The horticulture industry is chock-full of plant enthusiasts, and here at Loma Vista Nursery, it is no different. Each day at work, you can find our staff debating various plants. Every day it feels the March Madness NCAA bracket but with plants. And instead of the challenge lasting just one month, this debate goes on year-round. So, we decided to give our employees a space to claim their favorite plants by having a monthly “Top 5 Plants” post.
Our first feature: Brooke
To kick off this series of blogs, we are starting with Brooke, our very own propagator and perennial grower. Since she is responsible for creating our plants, we figured we would let her go first because without her, we would have no plants to grow.
Her Top 5
1. Azalea Bloom-a-thon® Double Pink: All azaleas are pretty awesome, but what sets this variety a part for Brooke is the color and the double bloom. Brooke appreciates the Bloom-a-thon® variety because they have been designed to have a longer blooming season. “I imagine having a landscape someday where the whole yard is filled with these azaleas in constant bloom,” she says. Brooke has an extra appreciate for azaleas in general because they are easy to propagate at the nursery in comparison to other plants we grow. She was so excited to talk about these azaleas that she even created a new word to describe them. “They’re floriffic!” she says.
above: Azalea Bloom-a-thon® Double Pink
2. Hydrangea quercifolia “Ruby Slippers” Oakleaf Hydrangea: Brooke is from Kansas herself, so she can’t help but feel sentimental about the plant’s shout-out to The Wizard Of Oz. Her love of this hydrangea variety doesn’t end there though. Yes, she is a huge fan of the shrub’s ruby red flowers, but she is also obsessed with the plant’s fall interest on it’s oak-shaped leaves. “It’s bright red fall color is second to none,” Brooke explains when saying why this hydrangea makes her Top Five list.
above:”Ruby Slippers” Oakleaf Hydrangea with fall color
3. Physocarpus “Amber Jubilee” Ninebark: When asked to describe why this is one of her favorite plants, Brooke simply says, “I have just always liked it.” She loves the orange color of the Amber Jubilee, and she appreciates that ninebark is another plant that is easy and fun for her to propagate at Loma Vista Nursery.
above: Ninebark “Amber Jubilee”
4. Magnolia “Ann:” The Magnolia Ann is on Brooke’s list because it is first to bloom in the spring. After a long dreary winter, Brooke looks forward to the pop of pink color in the spring. She also has a soft spot for the fuzzy buds which add a unique winter interest to the plant. We recently did a blog post on magnolias, so feel free to check that out HERE if you want to know other reasons they are a great plant for any landscape.
Above: Magnolia “Ann” blooms (in foreground)
5. Wisteria “Amethyst Falls:” The final plant to make Brooke’s list is this variety of Wisteria. Brooke is a graduate of Kansas State University, so she says, “You’ve gotta love the K-State purple on this plant.” Wisteria is on her future yard wish list because she imagines having it on a trellis over her back porch someday.
above: A crop of Wisteria “Amethyst Falls”
Have Questions About Plants?
We may be a wholesale grower, but our staff are experts in the field. What’s more, is we love helping people learn more and understand more about plants. We grow healthy plants, and we want our plants (and any plants really) to be successful in the landscapes they are planted in. Feel free to email us at sales@lomavistanursery.com or call us at (785) 229-7200 if you ever have plant-related questions.
above: Wisteria “Amethyst Falls” bloom
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