Plant These Favorites for Spring
There is still plenty of time to put new plants in the ground and help roots become established before soil freeze sets in. Whether your retail customers are planting now or you are planning varieties to add to landscape designs in the spring, consider the following favorites for seasonal waves of color. Texas Scarlet Flowering…
Like Magic, These Shrubs Beckon the Butterflies
Waving atop foliage like magic wands, the slender panicles of the butterfly bush beckon pollinators as if by magic. The spikes, ranging from 5 to 12 inches long depending on the cultivar, consist of tightly packed, star-shaped flower petals clustered up and down the panicle. Flower colors are bright and vibrant, in shades of pink,…
These Plants are Growing Strong
Daylight may be growing shorter and the calendar is leaning towards fall – but there are still a handful of weeks left in summer and these beauties are growing strong. ‘American Gold Rush’ Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hybrid) Black-Eyed Susan Blooming all the way through fall, ‘American Gold Rush’ Black-Eyed Susan has dark chocolate centers and…
These Coneflowers Have a Lot to Offer
Walk around your neighborhood or visit a nearby park and you’re bound to see them. Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are staples in Midwest gardens and landscapes and there are good reasons why. Consumers have numerous options for mixing and matching their bright and bold colors in beds, borders and containers. From crisp white to popular purple…
Introductions We're Growing for 2024
Every growing season brings new and exciting plants to market and Spring 2024 will be no exception. Loma Vista Nursery is currently growing three exciting new introductions for the coming season. They are Wine & Spirits® (Weigela florida) and Fizzy Mizzy® Sweetspire (Itea virginica) under the Proven Winners brand and Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)…
Key Takeaways From Cultivate'23
By Lyndsi Oestmann In the plant business good news about the economy is always welcome and those of us who attended Cultivate’23 got it straight from our industry’s authority. During his keynote session, Dr. Charlie Hall, AmericanHort’s chief economist, provided three takeaways that have many of us walking on Cloud Nine. No. 1 – The…
Landscape Solutions for Honeybee Attraction
For discriminating pollinators, these perennials are the bee’s knees. With bold colors and interesting shapes, plants like the following provide interest, shelter and habitat for the more than 4,000 species of bees native to North America. Loma Vista Nursery-grown plants produce high-quality nectar and protein-rich pollen, giving bees the nutrition they need to make honey…
Make the Most of Cultivate'23
By Lyndsi Oestmann If it’s July – it’s time to “cultivate” your business network! Our team is averaging 18-plus hours per person round trip to attend Cultivate’23 later this week. The annual trade show and convention presented by AmericanHort is the green industry’s premier event, held during July in Columbus, Ohio, and this year from…
These Plants Thrive When the Weather is Dry
As drought conditions tease the Midwest, minds turn to water-wise plants that can take the heat with little stress. These are generally established perennial plants and shrubs that have adapted to low-moisture conditions, so they need less water. Many are also pollinator friendly. During National Pollinator Week – and throughout the growing season – we…
A Rose of Another Color is Just as Sweet
We love them, don’t we – those crimson roses that smell so sweet, energize our bodies and provide pleasure to our brains? Red roses elicit feelings of love, passion and longing, while the color red is a physical stimulant associated with excitement. And then there are roses of other colors and we love them just…