Loma Vista Nursery News

The Power of Plants

From environmental to economic and from health and wellness to food and shelter, much has been studied – and written – about the benefits of plants. Through inspiration that enriches human lives, they also support pollinators, wildlife and the natural ecosystem. This is our industry’s sweet spot.

Gardens nurture us by providing spaces for peace, reflection and even entertainment. They encourage exercise and calm our minds. Plants contribute to our economy through retail and landscape. They are raw materials that clean our air and contribute to our medicines. As we dig into spring 2023, join us in maximizing the power of plants for all of us by including plant benefits information in your marketing communications.

Here are a few plants-with-benefits that will soon be heading off our dock. For details about all our offerings, visit the online catalog.

Tuff Stuff™ Red Mountain Hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata) – Photo and cover image courtesy of Proven Winners

Tuff Stuff™ Red Mountain Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are hot. Not only beautiful and with repeat blooms, these shrubs generally require very little care. In a variety of sizes with varied flower heads, there is a hydrangea for nearly every site need and design aesthetic. Tuff Stuff™ Red Mountain Hydrangea, part of the Tuff Stuff™ reblooming hydrangea collection, is bred for colder weather. This is an ideal hydrangea for USDA Hardiness Zones 5 and 6, although it does well in Zones 7 to 9.

Large, lacecap flowers are pinkish-red and showy against deep green foliage. Tuff Stuff™ Red Mountain Hydrangea begins its bloom on old wood in early summer and produces flowers on new wood through fall. Tuff Stuff™ Red Mountain Hydrangea has a small, round habit and is a good selection for a foundation or specimen planting, as well as edging along walkways and as a low hedge. At maturity, height and spread for this plant is 3 feet. It prefers part sun to sun.

Morning Light Ornamental Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) – Photo courtesy of Proven Winners

Morning Light Ornamental Grass

This ornamental grass is aptly named for its variegated foliage, which shimmers in the early morning light. Morning Light Ornamental Grass is low maintenance with an upright habit and delicate, green-silver arching leaves. Because this warm-season grass likes hot weather, it can begin its  growth as late as early summer. It turns shades of tan and brown as the weather turns colder in autumn. Feathery blooms in late summer are creamy copper and rise above the foliage, increasing the plant’s height.

Morning Light Ornamental Grass provides shelter for wildlife and attracts birds. It resists deer, provides winter interest and is salt tolerant. Use it as a border plant, in dried flower arrangements and in mass plantings. This ornamental grass is 4- to 5-feet tall and 3-feet wide, and 6 ft tall and wide when in bloom. Ideal in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. Plant in part sun to sun.

‘Denim ‘n Lace’ Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)

‘Denim ‘n Lace’ Russian Sage

Bring  in the bees – and the hummingbirds, too! ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ Russian Sage is a pollinator magnet. Perfect for Midwest gardens, this lacey perennial thrives in hot, dry areas. Purple-blue flowers are fragrant on sturdy stems in an upright habit. Blooms begin in mid-summer and continue through mid-fall.

This hardy perennial tolerates a variety of soils and has multiple uses in the landscape, as well as in dried and cut flower arrangements. Deer resistant, it is drought and salt tolerant. Leave it up through winter – it is beautiful as ice hangs onto its stems. ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ Russian Sage has a mature height and width of about 3 feet. Plant it in the sun, in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9.

Royal Candles Veronica (Veronica spicata)

 

Royal Candles Veronica

There are so many benefits with this easy-care, reblooming herbaceous perennial. Showy in the garden, violet-blue flower spikes attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Perfect in cut flower arrangements, Royal Candles Veronica adds color to vases on the patio and in the home.

Royal Candles Veronica produces flowers from late spring to fall. It has a moderate growth rate, reaching about 1 foot tall and wide. This Veronica likes moisture and its feet in well-drained soil. Deadhead spent flowers to keep things neat. Divide every few years in early spring. Plant in full sun, in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9.

Spring Flurry® Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis ‘JFS-Arb’) – Photos courtesy of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.

Spring Flurry® Serviceberry

This elegant tree is the perfect anchor in perennial borders and is stunning in smaller landscapes. In early spring, clusters of white flowers blanket Spring Flurry® Serviceberry

before the leaves emerge. Oval, deciduous foliage is copper bronze in spring, turns dark green as the season evolves and then puts on a show of bright orange in fall.

The moderate size and growth rate of Spring Flurry® Serviceberry makes it an ideal specimen tree. It has a low canopy that measures about 4 feet from the ground. It grows to 28 feet tall and 20 feet wide at maturity. Birds like to nest in the tree’s sturdy, uppermost branches. Deer resistant, this serviceberry likes full sun to partial shade and average to moist environments. Plant it in USDA Hardiness Zone 4.

Learn More About Landscape Plants from Loma Vista Nursery

Loma Vista Nursery’s staff members are experts in the field. We love helping people learn and understand more about healthy plants that perform well in Midwest landscapes. For more information about trees, shrubs and perennial plants that are ideal for Midwest landscapes, visit our plant catalog. To get answers to your plant-related questions, feel free to email us at sales@lomavistanursery.com or call us at (785) 229-7200.

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