  GrassSolutions™
An e-newsletter from Hoffman Nursery, Inc.
May 2010 |
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Dear Friends,
| As spring progresses, we're feeling pretty optimistic. Landscaping seems to be picking up, and we've seen other improvements in our industry. We hope it will continue and come in time to help those who are struggling.
We aim to keep our newsletter information practical and focused, so it's worth your time. It's busy season, and we're ready for it!
Talking grass,
Hoffman Nursery
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See our Go-To Grass discount! |
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| In this Issue |
Dip your toes into the lush gardens of southeastern Pennsylvania with a former estate that knows grasses.
We partner with NC State to study management of good bugs, get a new Grower, and party with the Raulston Arboretum.
Grass Forecast
Think warm for fall. Bring in these heat lovers now for brisk fall sales.
GrassSolutions: Lawn Alternatives
Thinking beyond turf: Nine grasses that give you low, no mow green.
New Plant Preview
A dynamic duo of rushes that sparkle with personality.
New catalog preview, HNI goes social (media, that is), upcoming trade show, and Go-To Grass special.
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| Logging on to Our Website | |
If you follow links to our website in this newsletter, you'll need the following to enter: Username: great Password: grass.
(Let your browser "remember" your username and password for easier access.) Go directly to Current Availability. |
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Finding Great Grasses: Chanticleer
| Sporobolus heterolepis at Chanticleer  | With a growing season full of cool nights and warm sunny days,
Southeastern Pennsylvania bursts with lush, amazing landscapes. Chanticleer, former estate turned public garden, keeps company amid the
great horticultural gems that dot the area. On our visits to Chanticleer, we've been wowed by the lush plantings of Hakonechloa macra cultivars that spilled over stone pathways and lightened moist corners. They use flowing and mounding grasses such as Sporobolus heterolepis and Nassella tenuissima to great effect around architectural elements. Chanticleer includes orchards filled with flowering trees, vegetable and cut flower gardens,
courtyards, a woodland garden, a water garden, and unique architectural
and sculptural features. Finding great grasses is just one of the many
reasons to explore this jewel of a garden. |
| The Latest at HNI |
Banker Plants and BugsSarah Wong, graduate student at NC State, tending banker plants  |
Hoffman Nursery paired up with NC State this month to implement a research project on banker plants and bugs. In a nationwide survey, growers placed thrips and aphids among the top three most important pests of ornamental plants in greenhouses. Hoffman Nursery has been using the Minute Pirate Bug ( Orius insidiosus) as a biological control for these pests. One challenge has been making this approach affordable and as effective as conventional pesticides. Read more. Our newest grower, Seth Levkoff  | Nursery Addition
The Hoffman Nursery growing staff just got bigger and better with the addition of Seth Levkoff. A native of Charleston, SC, Seth earned a bachelor's degree in horticulture from NC State in 2004. He spent time working and managing garden centers and did a stint in California managing interiorscapes. Seth returned to NC to work in the Entomology Dept. John Hoffman visits with plants donated to the silent auction at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum's Gala in the Garden  | at NC State, followed by a job at BASF researching insecticides. He came to us in March of this year. We find Seth's strength
in entomology particularly helpful, as well as his interest in plant nutrition. His advisor at NC State was Dr. Paul Nelson, an internationally recognized expert in plant nutrition. Welcome, Seth! What a Way to Spend a Sunday Afternoon!
Recently, the Hoffmans attended the J.C. Raulston Arboretum's annual garden party, Gala in the Garden . The Gala is an afternoon of cocktails, gourmet hors d'oeuvres,
live music, and a silent auction featuring unique plants
and
an array of distinctive items. As Gold Sponsors, Hoffman Nursery hosted several guests and had a wonderful time visiting with North Carolina's horticultural community. The Nursery donated plants to the silent auction, including several sedges that were combined with woodies and perennials to make enticing combination packs. |
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Grass Forecast: Think Warm for Fall
| For most folks, it's hard to think about fall right now, especially since we're enjoying spring at the moment. But growers are always thinking months ahead. So, what should growers be thinking about right now? Late summer and fall sales, of course.Miscanthus sinensis 'Malepartus''  |
Now's the time to bring in warm season grasses that thrive on heat. If you pot up these fast growers now, they'll be full and ready when they're at their peak. Try these three well-known genera for late summer blooms and showy color that lead to great sales.
MISCANTHUS
With over a
century of garden service under its belt, Miscanthus
takes home the title of Granddaddy of Ornamental Grasses. The vast array of cultivars, with varied heights, leaf
widths and colors, make it possible to find the right Miscanthus for borders, backgrounds, hedges, fences, anchors or
specimens. Grow this genus in full sun for best results and resist over
fertilizing.
Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'  | PANICUM
What's not to like when you're tough, beautiful,
and functional?Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Cassian'  | Gorgeous when planted in large sweeps or specimens, Panicum needs very little maintenance; just
a yearly cutting back in spring. A deep root system helps it tolerate poor soil
and drought, making it a natural choice for sustainable landscapes.
PENNISETUM
Bold and elegant. Distinctive and fitting for
many landscape applications. Pennisetum
achieves a classic ornamental look in a variety of heights and bloom colors.
Because they are native to tropical, subtropical and temperate environments, Pennisetum thrive in hot, humid summers
and require very little maintenance.
For individual
listings within these genera, go to our online catalog (username: great; password:
grass). If you'd like to order these or other plants, check current availability, or get more info, email or call (919-479-6620) our Sales Team.
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GrassSolutions: Lawn Alternatives
| Sporobolus heterolepis at the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College. Photo by Susan Harris  | When you work at an ornamental grass nursery, you spend a fair amount of time explaining to laypeople that you don't sell sod. The horticulture industry distinguishes turf from ornamental grasses for a number of reasons, including big differences in production and maintenance regimens. We think turf grass can work well for certain applications, and we think there's room for both in modern, environmentally friendly landscapes.
That said, there's a movement afoot to reduce the size of resource-intense turf grass lawns. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends reducing mowing by replacing areas of typical lawn with plantings that
require little or no maintenance. Read more about some of the reasons why and for a list of grasses for lawn alternatives. |
| Spotlight on New Plants |
There are a few new plants in our line-up that we haven't told you about yet. You can see them all together in our next newsletter and in our catalog, which will be mailed out in early June. In the meantime, we round out our offerings with The Dynamic Duo.
Juncus inflexus Blue Arrows  | Juncus inflexus Blue Arrows
(Blue Arrows Rush)
Color: Blue-green foliage Height: 3 ft. Exposure: Full sun Moisture requirements: Wet to dry
Zones: 5-9
Origin: Africa, Asia, Europe
The new
colors and twists of Juncus are
turning this genus into one of our favorites. Although often grown as a wetland
plant, Juncus inflexus Blue Arrows is quite drought tolerant once
established. And it is a real toughie when it comes to handling sun and heat.
In the wild, it is found in wet soils along streams, ditches, and on wet, sandy
and peaty hillsides. Its soft blue-green color is irresistible. With rigid,
upright foliage and beautiful form, Blue Arrows Rush jazzes up tired container
combos and annual beds. It still fits perfectly beside a pool, pond, or stream-its
reflection off water captures the mood of an aquatic paradise. A very versatile
plant that is underused in the trade. Blue Arrows is part of the Fantastic
Foliage™ line. Juncus Twisted Arrows  | Juncus inflexus Blue Arrows
(Blue Arrows Rush)
Color: Blue-green and green foliage Height:
1.5 - 3 ft. Exposure:
Full sun Moisture
requirements: Wet to dry
Zones: 5-9
Origin: Cultivated
Isn't it
great to have the best of both worlds? Twisted Arrows Rush gives you just that,
with an upright and curly rush in the same liner. Combining J. inflexus Blue Arrows with J. effusus f. spiralis, this playful plant invites touching and up-close viewing.
The color combo is snazzy, too, mixing blue-green and medium green together for
a visual punch. Twisted Arrows will liven up mixed containers and inevitably be
the plant everyone asks about. It also animates water gardens with its
lighthearted habit. Part of the Fantastic Foliage™ line.
Call or email our Sales Team if you would like more information (or if you'd like to order plants!). |
| Comments & Features | GrassSolutions™ in Our New Catalog
The 2010-2011 Hoffman Nursery catalog is shortly out the door to the printer's. It makes its premiere at the Southeast Color Connect trade show June 17-18. It may premiere sooner in your mailbox when they're mailed out the second week in June.
To give you better and more useful information, we have included GrassSolutions™ indexes that help you address specific issues or conditions in the landscape. The lists include: - Water-Wise Grasses
- Grasses for Banks and Slopes
- Grasses for Rain Gardens and Bioretention Areas
- Grasses for Drainage Ditches
- Lawn Alternatives
- Grasses That Do Well in Wet Areas
- Grasses
That Tolerate Shade
It seems that the world is abuzz with social media, and we're having a great time with it, too. Our Director of Marketing, Shannon Currey, has been using Twitter to see what's happening in the horticultural world across a wide range of people and companies. She also passes along links to interesting online articles and sources of information. Follow her under @GrassSolutions or click the Twitter icon.
We're working on a Facebook page, and that should be up and running by the next newsletter. It's a great way to get more immediate information on what's new, what's on special, and what you need to know to be successful with grasses. It will complement our current website and keep you up to date. Things will really get jumpin' when our new website is done in late 2010. We'll keep you posted.
Come See Us at Our Next Trade Show
We'll be in Greenville, SC at the Southeast Color Connection on June 17 & 18. Come by and visit us at Booth 7033. We'll be there with some of our newest plants and new catalog, and ready to chat with you about grasses.
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| Double your Discount with Go-To Grasses
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Go-To Grasses give you a time-limited chance to get a great deal. These grasses are just right for the season, and we usually have a lot of them. They'll need to go out quickly, so we offer them at double the discount. To qualify, place your order by the deadline and receive shipment within a month of order date.
We'll post the current Go-To Grass at this link. Our Sales Team has the scoop on this great promotion, so contact them for more info. | | Back to top |
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