Digger magazine

Serving the Northwest Nursery Industry for Over 50 Years

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Exciting, unusual and underused shrubs

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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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Turf care without herbicides

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Research evaluates the use of IPM for weed control on turfgrass By Emily Braithwaite, Brian McDonald, Tim Stock and Alec Kowalewski It is speculated that proper cultural management practices can reduce weed populations in turfgrass without the use of herbicide applications. With new laws restricting access to certain pesticides within turfgrass management and increased pressure […]

Grower guidance vs. customer demand

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Sometimes customers want one thing and climate wants another, but this dilemma presents opportunities for the grower If Mick Jagger had been a horticulturist, he might have sung, “You can’t always plant what you want.” Case in point: Sean Hogan, owner of Cistus Nursery (Portland, Oregon), was driving home from work in late August and […]

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 […]

Farwest Show 2018 speaker applies digital marketing to landscaping businesses

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At the 2018 Farwest Show, Jack Jostes, an industry leader in digital marketing for landscape professionals, will deliver two presentations focused on driving foot traffic and improving online presence. In his first address, “Driving Foot Traffic for Green Industry Retailers with Digital Marketing,” Thursday, Aug 23, 8:30–9:30 a.m., Room B114, Jostes will look at what […]

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) […]