You don't have to speak French to enjoy the Montreal Botanical Garden. It offers a lush, visual feast, with more than 20 separate, themed gardens. Each is beautifully designed, and they range from carefully manicured formal gardens to naturalistic plantings. 

Shannon Currey, our Dir. of Sales & Marketing, recently visited the garden. The weather was perfect, and the summer plants were at their peak. She noted that the growing season, while short, has cool nights, warm sunny days, and plenty of rainfall. That's a recipe for lush, fresh-looking plantings. 

Shannon found grasses throughout the gardens, and many took top billing in seasonal displays. For a look at photos from her trip, go to our album, Grasses at the Montreal Botanical Garden.

Grasses have a reputation for being tough, and that's definitely true in the landscape. In a nursery or greenhouse setting, a different set of issues come into play. This month, we've got a quick read to help with proper timing on fertilization and watering, pests to put on the scouting list, and techniques to keep disease at bay. 

Try our 10 Tips for Growing Grasses.  

New Head Grower!

Mark Dunlap, Head Grower at Hoffman Nursery

Hoffman Nursery has a new Head Grower, and we couldn't be more pleased. Mark Dunlap, a Growing Supervisor at the Nursery, was recently promoted to the position. 

Mark grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. His grandmother was a serious gardener and always had an afternoon gardening task waiting for him. She fostered a lifelong love of plants, which led him to Auburn University's horticulture program. After graduating from Auburn and working several years in a Tennessee nursery, he came to Hoffman Nursery in 2002.

Mark has a strong connection with nature and a deep sense of responsibility as a steward of the environment.  He hikes and camps in the mountains of North Carolina whenever he gets a chance and has explored natural landscapes in other countries, including Chile and Costa Rica. A keen observer of seasonal cycles and growth patterns, he's been working with grasses for nine years. He spent several years handling seed propagation at the Nursery and has been training new growers for quite a while now. 

His responsibilities as Head Grower will include ensuring plant quality, managing our growing team, researching new horticultural techniques, and handling any pest problems that arise. As part of continual improvement at the Nursery, he'll aim for increasing crop turns, reducing waste, and reducing pesticide use.

So, when your plants arrive, know that Mark had a big hand in making it happen.

The Artists' Backyard Takes Shape at NC State

What was once a boring thicket between two dorms has been transformed. Landscape architecture students at NC State designed and implemented The Artists' Backyard. The project utilizes Low Impact Development (LID) techniques to slow, capture and cleanse stormwater on site and creates a highly visible, universally accessible pathway between high-traffic areas.

NC State's landscape architecture design-build studio, taught by Dr. Andrew Fox, involved students in every aspect of the project process. Last year, students completed the Syme Rain Garden, which was wildly successful. Hoffman Nursery contributed grasses and consulted with the students for that project. We were so pleased with the experience that we were happy to help out again. 

This year, the studio focused on a new area and an extended project envelope. They completed Phase I of this projected five-year project during long summer days with record-high temperatures. Hoffman Nursery donated grasses and worked with students during the design phase. They graciously invited us to the ribbon-cutting and gave us a tour. We can't wait to see it once the plantings mature. Until then, we'll have fun with this video from Phase 1 and look forward to next season.

Artists' Backyard Phase 1: Summer 2011

For more info, check out the project blog and this article from NCSU Housing.  

In the News

 Spotlight on New Plants for 2011

 

Carex eburnea

Bristle-leaf Sedge

• Tough and adaptable native
• Low growing, 6"-12"
• Shade or part sun
• Use in rock gardens or as ground cover
• Zones 2-8

Its delicate appearance hides an innate toughness and superb adaptability to heat and drought. 

This great-looking North American sedge makes a first-rate ground cover for shady spots. It is a welcome addition to rock gardens with its clumping habit and soft, needle-shaped foliage. Inconspicuous blooms in late spring create subtle texture and  interest.

Its native habitat consists of conifer or mixed forests, often on limestone bluffs and ledges where it gets sharp drainage. Bristle-leaf Sedge has done well in our acidic, central North Carolina soils; however, it appreciates neutral to alkaline soils. Carex eburnea is listed as endangered in several Northeastern states. We are pleased to promote its use in the landscape.

Call (800-203-8590) or email us for more information or to book your order.