GrassSolutions for March 2018

In this issue:

Prairie Dropseed is Wisconsin Perennial of the Year
Armitage Sites Sedges as Hot New Perennial for 2018
Student Competition Comes to North Carolina
Landscape Journal: On Cutting Back
Hoffman Nursery Named Business Partner of the Year
Where Do You Go for Answers?
Fighting Fires with Native Plants
Building Resilience and the Green Industry
Spread the Word: Plants Do That
Upcoming Events

Grasses in the Spotlight

Prairie Dropseed is Wisconsin Perennial of the Year

Prairie Dropseed remains one of our favorite grasses. We're not alone in our admiration, either. The Wisconsin Nursery and Landscape Association named Sporobolus heterolepis its 2018 Perennial of the Year.

The goal of the program is to promote quality, underused plants to the public. Prairie Dropseed, has a neat, clumping habit and fine-textured foliage. It's also drought tolerant and deer resistant. This prairie native lends itself to a range of landscape styles, so we're thrilled to see it get attention.

Download POY info sheet

Armitage Sites Sedges as a Hot New Perennial for 2018

Plant guru Dr. A. predicts which perennials that will increase in value in 2018. Sedges are already well positioned for additional growth in the industry. Introduced varieties and native species will continue their rise in popularity.

Read more
www.greenhousegrower.com

At the Nursery

Student Competition Comes to North Carolina

This month brought students from across the country to North Carolina. They were here to attend the 42nd National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC), hosted by Alamance Community College in Graham, North Carolina.

Each year, more than 700 students from two- and four-year colleges demonstrate their skills in real-world, competitive events and network with companies at the largest career fair in the industry.

With the event happening near our nursery, we had even more opportunities to get involved. Read more and see photos from our exciting week with NCLC in our blog post.

To see local coverage, check out this article on Landscape Olympics.

Landscape Journal

On Cutting Back

In March we launched a monthly blog series called Landscape Journal. We’ll show you our gardens and share our experiences in landscape management. We’ll also introduce you to or reacquaint you with some great, garden-worthy grasses.

This time of the year, landscape cleanup and cutback jump to mind. This month's post addressed cutting back grasses—when, how, and why. In early April, we'll talk about burning as an option for managing grasses.

Have an idea or question you'd like to see in Landscape Journal? Drop us an email at grasssolutions@hoffmannursery.com.

Hoffman Nursery Named Business Partner of the Year

Our team was honored to be recognized for our ongoing support for horticulture students. Alamance Community College's Horticulture Technology program named us its 2017-2018 Business Partner of the Year.

David Hoffman (R), our Chief Customer Experience Officer, accepted the award earlier this month. Also pictured is Hannah Saconn (L), a graduate of the program and one of our section growers. She's been an integral part of our team for over two years now. Justin Snyder, an instructor with the program, has brought students to the nursery on tours and for fundraising workdays. We appreciate all the work and dedication it takes to foster the next generation in our industry!

Where do you go for answers?

If you have a question for Hoffman Nursery, which do you go to first?

Catalog

Select

Sales team

Select

Website

Select

Grasses at Work

Fighting Fire with Native Plants

Large wildfires have dominated the news in much of the western U.S. this past summer. Conservancy scientists working in rangelands and forests are using native grasses and other plants to restore balance in these complex ecosystems.

Read more
blog.nature.org

Building Resilience and the Green Industry

A new report from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) outlines ten principles for building resilient cities and regions. What is resilience? It's being able to prepare, plan, absorb, and adapt to adverse events—hurricanes, drought, sea-level rise, flooding, wildfires, and a host of other challenges we face.

Among the ten principles, ULI proposes designing with natural systems. Natural systems include green infrastructure elements like rain gardens, constructed wetlands, and bioswales. Depending on the context and climate, this approach might include using more native species, installing drought-tolerant plantings, and restoration of degraded ecosystems.

We believe the inclusion of natural systems in ULI's principles is good news. This report is meant for decision makers at many levels--municipal, regional, and national. Their hearing about the benefits of green infrastructure should help expand markets for the green industry. The report is policy heavy, but it's worth reading for those who want to understand factors driving urban development.

americas.uli.org

Spread the Word: Plants Do That

Being around plants can reduce stress and lower blood pressure. It can also help you heal faster if you're sick or injured. That's serious power, and yes, plants do that.

The National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture (NICH) continues to promote the power of plants, and we're thrilled to see their work. Their mission is to grow a healthy world through plants, gardens, and landscapes. Their vision is to use stakeholder partnerships to increase the percentage of U.S. households participating in Consumer Horticulture to 90% by 2025.

Their latest tools are infographics addressing where we live, where we learn, and where we heal. They're there for us to download and use. Check out

#PLANTSDOTHAT

Upcoming Events

Perennial Plant Symposium

July 30-August 3, 2018

Raleigh, North Carolina

Great times and a host of perennial devotees await you this summer in North Carolina. The Perennial Plant Association's annual symposium is in Raleigh this year is shaping up to be outstanding. The site committee is working to bring you a program filled with compelling tours, talks, and conversations.

It's a chance to learn from experts in the industry and exchange ideas with everyone from nursery owners to landscape architects. Hoffman Nursery will be on the tour, and our team is helping make this a symposium to remember. We hope to see you there!

Speaking of Gardening

August 10-11, 2018

Asheville, North Carolina

In their 20th year, the Speaking of Gardening symposium is the place to be this summer. On the agenda are past favorite speakers and brand new faces. This year they're looking back, growing forward, with two days of inspiring lectures on creative design, innovative horticulture, and rare plants. This two-day symposium includes book signings, plant auctions, sponsor displays, lunch, making new friends and catching up with old ones.

Hoffman Nursery's Shannon Currey will give a talk at the symposium on "New Perspectives in Ornamental Grasses."

Nursery/Landscape Expo 2018

August 16-18, 2018

San Antonio, Texas

Texas loves grasses, and Hoffman Nursery will be there this summer to connect with growers. Hosted by the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, Expo offers the mores than 6,000 attendees a trade show and sessions with industry experts.

We'll see you there in Booth 4014.

Eastern Native Grass Symposium

September 17-19, 2018

Erie, Pennsylvania

Registration is open for the 11th Eastern Native Grass Symposium. Get the latest from renowned presenters, best management practices, and field tours. It's a fantastic, multidisciplinary look at our native grasses.