Spring 2015
Heliotropium ‘Fragrant Delight’
Heliotropium ‘Fragrant Delight’ is a garden artist of a different scent
We’ve been growing Heliotropium for a while, but it is a plant that flies under the radar for a lot of people. It’s a specialist that we bring in to do a specific job, like an electrician or a roofer. In this case, Heliotrope offers its memorable—and surprising—scent of vanilla-tinged cherry pie to a garden bed or arrangement. Of all the cultivars, we like ‘Fragrant Delight’ the best because of its reliable fragrance and textured purple flowers, as well as its ability to deliver the goods in the summer months. To expand past color, add this plant to your display, bench, or project.
If you know the wind patterns of your garden center or public garden, you can entice customers with the welcoming fragrance of warm cherry pie as they approach the site. Alternatively, you can add an aromatic undernote around entrances, walkways, plazas, or other high-traffic areas. In many ways, Heliotrope is a garden icon with serious chops when it comes to heirloom credentials. Victorians and Edwardians used its essence as an ingredient for perfumes. Oldtimers are sure to welcome its appearance, and the new generation will get to experience its unexpected scent for the first time.
Lantana ‘Samantha’
We grow Lantana ‘Samantha’ for the leaf as well as for the flower
We’ve been growing Lantana ‘Samantha’ for the last decade or so. It’s lemon yellow, like other Lantanas on the market, but customers buy ‘Samantha’ for more than just the flower. A variegated leaf with lemon-lime edges captures their attention, drawing as much commentary as the blooms.
In the same way, professional buyers select ‘Samantha’ because of the full package: a compact habit, ruffled texture, variegated leaves, and the buttery flowers that dot the top of the plant. Importantly though, ‘Samantha’ is especially good at companionship—a trait usually lacking in Lantana.
The Better Cleomes
‘Senorita Blanca’ is the best white Cleome we have found
Gardening graybeards among us may remember Cleome as that groovy plant with the space-age flowers, deeply palmate leaves, pastel petal clusters, and long whisker-like stems. As much as we love this plant we also vividly recall the pricks of its many spines; therefore, we were very pleased when new Cleomes appeared in 2012, bred to bring this Victorian cottage garden classic into the modern age.
The Curation of Calibrachoas
With Calibrachoas, what you leave out is as important as what you keep in
Back in the 90s, the Calibrachoa wasn’t much to talk about but a few decades later it has become a major category in the industry. Big name players field their own teams of singles, doubles, and patterns, and each breeding program has its own particular focus. They work nationally but we, the growers, work locally. For example, Calibrachoas bred for the North don’t require heat tolerance, whereas the Southern ones must tolerate low spring temperatures and wet conditions. Here in Cincinnati, we take a blend of the two—what works for one region doesn’t always work for us here. Still, it’s important to get this plant group right because the people who like Calibrachoas keep coming back for them.
Climate is just one of several hoops a plant needs to jump through—we pick and choose specific cultivars to perform important tasks for our buyers. Calibrachoa has two significant jobs these days: filler in hanging baskets and component for other projects large and small. Not all varieties do this well, so what you don’t grow becomes as important as what you do grow. Once you understand our curation process you will understand how to use our Calibrachoa to achieve your business and creative goals.
Hanging Baskets for Mother’s Day
Combo Livin’ on the Edge
Gearing up for the Mother’s Day holiday means stocking up on plenty of colorful hanging baskets. We have a wide selection of full, lush baskets for both shade and sun—a single truck can meet your needs for quality, variety, and quantity. Let’s take a walk through the houses and see what’s shipping.
Keep in mind that this is just a short list of suggestions. We are shipping much, much more than what we are listing here, so please review the Availability list on our web site for the complete selection of beautiful spring baskets ready to go.
