In this Issue

Meeting the Future - Horticulture students are excited, and stormwater gets a makeover
Plant of the Year™ - One of our favorites, we think you'll love it, too.
Cool Grasses Make the Season - Let these 5 grasses jump-start your spring sales
Grass Trends - Where grasses are going and what was hot at the shows
Shade Solution - How to handle dry shade? With a sedge, of course.
New Plants - It's finally here. Sporobolus heterolepis 'Tara' is available now.
Get Current Availability - Downlaod our combined availability, pricing, and order form

NC LID Summit

Image courtesy of Hydrocycle Engineering

The green industry thinks a lot about water, but what about stormwater? When rain hits the ground, it can move and accumulate rapidly, especially in developed areas with impermeable surfaces.

There's a new approach that seeks to ease the effects of development by managing stormwater differently. Called low impact development (LID), it focuses on natural hydrologic processes and treats stormwater where it falls.

Hoffman Nursery recently co-sponsored the 2014 NC LID Summit because we believe LID offers opportunities for the green industry. The summit was a great experience, and we are excited to be a part of this new approach. Read more

PLANET Student Career Days

The atmosphere was intense and filled with excitement. For three days in March, students from horticultural programs across the country gathered at the 38th Annual PLANET Student Career Days. They competed in events, attended workshops, and met potential employers.

Hoffman Nursery served as lead sponsor for the Annual and Perennial Identification event. John and Jill Hoffman attended the event and were impressed by the students and their enthusiasm. The Hoffmans believe that supporting horticultural students in the present is critical to our industry's future. Read more about the Student Career Days.

Perennial Plant of the Year™

It's been in the horticultural news for a while, but it bears repeating. The Perennial Plant Association� has named Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' its Perennial Plant of the Year™ for 2014.

Their choice demonstrates the trend toward beautiful plants that are also solid, reliable, and undemanding. We love 'Northwind' for its habit, beautiful plumes, and ability to anchor a planting design. And it looks unexpectedly stylish in a container.

To learn more about the virtues of this favorite grass, read our post.

Cool Grasses Make the Season

For growers, cool season grasses round out a strong perennial program. These grasses break dormancy in late winter or early spring, well before warm season grasses. Try them in spring containers to get a jump on the season.

You'll love their fresh look and early finish...perfect for spring sales. Make sure you're ready, with

Arrhenatherum elatius subsp. bulbosum 'Variegatum'
Deschampsia flexuosa
Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'
Helictotrichon sempervirens 'Sapphire'
Nassella tenuissima

Read more about these fabulous cool season grasses.

Grass Trends

The season is ramping up, and sales are strong. Find out what to expect in the grass world.

Grass Podcast

Our Nursery Manager, Scott Epps, gave his take on current trends for grasses and where he sees opportunities for growers. Listen to the podcast on the Grower Radio Network with Matt McClellan, Managing Editor of Nursery Management.

Hot Topics at the Shows

Winter trade shows give us a chance to preview reactions to new grasses.

Attendees loved Andropogon gerardii 'Red October' PPAF and Schizachyrium scoparium 'Standing Ovation' PPAF. They're both tough and beautiful additions to the native grass palette.

Bold and bright Carex oshimensis EverColor � 'Everillo' turned heads. So much so that we're already sold out for the season! Read more about plants that generated buzz.

Shade Solution

Traditional turf grass struggles in shady conditions, especially in competition with large trees.

With a shady site that doesn't get foot traffic, consider a sedge solution. One of our top choices is the increasingly popular Pennsylvania Sedge. Read more.

New Plants

Sporobolus heterolepis 'Tara'

Dwarf Prairie Dropseed

It's been hard to find in the trade, but this lovely version of our native Prairie Dropseed has been gracing famous gardens for a while. One of Piet Oudolf's favorites, you can find it in Chicago's Lurie Garden and in Piet's home landscape. We are thrilled to offer it for sale now.

Sporobolus heterolepis 'Tara' is a compact, more upright version of the species. Its height and flowering are more consistent across crops.

This is a premium plant for special projects and plantings. The species, Sporobolus heterolepis remains a favorite for larger plantings and a more naturalistic look.

Read more about 'Tara' and the original Prairie Dropseed.

Download Availability & Order Form

Excel format

PDF format

Find prices for individual liners, the number of liners in stock, future availability, and our order form on these Adobe PDF� and Excel� files.

Adobe PDF and Adobe Reader are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.