Plant of the Week, and a quick look at Cultivate

Oh my how the week has flown! I had big plans last week to start posting my photos from the trips I took in August. These include the Cultivate Conference in Ohio, the IGC show and GWA conference and tours in Chicago, and the Grand Garden show on Mackinac Island, from which we just returned last week.

However, duty calls, and although I have managed to post the photos of the last two trips on my online album, I haven't had the time to actually blog about them. So that will have to wait until next week when I can give each trip the time and attention they deserve.

Waiting for keynote to begin

Since the Cultivate conference resulted in the fewest photos, here's a brief look at what kept me busy while we were in Columbus, OH:

Invincibelle Campaign display in Proven Winners booth

Invincibelle hydrangeas on keynote speaker stage

We made our official announcement that, through the cooperation of garden centers across North America, the Invincibelle Spirit Campaign for a Cure has reached its $1 million donation goal to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

I had the honor to join owner of Spring Meadow Nursery, Dale Deppe, to make the announcement prior to the "State of the Industry" keynote address.

Throughout the conference, Proven Winners staff was decked out in pink polos and pink displays could be seen on the keynote stage, in the Proven Winners booth, and in the Spring Meadow Nursery booth.

GWA Connect mtg.

Of course, it was also great to see everyone at the Assn. for Garden Communicators (GWA) Connect meeting, and participate in the great plant giveaway!

With that, let's get to Jane's plant of the week, a new arborvitae we call Tater Tot™ (formerly Tiny Tot).  - Natalie

Coming to a garden center near you...

You'll begin to see Tater Tot™ Thuja occidentalis in garden centers next year and it's sure to be a big hit. It's a nice little evergreen ball for landscapes and gardens and it also looks great in a deco container for patios and entryways. You can use it to line a walkway or narrow garden bed...and it stays 1-2' tall and wide, which is a great size for a lot of yards. It's featured in this Garden Answer video, which shows how it can fit into a bed.


Tater Tot™ is a seedling of 'Brandon' and has good hardiness and burn resistance (it's hardy to zone 3). It will grow well in either full sun or partial shade.

Tater Tot™ is cute, hardy and easy to grow, and although it reaches its full size quickly, it never gets too big. Just like those little ones headed off to school, they grow up so fast...only this one will never get taller than you or steal your shoes.

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