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 In This Issue
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The Latest at HNI
Hoffman Nursery accepts Grower of the Year and trade shows create a flurry of excitement.
New Plant Profile
A new sedge shines in the landscape. If you like Carex oshimensis 'Evergold', you're gonna' love this one!
In the News
Foliage first with designer Rita Randolph, paying attention to winter interest, switchgrass roots get a boost for biofuel, and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum's grass of the year.
Comments & Features
A sneak peek of new grasses, a recap of underused grasses, and a preview of our newest GrassSolutions™ series.
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| The Latest at HNI | |
Hoffman Nursery Awarded Grower of the Year!
We couldn't be more thrilled and gratified about the latest news. The North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association (NCNLA) recently named Hoffman Nursery as Grower of the Year for 2011. Ross Williams, NCNLA Executive Director said,
"NCNLA is proud to present the 2011 Grower of the Year Award to Hoffman Nursery in recognition of more than 25 years of premium plant development and its expanded production facility. The award also recognizes Hoffman's active support of horticultural research, environmental stewardship, and community service."
 The Grower of the Year is an NCNLA member that exhibits a high level of professionalism in the management or ownership of a field or container nursery in North Carolina (or other states where that operation may be located). In addition, the Grower of the Year exhibits leadership in the nursery industry through participation in local, regional, state, and national organizations.
Of course, this award meant we had to celebrate. The entire nursery gathered to hear the news, get a warm "thank you" for everyone's efforts, and to eat cake. That last part was critical.
The Trade Show Flurry
This year we were fortunate that trade show flurry was about being busy and not about snow. We've wrapped up the winter trade show season, and it was a great one. The shows were very upbeat, and we saw a steady stream of visitors at our booths.
 At MANTS in Baltimore, traffic was brisk the first two days. We saw tons of our favorite customers and colleagues. Stephanie Cohen, the Perennial Diva, wanted to know what's new, so we filled her in. (You can find out, too, by seeing our latest New Plant Profile and our sneak peek). Pat Cullina, former VP of Horticulture & Park Operations for The High Line, stopped in for an extended chat. He's working on several new projects in major cities and talked with us about grasses and sedges for them. On a somber note, we were reminded of the recent passing of Wolfgang Oehme. He always stopped by our booth and talked with us about his latest projects. Happily, we were able to spend time with his former colleagues and enjoyed swapping stories with them.
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Magan Agee, Sales & Customer Service Coordinator, puts the finishing touches on the booth at MANTS.
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Green & Growin' in Greensboro, North Carolina gives us the chance to see a huge concentration of customers and old friends in one place. This year's show was lively and full of optimism. We have a double booth at this show, which allows for many more mixed containers and trays to display. The container star this year was Nassella tenuissima or Mexican Feather Grass. It graced several large containers, and folks just couldn't get enough of it. In fact, we've already sold out of our late winter crop.
The CENTS show is smaller-scale than the other two, giving us a chance to talk with more regional customers. The Midwest is always interested in grasses, so we have great conversations with designers, retailers, and wholesale customers about what's new for them. Every year, we enjoy in-depth conversations with Steve Foltz of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. He's crazy about grasses. The Zoo has an extensive plant trial program, which Steve enthusiastically promotes. We spent time with Stephanie Cohen again, along with designers Bobbie Schwarz and Sabrena Schweyer. They all enjoy using grasses in their designs and never fail to give us creative, new ideas.
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New Plants: Carex oshimensis Everest™
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The new year brings new plants, and we couldn't be more excited about this first one.
Carex oshimensis Everest™ PP20955
- Green & white variegated foliage
- Prefers shade & average-moist conditions
- 1 foot; insignificant flowers
- Zones 6-8
We owe this stunning sedge to Pat Fitzgerald, founder of Fitzgerald Nurseries, Ltd. in Ireland. Pat noticed a mutation in C. oshimensis 'Evergold' tissue culture plantlets and recognized its value. Whereas 'Evergold' sports a gold stripe down the middle of each leaf, Everest™ wears snow white edges with a green center. To us, the foliage seems more vivid and the growth more vigorous than 'Evergold'.
Everest™ shares the habit of its parent, forming a neat mound, arching from the crown, and weeping gracefully. It is an excellent container plant or groundcover, acts as a bedding plant or specimen, and is lovely in mixed borders. The botanical cultivar name is 'Carfit01', but we will stick with the trade name Everest™.
It was the winner of the Silver Medal at the Plantarium 2008 in Boskoop, Netherlands and was nominated for the 2012 IPM Essen International Colour Your Life Award. Regardless of its awards, we think it's a winner!
For growing and marketing tips, go to our Grass Guide.
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In the News
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Consider Foliage First
This story ran in Nursery Management last year, but it's worth revisiting. Designer Rita Randolph outlines perennial grass favorites that bring an exciting element to garden design. A photo in her
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Winter interest with Miscanthus
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article happens to be one of our new offerings for this year--we'll tell you more about it in an upcoming issue. For now, take a peek at Rita's article.
It's Still Winter, So Show a Little Interest
In a preview of a talk he's giving, Jeff Epping of the Olrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin, describes the value of grasses in winter. He also suggests three selections for novice gardeners. Read more.
Roots, Switchgrass, and Biofuel
A local company is exploring new ways to improve switchgrasses for biofuel. By examining plant gene regulation, they are hoping to develop faster-growing, more extensive root systems. How does this relate to biofuel? Read here to find out.
GreatPlantsŪ 2012 Grass of the Year
The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum reveals the 2012 Plants of the Year for their GreatPlantsŪ program. The five selections always include a grass, and this year's selection is a Panicum. Read about it in this newspaper article or on the Arboretum website.
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Comments and Features
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The New Ones Keep Coming
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Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition' PP22048. One of our new grasses for 2012.
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In our New Plant profile this issue, we told you about just one of our newest offerings. Here's a preview of what you'll see in upcoming issues:
- Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition' PP22048
- Aristida stricta
- Pennisetum 'Cherry Sparkler' PPAF
- Deschampsia cespitosa cultivars, 'Bronzeschleier', 'Goldtau' & 'Schottland'
- Cyperus albostriatus 'Variegatus'
- Schizachyrium scoparium 'Blaze'
- and a few more...
Look for profiles of these great grasses in upcoming issues.
Underused, but Not Under Appreciated
We had great reader response to our series last year on underused grasses. In the series, we asked industry colleagues to tell us which grasses they think deserve more attention. It was a lot of fun and gave us unique insight into each individual's thinking. The series takes a respite for a while, but we start a new one next month. Before we leave underused grasses, we must thank again all the people who contributed. If you missed one, it's not too late to catch it. Just click on the name to see their list:
- Stephanie Cohen, noted author, lecturer, and Perennial Diva
- Paul Cappiello, Executive Director of Yew Dell Gardens
- Chuck Hinkle, Garden Supervisor at the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College and Instructor at Temple University.
- Jesse Turner, landscape architect with the Natural Learning Initiative and JTLA
- John Elsley, noted plantsman and horticultural consultant
- Paul Westervelt, Annual & Perennial Production Manager at Saunders Brothers, Inc.
- Bob Henrickson, Horticulture Program Coordinator with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
Our Next Series Hits the Ground Running.
Our upcoming GrassSolutions™ series was inspired by two things. First, several times a month we get calls asking about this topic. Second, a Crate & Barrel opened last year at our local mega-mall. We were inspired.
Next issue, we'll fill you in and, we hope, inspire you.
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