MANTS 2017 Recap

Another year, another great show!  It’s one of my favorite trade shows to attend and for good reason!  There’s so much to see and countless people who share such passion for the industry.  The Association for Garden Communicators (GWA) was there in full force for the media breakfast and CONNECT meeting…what a great group of people!  I love MANTS because it’s a great way to see what trends are emerging for the coming season.  Here's a few trends I noticed: 

Greenery

The Pantone Color of the Year for 2017 is “Greenery”.  It looks lime green in color to me and was featured prominently throughout the show in a wide variety of plants.  This trend has been growing for a while as more gardeners are looking for that extra ‘pop’ in the landscape.   Two newer introductions ‘Golden Treasure’ Dwarf Birch Betula (pictured right) and Chardonnay Pearls® Deutzia are prime examples of this bright cheery green color. 

Cold hardy shrubs

Everyone has winter on the brain and for good reason.  It’s cold out there, well... aside from the 70 degree weather we had at MANTS.  Several people asked me about shrubs that survive freezing temperatures.  Just to name a few, Pucker Up! Red Twig Dogwood and Tiny Wine® Ninebark are great options.  Here’s a list of  others.

Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs

I hope you were able to stop by the Spring Meadow Nursery booth and got a chance to talk about all of the new Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs introductions for 2017.  A major focal point was the Oso Easy® Rose series.  These roses are nothing short of amazing because they are disease-resistant, long-blooming, and very easy to grow.  My personal favorites are Oso Easy® Double Red, Oso Easy® Lemon Zest, and Oso Easy® Italian Ice.  Another popular plant that had people talking at MANTS was Purple Pillar Rose of Sharon Hibiscus.  It’s very unique because it grows naturally as a narrow column instead of a wide, spreading plant. 

 

The Grow Must Go On

In the early morning hours of Sunday, January 15, 2017, the Spring Meadow Nursery office building burned to the ground in a fire. It took six fire departments to extinguish the blaze, but thanks to their efforts, no one was hurt and we had no loss of greenhouses, crops, or growing space. Offices have been moved into another building and we are fully operational. 

On behalf of Spring Meadow Nursery, I want to thank everyone for their kind words of support and their patience through the last few weeks. This experience serves as a powerful reminder of what’s important in life, and what a fantastic industry we are a part of. Though the recovery efforts have been and will continue to be substantial, we feel so fortunate that it wasn’t worse that none of us are spending much energy looking back. Our focus is on the future and getting back to business. Spring Meadow Nursery owner, Dale Deppe, said the day of the fire, “We’re just fired up for spring!”

Plant of the Week: Brass Buckle™ Ilex

Brass section
Are you looking for a new kind of Ilex crenata? Maybe you would like to try an evergreen that isn't quite so...green. Well, here's one to try: Brass Buckle™ Japanese Holly.

It has clear, bright yellow color that is more attractive than that of other gold varieties. Brass Buckle™ has a very nice compact habit, too. Japanese hollies can be a little touchy in colder climates, but this one has done very well for us here in West Michigan.
 
Hardy to USDA Zone 6, it will grow in full sun or partial shade. Brass Buckle™ Ilex crenata grows 12-18" tall and wide - a great size for edging walks and borders.