If you own a nursery, garden center or landscape business, you are in the branding business. The real question is “Are you creating a valuable brand and are your leveraging its value?”
Brands have been in existence for a long as people have put up store signs. The word “brand” was derived from “brandr,” an ancient Norse word meaning “to burn” or more specifically it referred to a burning a piece of wood or torch. Eventually the word “brand” came to mean a piece of burning piece of wood used as a tool, specifically a torch. And still later a brand came to mean a mark of ownership burned into cattle or to a box of wine or other goods.
Today, we often think of brands as logo or maker’s mark. The American Marketing Association defines a brand or branding like this, “A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” But branding has evolved to mean so much more than a logo or trademark, and it is a mistake to think that putting a logo on a company or product is branding. This is just one part of the process. Just like a torch gives light, a good brand sheds light on who you are and what your business stands for in a dark, crowded marketplace. Branding is not advertising. It is not marketing. Rather, it is the strategy that underlies your marketing. It is not a push, but rather a pull. It is the truth or value of a company, product, or service as it exists in the mind of the consumer.
Why branding?
To get customers: Choosing and buying plants is not easy for consumers or for professionals. It confusing to know what is a good plant or a not so good of a plant. Good brands, that stand for something, make it easier for people to choose. It gives the customer confidence they are making a good buying decision. Each day people make choices about products and companies and they often have very little information to go on. Why should I do business with your nursery? Why should I buy one plant over another? Branding answers these questions.
To get repeat business: If a customer has good results with your brand they are very likely to buy it a second time. The branding and packaging makes it easy to remember your business or product, and they will buy again unless you give them a reason to go elsewhere. Good brands create loyalty and some even create
To maintain high prices, good margins: Good brands have value. They are a perceived as emotional monopoly. Think about the value of Coca-Cola or Levi’s, it is the name and the reputation that goes with the name that people value. This is why people sell knock offs of famous brands, the trademark signals value and allows an increase in price. If and when you ever sell your company, the goodwill of the company name can have more value than your inventory or customer list. Take care of your brand because good brands create value.
To fend off competition: Generally speaking, people do not like change. We are loyal if served well, so an established, valuable brand keeps your customers in your camp. If people have a clear idea what you stand for, and if they value what you stand for, they are less likely to leave you for another company or product, even if those companies or products are better. A strong brand is like a wedding ring that reminds us that we are married, it helps us to stay faithful even while being seduced by another business.
Differentiation
You need to differentiate your brand in a way that makes it different, in a lasting way, from other brands. As a grower, retailer or landscaper, we need to help people make the best buying decision. Ask yourself, “Why should someone choose to do business with my company as opposed to another?” What is it that sets your company apart from the competition? Have you ever asked these questions? The answers given most often include lower prices, better location, better quality and/or a broader product line. Unfortunately, these are most often the worst answers.
Let’s start with price. If your strategy is to be known for low prices, it might work for a while, but you are going to find that there is always someone else that has lower prices than you. Or if you continue to lower your prices to maintain this position, there is a good chance that your prices are so low, you will soon be out of business. The location of your business can have a very positive impact on your business and should be taken seriously, but it is easy for your competition to set up a location as good as, if not better, than yours. As far as quality and wide product line, these can be important factors when starting a business, but with time can be matched by other companies. You need to be unique.
With so many choices, you must to give people a clear reason to choose your business that is different from your competition. This is differentiation. Differentiation of your company must be based on the consistent real-life features of your products and services, but ultimately differentiation takes place in the minds of your customers. It is your products and services, and the consistency of each offering and how they are categorized in the mind of the consumer that give you real, lasting differentiation.
Ideas that differentiate
Heritage is a way to differentiate. Ford Motor Company relies on heritage and so does Bailey Nurseries. They tout how long they have been in business or how many generations have been involved. Heritage tells people that you must be doing something right to have lasted so long.
Leadership is a way to differentiate. Apple is known for being a leader in technology. Spring Meadow is known for being a leader in new and better products. A company that claims leadership must actually lead. That takes effort and investment.
Narrow, defined product lines are a way to differentiate. Sony is known for electronics. J. Frank Schmidt & Son is known for tree liners. Iseli Nursery is known for sculpted conifers. David Austin Roses is known for English style roses. Narrow product lines also speak of expertise. If you need brain surgery, you want to do business with a brain surgeon and not a general practitioner. It is tempting for Spring Meadow to get into the perennial market, we sell to companies that buy perennial liners, but we have chosen to stay focused on flowering shrubs. The headline on our catalog says “Flowering Shrubs.” We sell a smattering of small trees and vines, but we focus on shrubs. That is what we are known for. That is what differentiates us from the competition.
Fast (or just in time) is a way to differentiate. McDonalds is known for fast food. Prides Corner Farms, a Connecticut-based nursery, is known for delivering to garden centers on a weekly or daily basis. Their trucks visit garden centers every Wednesday-Friday to make sure they are stocked up for the weekends. Their products are not the cheapest, but they are there when you need them.
Innovation. Apple, Sony, BMW, Nike, Bell Laboratories, Tesla, and Amazon are all known for their culture of unique innovation.
Your marketing messages should always be consistent.
Lego is one of the leading toy makers in the world and they essentially sell only Lego plastic blocks. They don’t dabble in baby dolls and they don’t get diverted into video games, that is unless they are video games about Lego plastic block characters. They don’t cheapen their products by using lower-priced plastics or thinner materials. You know a Lego block when you feel it. Garden centers crave consistency and uniformity. Many greenhouse growers have mastered consistency, but it is hard to find in the nursery business.
The easiest way to achieve differentiation of a company brand is to develop a unique selling proposition (USP), which is the one word or statement that sets your company apart from others. For example, the unique selling proposition for Volvo cars is “Safety”; for Subaru cars it’s “All Wheel Drive”; for Ferrari it’s “The Fastest”; for Mercedes it’s “Engineering”; for Rolls Royce it’s “Luxury”; for BMW it’s “The Ultimate Driving Machine”; and for Jeep it’s “Adventure.”
Lubera, a European fruit and berry breeder, created a simple but strong tag line.
A USP is not a mission statement or a sales pitch. “We are the biggest,” or “We the best” does not cut it. A good USP makes you stand out from the competition, and it raises the bar to a level your completion cannot reach. A good USP answers the question, “Why should someone choose to do business with you, over all other choices?”
It is my hope that this article helps you to understand branding and its value. Most of us are plants people. We love plants and that is why we got into the plant business. But we if want to make a good living in the plant business, we need to start by asking ourselves these questions: Why should someone want to do business with my nursery instead of another nursery? What is it that makes my company unique? What is it that I do better than anyone else? From here you can begin to develop your unique brand.
Tim Wood is a fourth-generation plantsman that travels the world hunting for new shrubs for the Proven Winners plant brand. He is also an accomplished plant breeder with over 100 plant patents to his name. An avid lecturer, photographer and writer, he writes a blog called “The Plant Hunter” and has written three books. http://plant-quest.blogspot.com
How to establish boundaries at work
Departments - Heart of Business
Set clear, concise and consistent guidelines for acceptable and unacceptable behaviors.
Football fans may lament that the 2018 NFL Season is in the rearview mirror, but lessons linger long after events fade. The Pittsburgh Steelers/Antonio Brown drama grabbed the headlines as he missed practices, walked away from the team multiple times, had sideline flare-ups, and went off on present and past teammates, proving once again the wisdom of Dr. Brenda Freeman: “Bad behavior left unchecked grows.”
While you probably don’t have an employee with a multimillion contract airing dirty laundry in public, you might have a rock star or specialist whose actions are inexcusable. The sooner you address bad behavior, the less likely it is to spiral out of control.
Boundaries, or clearly defined indicators of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, protect resources and relationships. If you haven’t already, as a leader, you’ll want to adopt multiple roles related to boundaries including:
Setting and maintaining good boundaries for yourself.
Establishing and articulating boundaries for your team.
Monitoring and maintaining team boundaries.
Responding and repairing when boundaries are violated.
To lead effectively, it is imperative you have clear boundaries for yourself personally and professionally. Your management of your boundaries serves as the model for boundaries within your team. Navigating them successfully empowers you to oversee boundaries within your team.
The first step in setting good boundaries is awareness. You must know what is essential for you, and for your team, to function at the highest level. It is equally important to know you and your company’s deal-breakers. For your personal boundaries, identify what energizes you, what drains you, and what pulls you off track. Encourage your team members to make the same assessment for themselves. Then, work together to identify the same information for your team. Boundaries that your team may discuss could include a commitment to a drama-free work zone where each individual works hard, makes time for fun personally and professionally and treats each other with respect.
Find a way to communicate boundaries within your team in ways that are clear and respectful. When individuals express their boundaries, they don’t need to defend, debate, or detail their feelings. For the team, it’s important that boundaries are negotiated and agreed upon by consensus, understanding that as the leader, you may need to set specific boundaries and negotiate the middle ground between competing priorities. Examples of powerful team boundaries include talking to people, not about people, handling conflict civilly, being on time, meeting deadlines and producing quality work.
Two things to keep in mind when setting boundaries: make them few and make them important. Too many boundaries create confusion, exhaustion and opportunities for conflict. Your role as the leader is to monitor your team’s process and progress and address issues when it appears boundary violations are imminent. Recognizing potential problems ahead of time empowers you and your team to be proactive and make adjustments, rather than forcing you to respond to the damage that occurs when a boundary is broken.
Once you’ve created a boundary, view it like a fence. It separates what is acceptable from what is not. Keep in mind that fences have gates – places where people can get from one side to the other with permission. Know when it’s time to open the gate or adjust the boundary, and do it with intention, clarity and consistency. Just as landowners periodically walk the perimeter to see if fences have been breached or need to be adjusted, take time to periodically review your personal and team boundaries to see if they are working and whether new boundaries are needed.
Good boundaries make good teams, just as good fences make good neighbors. Become a boundary master and you will increase engagement, productivity and your impact as a leader.
Dr. Sherene McHenry boosts your People IQ™ so you can increase purpose, productivity and profitability. Learn more about her services and get your copy of Navigate: Understanding the Five Types of People at sherenemchenry.com.
Lavenders for the North
Features - Plant Evaluations
Despite their generally tender aspect and the constraints of their cultural requirements, some lavenders grow successfully in northern regions.
Lavenders have long been cultivated for their broad herbal and medicinal uses and are enduringly popular as ornamentals in gardens and landscapes around the world. Famously, bountiful fields of lavender grown for its fragrant oil are the essence of France’s Provence region. Lavender derives from lavare, Latin for “to bathe or wash”, because the ancient Romans steeped bundles of this aromatic herb in bathing water. Lavender is familiar in everyday life, giving its distinctive scent and color to a myriad of personal, home, and culinary goods.
Lavenders (Lavandula spp.) are Old World plants, with 28 species native to the Mediterranean region, northern Africa, western Asia, and the Middle East. While technically a subshrub, the woody stems are often injured or killed in cold winters—L. angustifolia, L. × intermedia and L. × chaytoriae are typically listed hardy in USDA Zones 6-9. Consequently, lavenders are treated as perennials in areas where stem dieback is the rule rather than the exception. The mild climate of their native range is so unlike the temperate Upper Midwest that growing lavenders may seem impossible. Despite their generally tender aspect and the constraints of their cultural requirements, some lavenders grow successfully in northern regions.
While its name would imply otherwise, English or common lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, is a native of the Mediterranean region and represented in cultivation by a plethora of cultivars. Flower colors range from shades of lavender or violet to purple, pink, and white, usually with darker or contrasting calyces. All parts of the plant are tomentose and aromatic due to volatile oils in the inflorescences, stems, and leaves. The oppositely paired leaves are generally narrowly lance-shaped, about two inches long, silvery to gray-green, and evergreen in mild winters. English lavender has a mounded habit, 12 to 36 inches tall depending on the cultivar, and can grow quite wide with age under ideal conditions.
Lavandin, Lavandula × intermedia, is a natural hybrid of L. angustifolia and L. latifolia, another Mediterranean native. There are only slight differences related to flower size and bloom season between the two species and lavandin cultivars are plentiful, too. Lavandula × chaytoriae, a manmade cross between English lavender and woolly lavender, L. lanata, originated in England in the 1980s. It has the fuzzy silver leaves of woolly lavender and some of the cold hardiness of L. angustifolia.
The evaluation study
In June 2010, the Chicago Botanic Garden (USDA Hardiness Zone 5b, AHS Plant Heat-Zone 5) initiated a seven-year lavender trial, which included 40 commercially available selections of Lavandula angustifolia, L. × intermedia and L. × chaytoriae. The impetus for the trial was a common conception that lavenders were not reliably cold hardy in USDA Zone 5; the goal was to determine the potential for growing lavenders in northern regions. Beyond chronicling their ornamental attributes, assessments were made on winter hardiness, adaptability to average growing conditions, and longevity in the landscape.
Three plants of each taxon were grown in side-by-side plots for easy comparison of ornamental traits and landscape performance. The evaluation garden was openly exposed to wind in all directions and received at least ten hours of full sun daily during the growing season, which averaged 180 days per year for the 2010-2016 trial period. The clay-loam soil had a pH of 7.4 throughout this period, and although typically well-drained, the soil retained excess moisture for short periods in summer and winter. Trial beds were raised eight inches above the surrounding turf to improve soil drainage.
Maintenance practices were kept to a minimum, thereby allowing the plants to thrive or fail under natural conditions. Trial beds were irrigated via overhead sprinklers as needed, mulched with composted leaves once each summer, and regularly weeded. Moreover, plants were not deadheaded, fertilized, winter mulched, or chemically treated for insect or disease problems. Dead stems were removed each spring after winter injury assessments were completed.
All lavenders were evaluated for cold hardiness; cultural adaptability to the soil and environmental conditions of the trial site; disease and pest problems; and ornamental qualities associated with flowers, foliage, and plant habits. Final performance ratings are based on winter hardiness, flower production, foliage and habit quality, and plant health and vigor.
Top-rated lavenders
Seven taxa received the highest ratings for exceptional flower production, healthy foliage, vigorous habits, adaptability to the growing conditions, and superior winter hardiness. Based on cumulative evaluation scores, the top-rated lavenders in descending order were ‘Imperial Gem’, ‘Royal Velvet’, ‘Munstead’, ‘SuperBlue’, ‘Jean Davis’, ‘Niko’/Phenomenal and ‘Sharon Roberts’. Phenomenal was the only top-performing non-angustifolia type.
Summary
There were two noteworthy consequences of undertaking and completing the lavender trial. Most importantly, the outcome, whether positive or negative, is informative to gardeners beyond simply anecdotal. Additionally, discovering a variety of adaptable lavenders diversifies the offerings for northern gardens. Of the 40 lavenders trialed between 2010 and 2016, thirteen selections—representing a good variety of flower colors and plant sizes—received high ratings for their overall performances. Besides robust habits and superior floral displays, these lavenders proved winter hardy and adaptable to the challenging growing conditions of the trial site. The thirteen top-rated lavenders included ‘Imperial Gem’, ‘Royal Velvet’, ‘Munstead’, ‘SuperBlue’, ‘Jean Davis’, ‘Niko’/Phenomenal, ‘Sharon Roberts’, ‘Violet Intrigue’, ‘Dwarf Blue’, ‘Loddon Blue’, ‘Thumbelina Leigh’, ‘Oxford Gem’ and ‘Irene Doyle’.
Cold hardiness and adaptability to wet clay soils were the primary concerns at the outset of the trial. Both criteria were challenges to successfully growing lavenders, and at times, it was uncertain whether one was more detrimental than the other was. While not proven in all cases, the lavenders that struggled to survive the growing conditions were more susceptible to injury from cold temperatures. Longevity was not conclusively determined but the top-performers survived and excelled for the duration of their time in the trial, which in many instances was five or six years.
All lavenders sustained some level of injury in one or more winters, although damage varied by lavender and by year. There was a direct correlation between the degree of winter stem loss and habit quality and flower production; that is, lavenders with the least amount of stem injury looked the best. A number of lavenders, such as ‘Hidcote Superior’, Lavance Purple, and ‘Mitcham Gray’, were strong performers early in their trial, but were not able to recover fully after suffering significant winter injuries.
The flower shows provided by the lavenders were quite good overall. The majority of lavenders produced copious flowers, and were ornamental for a protracted period because of the long-lasting color of the calyces. Longer floral stalks created a more dramatic flower show, which was especially notable on lavandin selections such as ‘Gros Bleu’, ‘Niko’/Phenomenal, and ‘Provence’. Plants were not deadheaded in the trial, but it was clear that removing ageing flower stems would improve the ornamental display. Winter-dead stems were removed after new growth began in spring to improve habit quality.
Through formal comparative evaluation, we realized our goal of identifying a variety of lavenders adaptable to colder regions and average to challenging growing conditions. In the end, a third of the lavenders garnered at least four out of five stars; these successes will provide greater certainty when selecting a lavender for northern gardens.
This maple is a prairie-tough Kansas native, selected from local populations of sugar maples growing along the Oregon Trail in northeastern Kansas. A tree with a story, this regal cultivar was chosen from hundreds of brightly colored sugar maples planted in Hiawatha, Kansas, known as “The City of Beautiful Maples.” Dark green, heat and tatter-resistant foliage, brilliant fall color, and strong, storm resistant branch structure recommend it for prairie landscapes and beyond.
Alpine plume grass is a spectacular long-lived grass from high mountain meadows in central and southern Europe. A mature plant makes a dramatic specimen, with several dozen flower heads waving above a graceful fountain of fresh green foliage. The flowers persist from summer until the following spring when the entire plant should be cut back to make room for the new season’s growth. Unlike many other ornamental grasses, the foliage doesn’t die out in the clump’s center over time.
Amsonia hubrichtii ‘Butterscotch’™ an Emerald Coast Growers exclusive, stands out from the species and other Amsonia for its resistance to tip die-back. ‘Butterscotch’ stays strong and colorful from stem to tip, even in maturity. Vivid reddish stems contrast against rich, golden leaves for gorgeous fall color. Forming upright, graceful mounds, it provides constant movement and texture in gardens and containers and has superior disease resistance as well. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
Bred in Southwest Scotland by Elizabeth and Alasdair MacGregor, “Dreaming Swan” is a pinkish-tinged, semi-double addition to the Anemone Swan Series. The large flowers are given pizazz by a center circle of yellow stamens, and the pretty violet/purple banding on the reverse of the sepals that like to nod when the sun goes down! Dreaming Swan is a non-invasive hybrid and very unique among herbaceous perennials with an early bloom start, continuous prolific flowering from late end of June late October, much longer than Japanese anemone hybrids.
Neat, clean, colorful variegation makes Sunjoy Sequins™ barberry a standout in the landscape. Leaves are splashed white and green, and develop very showy pink tones as the season progresses, making the plant a patchwork of pink by autumn. More shade tolerant than other foliage barberries, yet has never shown any burn in trials. USDA Zone 4-8, height 2-3’, width 3-4'.
Blooming very early in fall, sometimes earlier than its sasanqua cousins, this remarkable Camellia japonica introduction covers with stunning lavender-rose formal double blooms through winter. Lush dark green foliage grows in an upright habit to 6-8 feet tall by 4-6 feet wide. Hardy in USDA Zones 7-9.
The clear blue color is like no other in the clematis world. Very rich and free-flowering and non-stop from May to September. Flower diameter of 4½ inches. Flowers are a sunny sky blue, with pastel yellow stamens. Cold hardy, Zone 3-9. Introduced by German breeder F.M. Westphal. Available to finishing growers from Roseville Farms.
This new clematis from Swedish breeder Kjell Bolinder features a large shocking cerise pink flower, like no other on the market. Its flower size reaches 6” diameter and is a heavy bloomer. Fuchsia Flash has a compact height of 5 feet, making it a good fit for containers or gardens. Large flowering variety and a very heavy bloomer growing on a short vine habit. It offers early-season start, fantastic for peak season sales. Hardy to Zone 3-9.
With the largest blooms of any Coreopsis on the market, the petals on Super Star can grow as big as the palm of your hand! Super Star features long-lasting color and a star pattern in shades of cream and red. It demands attention on the shelf and in the landscape. Hardy in Zones 5a-9a, it performs at its best in sunny locations. This low-maintenance variety also offers heat, frost and mildew resistance, while still attracting butterflies, bees and other pollinators for a big show.
Have your granita and eat it too! This high performing new ice plant, like it’s kin Granita® Raspberry, closely hugs the ground, vigorously spreads and is densely covered with large flowers in varying shades of rusty orange that are at once bright, earthy and iridescent. A beautiful way to enhance your garden, provide nectar for bees, and save water at the same time.
Named after a fiery, red-headed professional volleyball player from Israel, Pink Fire lives up to its namesake with enormous, fully double, fiery pink carnation flowers that emerge from a steely-blue base of foliage. The large flowers do not flop, but are help strong and high by the stems. A sport of the ever famous 'Firewitch', this plant has many similar, yet improved qualities with a super strong clove fragrance to entice even the shyest gardener to come closer.
We selected this new Distylium because of its habit. Low growing at 2-3’ tall and spreading 4-6’ wide, Swing Low™ is a perfect evergreen prostrate groundcover. Blue-green leaves are densely arranged on horizontal branches. Like all First Editions®Distylium Swing Low™ is an adaptable plant that can be used in multiple landscape applications. It adapts well to pruning and is disease and insect resistant. Bred by Plant Introductions, Inc.
A new series of super winter hardy coneflowers, with vigorous growth supported by stout and sturdy stems topped with loads and loads of flowers from AB-Cultivars. This is an exceptional series. Parrot has bright, golden yellow petals with a pumpkin orange halo surround a velvety brown cone for a stunning combination. Not only is the color brilliant, the number of flowers is astounding. Each retail ready plant can have up to 50 flowers per pot. That’s amazing! Like the beloved birds of their namesake, these coneflowers will add grace, form and beauty to any sunny garden space.
The absolute best landscape performing Echinacea! Sombrero offers Winter hardiness, well-matched colors, a uniform look in the landscape and season-long color. Tres Amigos features three vibrant colors at once: opening to peachy-coral, aging to rose and fading to burgundy. Hardy in Zones 4b to 9b, this highly floriferous series is naturally well-branched and compact for easy shipping. Plant Sombrero in the Spring and sell it the same year!
Festuca Eiler’s Beauty presented by Emerald Coast Growers has fine-textured matte green foliage. It is adaptable to tough conditions, even dry shade, and features tan seed heads on stiff red-tinged stems. Collected in Turkey by Henry Eilers, it is hardy in Zones 4 to 8.
Ficus caria ‘Little Miss Figgy’ PP#27929 Dwarf Fig
With a dwarf compact habit, ‘Little Miss Figgy’ is smaller and more cold-hardy than comparable figs, yet she bears prolific fruits spring and fall. An excellent ornamental and fruit-bearing landscape plant, ‘Little Miss Figgy’ boasts dark green, deeply lobed leaves and deep burgundy fruits with a sweet center. Hardy to USDA Zones 7-10, ‘Little Miss Figgy’ grows to an average 4-6 feet high x 3-4 feet wide. Available from the Sunset Western Garden Collection and Southern Living’s DownHome Harvest Collection.
An unparalleled new introduction from the breeder of ScentAmazing Gardenia, Buddy Lee, Gardenia Diamond Spire is often described as a blooming Sky Pencil. Growing in an extremely upright narrow habit, Diamond Spire grows to 3-4 feet tall and 2 feet wide and is perfect for small spaces and containers. Uniquely shaped oval, glossy green leaves are joined by attractive single white fragrant flowers in late spring, reblooming throughout summer. Hardy to USDA Zones 7-10; full sun to part shade.
Blooming into late summer and early fall, Sweet Star® is covered in single flowers starting in late May. Excellent rebloom throughout the summer. Flowers are followed by pretty orange fruit. Plants are nicely rounded with glossy green leaves and stay very compact in habit. Sweet Star originated from cold hardy wild collected Gardenia jasminoides seed from the Beijing Botanical Garden. Reliably hardy in Zone 7, it came through the record-setting 2013-14 winter in Athens, Georgia with minimal frost damage. Further winter testing will tell if it is also hardy in Zone 6b. Makes up quickly in production. Bred by Plant Introductions, Inc.
Large, peachy-red leaves contrast beautifully with cream white flowers. This plant is vigorous and compact but gives off a glow of daintiness in the landscape. Keep your borders clean with ‘Peach Tea’ or use in containers, summer borders, and mass plantings. Good in full sun or part shade in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9.
Endless Summer® Hydrangea’s newest introduction Summer Crush™ Hydrangea is a true differentiator in the marketplace with a profusion of big rich raspberry red or neon purple blooms. This color breakthrough in reblooming garden hydrangeas is a welcome addition to the Endless Summer® brand. Bred by Bailey Innovations, this new variety is the result of focused breeding and years of production and field testing. Proven to be Zone 4 cold hardy and the most wilt resistant Endless Summer® yet, Summer Crush has dark green glossy leaves, tight internodes, and a genetically compact habit to fit into smaller spaces in the garden and a perfect size for patio containers.
Another magnificent hydrangea from the Magical line, the flowers of this variety are certain to grab your attention. Dark, cherry red blooms are tipped with green for a memorable look. A compact grower, Magical Triumph will nestle well into the front of a bed, a patio pot, or a small garden space. As the flowers mature, they turn to green with hints of red, making this an interesting plant for the patio in 3 of our 4 seasons.
This long-awaited introduction is a step forward in paniculata breeding. With strong, upright stems and large cone-shaped flower panicles that stay upright, this plant is a summer stunner. Like the other paniculatas from Mr. Renault at Pépinières Renault, the flower color starts out white in July then progresses to dark pink. Coloring occurs from the bottom and progresses to the top of the panicle. Berry White® blooms a little later than Strawberry Sundae® and about the same time as Vanilla Strawberry™. Color shades can vary according to location, climate and type of soil. Our growers like this plant, and we think you will, too.
Hydrangea paniculata Hybrid ‘LeeP1’ PPAF White Wedding®
From Louisiana breeder Buddy Lee, the new paniculata introduction White Wedding is receiving rave reviews coast to coast. Unlike sometimes drooping comparable varieties, White Wedding elevates large white, pillow-like, conical blooms on sturdy, upright branches. Growing 4-6 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide and blooming all summer, White Wedding provides dazzling beauty as a cut flower and wows in the landscape. Plus, the sturdy bloom stems ship well. Full sun to part shade lover; grows well in most soil types. Late spring to early fall flowering can be extended by dead-heading aging flower clusters. Hardy to USDA Zones 4-8.
A selection from our friend Richard Davis, this new double flowered oakleaf hydrangea has 12-14", sturdy panicles of flowers that age from creamy white to a stunning combination of rose-red, olive green and cream. Each panicle is held up by a super sturdy stem. The plant grows 4-6 feet tall and shows off each fall with amazing fall colors in deep wine and burnt orange. Compared to Snowflake and other double flowered selections, Snowcicle has much larger panicles, improved vigor and sturdier branches.
This summer-flowering Iberis has pure white blooms with an extremely long flowering window, and it reliably flowers in the first year. With a high heat tolerance and hardiness in Zones 6b-9a, Summer Snowdrift extends the Iberis selling window in the South and is a great annual in the North. It is also used as an alternative to lobularia in mixed containers. This Summer Candytuft will bloom from mid-Spring until late-Summer, and makes a beautiful, low-maintenance accent plant.
What’s most lovable about Burning Love™ Leucothoe? Growers will love this cold-hardy evergreen shrub for its year-round salability, with new red growth maturing to green in summer than maroon-purple in fall through winter. Consumers will be thrilled by Burning Love’s versatility: compact and rounded, this cold-hardy plant grows well in the landscape or containers with little to no pruning needed. Maintenance free and disease tolerant, Burning Love enjoys part sun to part shade and grows to 2.5 feet tall and wide. Winner, Bronze Medal, Plantarium 2013. Photo courtesy: Plantipp
Nepeta 'Summer Magic' is an outstanding selection that blooms and blooms all summer. The upright, deep lavender blooms are held high above the grass green foliage and never flop. This plant always looks great in a container. We are proud to be representing this new catmint in partnership with our friends at Plants For Europe in the United Kingdom. ‘Summer Magic’ is a new, extremely free-flowering variety from the UK that blooms continuously from May to September. It's compact and sturdy and never flops, even in the worst rain storms. You won’t attract cats with this selection either. Compared to ‘Walker’s Low’ and ‘Six Hills Giant’, ‘Summer Magic’ has a much sturdier habit and never goes through that ugly mid-summer phase.
An intermediate to large-sized switchgrass, growing to 71 inches tall by 88 inches wide in full inflorescence. Stems are strongly upright, but the foliage is pendulous. The uniquely-weeping inflorescences sway in the wind, creating a whimsical mophead that gave it its “bad hair day” name. A hybrid of the bitter (Panicum amarum) and common (Panicum virgatum) switchgrass. Not only heat and cold tolerant, but may be more drought and salt tolerant. Zones 4-8.
Pineleaf penstemon is a staple of the dry garden. This selection is more than 20 years in the making with each clone and generation an improvement in color and plant size. SteppeSuns™ Sunset Glow is a warming orange color that blooms for a very long season. Reminiscent of Colorado summer sunsets this long-lived penstemon will attract pollinators and hummingbirds to your dry loving garden. This shade of orange compliments blue, pink, and yellow flowers and is lovely next to blue and silver leaved plants as well. Glossy green foliage is attractive, and the plants natural mounding habit make this selection versatile in multiple styles of garden design.
Selected for flowers that darken in color with age, yet are attractive in all color phases. The ¾-inch wide flowers are nearly white with a light violet-pink blush upon opening, aging to medium and even dark pink-violet. The broad petals make for fuller flowers, adding to the display. Blooms for four weeks. A hybrid of Phlox subulata and Phlox kelseyi, grow well drained and sunny as you would grow moss phlox. Zones 4-8.
Physocarpus opulifolius First Editions® Fireside™ Ninebark
We selected Fireside™ Ninebark because of the stunning foliage. Reddish new growth matures to deep red-purple foliage that holds its color reliably all summer whereas others take on brownish tones later in the season. Even in our Georgia trials the summer color did not brown out. Add to that, Fireside™ didn’t show any signs of powdery mildew in field and production trials in multiple sites 2015-2018. The leaf size is intermediate; bigger than Little Devil™ but smaller than Diabolo®. Pinkish-white flowers bloom in spring and foliage turns deep purple in fall. The plant habit is tidier than other Physocarpus with a rounded, upright shape.
Whether you call it Japanese andromeda or lily of the valley shrub, Interstella™ Pieris will have you seeing stars when it bursts into bloom with thousands of lantern-like ruby-colored blooms in early spring. The long-lasting display is followed by the emergence of dramatic red new growth, and handsome evergreen foliage secures year-round presence and beauty. Thrives in the same conditions as rhododendrons. USDA Zone 5-8, Height/width 3-4'
An improved red leaf chokecherry hybrid which does not sucker. This drought-tolerant medium-sized tree is adorned with beautiful dark reddish-purple foliage. In spring there are abundant white small fragrant blooms. The leaves emerge green in spring and gradually change to purple. The small fruits ripen to deep purple in late July and can be used for making jams and jellies or left on the tree to provide a favorite food for songbirds.
Winner of the DGA 2019 Green Thumb Award, Peppy Le Pom™ ornamental pomegranate blooms early and all summer long, peppered with jaw-droppingly bright orange blooms that give way to small ornamental fruits. Ideal for use as a container plant, it can be brought indoors for winter and grown as a houseplant. Warm climates can enjoy it as a dwarf shrub with a wide range of applications. USDA Zone 7-10, Height 3-4’, Width 3’.
This oak stands tall and slender in the narrowest of streetscapes. Dark green, mildew resistant leaves weather summer heat with style before turning rusty red in autumn. Leaves fall cleanly in autumn to reveal short, stiffly upright branches with wide crotch angles that form a storm-resistant structure. Zone 4 hardiness and a height of 45 feet and spread of 14 feet assure a slender, cold hardy and winter-tough tree for urban landscapes.
This ever-blooming, heavy blooming, rugosa rose bred by Chuck Bock won a gold medal from the American Rose Society in 2009 with one of the highest ratings ever. Lotty’s Love®, named after Chuck’s wife Charlotte, has clusters of semi-double cup-shaped blooms of beetroot purple suffused with magenta. The 3-4” diameter flowers have gold stamens and emit a strong cinnamon fragrance. Lotty’s Love® has the cold hardiness and salt tolerance that makes this species such a landscape favorite. Red hips, 1/2 inch in diameter, form in the fall. The dark green glossy foliage is resistant to major fungal diseases. The habit is more refined than the species.
Winner of the American Rose Society Award of Excellence in the No Spray division, Oso Easy Pleasy™ rose sends out continuous sprays of doubled blooms, each with the vivid, tropical hue of dragon fruit. Produces flowers continuously without deadheading, and as its award from the prestigious ARS attests, it exhibits outstanding disease resistance. USDA Zone 4-9, Height/width 2.5-3.5'.
Already decorated with six awards from around the world, Ringo™ rose is finally available in North America. The blooms of this colorful, appealing R. hulthemia hybrid open a bright golden yellow with a blazing red center. They mellow to a soft yellow, before finally turning white with a distinct pink center. The effect is three colors blooming at once. Trialed and tested for superior disease resistance and strong reblooming. USDA Zone 4-8, Height/width 3-4'.
Hardy in Zones 4b-9a, this Salvia nemorosa and Salvia pratensis hybrid has excellent winter hardiness and heat tolerance. With repeat blooming throughout spring and summer, ‘Blue by You’ is a sterile hybrid for longer shelf life and reflushes very easily. Plus, its long, bright blue flower spikes make for a head-turning display in containers and the landscape.
Blast produces mass displays of salmon colored large flowers shown off against green foliage throughout the warm months. Can be marketed as the Pantone color of the year “Living Coral.” An aromatic evergreen compact shrub, so easy to grow, very long bloom period, and very tolerant of dry hot conditions. The Heatwave Salvias are a cross of S. microphylla x S. greggii, eliminating the variable range of habits and lack of garden hardiness associated with so many of the straight Salvia greggii forms in the market. The plants are very tight habit in appearance. Hardy in USDA Zones 6-10.
This sedum is loved for its burgundy leaves, rose-gold flowers, multiple crowns the first year and an excellent habit. You’ll love it even more for attracting pollinators, minimal water use and the unique color splash! Excels in full sun; blooms in August and September in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9. Reaches 14 inches high and two feet wide.
A fabulous new structural component for succulent gardens, Senecio Skyscraper is a strong, upright grower, reaching 3-4 feet tall in one growing season. No staking or support necessary. In colder climates, Senecio can be grown indoors as a houseplant in a bright location. Growing well in full sun to part shade, Senecio is hardy to USDA Zones 10-11.
An Emerald Coast Growers exclusive, ‘Morning Mist’ features prolific blooms on sturdy red stems consistently displayed over arched masses of fine medium-green foliage. ‘Morning Mist’ turns a rich gold hue for fall. It’s height and habit are more consistent than the species. This clumping prairie dropseed reaches up to 4 feet high in full sun. Hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
A standout in field and container trials, this well-branched, semi-dwarf, compact lilac blooms heavily each spring. The flower buds emerge a mulberry-violet and open to clear jacaranda purple. Developed from low-chill bloodlines for improved warm climate performance and resistant to powdery mildew. USDA Zone 2-8, Height/width 4-6'.
This new basswood selections has a tight, pyramidal head with lustrous, dark green leaves that persist late into the season. We are confident Sweet Street will make a useful street tree, and due to its narrow habit can be used in more space restricted spaces than other lindens. This new selection was discovered by Darrell Kromm of Reeseville Ridge Nursery in Wisconsin. It is incredibly hardy and appears to be resistant to Japanese beetles. Reaching 30' tall and 15' wide, this may just be the perfect native street tree selection.
Matures into a robust yet uniform and dense broad mound. Three-year-old plants were 48 inches tall and 83 inches wide. Combines the bushy habit of V. lettermannii and the more robust plant size and larger capitula of V. arkansana. Excellent resistance to powdery mildew and rust. Dark purple florets are packed into nearly 1-inch-wide flower heads, borne from early September to early October in northern Illinois. Attracts a diversity of pollinators. Zones 4-8.
Similar to Vernonia lettermannii ‘Iron Butterfly’, but grows somewhat larger and never lodges due to the interlocking inflorescence branches. Three-year-old plants were 28 inches tall by 35 inches wide. Takes on a dark red cast in full sunlight. 1/3-inch wide capitula with dark purple florets are produced for five to six weeks starting in early September in northern Illinois. Excellent resistance to rust and powdery mildew. Attracts a diversity of pollinators. Zones 4-8.
Great garden performance! This very hardy cultivar features lovely blue flowers that bloom and bloom! Plant with our pink cultivar ‘Aspire’ to touch up a sunny corner. Best as an edging plant in sun-drenched garden beds and borders. Full sun, grows to 9 inches high, spreads to 11 inches wide and blooms from May to July in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-8.
This diminutive yet durable speedwell blooms from early or mid-June until mid-July in northern Illinois, packing its violet flowers on dense flower stems only 6 inches tall. The plants are equally dense with fine, olive-green foliage on creeping rhizomes. Two-year-old trial plants measured 10 inches wide by 1 inch tall. Equally tough as it is attractive, ‘Blue Sprite’ is highly disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, and hardy to USDA Zone 4. For full sun and well-drained soils.
A great viburnum addition, Coppertop™ sweet viburnum features brilliant, dark maroon to copper new growth that reappears after each pruning—giving this plant season-long appeal. This upright evergreen blooms white flower clusters in early spring and is hardy to USDA Zones 8-10. An ideal replacement for traditional sweet viburnum and for redtip photinia, Coppertop grows 8-10 feet high by 5-6 feet wide.
This beauty is a seedling selection from Vitex trifolia ‘Purpurea’ x V. agnus-castus that combines the best of both parents. Flip Side™ is cloaked in 8-inch panicles of fragrant, deep purple flowers that attract a nonstop parade of pollinators. It’s also a strong rebloomer. Flip Side™ got its name because the greyish olive-green leaves are dusky purple on the lower surface. While V. trifolia ‘Purpurea’ is only hardy to Zone 9, Flip Side™ has been hardy in Athens, Georgia for a number of years, surviving a Zone 7 winter. Flip Side™ is much more compact than either parent. This is a very cool plant for warmer regions.
This new hybrid vitex breaks all of the rules! Selected from a batch of vitex crosses made by former V.P. of Horticulture, Kris Jarantoski of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Summertime Blues has a rounded habit with exceptionally large individual flowers held on black stems. Just imagine a vitex with improved hardiness, that flowers most of the summer and can be used as a shrub…and you have Summertime Blues! Undisputedly an improved selection, Summertime Blues offers multi-season interest for gardens from California to Chicago and even in the deep south. Extreme drought tolerance, a more manageable size, and sterile flowers make the perfect combination for this work horse, easy-to-care-for shrub.
Hues of cream, green, and pink, layered with a cast of purple make My Monet Purple Effect™ weigela a noteworthy selection. It shares the same dwarf habit and variegated foliage of the original My Monet® weigela but is exceptionally strong flowering. A bit faster growing and has proven more heat tolerant in trials. The foliage looks good right up until frost, giving new energy to this long-time favorite. USDA Zone 4-6, Height/width 1.5-2.5'.
Large, peachy-red leaves contrast beautifully with cream white flowers. This plant is vigorous and compact but gives off a glow of daintiness in the landscape. Keep your borders clean with ‘Peach Tea’ or use in containers, summer borders, and mass plantings. Good in full sun or part shade in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9.
Sedum ‘Peach Pearls’
This sedum is loved for its burgundy leaves, rose-gold flowers, multiple crowns the first year and an excellent habit. You’ll love it even more for attracting pollinators, minimal water use and the unique color splash! Excels in full sun; blooms in August and September in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9. Reaches 14 inches high and 2 feet wide.
Veronica Aspire™ Blue
Great garden performance! This very hardy cultivar features lovely blue flowers that bloom and bloom! Plant with our pink cultivar ‘Aspire’ to touch up a sunny corner. Best as an edging plant in sun-drenched garden beds and borders. Full sun, grows to 9 inches high, spreads to 11 inches wide and blooms from May to July in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 8.
Sherene McHenry
