GrassSolutions for May - Choosing Grasses, Water Symposium, and Green Benefits

In this Issue:

The Future of Water in a Green World: 2016 GIC Water Symposium
Choosing and Using Grasses: Armitage and others on grasses
A Visit with Friends: a post from Allen Bush on visiting Hoffman Nursery
Green Infrastructure with Benefits: Savings Billions and More

The Future of Water in a Green World

If you're in the green industry, this symposium is worth your time, even during the busy season. The North Carolina Green Industry Council is hosting a water symposium on June 16 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Highlights include Charlie Hall, renowned economist from Texas A&M University, and Bill Hunt, a leading researcher in low impact development from North Carolina State University. In a morning keynote address, Hall will address the future value of the landscape services sector as green infrastructure and similar markets emerge. In the afternoon, Hunt will talk about the ecosystem services of stormwater features.

In between, it's a big dose of green infrastructure and a fantastic lineup of speakers. And Hoffman Nursery is helping sponsor--we'd love to see you there!

For an agenda and registration info, go to the 2016 GIC Water Symposium page.

Choosing and Using Grasses

This issue, we feature three articles that provide tips to help growers choose and promote grasses.


	Dr. A. recommends Carex 'Everillo' for its outstanding chartreuse foliage and a habit that looks great in containers and fits small spaces.

Armitage on Grasses for Small Spaces

In a recent article in Greenhouse Grower, Allan Armitage noted that ornamental grasses are great for people in condos and apartments. He urged our industry to do a better job of promoting grasses that fit well in small spaces and look great in containers.

There are many options, but they're not always obvious to those choosing among all the grasses out there. Find out which grasses Dr. A suggests and get on board with promoting these big grasses in small packages. Read more.

Know Your Market
Another recent article in Greenhouse Grower aims to help growers think about their market for grasses. Whether you're going for pollinator-friendly selections or targeting a geographic region, having a defined strategy is key to selecting varieties. Results from the National Ornamental Grass Trials are helping get more info to growers. Find out more.

Garden Design on Transforming the Garden with Grasses
Garden Design magazine offers beautiful visual spreads that inspire and excite. This compilation of articles shows ways to use grasses throughout the garden and throughout the seasons. It's a great tool for promoting grasses, and it's a lovely visual walk through beautiful spaces. Take a tour with Garden Design.


	Allen Bush snapped a photo of John Hoffman as they began a tour of the nursery. John enjoyed hosting Allen and the Jelitto crew earlier this spring.

A Visit with Friends

Allen Bush is a gifted plantsman and writer, as well as a gracious guest. That's why we appreciated his post on Garden Rant about his spring journey, which included a visit to Hoffman Nursery.

Bush, along with colleagues Georg Uebelhart and Mary Vaananen, toured the nursery, had dinner with the Hoffmans, and visited local gardens. The Hoffmans always enjoy hosting the folks from Jelitto, and we benefit from their expertise.

Read about their visit in Allen Bush's post, " Slices of Spring and Steak."

Green Infrastructure with Benefits

The news keeps coming--green infrastructure brings benefits beyond just managing stormwater.


	Clean Water and Parks: The Sassafras All Children's Playground in Raleigh, NC is using bioswales and other green infrastructure to treat and manage stormwater. These features also increase biodiversity and create wildlife habitat. Photo courtesy of Neal Wisenbaker.

How Does Saving $5 Billion Sound?

According to a recent report published by the US EPA, increasing our use of green infrastructure in new development could save the United States as much $5 billion in avoided flood losses from 2020 to 2040. That's a pretty big savings, and it brings with it additional amenities and services that benefit our communities. Find out more and download the study here.

Clean Water Plus for Parks

As the authors of this report note, parks have been capturing and cleaning stormwater for a long time, often unintentionally through vegetation and porous soils. A closer look shows how these spaces offer opportunities for cities to manage stormwater runoff while also meeting residents' needs for recreation and green spaces. The report, compiled by the Trust for Public Land, uses case studies of existing parks, interviews with experts, and data visualization to explore the relationship between city parks and green infrastructure. Read more and download the full report.

A Closer Look at the Health Benefits of Nature

Being close to nature imparts a range of health benefits. A review article by environmental psychologist Ming Kuo seeks to understand that relationship between contact with nature and health . This review is notable because it controls for important variables, such as income, and examines objective outcomes like mortality and development of chronic health conditions. It goes beyond documenting the connection and attempts to understand why nature has such a profound effect. Explore the connection in the study , published in Frontiers in Psychology .

Thanks to Ball Publishing's Jennifer Duffield White for highlighting this study in her GreenTalks e-newsletter.