Exceptional plants and a fervent attitude make the Ivy Farm an electrifying nursery

There’s nothing humdrum at the Ivy Farm in Locustville, Va. Not as long as owner Richard Davis is on the grounds. Davis is a bundle of innovative energy -- the kind that’s inspiring, not bothersome. His genuine concern for the betterment of the green industry is obvious -- you can see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice.

Since he founded the Ivy Farm in 1992, he’s been on a crusade to get some diversity in the landscape, a goal inspired by his mentor, J.C. Raulston.

“The general public’s plant palette isn’t very refined,” Davis said. “J.C. Raulston said that 95 percent of the landscapes use 5 percent of the plant material available. As an industry, we need to change it up a bit.”

The Ivy Farm’s specialty is perennials and underused woodies, but Davis grows a wide assortment of groundcovers, grasses and succulents. The Ivy Farm is not exclusively obscure plants -- you’ll find Knock Out roses and Moonbeam coreopsis in the nursery yard.

“I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth,” Davis said. “They’re good sellers and they’re good plants, so I’m not going to overlook them in production.”

Davis sells primarily to high-end independent garden centers from North Carolina to New York. The majority of his customers are in the Mid-Atlantic. Davis ships 95 percent of his plant material on his own fleet of trucks.

A Hedera champion

In his quest to encourage consumers to expand their plant selections, Davis touts the value of shrub-form, adult ivy. Adult ivies are another Raulston inspiration, who introduced Davis to the shrubs while he was a student at North Carolina State University.

Davis often has to play the part of defense attorney when it comes to Hedera, because it’s been deemed invasive in so many circles.

“I believe in adult ivies. There are a lot of ivies that don’t produce fertile seed. There’s no point in proclaiming genocide on this genus,” he said.

Adult ivy are “super-drought tolerant,” hardy against heat and cold, need no pruning, have an excellent mounding habit, and are pest and disease resistant, Davis said.

“They’re an excellent choice for the homeowner -- beautiful and low maintenance,” he said.

Some of his favorite selections: Hedera rambia ‘Crème de Mint,’ a variegated form that exhibits “zero juvenility”; H. colchica ‘Green Spice’ is a clumping variety with heart-shaped foliage and green flower clusters; and H. helix ‘Deep Freeze,’ a cultivar that withstands frigid temperatures such as minus 20°F.

Davis enlisted the help of Tony Avent’s Plant Delights mail-order catalog to push adult ivies to the consumer.

Backed by a brand

Davis has been developing a brand complete with a logo, specialty pots, point-of-purchase material and designer tags. Stellar Plants brand is scheduled to launch in June. Longtime customers will recognize the Stellar Plants moniker, but Davis hopes the brand will be recognized by consumers.

“People want consistency and reliability with plants,” he said. “Branded plants must be tested very well, and it’s up to the industry to put those better choices in front of the customer.”

Support environmental stewardship

Davis’ commitment to the industry is not exclusive to plant material. He’s also an environmental advocate.

He reclaims about 70 percent of the nursery’s irrigation, and is working to increase that percentage.

“We were one of the first nurseries on the Eastern Shore to reclaim water,” he said.

Davis uses a pair of retention ponds to collect water. The nursery won the 2006 Ground Water Award from the Eastern Shore Groundwater Committee.

He implemented a nutrient management plan even before neighboring states like Maryland required it.

The Ivy Farm recycles poly and plastic containers and ships them to a recycler in Long Island. He’s also encouraged several Eastern Shore nurseries and farms to recycle plastic.

The nursery cuts down on herbicides by doing more hand-weeding.

The Ivy Farm introductions

* Sedum spectabile ‘Neon.’ It offers darker foliage than ‘Brilliant’ and has a more compact habit. It grows 24 inches high. It grows best in full sun to part shade and is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9. It flowers from August to October.

* Buddleia ‘Stellar Pink.’ A hybrid between Buddleia ‘Royal Purple’ and Buddleia ‘Pink Delight.’ It has a more compact habit with vibrant dark-pink flowers. It grows 4 feet tall. It flowers from summer to frost and grows best in full sun. It’s hardy in Zones 6-9.

For more: The Ivy Farm, (888) 786-4096; www.stellarplants.com.

{sidebar id=2}

- Kelli Rodda

June 2008