  GrassSolutions™
An e-newsletter from Hoffman Nursery, Inc.
June 2010 |
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Connect with Us
| Our new catalog featuring useful expanded indexes is done! We've also increased our electronic offerings to give you more up-to-date grass info. Check out the links below for more! |
 Follow @GrassSolutions
for
info on using
and finding great grasses and general horticulture news.  Follow
John Hoffman @wegrowgoodgrassas he navigates the world of ornamental and native grasses. |
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(and double your discount!)
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| In this Issue |
Search amongst giraffes, elephants, and wallabies for outstanding grasses at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
In the NewsGreenspace
in crowded cities, blue grama for all, more lawn alternative news, and
sedges coming in July.
New for 2010
The culmination of our new plant previews--see all of
our new grass offerings in one spot!
See John Hoffman on TV, dairy cows in downtown Durham, and grass forays into New York City.
Grass Forecast
Warm season natives give you a leg up for fall.
The new catalog is finished, trade shows are coming up, and you can connect with HNI in so many ways!
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Availability Emails
| As an extra service, we now offer our customers periodic emails that link to our availability. Choose from weekly, monthly, or quarterly updates to stay current. Click here to update your preferences or to join our mailing list if you're new to Hoffman Nursery. Once you enter your email, you will be emailed a link that allows you update your profile and choose which mailing list you prefer. If you would like more immediate gratification, you can see current availability right here. |
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Finding Great Grasses: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
| Giraffe habitat and grasses at the Cincinnati Zoo  | Horticulture thrives in zoos, and they are perfect places to see great grasses. Steve Foltz, Director of Horticulture for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden tells us why.
"Grasses are an
integral part of the Cincinnati
Zoo & Botanical Garden's
landscape
for many reasons. First and foremost, they provide a good bang for
your
buck. They are drought tolerant, easy to win with, and provide great
texture to
the landscape with very little maintenance. They fit in just about any landscape we develop at the Zoo. Rain gardens, African savannahs, Asian
rainforests,
parking lots, and entry villages all lend themselves to grasses. Grasses offer an incredible range of sizes, from ground-hugging
Carex
to giant Miscanthus floridulus that reaches 12' in height.
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has been
using grasses for many years to help create the feel of different
habitats throughout the world in its 75-acre facility. Grasses
are planted, recorded and evaluated according to their performance and
sustainability in the landscape. Many of the grasses are labeled to help
educate industry professionals and the public on the ornamental grasses that grow well in our region.
Visit www.plantplaces.com
to see more photos of Ornamental grasses in Greater Cincinnati Landscapes."
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In the News: Who's Talking Grass?
| The Lurie Garden in Chicago's Millenium Park, one of the innovative parks cited in the article in The Dirt.  | Here's a snapshot of what's out there in the media this month. A few tasty information tidbits, if you will.
- The June issue of American Nurseryman features one of our favorite little grasses in the Field Notes section. Bouteloua gracilis, commonly known as blue grama or mosquito grass, makes a creative lawn alternative and adds fun to perennial borders. Do you know this workhorse of a grass?
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How do you bring green space to a crowded city? Take a look at the latest issue of The Dirt from the American Society of Landscape Architects. An article on revitalizing cities outlines fourteen ways to build innovative parks in crowded urban centers. It also includes links to innovative parks throughout the country. The article heavily references Chicago's Millenium Park, which features grasses in all kinds of settings. Grasses work well in city green spaces because of their adaptability and low resource use.
- To follow up on our lawn alternative feature in the last GrassSolutions™, we note NMPro's recent e-newsletter highlighting an article on homeowners swapping traditional lawns for more natural landscaping.
- Finally, keep an eye out for the July issue of NMPro, where Shannon Currey, our Director of Marketing, and John Hoffman have an article on sedges! You may recognize it from an earlier GrassSolutions™.
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Looking for Something New?
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 These past few months, we've been telling you about our new plants for 2010. You now have several ways to see these plants in their full glory.
- Click here to see a listing and links to detailed Grass Guides
- Go to our website for photos, cultural info, and descriptions.
- Peruse our new 2010-2011 catalog, which should be arriving soon at your location.
- Finally, email or call (800-203-8590) our Sales Team for a new grass chat
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| The Latest at HNI |
Grass TV - John Hoffman on CameraMike Gray, host of Almanac Gardener, interviews John Hoffman  |
John Hoffman made his television debut this past weekend on UNC-TV's Almanac Gardener. Host Mike Gray interviewed John and filmed the Nursery for a segment, "Colorful Ornamental Grasses for Small Landscapes". You can see the video on the Almanac Gardener website (June 19th episode). John and Hoffman Nursery grasses will be featured again August 21 with "Tough, Low Maintenance Ornamental Grasses". Thanks to Mike Gray and his crew for visiting us!
Garrett Stirrup with one of the Jerseys from the show  | Dairy Cows in Downtown Durham
It hasn't happened for many years, and Hoffman Nursery had a small part in making it happen. With a population over 250,000, the city of Durham has pushed farming to
the perimeter of the county. Our Shipping Manager, Scott Stirrup, and his family keep dairy cows and are heavily involved in the local 4-H program. Scott's wife, Samantha Gasson, organized the Bull City 4-H Dairy Breeds Show to introduce city children to
farming. The Durham County Extension Service provided primary organization and support, with local businesses such as Hoffman Nursery helping out. Click here for a slide show and local news report. John & Kerri Hoffman working in the Gardens of Remembrance  | Great Grass in the Big Apple
John and Jill Hoffman took a quick trip in early June to New York City with their daughter, Kerri. While there, they volunteered in the Gardens of Remembrance on the Battery. They worked with Sigrid Gray, Director of Horticulture, and had a grand time in this beautiful, urban garden. They also revisited the High Line, an elevated rail line that has been turned into a masterful city park. Pat Cullina, VP of Horticulture and Park Operations, guided them around the High Line. Our February issue of GrassSolutions™ highlighted this fantastic project. The High Line recently won an Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Go to our Facebook photo album for highlights of their visit. Back to top |
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Grass Forecast: Two Natives for Fall Color
| Schizachyrium scoparium 'MinnBlueA' PP17310 (Blue Heaven)  | For most of us, the sun's blazing and the heat is on. Although it might seem like a good time to lie low, it's really a perfect time to bring in warm season native grasses. What's going to give you brilliant, intense foliage color for fall landscape jobs and retail sales? Two stars of the native grass world with sustainable bona fides--little bluestem and Andropogon.
Schizachyrium scoparium
Little Bluestem was one of the grasses on the North American tallgrass prairie. Those prairies have all but disappeared, but Little Bluestem remains a strong performer across a range of soil and moisture conditions. It thrives on neglect, and offers brilliant, multicolored foliage and gorgeous fall color. Shade, excess fertility, and too much moisture will result in lax, floppy growth. At the Nursery, we offer the species, along with cultivars Blue Heaven™, 'The Blues', and 'Prairie Blues'.
Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem)  | Andropogon spp.
The genus Andropogon encompasses several outstanding native grass species. They are characterized by delicate blooms, upright habit, and medium-fine foliage with down-to-earth natural beauty. A field of broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus) in fall burns with intense rust and copper hues, rivaling brilliant sunsets. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) towers at seven feet and glows with reds, oranges, and purples as the growing season wanes. Split-beard broomsedge (Andropogon ternarius) draws people in with its fluffy, delicate plumes that sparkle in the low light of fall. Bushy bluestem (Andropogon glomeratus) catches everyone's eye with its vibrant, copper-orange fall color and bushy, expanding seed heads.
For more individual
listings go to our online catalog (username: great; password:
grass). If you'd like to order these or other plants, check current availability and get more info from emailing or calling (919-479-6620) our Sales Team.
Back to top
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| Comments & Features | Our New Catalog Has Landed!Look for the GrassSolutions spread and indexes in our new catalog
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The 2010-2011 Hoffman Nursery catalog is ready to go. Expect to see it on your doorstep in the coming weeks. As we noted in our last issue, we've packed in additional indexes to help you make great grass choices.
Going Social
Our social media activities continue, with
the premiere of the Hoffman Nursery Facebook page. We have
GrassSolutions™ indexes, articles on grasses, links to events,
horticultural news, and a wide array of photos. This page complements
our website and is the place to get the latest news.
We are also using Twitter for real-time updates. It's amazing how quickly news travels in the Twitter world and how many great conversations you can have there. Join us!
Follow @GrassSolutions for info on using grasses, finding great grasses, and general horticulture news and notes.  Follow John Hoffman ( @wegrowgoodgrass) as he travels and visits with grass folks and other horticultural-minded individuals.
On the Road with Shows
Several great shows liven up our summer:
- The Southeast Color Connection show got things started for the summer season. This was a smaller show, which gave our staff time to have in-depth conversations with attendees and other vendors. People were excited about our new offerings, and the newest member of our Sales Team, Brendan Wein, got his first taste of trade shows. We'll tell you more about Brendan next month!
- The OFA Short Course in Columbus, Ohio always gets everyone excited, with educational offerings and opportunities to see a huge range of folks. We'll be there July 11-13 at the Trade Show in Booth 2522.
- The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) Symposium really warrants attention this year. It will be in Portland, Oregon, one of the greenest places in the country. John Hoffman, currently serving as PPA President, will be there making the rounds, giving speeches, and enjoying the amazing activities. Hoffman Nursery has sponsored a beverage break during the Symposium and will have our new catalog available on the catalog table. Look for John if you're there.
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