Plant of the Week: Happy Jack® Purple Clematis

Hello and happy Monday!

It's the last full week of February and here in Michigan it's warming up and the snow is melting. At least for now. Like much of the east coast, we can get snow and cold clear into April, but it's nice to get these early glimpses of spring.

Speaking of the east coast, last week I attended the Breast Cancer Research Foundation®'s (BCRF) annual partner summit in New York City. It was a spectacular day of learning more about the BCRF and meeting people from other companies that, like Spring Meadow, make philanthropy a part of their corporate culture. Partnering with a reputable charity that has a clear association with what you do is an important part of creating successful cause marketing relationships. We chose the BCRF because it's the highest rated breast cancer organization in the US, and because of its clear connection to women, a group that also has a strong interest in gardening.

By including a donation of $1 for every Proven Winners®  Invincibelle® Spirit II hydrangea that is sold at retail, we make it easy for people to support an organization that funds research to find a cure for what continues to be the most common cancer in women, worldwide. Not only that, because the BCRF is focused on research, they are helping to advance cures for many other types of cancer as well.

Cause marketing isn't a new concept, but it continues to be one of the most valuable ways a company can connect with their customers via a shared interest in their products, and in making the world a better place.

On to Jane's tip, about a happy little plant that also makes the world a little nicer!

Happy, happy, happy!

I don't mind winter. But I do get tired of how hard everything can be in the snow. It takes longer to drive anywhere, and even a quick(ish) trip to the grocery store means bundling up with a coat and boots. And then there's the winter gear that seems to take up more space as the season wears on. Right now I think there are ten pairs of boots and a dozen mismatched gloves occupying my mudroom. So I'm ready for things to get easier.

I feel the same way about Clematis. I love the flowers, and a beautiful Clematis vine greeting you at the mailbox or arching over a pergola is delightful. But I just don't want to deal with a lot of complicated instructions.

That's why I love that new Clematis breeding has focused on simplicity, as much as vigor and aesthetics. An example of this is Happy Jack® Purple Clematis, an improved 'Jackmanii' that flowers from mid-summer into fall. It has larger (3-5") flowers and intense purple color. Since it flowers on both old and new wood you just need to prune it back to about 2' in spring to have beautiful flowers.

Happy Jack® Purple Clematis is hardy to USDA Zone 5 and grows 6-8' tall. It will grow in full sun or partial shade. Want to know more? Check out this quick video about the plant.

So check out Happy Jack® and the other new Clematis varieties; they're beautiful and far simpler to find success with than older varieties.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Happy Face® Potentilla

Hello and happy Monday!

Even though it's cold, and at least in Michigan, February days are gray more often than not...there is a lot to be happy about! The Olympic games have begun, and it's always exciting to see the athletes from around the world displaying amazing feats of strength, endurance, and skill. 

I always find the Winter Olympics to be a great celebration of a season that can sometimes feel like it's hanging on a little too long. They remind me of all the fun things associated with this frosty, cold time of year. Watching the games just makes me happy...and so does our plant of the week, Happy Face®  Potentilla. Take a look at the bright yellow flowers in our new 30-second video about this fun and functional shrub, and I think it will bring a smile to your face as well. Actually, in a way, Happy Face® is the Olympian of Potentillas!

Want to know why? Jane has plenty of proof to back up this claim in her Plant of the Week. 

Enjoy...Natalie

It's February! It's cold! You know what's happy in the cold, other than my Norwegian Elkhound? Potentilla!

I know, I know. Potentilla is something you thought you were done with. For a while, it seemed like every motel and gas station landscape north of the Ohio river had some straggly specimens hanging on in a sea of red mulch.

That's the thing about Potentilla...it hangs on. As long as they don't get too hot or too dry, Potentilla will probably be OK.

There's no doubt that they are cold hardy; one common name for them is tundra rose, which I really like. Potentilla fruticosa is hardy to USDA Zone 2. That's polar bear country. It's happy there, but less happy when it gets into warmer climates. South of USDA Zone 7 they will struggle with the heat and humidity. They're also quite deer-resistant, and rabbit-resistant, too. They can take the stress of urban settings' air pollution, and can also take some clay soils. Established plants will come through drought, too.

So it's no wonder that Potentilla has been used so heavily in landscapes. Granted, the older varieties could look pretty rough, but if your idea of Potentilla is a sad, scrubby little plant, think again. Happy Face® Potentilla is known for big, bold flowers and full habits. These are nicely branched plants, with full, compact habits and lots of flowers all season long.

If you want classic yellow, go with Happy Face Yellow® Potentilla. Those of you wanting a more restrained color palette can go with Happy Face® White Potentilla.

And then there's pink.

A good pink Potentilla has been hard to find. But Proven Winners® ColorChoice® has two! Happy Face® Pink Paradise has clear, semi-doubled flowers that hold their color very well. A more subtle choice is Happy Face Hearts™ (left), with softer pink flowers accented by a white star in the center of each bloom. Remember, if you're on the southern end of this plant's range your pink flowers may not be as intense as they would be in more northern climates.

Happy Face Hearts™ Potentilla is 1-2' tall and wide; the other varieties are all 2-3' in size. They will grow in full sun or partial shade.

So, if you're looking for a plant to solve some landscape challenges, Potentilla may just be the answer. Those of you in areas with the threat of rose rosette might want to take a look at the humble tundra rose - it has the same continuous blooms and love of full sun as your fancy landscape roses. 

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Cesky Gold™ Betula

Happy Monday!

It's been an exciting week here at Spring Meadow, as usual, the marketing team is continuously creating content and thinking up new ways to promote Proven Winners® ColorChoice® shrubs - and creating video is no exception!

You can see evidence of that on the Proven Winners® ColorChoice®  YouTube channel which shares a variety of Laura LeBoutillier's very popular Garden Answer videos, plus we've recently added a new, fun line of "how to pronounce" videos featuring the Spring Meadow Nursery staff. In fact, you'll see me in one of the pronunciation videos. I'd like to add the caveat that I had been working here at Spring Meadow for one whole week when I was asked to read a slate of plant names out loud that now, 12 weeks later, I can pronounce with much more confidence!

This week we also launched the Spring Meadow Nursery YouTube channel. Right now there are two videos on it, and we look forward to filling it up with lots of great information about what's happening here at Spring Meadow Nursery.

Hopefully you'll get a chance to check out these videos, but for now, let's get on to Jane's
Plant of the Week!

So. February.

I know that there is more daylight now than there was in December, but somehow February days seem shorter.

It's gloomy and cold, and we're long past the sparkly fun of Christmas lights. February is just a dreary slog, especially for people in cold climates. So this Plant of the Week is for you, the snow warriors of Fargo and Buffalo.

Cesky Gold™  Betula is a delightful little shrubby birch with leaves that emerge orange-red and then mature to yellow. It's a durable little plant that can take the cold - in fact, it loves it. Those of you who have crocus already, it's probably not for you.

Cesky Gold™ will grow in full sun or partial shade and is deer resistant. It's just 2-4' tall and wide, and can be sheared if desired (although it has a lovely graceful form if left alone.) This is a fantastic plant for landscaping in cold regions: it's hardy to USDA Zone 2. Yes, Manitoba, this plant wants to come and live in your yard.

A delightful little plant for residential or commercial landscapes, Cesky Gold™ Betula has a soft texture and pretty golden leaves. It's also a nice little plant in a container.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles