In This Issue
Water and Green Infrastructure
Open digital edition Hoffman Nursery Writes about Emerging Market
In website posts and this newsletter, we've written about green infrastructure and our involvement in the NC Low Impact Development Summit. For the NC Summit, we helped create a survey about the role of plants in low impact development and green infrastructure. The results of that survey led to an article in this month's American Nurseryman magazine.

Our Marketing Director, Shannon Currey, co-authored the article with Debbie Hamrick, a colleague with NC Farm Bureau and an advisor to the NC Green Industry Council (NCGIC). Debbie was also instrumental in planning a NCGIC water conference that focused on green infrastructure.

In the article, they discuss how green infrastructure offers the nursery industry a new market for plants and horticultural services. Read the full article in American Nurseryman.
Sidewalk Bioswale
Bioswales in the Big Apple
New York City recently announced plans to install 2,000 sidewalk rain gardens in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. The new gardens are part of comprehensive plan to protect neighborhoods from storm water overflow and improve water quality. 

Read more in the press release, and in this post.
Lacking Water
Drought conditions in many parts of the country are pushing conversations about water to the forefront. Recent articles in Greenhouse Grower discussed the water crisis in California and called for a new way of thinking.

Muhlenbergia lindheimeriThis year, Texas and several other western states entered their third year of serious drought. Grasses, particularly those native to dry regions, offer beauty and toughness in parched landscapes. 

We love this recent post by gardener and author Pam Penick. She photographed a home in southwest Austin, Texas that takes advantage of grasses and other low-water-use plants. It's a gorgeous garden, filled with color, texture, and elegant hardscapes. The sense of place and connection to the surrounding landscape is unforgettable. 

While it's easy to spot perennial favorite, Pink Muhly, the garden also features Lindheimer's Muhly. This tough native is underutilized, so it's fun to see it play a starring role in this garden. For more about this useful genus, check out our Muhlenbergia page.

Thinking about low-water-use landscapes? Browse our list of grasses for dry conditions.
Planning Your Winter-Early Spring Liners
If you receive liners during winter or early spring, we'll probably ask where you're putting the plants. Why do we do that? It helps ensure the plants you recieve have the best chance of growing and thriving in their new conditions.

Most of Hoffman Nursery's liners are grown and overwintered in cold frames, so the plants are vernalized and ready to go when you receive them. The root systems are fully developed, healthy, and hardened off. 

Depending on when you receive them, the plants may be completely dormant or have recently broken dormancy. To learn why dormancy is important and get tips on winter and early spring shipments, read the full post.
Featured Plants: Time for Cools
Cool Season Grasses
Sesleria autumnalis (Autumn Moor Grass)
We've all felt the chill this season, with harsh weather starting early. The good news? Cool season grasses have been thriving.

This group of plants works a little differently. Next spring when warm season plants are just getting started, the cools will be actively growing and looking great. They're perfect for early spring sales.

We grow many cool season grasses, but here are a few favorites:

To see them all, go to our cool season listing.

For more information, get the fundamentals and read about cool season grasses for growers.
Comments & Features
John Hoffman at NC Arboretum
John Hoffman plots his route through the NC Arboretum.
A Few Highlights from IPPS-Southern Region
John and Jill Hoffman attended this year's meeting of the Southern Region of the International Plant Propagators Society (IPPS). Held in Hickory, NC, the conference included presentations, tours, and lots of opportunities to visit with colleagues.

Tours ranged over toward Asheville, with stops at the North Carolina Arboretum and the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Extension Center. The NC Arboretum has used grasses to control erosion and reduce mowing on slopes, as container plants, and in rain gardens. At the extension center, they're researching grasses for biofuels and developing new ornamental cultivars.

In addition to visiting several nurseries, the group toured High Point University in High Point, NC. The University has experienced tremendous growth in the past few years. New buildings are surrounded by extensive plantings, and outdoor sculptures are integrated throughout the campus. Curator of Grounds Jon Roethling is planning on adding even more grasses to the mix. He loves the look and the lower maintenance requirements. He's also eager to try out new selections.

'Dallas Blues' on our website
Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blues' PP11202
'Dallas Blues' in the News
One of our favorite Switchgrasses was featured this month in Nursery Management's Green Guide. Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blues' PP11202 has been stunning this season. The photos in the article are from our roadside border at the nursery.

The article notes one of the big pluses with this cultivar:

The color combination is worth mentioning again. Wide leaves of blue appear in spring and last through mid-fall when foliage turns gold. Pink plumes rise above the foliage in the summer.

We appreciate the feature and the great info on this stellar Switchgrass!
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Fax 919-471-3100
5520 Bahama Rd
Rougemont, NC | 27572
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