North Carolina State University Takes Center Stage
In past issues, we've written about our fruitful collaborations with faculty at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The University is a great resource for us, so it's gratifying to see them highlighted in the trade press. This month, Greenhouse Product News (GPN) is starting a seven-part series on research being performed at the University. The current issue introduces the Floriculture Group, which includes the expertise of two faculty members featured this past year in GrassSolutions™-- Steven Frank and Joe Neal. To see the January 2011 digital version of the magazine click here. The article on NCSU Floriculture is on pp. 18-22.

Have Your Say on Grasses

Sprout, the e-newsletter from American Nurseryman, recently noted that Dr. Mary Meyer is conducting a survey about grasses and sedges. What's your best-selling ornamental grass? Do you any difficulties selling grasses? What kind of research would you like to see done on grasses? Dr. Meyer, professor and extension horticulturist at the University of Minnesota, Chaska, specializes in native and ornamental grasses and sedges. Her book, Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates is a must for folks in the upper regions. She wants to know what grasses are hot and to get feedback on the direction future research should take. Let her know what you think. Take her quick survey by clicking here.

 

Dr. Meyer and her students trial grasses and sedges in the Ornamental Grass Collection at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. For a tour of some gorgeous grasses, give their website a visit.
 

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The Perennial Diva, Stephanie Cohen, and John Hoffman at MANTS

MANTS  

We're in the midst of winter trade shows, and it's a wonderful, exhausting experience. At MANTS in Baltimore, the mood was upbeat, and we talked to many customers and colleagues who said business was getting better. There's nothing like talking face to face, and we enjoy getting to know people better.

 

Stephanie Cohen, the Perennial Diva, stopped by and chatted about new and exciting grasses. That night, we had a lovely dinner with her and her colleague, Sharee Solow. Stephanie is a big grass fan and uses them extensively in her designs.

 

And, of course, we always get a visit from one of the Masters of Grasses, Wolfgang Oehme. He and his entourage stopped by the booth to see what's new in grasses and to tell us about a few of their projects. Working with Carol Oppenheimer as WOCO Gardens, Wolfgang designs "joyful, daring landscapes." And that includes a few joyful grasses, too. 

 

We also heard from Pat Cullina, Vice President of Horticulture and Park Operations for the

High Line in New York City. The High Line, which we wrote about last year, is an elevated rail line turned into a public park. Grasses and sedges make up a significant portion of the plantings, and Pat tells us they're doing quite well. Section 2 of the High Line, which will double the size of the Park, opens this year. The fierce weather called a halt to fall planting, and the remainder will be going in this spring. We can't wait to see the results! For a view of the High Line's winter landscape and a stylish grass photo, check out this High Line Blog entry from December.

Miscanthus in the Terraces at Duke Gardens

Green & Growin'

The Green & Growin' show in Greensboro, NC was our next stop, and it's always a homecoming for us. Former classmates, students, and colleagues are everywhere, and we love catching up with them. While we talked with many folks, one of the highlights was a series of conversations with the staff at Sarah P. Duke Gardens. This fantastic garden, on the campus of Duke University, is one of the most visited sites in North Carolina. They are planning on using ornamental grasses as the theme for the Terrace Gardens and container plantings this season. We discussed several grass candidates, potential projects, and ways to get the public excited about ornamental grasses. Look for more info as we move forward with planning. We think it may include a lawn alternative planting, too!

 

The Next Shows

As we "go to press" our folks are returning from CENTS in Columbus, Ohio. After that, we have one more winter trade show. We'll be at New England Grows in Boston February 2-4 in Booth 3011. Please come by for a visit if you're attending. Look for more trade show updates in our next edition. 

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Grass Kudos 

One of the best parts of putting together this newsletter is hearing from people who are using our grasses. We've recently had great feedback from two customers that we'd like to share:

 

 UNC-TV, whose facilities are in the Research Triangle Park here in central North Carolina, recently won a Green Star Award from the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS). These awards give national recognition to grounds maintained with a high degree of excellence. Peter Ampuja, Landscape Manager for UNC-TV, is a real advocate for using grasses in the landscape. Peter and his staff removed annual beds, which were costly and required regular irrigation, and replaced them with grasses from Hoffman Nursery. With budget cuts, they couldn't sustain or justify continuing with annuals. The grasses were a real solution for them. According to Peter, "The grasses from Hoffman played a big part in getting a PGMS award." Congratulations to Peter and his staff for winning this award!
 

Andropogon plays a central role in this native planting designed by Gardener by Nature LLC. Photo courtesy of Dale Batchelor.

At the Green & Growin' Show in Greensboro, another Hoffman Nursery customer sang the praises of grasses. Dale Batchelor of Gardener by Nature LLC had talked with us about installing a native planting that included grasses. She took our advice, purchased the grasses from us, and we're thrilled to hear how it's gone: 

 

"We planted the plugs from you all, both Andropogon virginicus and A. ternarius, in March 2010.  The photos were taken in October.

 

We, and our clients, were delighted with the results in the first year.  The Andropogon was a perfect solution for the area, which was completely choked with Creeping Charley.  We used black plastic, followed by a newspaper mulch, prior to planting the plugs. Can't wait to see the second year!

 

I appreciated advice I got from you all on the job.  I'm hoping to get more clients excited about the possibilities for using native grasses."

 

Dale also sent photos from the project, which she has graciously allowed us to post. Thanks, Dale, for using Hoffman Nursery grasses and for telling us how the project went! 

  

New Plants for the Season

The Hoffman Nursery palette of grasses is expanding, and you've got a front-row seat. In the coming months, we'll spotlight grasses and sedges that are new to our collection. Don't miss these upcoming previews--they'll put you ahead of the game!