A captivating component of the beer brewing landscape

Hops are as valuable to beer drinkers as grapes are to wine connoisseurs—they provide the bitterness that gives each brew its unique flavor and personality. As an ornamental, the Hops plant is captivating because of its complex draping structure, its flexible nature, and the sheer conversation value of growing this beer ingredient in the home garden. As a result, we decided to work with four cultivars this year from the famous Oregon USDA breeding station that delivered to the craft beer industry the fuel that ignited a revolution and changed a way of life.

Pansy Matrix Amber Mix shows the modern trend of “restricted palette” mixes 

Over the past five years we’ve noticed more mixes climbing into our Top Ten rankings. It used to be we’d see one here and there, but now they show up regularly, across different genera like Vinca, Pansy, Impatiens, Calibrachoa, Coleus, and Viola. We don’t think this reflects a dumbing down of people’s taste, but rather an increased sophistication of both suppliers and buyers. 

We recommend training these long, thin cukes on a trellis

We now offer six varieties of cucumbers, with our newest being ‘Telegraph English’.  It has long, thin fruits that average about 15–18 inches in length. To keep them growing straight instead of curling we recommend growing the plant vertically and training it on a trellis or netting.

‘Strike Orchid’ has the strongest variegated foliage of the series

Striking would also be a fitting name for this new series that features unique variegation on the foliage. Take a look at these long, lance-shaped leaves—they’re banded dark green and yellow. If you zoom in more closely you’ll even see a slim red vein in the center.

One reason we turn to New Guineas, in addition to their resistance to powdery mildew, is for brilliant color that thrives in shade. Strike delivers from mid spring to early fall, with bright bold flowers atop the mound of showy foliage. While we use it to brighten shade areas, Strike can also be planted in full sun but expect the growth to be more compact. In the shade these plants tend to grow a bit taller.