National Green Centre
The Western Nursery and Landscape Association (WNLA) is proud to announce the expansion and rebranding of its successful annual trade show and conference “The Western”. Beginning January 9-10, 2011 the event will become the National Green Centre. As the horticulture markets continue to change, the need for a powerful, national event to help bring the industry together and provide deep and meaningful educational programming and networking opportunities has never been greater. The WNLA is uniquely positioned to deliver a conference in the center of the country and maximize the potential for growth, as the fact is a third of the country’s population is within one day’s drive of St. Louis, the 2011 location.
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St. Louis Composting (www.stlcompost.com) will be at 2011 National Green Centre. Click here information about exhibiting at the 2011 National Green Centre in St Louis Jan 9-10, 2011 email exhibits@nationalgreencentre.org or call 888-233-1876
Garden Debut - New and Improved Plant Varieties
Garden Debut represents a combined group of plant breeders and growers dedicated to the introduction and marketing of new and improved plant varieties.
“www.GardenDebut.com brings information to the consumer and industry about the Garden Debut® plants already in the market. Plants tentatively scheduled for future release will also be present. This is an exciting time in history for the nursery business; with genetics, tissue culture and other new propagation advances, there are many new and exciting cultivars being developed. These plants offer longer blooming seasons, brighter and richer colors, better cold hardiness, improved fall color or even plants requiring less maintenance”
Greenleaf Nursery Company behind the the plant hereditary of Twist of Lime Variegated Abelia and Burgundy Hearts Redbud.
Twist of Lime™ Variegated Abelia Dances through the Landscape
Bottoms up on
this pretty summer cooler, a compact, evergreen shrub with glossy
variegated leaves and fragrant flowers attractive to wildlife. An
outstanding choice, Twist of Lime™ Variegated Abelia has bright yellow
leaves with green centers when young, maturing later in the season to a
rich ivory and green. The variegated leaves bring added value to the
garden.
Another plus, Twist of Lime™ Abelia produces a heavy bloom of fragrant white-tinged-pink clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers (to 5/8 inch long) which appear over a long and continuous period from late spring to fall. Dusty pink “ruffs” of sepals last even longer, after the petals are gone.
This Abelia hybrid is a r
ounded,
spreading, multi-stemmed shrub in the honeysuckle family. It typically
grows on gracefully arching branches to a mature height of 4 - 5 feet,
especially in the warm winter climates of the South (USDA Zones 6 - 10).
Abelia x grandiflora ‘Gretol’ has no serious insect or disease problems, and is useful as a specimen or grouped in shrub borders or foundations. It is also effective when massed as a shrubby ground cover, particularly on slopes or banks where plants also can provide erosion control. Twist of Lime™ Abelia may be used as a low, informal hedge in southern areas where winter die-back is not a concern, although plants lose their attractive graceful shape if pruned or sheared. Twist of Lime™ Abelia is also a creative choice for permanent containers on terraces and balconies.
For more information on Twist of Lime™ Abelia and other superior plant introductions brought to gardeners by Garden Debut® visit www.GardenDebut.com.
Statistics Chart for Twist of Lime™ Variegated Abelia, Abelia X grandiflora ‘Gretol’
Category: Evergreen flowering shrub
Mature Height: 4 – 5 feet
Mature Spread: 4 – 5 feet
Mature Form: Rounded multi-stemmed shrub
Growth Rate: Moderate
Sun Exposure: Full to partial sun
Soil Moisture: Well-drained, shrub is drought resistant
Soil Type: Loam, Sand or Clay; wide range
Flower Color: Near white with a hint of pink, hummingbird magnet
Flower Arrangement: Clusters of 5/8 inch trumpet flowers, followed by persistent dusty pink sepals, good cut flower
Bloom Time: Heavy bloomer, long season from June through late October
Fragrance: Sweetly scented flowers
Wildlife: Flowers attractive to wildlife, hummingbirds, honey bees, deer resistant
Spring Leaves: Variegated leaves, bright yellow margins with green centers
Summer Leaf Color: Mature leaves have substantial ivory margins and rich, dark green centers
Fall Color: Ivory margins slightly purple-tinged
pH Level: 5.5 – 7.5
Zones:
6 – 9
Heredity: U.S., Greenleaf Nursery Company, Park Hill, OK
New Long-Blooming Kokomo Sunset™ Daylily .
It’s a
win-win for gardeners and the nursery and landscape industry with the
new daylily introduction Kokomo Sunset™. The continuously-blooming,
carefree daylily sports showy gold flowers with a burgundy-red eye,
green throat and a light ruffle, and is the first of a Garden Debut®
Tetraploid series that features shorter plants with large,
brightly-colored flowers and heavy substance. Flowering begins 6 to 8
weeks earlier and flowers develop even during cooler weather and cold
nights, a big plus for retailers whose customers will be captivated by
the colorful display on their springtime shopping trips.
Benefits of Kokomo Sunset™ include rust resistance on short, grassy foliage, clean shedding of old blooms, prolonged reblooming that extends the season, and rapid increase of divisions. Compact plants and short flower scapes and foliage of this daylily eliminate blow-over in garden centers common to taller daylilies sold in gallon pots.
The culmination of seven years of targeted plant modification by renowned author and daylily breeder Dr. Ted Petit of Le Petit Jardin, McIntosh, Fla., plants in the Enjoy 24/7 “the no work plant collection” share outstanding characteristics that appeal to gardeners, homeowners, landscape designers and landscape contractors. Garden Debut® is pleased to provide the green industry with superior plants through this new partnership. Kokomo Sunset™ Daylily is available in fall 2010. Future introductions in this daylily collection will continue with enjoyable names derived from the Beach Boys hit, Kokomo, and the flowers will evoke a tropical feel of freedom and fun.
For more information on Enjoy 24/7 “the no work plant collection” and other superior plant introductions brought to gardeners by Garden Debut®, visit www.GardenDebut.com.
Kokomo Sunset™ Daylily, Hemerocallis ‘KOK 06-02’ hybrid PPAF
(First of the Enjoy 24/7 “the no work plant collection”)
Plant Category: Perennial
Mature Height: 18 inches, shorter plants won’t blow over in gallon pots
Mature Spread: 12 inches
Mature Form: Grass-like foliage, short mounds (like cushion mums)
Growth Rate: Vigorous; rapid increase in landscape or garden quickly forming large plants
Disease Resistance: Very rust resistant, “No Work Plant Collection”
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil Moisture: Wide range, tolerant of dry to damp soils
Soil Type: Loam, Sand, Clay, tolerant of all soil types
pH Level: Wide range, tolerant of soil reaction
Flower Genetics: Tetraploid. More flowers with heavier substance, yet the series are shorter with narrow leaves that will not blow over in gallon nursery pots.
Intensity: Brightly colored blooms
Flower Color: Gold with burgundy-red eye, light ruffle, green throat
Flower Size: 4 inches
Bloom Time: Continuous bloom spring through summer.
Starts blooming 6 to 8 weeks earlier than standard commercial varieties, blooms during spring retail rush.
Weather: Flowers even in cool weather and cold nights
Repeat bloomer: Good re-bloomer with multitude of flowers on well- branched scapes
Self-cleaning: Clean shedding of old blooms
Season: Flowers extremely early (with Azaleas and Redbud) and throughout summer
Landscape Value: Improved of garden mainstay; popular perennial now fits into retail racks and has greater landscape application
Zones: 5 – 9
Heredity: U.S., Dr. Ted Petit, McIntosh, FL
New Burgundy Hearts® Redbud
The
attention-grabbing, outsized, heart-shaped foliage of Burgundy Hearts®
Redbud is a sweetheart in the landscape all season long. Extra large
leaves resemble wine-red “hanging hearts” and retain their attractive
deep coloration from the emergence of shimmering new growth in the
spring, throughout the summer and through the end of the season.
Appearing before the leaves in early spring (March-April), myriads of showy rosy-purple, pea-shaped flowers attract bees and humming birds. The redbud blooms up and down branches and mature trunks for two to three weeks. Cut branches make good cut flowers and may be forced indoors for earlier bloom.
With a vigorous growth rate and a practical mature height of 20 - 25 feet, this sweetie of a flowering tree matures quickly to the perfect size for suburban landscapes, lawns or streetscapes, and draws attention when planted as a specimen or grouped in commercial landscapes.
The dark leaves of Burgundy Hearts® Redbud have proved much more resistant to summer leaf scorch than older maroon-leaved cultivars such as ‘Forest Pansy’ Redbud, and gardeners and the landscape industry will find this Garden Debut® introduction to be a sweet improvement.
For more information on Burgundy Hearts® Redbud and other superior plant introductions brought to gardeners by Garden Debut® visit www.GardenDebut.com.
Statistics Chart for Burgundy Hearts® Redbud, Cercis canadensis ‘Greswan’, U.S. Plant Patent 19654
Plant Category: Deciduous flowering tree
Mature Height: 20 - 25 feet
Mature Spread: 25 - 35 feet
Mature Form: Spreading vase shape
Growth Rate: Exceptionally vigorous
Sun Exposure: Full to partial sun
Heat Tolerance: Improved resistance to leaf scorch in summer sun
Soil Moisture: Well-drained, drought resistant tree
Soil Type: Loamy, Sandy, or Clay, wide range
Flower Color: Rosy-purple
Bloom Time: Early spring, before leaves emerge
Spring Color: Shimmering red-purple new foliage
Summer Color: Burgundy, red-wine leaves are much larger than other redbuds, and are more distinctively heart-shaped
Fall Color: Burgundy color holds in fall
pH Level: 5.5 – 7.5
Zones: 5b – 8
Heredity: U.S., Greenleaf Nursery Company, Park Hill, OK
Lavender Falls Wisteria is a Repeat-Bloomer
A show-stopper
each spring, Lavender Falls Japanese Wisteria provides a spectacular
waterfall of alluring color in early spring, with luminous, 20-inch,
lavender-blue flower trusses gracefully cascading over woody vines. But
the show doesn’t stop there! An added bonus, Lavender Falls Wisteria
re-blooms among the shiny, dark green, compound leaves every month
throughout the season.
This strongly growing vine needs good support, and can romantically cover a freestanding pergola, arbor or trellis with pendulous lavender flower clusters just before the foliage appears. A captivating fragrance of grape jelly adds to the enchantment of this picturesque effect. Use Lavender Falls Wisteria in the landscape for shade, screening, or as a specimen tree when specially trained.
For more information on Lavender Falls Wisteria and other superior plant introductions brought to gardeners by Garden Debut® visit www.GardenDebut.com.
Statistics Chart for Lavender Falls Japanese Wisteria, Wisteria floribunda ‘Betty Tam’, Plant Patent 19655
Plant Category: Woody vine, also grown as tree form
Mature Height: Reaches 25+ feet
Mature Form: Powerful, clockwise-twining vine, climbs columns and covers pergolas
Growth Rate: Vigorous
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Moisture: Wet to dry; wide tolerance of soil moisture
Soil Type: Loam, sand or clay; wide range
Flower Color: Soft lavender sweet pea-like blooms in solid curtains of color
Fragrance: Captivating fragrance of grape jelly
Flower Characteristic: Graceful, cascading racemes of individual flowers reach 9 – 20 inches in length
Bloom Season: Profuse bloom in Spring (before the leaves) yields mass display of solid color; flowers open sequentially for long period of bloom
Repeat Bloom: Lavender Falls Wisteria is notable for reblooming during each month of the growing season, albeit with smaller racemes
Foliage: Shiny, dark green compound leaves, feather-like (pinnate) arrangement, with 13 to 19 wavy-edged leaflets
Fruit pods: Green velvety, bean-like pods
Seeds: Coin-shaped shiny brown seeds (poisonous)
Trunks: Light gray, smooth, muscle-like woody vines
pH Level: 5 – 8
Zones: 5 – 9
Heredity: U.S., Pat Tam/Joe Schultz, Tulsa, OK
‘THE RISING SUN’ REDBUD DEBUTS IN SPRING 2010
Garden Debut is pleased to announce an agreement with Ray and Cindy Jackson of Jackson’s Nursery in Belvidere, Tenn. Next spring, Garden Debut will introduce the Jacksons’ peachy new native ornamental Redbud, destined to light up the landscape.
The Cercis canadensis selection introduced as ‘The Rising Sun’ contributes brilliant, golden tangerine colored, heart-shaped foliage all summer with no burning, even in full sun. ‘The Rising Sun’ is a vigorous grower with a full, rounded shape and holds its color into autumn. A third season of interest is provided by sweet pea-type flowers, rosy-orchid in color. The flowers appear before the foliage in spring and are attractive to bees and butterflies. New foliage is a bright rosy-apricot. Even the bark is a smooth tan with a yellowish cast, distinctive from other Redbuds.
With a mature height of only 12 feet, ‘The Rising Sun’ is perfect for smaller gardens and in-town neighborhoods as well as for specimen and accent plantings. “When I first saw this Redbud I went wild,” enthused Ray Jackson. “Fellow nurserymen have said it is the most outstanding golden Redbud they have ever seen, and I can attest it is vigorous in growth and very heat tolerant.”
For more information on ‘The Rising Sun’ Redbud and other spectacular plant introductions by Garden Debut, visit www.GardenDebut.com.
Statistics Chart for ‘The Rising Sun’ Redbud
Mature Height: 12 feet
Mature Spread: 8 feet
Mature Form: Full, Rounded Shape
Growth Rate: Vigorous
Sun Exposure: Full to Partial Sun
Soil Moisture: Well-Drained, Drought Resistant
Soil Type: Loamy, Sandy, or Clay
Flower Color: Rosy-Orchid
Bloom Time: Spring
Summer Color: Golden Tangerine; Rosy-Apricot new foliage
Fall Color: Golden Orange color holds in fall
Bark Texture: Smooth bark, tan with yellow cast
pH Level: 5.5 - 7.5?
Zones: 5 – 8
Heredity: U.S., Ray Jackson, Jackson Nursery
The 2011 National Green Centre, presented by the Western Nursery and Landscape Association is Jan. 9-10 at the AMERICA’S CENTER in St. Louis, MO. For exhibit information, visit www.nationalgreencentre.org, e-mail graphics@nationalgreencentre.org, or call 888-233-1876.