Trees frame the garden, perennials clothe it, but shrubs give it the bones that bring everything together. Yet so many of these essential plants never make it into the landscape. Shrubs like the exquisite Camellia × williamsii ‘Night Rider’ from New Zealand with its deep maroon red flowers and brilliant, reddish-purple new growth or vibrant, […]
Green from the ground up
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Whether the customers are landscapers or retailers, the most sought-after characteristics in ground cover plants for pathways and walkways are the same. People want low-growing, low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, evergreen, flowering, noninvasive, deer-tolerant, durable and — gaining in popularity — rabbit-resistant plants. And it would be nice if they could also help with the dishes! Customers […]
Satisfying in small spaces
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Trees, conifers and weepers that fit the bill with beauty, versatility and easy maintenance Smaller yards haven’t changed homeowners’ need for shade or beauty. But, they have changed what will fit into a yard, which has changed the market and by extension, growers’ business focus. We asked growers to share favorite selections of small trees, […]
Digging in to edibles
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Ornamental edibles continue to change the rules of landscape design The back-to-the-land movement in the 1970s prompted young people to move in droves to rural settings to try their hand at modern homesteading- — growing their own food, living sustainably and mastering animal husbandry. Decades later, the echoes of that movement were heard in urban […]
The value of the green label
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Survey tests whether customers will pay more, as well as which messages resonate the most By Lloyd Nackley, Bruce Colman and Sharon Selvaggio We’ve all heard it. People are worried about pollinators and want to do what they can to help. Some are planting pollinator gardens, taking up beekeeping, or choosing organic foods to try […]
Remarkable annuals
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Annual bedding and garden plant sales represent approximately 70 percent of the total U.S. bedding and garden category, according to the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Services, totaling $1.29 billion out of $1.86 billion wholesale. Annuals pick up where perennials leave off, providing colorful foliage and flower displays inside the season. Customers are continuously searching for […]
Trees for screens
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Living screens are as versatile as they are varied. They hide the neighbors, block ugly views, provide backdrops and create garden rooms. Originally, though, screens were used to hem in livestock. When humans made the leap from hunter-gatherers to start an agrarian lifestyle, they prevented animals from wandering by using living screens left behind as […]
The lowdown on low conifers
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The interest and versatility of these slow growers makes them attractive for residential and commercial settings Conifers grow with such variation of habit that even of the low-growing types, the options are vast, offering a number of combinations of texture, color and height to meet a variety of landscape needs. From prostrate to spreading, low-growing […]
Native tree selections for urban shade
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Approximately 80 percent of the population of the United States now lives in urban environments where trees are both beloved — and imperiled. Estimates are that urban environments are home to 77 percent of invasive species introduced for horticulture and 13 percent for forestry. Species such as Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides) […]
Plants for pollinators
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Strong consumer interest drives demand for pollinator friendly plant selections As bees and other pollinators decline, the importance of building habitat in home gardens, parks, fields and commercial properties has edged into the public consciousness. Wholesale and retail nurseries can benefit from the market demand for plants that attract and nourish bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. […]
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