• Pennsylvania Sedge in American Nurseryman - A great groundcover solution.
• Planting an Education - Long-time NCSU professor endows children's program
• A Look at Bluemel Grasses - A tribute to the Grass King in pictures
• Low Impact Development in the News - Two projects that make a difference
• New Plants - Andropogon gerardii 'Red October' boosts the Big Bluestem profile
• Comments & Features - New catalog, trade show update, and a party at HNI
• Interested in Joining Our Team? - We have a job opening for a Section Grower
• Current Availability - Download our combined availability, pricing, and order form

We were thrilled to have an article in the June issue of American Nurseryman Magazine. Our marketing director, Shannon Currey, wrote about the virtues of Carex pensylvanica for their Field Notes section. 

Since his passing, much has been written about Kurt Bluemel's life and work. He is responsible for some of the most popular grasses in the industry. His legacy is enduring, and we're happy to continue sharing it. 

Because we know him best through his grasses, we chose what we think is a fitting tribute. To read what others have written about him and see a sampling of his introductions, take this look at Bluemel grasses.

Low Impact Development in the News

We keep an eye out for stories related to low impact development and green infrastructure. If you're not familiar with these concepts, you can learn more in this recent post. Three recent stories caught our attention:

Using plants and natural systems to manage stormwater is a hallmark of green infrastructure. In Fort Worth, Texas, native grasses made stormwater channels look and function better. See the video.

Kent Hospital in Warwick, Rhode Island was stuck. They were planning major upgrades and additions to their medical campus. During the stormwater permitting process, they learned runoff from the completed projects would far exceed allowable limits. The solution? Using low impact development features.

This excellent article by Thomas Benjamin describes how Kent Hospital used innovative features to create a sustainable solution. Rain gardens, healing gardens, and staff gardens make this a beautiful and healthy place to be. Read more.

New Plants

Deep reds and burgundies early in the season transition to bright reds and scarlet as cooler, fall temperatures approach.

• Warm season
• Green with red tips; bright red fall color
• 2-4 feet, 5-6 feet with flower
• Sun, dry-average soil
• Zones 3-9
• North American native

Big Bluestem deserves more attention, and this cultivar will make everyone sit up and take notice. Deep red and burgundy highlights during the growing season first grab attention. The show explodes in fall with candy-apple red and scarlet foliage. The onset of frost brings out the color in this fabulous Big Bluestem introduced by Intrinsic Perennial Gardens.

Like the species, 'Red October' is tough, handling poor soil and dry conditions with ease. Use in meadow or naturalisitic plantings or use it to jazz up mixed plantings. It looks wonderful growing alongside and through broad-leaved perennials. It's time to bring Big Bluestem into your landscape.

For more information, go to our Plant Profile.

 

Our New Catalog of Grasses is Here!

We're thrilled to announce our new catalog is fresh off the press and looking fabulous. Copies were mailed out late last week and should be in your mailbox soon. 

We gave you a preview last month, but here's a quick recap of the resources our catalog offers:

• Quick Guides for finding site-specific plants
• Detailed information on each plant and summaries of major genera
• Miscanthus, Switchgrass, Fountain Grass, and Little Bluestem Quick Guides
• Color-coded liner prices and size
• More photos and expanded descriptions of new plants

Our team just returned from the updated trade show and conference now known as Cultivate. John Hoffman and Magan Agee are Hoffman Nursery booth pros. They were joined on Sunday and Monday by Nursery Manager, Scott Epps, and Production Manager, Ryan Lambert.