Supporting Thriving Populations
It is beginning. Populations of monarch butterflies, traveling from as far north as southern Canada, are beginning their 3,000-mile-plus winged journey southward to roost in the fir forests of central Mexico. They’ll stay there through our Midwest winter until spring, when they begin their flight back to us. And, hopefully, they will do so in…
The Allure of Roses
With about 150 species of wild roses and another 30,000 cultivated varieties, the first rose described for science – Rosa hilliae – was discovered in 1883 by Charles Leo Lesquereux, a paleobotanist. Lesquereux’s rose was initially found by geologists in samples collected in 1877 from the Colorado Florissant Fossil Beds. While that’s pretty impressive, roses…
Horti-futurism is Now
With the 2024 growing season at the starting gate, the question is naturally, “what’s new?” Experts (and history) tells us that trends are defined by the generations with buying power. Horti-futurism, they say, is now. While we value those Boomers who are still out there gardening along with their Gen X neighbors and Millennial children,…
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…
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…
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…
Plants that Protect Precious Pollinators
You may have heard that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently added the North American migratory populations of the monarch butterfly to its Red List of Threatened Species. Climate change and loss of habitat, especially milkweed, are top reasons they’ve become endangered. Milkweed is the only plant on which monarch caterpillars…