprosma
Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

Note from Natalie: Although this shrub doesn't like the cold, it's still a pretty tough character. The shiny foliage of Coprosma is tough enough to withstand wind and salt, so it's a great plant for those of you who live along a coastline. Easy-care Coprosma is also well suited for use as a filler plant or a low-fuss border.

November 21, 2018

A Thanksgiving Buffet for the Birds



As Thanksgiving approaches, I thought that instead of writing about all the ways we can feast on birds, this week I'd write about all the ways we can provide feasts for the birds.

As I fill my bird feeders and realize I've begun the cycle of refilling all winter long, I start to think about additional ways to create a friendly habitat for our outdoor feathered friends. And of course what fits the bill perfectly? Shrubs! Berry-producing shrubs create a naturally occurring food source and with good planning, they can feed the birds from mid-summer, well into the winter.

Low Scape Mound™ Aronia 
The bird buffet starts in late summer with the delightful Aronia shrub. Proven Winners® ColorChoice® (PWCC) Low Scape Mound Aronia is a dwarf variety, and even though it's the 2019 PW National Landscape Shrub of the Year, it will also perform beautifully in your home garden. It's adaptable to wet or dry soils and it's only about 1-2' tall so it can be planted alongside your house as a sweet little border that is virtually maintenance-free. White spring flowers give way to dark purple summer berries. Commonly called a chokeberry for its astringency, the fruit is praised for its antioxidant qualities, but pick them quickly if you want a harvest for yourself, the birds love them!
Sunjoy Todo™ Berberis

Berberis is another spring flowering shrub that gives way to summer berries. I know, barberry is shunned for its invasive tendencies, but there is a non-invasive choice. PWCC Sunjoy Todo™ Berberis is a much more manageable variety with a semi-dwarf, mounded habit and the deep purple-maroon foliage that really sets barberry apart. Showy bright orange-yellow spring flowers will give way to summer berries, but university testing has shown that this hybrid variety produces no seed.

All That Glows® Viburnum
Sambucus and Viburnum will also produce fruit in late summer; remember to plant two different varieties because these plants typically need a pollinator to fruit.

Pearl Glam®  Callicarpa
Pearl Glam®Callicarpa is definitely a rock star when it comes to beautyberry plants. It sets purple fall fruit but the show really starts in spring, with its dark purple foliage, then late summer brings white flowers that yield spectacular violet-purple berries by the hundreds. Pearl Glam® beautyberry is a vigorous plant with an upright habit that makes it a space-saver compared to more conventional varieties, too.

For winter foraging and a colorful seasonal show, you can't beat winterberry holly. Ilex Verticillata normally grows to heights of 6-8'
Little Goblin® Orange  Ilex Vert
but for tighter spaces, there are smaller varieties like Little Goblin® Orange winterberry holly. This little ball of color lights up the darkest season with dozens of extra-large, bright orange-red berries and is just 3-4' tall and wide. In order to get fruit, you will need to plant Little Goblin® Guy winterberry holly as a pollinator. Birds do eat the fruit of winterberry holly, but usually not until it has been softened by cold for several weeks. This means that you can usually enjoy the berry display until at least mid-January.

Proud Berry® Symphoricarpos
Another late-winter bird food favorite is SymphoricarposProud Berry® coralberry will fill your landscape with gorgeous, big, pink berries that are guaranteed to turn heads. Bell-shaped summer flowers develop into large dark pink berries in fall, the color intensifying with cold weather. As pretty as it is, this native plant is also amazingly hardy and deer-resistant. Symphoricarpos is a mouthful, but not for humans as the berries are not edible. However, the birds will enjoy them as they soften mid-to-late winter.

Finally, when you're thinking about the creatures that survive outside even in the coldest conditions, think about the perimeter of your yard. These often unused spaces can be landscaped to create shelter for local wildlife. Take those neglected edges of your property and plant some groupings of specimens with wildlife appeal. A mix of tall and short evergreens and deciduous plants will not only provide you with a beautiful, ever-changing display of varied textures and colors, but it will also create micro-habitat for local wildlife.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and we'll see you next week!

- Natalie 

November 15, 2018

Plant of the Week: All That Glitters®, All That Glows® Viburnum

This week Jane muses on all sorts of things that make autumn in Michigan...well...autumn in Michigan!

From deer hunters to non-migratory birds feasting on fall berries, most of us here up North aren't too put off by a little cold weather. Sure, it's an attitude shift, we aren't likely to see warm temperatures again for at least 5 months. If you're a gardener in the North you start using terms like "hard frost" and "winter interest". So we unpack our sweaters, fill up our feeders and prepare our property to survive the oncoming months of ice and snow.

In a world where many are experiencing devastating hurricanes and firestorms, even when it's difficult to navigate, we are blessed to have a predictable weather pattern that we can be prepared to endure. In the meantime, we pray for the safety of those who are impacted by the catastrophic fires in California and continue to hold out hope for containment.

- Natalie 

Opening day.

I know that readership will be down a bit today because it's the opening day of rifle season for deer hunters here in Michigan. I expect it's so in many other states, too.

Lots of people who don't hunt are happy about opening day, too. Sure, it's a big economic boost to many regions, but it's also the thought of thinning out the state's deer herd that appeals to many drivers and gardeners. Every year there are around 50,000 car-deer crashes in the state of Michigan. The number of gardens damaged by deer is uncounted, but I'm willing to bet that it's even higher.

Most of us can't thin out our local herd, so we have to plant strategically if we're in an area with heavy deer pressure. While there is no such thing as a deer-proof plant, Viburnum in general and Viburnum dentatum, in particular, are considered to be reliably resistant to deer browsing. A really good reference for checking the relative deer resistance of plants is the one at Rutgers University.

Meanwhile, stay safe whether you're hunting this week or simply driving your car. Your local songbirds might need a safety talk too; those tasty Viburnum berries we provide them can be just as dangerous as the local pub's happy hour.

All That Glitters, All That Glows

All That Glitters® Viburnum
All That Glitters® and All That Glows® Viburnum dentatum are hard to tell apart. That's kind of the point.

V. dentatum needs a pollinator in order to produce fruit. But if you're using the plant as a mass planting or hedge you probably want them to look similar. *These two plants blend very nicely so you can have the berries you want with a uniform planting.

All That Glows® Viburnum
All That Glitters® viburnum grows 4-5' tall and wide while All That Glows® viburnum gets 4-6' tall and wide. Both have extremely glossy foliage that really catches the eye. They are very handsome plants.

Durable V. dentatum is a real workhorse in the landscape and will tolerate most conditions. It is hardy to USDA Zone 4 and will grow in sun or partial shade. White spring flowers produce blue fruit in fall.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

*Note from Natalie: All That Glitters® and All That Glows® Viburnum dentatum will pollinate each other, so make sure you plant some of each variety if you would like your plants to set fruit.


November 8, 2018

Plant of the Week: Gatsby Gal® Oakleaf Hydrangea

Jane's Plant of the Week is about one of the four our hydrangeas in the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Gatsby series of oakleaf hydrangea. Perfect timing as oakleaf is arguably the best hydrangea for fall foliage.

You generally don't need to prune this hydrangea, but in case you still want to do some selective pruning, there's a great resource available on the Proven Winners® website about when, and how, to prune hydrangeas. Check it out here. You can read the article online or download a printable PDF.

Enjoy! - Natalie 



Gatsby Gal hydrangea
Great Gatsby!

I love oakleaf hydrangeas.

Sure, they have nice flowers like other hydrangeas do. But for me the real show is the foliage. And this isn't just "Oh, isn't that pretty" foliage.

No, Hydrangea quercifolia leaves are more substantial stuff. They're kind of like those really awesome boots that you know you want to buy. They aren't fancy delicate party shoes, but you know they're going to look great. You'll get plenty of compliments on them, too. Did I mention that they're more comfortable than those sparkly high heels?

Oakleaf hydrangea foliage has the same ruggedly handsome look as a great pair of boots, and just like a pair of boots is best appreciated in the fall.

Gatsby Gal® H. quercifolia is a compact (5-6') selection that's a good choice for smaller gardens. 

Compact doesn't mean dwarf; be sure that any H. quercifolia has enough room or you won't be able to really appreciate it. I think that oakleaf hydrangeas are at their best when they are left to develop the interesting architecture that is needed to show off those large flowers and substantial foliage. Please, please don't try and prune it into a meatball. I've seen it done, and it wasn't pretty.

Like other H. quercifolia, it will grow in full sun or partial shade and is hardy to USDA Zone 5. It flowers on old wood, so be careful not to prune those flower buds off this fall. The blooms are not affected by soil pH, but will transition from white to pink during the growing season.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

Want to absorb a little extra content about Gatsby Gal® hydrangeas? Check out this video from Laura at Garden Answer - she plants some and you can really see how nice they look from container to ground. 

October 31, 2018

Plant of the Week: Red Rover® Cornus

Fall color

Fall is doing its thing - we're right about to peak color in most of Michigan. There's good fall color in much of the rest of the country, too. Check out this interactive map showing a county-by-county foliage rating. This is the weekend to go for a walk in the woods!

It's also when people ask why leaves change color. Here's a good explanation to share with them.





Red Rover, Red Rover send Cornus on over!

Got a soggy place in the landscape? Want to make the birds and butterflies happy? And you would like a little eye-candy for yourself, too? 

You can either hire a good-looking person in waders to hold a birdfeeder or you can try Red Rover® Cornus obliqua.

Red Rover® is a compact selection of our native silky dogwood. It's also known as a swamp dogwood, which should clue you in as to how much it likes wet sites.

The white spring flowers are popular with pollinators, and birds like the blue fruit in fall. Red Rover is a compact, colorful, valuable native species. 

Clean green foliage contrasts nicely with white flowers in the spring and red foliage with blue fall fruit adds autumn interest. Burgundy stems in winter top off its 4-season appeal.

The species can get up to 12' tall, but Red Rover® is a more manageable 4-5'. It will grow in full sun or partial shade and is hardy to USDA Zone 4.


Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

October 24, 2018

Plant of the Week: Gem Box® or Strongbox®

Sadly, boxwood blight is working its way across the United States. Last March, Nursery Management magazine wrote an informative article about the disease with a determination that it has been positively identified in over 25 states. Just this month the blight fungus had been positively identified on boxwoods at an Indiana store owned by a national home and garden chain. While the chain has pulled the plants from the shelves of all its stores, they cannot guarantee some have not already made it to homeowner gardens.

Maybe its time to start looking for a boxwood alternative? Well, you're in luck. Jane has some good options for you in her Plant of the Week - enjoy!

Boxwood alternatives: Gem Box® or Strongbox®?


Gem Box® Ilex glabra
We know that boxwood is facing some challenges due to the spread of boxwood blight, so we wanted to offer another option for a small, shear-able evergreen.

Gem Box® Ilex glabra 
delivers, and then some. 
I. glabra (inkberry holly) is native to North America which makes it appealing to people who are trying to work more with native species. Its dark-green foliage develops attractive red tips during the spring flush. Gem Box has tight compact branching that continues to the ground so the plant doesn't look bare-legged like older varieties can.
Strongbox® Ilex glabra


Strongbox® Ilex glabra does pretty much what Gem Box does, but has larger leaves. Some of you may prefer one, some the other, and maybe you'll decide to grow both! 

Both varieties will grow 2-3' tall and wide and grow in full sun to partial shade. They are hardy to USDA Zone 5 and will adapt to many types of soil, with the exception of alkaline soil.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

Note from Natalie - if you live in zone 7 or warmer, also consider Juke Box® Pyracomeles. It's a ProvenWinners® ColorChoice® exclusive with shiny, dark green leaves and a full, round habit. It's thornless, and unlike inkberry holly, it doesn't flower. It's also a little more petite than the inkberry holly. This is a  brand new evergreen variety that will be available to consumers this spring - ask for it at your local garden center.

Until next week! - Natalie


October 11, 2018

Oso Easy® Urban Legend® Rosa takes honors at Biltmore


If you read last week's blog about the GWA Region III "Cleveland Grows" event, you remember that I mentioned the "Meet the Trade Editors" panel discussion with representatives from the green industry press. They suggested that we create videos to go with articles we send to them and I just happened to be getting ready to send a press release about an award one of our lovely little roses had earned. Well it has been picked up and it's one more fun way we tell the stories about the plants we love.

See the video here, on the Floral Daily website.

We talked about this rose in June, but I think it deserves another look in the context of the Biltmore International Rose Trials:


Oso Easy® Urban Legend® Rosa is a bright-red rose with non-stop blooms and all the disease resistance you'd expect from a Proven Winners® ColorChoice® shrub. And it's getting noticed as a top contender in the rose world with three awards under its proverbial belt.

You might wonder why it's called Urban Legend? Well, the story is this beautiful, bright little rose is the perfect addition to urban gardens because its prickly thorns will discourage burglars and other undesirables when planted under windows and in hedgerows.

It reminds me of my mother-in-law, who has planted a large barberry hedge by her house to keep unwanted visitors away from side windows. I have to say, the last place I'd want to find myself is in the middle of a barberry hedge!

But my guess is the rose is also named for its prolific blooms and ease of growth, even in urban settings where conditions are not typically as cushy as in home gardens.

On Sat, Sept. 29 the 2018 Biltmore International Rose Trials took place at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. Oso Easy Urban Legend Rosa was awarded the Lord Burleigh Award for Best Disease Resistance, plus the Chauncey Beadle Award for Best Shrub Rose.

The Biltmore’s Lord Burleigh Award for Best Disease Resistance is named after a descendant of George Vanderbilt, Biltmore’s builder/visionary. I asked LeeAnn Donnelly, the Biltmore's senior PR manager, about the origin of the award name and here's what she had to say about it:

"Lord Burleigh was the original Cecil ancestor (William Cecil, Lord Burghley) who was related to and served as an advisor to Queen Elizabeth 1.

How does that relate to Biltmore? George Vanderbilt, Biltmore’s builder/visionary, and his wife, Edith, had one child, daughter Cornelia. Cornelia married British diplomat the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil in 1924. He was the third son of Lord Cecil and the Baroness Amherst of Hackney, making him a descendant of William Cecil, Lord Burghley."

The Biltmore's museum curators say the spelling of Lord Burghley’s sir name is often spelled “Burleigh” hence, the award spelling. 

With more information on the Biltmore's website to go on, I discovered that Chauncey Beadle, the namesake for the award for best shrub rose, was an avid azalea collector and horticulturist hired at Biltmore in 1890, who later became the estate superintendent.

I listened in to the Biltmore International Rose Trials on the Rose Chat podcast and I have to say, this is an event I'm now eager to attend! More information, including a full list of award-winning roses at the trials, can be found here.

These two additional awards bring Oso Easy Urban Legend's total to three awards announced this year, having been honored with the 2019 Award of Excellence by the American Rose Society in June.

Oso Easy Urban Legend­ is a tough, landscape rose with true-red, semi-double flowers that bloom in early summer and continue through the first hard frost. A crown of lush yellow stamens in the center adds interest and contrast. Like all of the roses in the Oso Easy series, the dark green glossy foliage resists powdery mildew and black spot.

Bred by Christopher Hugh Warner in the United Kingdom and released by Spring Meadow Nursery/Proven Winners ColorChoice, Oso Easy Urban Legend Rosa is one of 12 varieties in the Oso Easy rose line.

And that's a wrap! Until next week, never stop growing. - Natalie

October 4, 2018

Cleveland Grows! GWA Region III meeting and tours

Happy midweek!

I finally had a chance to update my online photo album with the spectacular photos for the Region III meeting and Cleveland Grows! tours.

You may notice that several of the photos are much nicer than my usual work. That's because I didn't take them all. I had a pro with me, my co-worker and partner in crime, Adriana Robinson, came with me on this trip and she took a good many of the pics shared here and on the album.

Like this one! An eye-popping photo of the entrance of our first stop, Willoway Nurseries, Inc.

If you arrived early you had time to self-tour their display gardens which was worth getting there an hour early! The day was perfect for walking around the gardens and inspecting plants. I even tried my first goji berry. It wasn't my favorite. Then we were herded inside for a presentation, lunch and our Region III meeting. One of the things that fascinated me most in Danny Gouge's presentation was the infrastructure they've created for irrigation applications. Stormwater runoff is collected throughout the nursery facility and stored in water containment ponds, creating recycled water for irrigation. This, plus large portions of production that has been dedicated to pot-in-pot growing, is the future of greenhouse production!

We were treated to a nice lunch during our meeting, then we hopped on a buggy and toured some of their greenhouses (pics are in my online photo album). I'm sure we all look a little younger from the natural dermabrasion we experienced when the wind kicked up on that part of the tour! We came back to the main building and there was gifts, gifts, gifts! Bulbs, starter plants, Corona pruners (here's a link to a video Tweet I made about mine) and more. Susan and Maria did this thing up right.

Our next stop was Petitti Garden Center in Avon, OH. This is just one of NINE locations! Apparently, the location we were visiting used to be an amusement park, which was renovated into the retail center and the beautiful cathedral-like greenhouse was added. We had about 1/2 hour to shop and I went home with grass seed, orange crocus bulbs, two pairs of fuzzy socks from the fuzzy sock Christmas tree, and a dress! Adriana got the coolest grafted cactus... Yes, they had a wide selection of items - fortunately, we didn't have a ton of time so I couldn't buy out the store, but I got a good start.

And as you can see from another one of Adriana's great pics, they had lots of gorgeous Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs to choose from. We noticed one of our fellow garden writers from Tennessee had her car filled to the doorhandles with some stunning PWCC hydrangea paniculata!

Our final tour stop was Green Circle Growers. Adriana and I decided to take the long way around when we missed our exit and discovered the next one was 18 miles away! Luckily we were able to easily catch up to the tour at their Just Add Ice Orchids production facility. Of course, it was a feast for the eyes, but it was also fascinating to see their automated sorting and potting lines at work. Also, like Willoway, all of the water they use for growing is 100% recycled and reused. They also have retention ponds that collect 1.5 million gallons of fresh water for every one inch of rainfall received and they use this rainwater in their growing facilities. Seeing all the orchids was spectacular, but I'm such a huge geek that if given the chance, I'd have tromped across the fields to see those ponds.

Bobbie Schwartz talks
about her back garden
The day closed with a delicious dinner at The Hotel at Oberlin in adorable downtown Oberlin, sponsored by Green Circle Growers. We enjoyed a "Meet the Trade Editors" panel discussion with Matt McClellan, Managing Editor of Nursery Management magazine and Janeen Wright, Managing Editor of Greenhouse Grower magazine. My favorite takeaway? Include video with your stories and press releases! I just sent out a press release and Adriana and I created a video to go with it.

Then it was on to the hotel where we stayed overnight. The 40-minute drive felt short as we talked about the interesting things we'd done and seen that day. The morning held private garden tours (photos here) and we managed to squeeze in the beautiful gardens of Bobbie Schwartz. It's a long drive back to West Michigan and I had a personal commitment on Saturday evening that couldn't be missed, so we had to duck out before the final garden tour, but I'll be looking for photos!

Until next week...never stop growing.  - Natalie

September 27, 2018

Plant of the Week: Infinitini® Lagerstroemia

My co-worker Adriana and I just got back from the Cleveland Grows! Tour and GWA regional meeting last weekend, and I'm still processing all of the great information (and fun gifts!) we received.

More about all of that next week...in the meantime, here is a repost of Jane's Plant of the Week,
Infinitini® Lagerstroemia.

Enjoy!


If only summer would go on forever...Infinitini® style.
Infinitini® Watermelon

But it won't. Fall is here.

Really, that's OK. Fall means vibrant colors, fresh apples, and more forgiving clothing. I see you, fleeces and sweaters.

However, the Infinitini® Lagerstroemia series is having a hard time letting go of summer. These plants have loved our very warm September and are blooming vibrantly when many other plants are kind of over it.

It's done fine for us here at the nursery (zone 5b-6a) but is not a reliable winter-hardy plant. Luckily, it's a great container plant. Quart-sized pots planted this spring filled out and bloomed quite nicely by midsummer. They handled the heat far better than many annuals would have.

The Infinitini® crapemyrtles are hardy to zone 6 and grow 2-4' tall and wide. Infinitini® Purple may get a little bigger. They will want full sun to be at their best.
Infinitini® Purple
Now is a great time to review gardens.
I know, fall is busy. Busier than spring in a lot of ways. My own yard is a real mess, and shorter days make it that much harder to get things cleaned up.

Yet autumn is an excellent time to really evaluate plantings. Not only do some plants really look their best in late summer and fall, but it's a perfect time to see what performed well and what failed to live up to expectations. 

Maybe this is an annual that just didn't make you as happy as you had hoped, or a more permanent plant that really needs some attention now if it's going to look good next year.

You also have to be honest with yourself: did you place the plant in question in the right spot? In the optimistic days of spring, it's easy to convince yourself that there's enough space or daylight for a plant that you really, really want. Luckily, fall is a great time to move plants to a more suitable spot. Maybe when I clean up the weeds I'll find one. 

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

September 17, 2018

GWA Chicago Story Tours - day two

GWA Chicago Story Tours - South Side Saga and Bus #3

Well, the time has come. It's the story you've all been waiting to hear (or at least the story I've been waiting to tell.) Just as a recap, in August, the GWA Annual Conference & Expo took place on Navy Pier. Part of the fun when you throw in with the Independent Garden Communicator events are the much-anticipated garden tours. 

As I mentioned in last week's blog, while working the Proven Winners ColorChoice booth at the show, I was approached by Beth Botts who said she was looking for a fill-in bus docent for the second day of the tours and that Diane Blazek had recommended me. Well, how could I say no? Diane Blazek not only remembered me (remember, I'm pretty new to this group); she thought enough of me that she entrusted one of the tours to me! Plus I was told I wouldn't be on my own - another person was also assigned to the bus and we'd do the job together. I was thrilled to say yes. After all, how hard could it be?

The first day of tours went swimmingly. We had a great time seeing all the sights and I paid special attention to the docents, in case I could get any tips along the way. I wanted to make sure that Diane and Beth felt like they had placed their trust in the right person! 

So Thursday came, I found my way back down to the station where we had boarded the buses the day before and looked for Beth, or someone who would have my script for the tour. This is when I discovered I was on my own...my partner had gotten sick so I was flying solo. Um, okay, no worries, I thought...just get me that script and I'll start studying. No sooner said than done. "Hmmmm....this script doesn't seem to have any times noted on it. How do I know when to start talking, or when to tell people to get back on the bus?" 

I was querying this when none other than the spectacular Kirk Brown walked up to me, script in his hand. What luck! He was a fill-in docent for the other bus and we could compare notes. He immediately started sharing all the facts he knows about the places we'd be stopping and I instantly felt bad for the people on my bus. I'd be reading from a script and he'd be acting out the history of Chicago with obvious aplumb. He probably brought costumes. 

Long intro to a story short, Kirk did manage to get the times written on his script, and I was attempting to copy them over when we found out the buses were going to be a half hour late.

Apparently, the buses went to the first stop on the tour before coming to Navy Pier, opened the doors and asked where all the people were? To which the people waiting for the bus responded: "I thought they were on the bus?" Oops... Not quite sure how the buses could have thought we'd all get there to begin with, but there was no time for contemplation - Kirk and I are standing in the bowels of Navy Pier with about 200 hot and unhappy bus riders and we had to regroup!

So, we have a 3.5-hour tour and we've just lost 1/2 hour of it. It is decided somewhere along the way that the buses will now take the tour in tandem when they arrive. This is significant because my script is in a different order than Kirk's, so we reorder, and starting chopping time off each stop, so we can still see close to everything that was scheduled. It will be fine....breathe...everything will be fine.

The buses arrive and they are both filled quickly. I am pleased and relieved to discover that none other than Becky Heath has been recruited to be my seat partner and I feel like once again, I'm in good hands. Now I just need to be sure the rest of the bus feels that way.

The JC Hutchins House and Garden
Off we go to the first private home tour. I read the script..." the home was designed by architect Charles Sumner Frost for the President of the Illinois Steel Company..." We disembark at the gate of a gorgeous, large brick home that had been thoughtfully renovated after it had fallen into disrepair when it had been a school, and then a boarding house, for many years. 
Pond at Kossiakoff home
Mrs. K. was so gracious, with snacks and drinks set up inside and an invitation to even use the facilities if we needed! It was such a peaceful place, with the pond and stream and shade trees, it was just what we needed after a somewhat stressful start to our trip. 

An interesting fact about their garden is that the side yard that now was a beautiful, colorful garden, buzzing with bees and alight with butterflies, was a blacktop playground when they bought the house. They had all the blacktop removed to restore the grounds to the lovely private garden - I imagine it looks much like it might have looked when the house was built in 1894.  

By now you may be thinking...this isn't so bad! Sounds like this trip got off to a rocky start but is going pretty smoothly. Let's talk about the 56th Street Gardens...

Next on the agenda, we set off for three gardens that are situated back-to-back and dubbed "56th Street Gardens." I'm not sure why they are called that. They are NOT on 56th street, none of them. Our bus driver, Mike, (who has a splendid accent and in his defense, was doing is best with the info he was given) stops on a residential street, points up the street to the right and tells us, "the house is up that street, to the right." Um, okay... So we all disembark, take a right, and start walking down, yes, 56th street. Right away I can see this isn't going to work, there are no HOUSES, just apartment buildings. So I ask everyone to wait, run back to the bus and ask Mike for the exact address of the first house (it's not on my sheet) - he doesn't have it.
Ulrich garden
You must remember here, we have not just one, but TWO tours buses unloading at this point...I'm like a salmon swimming upstream to get back to the bus before everyone gets around the corner only to discover we don't have a clue where we're going. And some point in my racing back and forth, someone says, "that's Caroline Ulrich's house" pointing back to a house that is right in front of where the second tour bus is parked - it's supposed to be the LAST house we tour, but we tell everyone to start there, and we'll go backward through the tour of the three houses. So what I have now is about 200 people filing into one small garden and heading toward the back gate, where they are supposed to be able to walk across the alley to the next garden. 

So I race through the yard to the alley to open the next gate. What was I thinking? It's like Lady or the Tiger back there! All these gates, you can't see a thing through them...who knows if I open one what lies behind it? (Besides the whole trespassing thing...) A few people are now exiting Carolyn's backyard into the alley, it's hot and not very pleasant there. All I can think about is 200 people filling up the alley like a sardine can...so I make a break for it. I figure if I sprint around the block to the fronts of the houses on the next block, I'll see that right one and can proceed to open the correct gate.

Bingo. As I round the corner, just a few houses in, there's Kirk on the porch of one of the houses trying to explain our extreme tardiness to a very unhappy Caroline Ulrich - that must be it! He's definitely the man for the job, and there's no time for pleasantries, I dash by them, through the yard, to the back gate and pop it open! 
Kris B.'s shady garden

Just like it was meant to be, the tours stroll through the open gate as I welcome them to Ron G.'s garden which features over 137 varieties of vegetables, all cataloged by name and number. Carolyn and Kirk guide them through the garden, and all I have to do now is figure out which is the third garden.


Back through the gate into the alley, I peer at the gardens on either side of Carolyn's house. Which looks most like the description? Honestly, they're both lovely, but I use my detective skills. The two houses were built by the same architect, but the neighboring garden is described as carefully designed and "more shaded." Plus, there's a high-rise apartment building next door. I choose a house and try the gate, it's unlocked.

It's time now to usher people back through Ron's vegetable garden, through the alley, to the bus. I've managed to ID the house (or at least I hope I did) and the tour can stroll through Kris. B's open gate and see that final garden on the way back to the bus. 

Whew! Crisis (mostly) averted! Smooth sailing from here, right?

Hold my beer...

Out in front of the two buses, an informal gathering of guides (at this point there's nothing remotely formal about what we're doing here) decides we need to go to the Garden of the Phoenix, a Japanese Garden on Wooded Island; created for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, AKA, the Chicago World's Fair. We were going to skip it because we weren't sure if there'd be time, but we know there's a park district guide waiting for us, so we set off. 

We head toward the Museum of Science and Industry and I read the portions of the script pertaining to the World's Fair, and that it is the only original remaining building from the exhibition. We circle the general area of where we thought the garden entrance would be but we can't find it, so our bus driver pulls into the back parking lot of the museum to regroup. At that, the other bus pulls into the lot, and as quick as you please passes us and pulls back out again, taking the lead. Mike the bus driver wasn't super-pleased, but we followed, thinking we must have missed something. 

I will say, we did drive by the statue of The Republic, which is quite a sight. And where did we end up? Right back in the rear lot of the Museum of Science and Industry. I immediately tell my bus they can disembark, because there are a few cool things to see over the bridge in the back. While they snap photos, Kirk asks what appears to be a grounds crew worker, or security worker how we get to the island. The worker proceeds to tell us the bridges are closed and you can't get on the island at all. Hm.

Back on the bus.
We proceed to the last stop, the Burnham Wildlife Corridor. I flip on the bus PA and ask my fellow riders to bow their heads and join me in a short moment of silence as we pray that we reach the wildlife corridor safely. And we do. 

A park district guide meets us there...she's a little distressed that we never made it to the Garden of the Phoenix because there's has indeed been a park guide waiting for us there for half the day (apparently we were misinformed during our short visit to the museum parking lot). We explain to her that we really did try - but she could never know the full extent of the complexities of our day.

Dubbed "the largest stretch of natural area along Chicago’s lakefront." the Wildlife Center is a native prairie, savanna, and woodland ecosystems that provides healthy, diverse habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.  

Groomed trails lead you through native flowers and grasses that are easily as tall as you are. It's a strange feeling, you can hear the cars rushing by in the distance on Lakeshore Drive, but all you see is natural area and the wildlife that calls it home. It was strangely peaceful and lovely. 

At that, our tour was ended. We made it back to the hotel with no significant drama and my first time as a bus docent had ended. Would I do it again? Absolutely. How hard could it be, right?

So until next week...never stop growing.

- Natalie


P.S. Considering my day, you'll understand that there aren't as many photos from day two, but you can still click here to see them all.



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