Tennessee Greentimes - Spring 2011 by leadingedgepubs

VOL. 12/ NO. 1

Spring 2011

Best Beautiful Annuals & Perennials The &

from the UT Gardens

The Most Upstanding (and Outstanding) Speedwells (Veronicas) Plus, Highlights from MSHE and TNLAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2011 Winter Education & Exhibits

Tennessee

GREENTIMES The Official Publication of The Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association

Table of Contents

green gathering Highlights from MSHE and TNLAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2011 Winter Education & Exhibits

VOL. 12/ NO. 1

Spring 2011

cover story 2010 Best & Beautiful from the UT Gardens

OTHER F EAT URES INDUSTRY NEWS TNLA Welcomes New East Tennessee Chapter.................................................. 20

departments From the President, John Watson, CLP .................................................................. 6 TNLA New Members .................................................................................................. 7 News from TNLA.......................................................................................................... 8 Calendar of Events...................................................................................................... 22 Index of Advertisers .................................................................................................. 22

in the garden The Most Upstanding (and Outstanding) Speedwells (Veronicas)

The Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Tennessee Green Times, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication. Copyright ÂŠ2011 by the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association. Tennessee Green Times is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notification to Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association, 115 Lyon Street, McMinnville, TN 37110. Postage guaranteed. Third-class postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Tennessee Green Times allows reprinting of material. Permission requests should be directed to the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 7903718, Fax (615) 794-4524.

f rom t h e p r e s i d e n t John Watson, CLP

On Your Mark… Get Set…

GO!

TNLA Would like to

THANK the following companies for being

MEMBERSHIP SPONSORS Gold Membership Sponsors Barky Beaver Bark & Soil Mix, Inc. Common Grounds Landscape Management, Inc. Oldcastle Adams Products / Belgard Randall Walker Farms Swafford Nursery, Inc.

Silver Membership Sponsors Allen Landscape Management Dutchman Tree Spade Freedom Tree Farms, LLC Nashville Landscape Systems, Inc.

The

race is on. Business is like a race, and for most of us in the green industry, the starting line is spring. We must get ready to win. Part of that is preparation and training. As spring will always follow winter, an upswing in the economy will follow the down. We don’t know exactly when it will come, but it will come. As an industry, we simply must be ready as well. My suggestions to be ready are: • Commit to getting more involved in our association. Just ask how you can help us win. We need you if we are all going to win. Remember that we are the original “green industry,” and if we support each other, we all win. • Attend upcoming events, such as the June 14 Field Day at The UT Gardens in Knoxville, and the January 26–28 (2012) MSHE at Louisville, KY. • Focus on the customer. For me personally, this means using any means necessary to communicate with our current customers and asking how I can help them win their race. They are the reason we are in business. • Focus on your team members. Ask yourself, “How can I help them win?” If you help others win in life, you will be a winner. Keep your employees safe with training and the right equipment. Communicate your goals and core values. • Tell our story, both your personal story and the industry story, every chance you get. Again, we are the original green industry. Don’t let other industries or the government “out green” us. We must be in the race to win. Contact your legislator on behalf of your industry. Both the TNLA and the ANLA can help you with that. Since this is my first letter as the TNLA president, I thought it might be a good time for an introduction. I’m the owner of a landscape-management company in Knoxville. Our company’s (and my personal) core values are: 1. In all matters, do what is right and fair. 2. Be committed to excellence, both in what we do and what others do for us. 3. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Now, let’s all go out and win the race.

Packs Nursery

John Watson, CLP 2011 TNLA President

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New TNLA Members The Tennessee Greentimes is the official publication of The Tennessee Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc. 115 Lyon Street McMinnville, Tennessee 37110 (931) 473-3951 Fax (931) 473-5883 www.tnla.com Email: mail@tnla.com Published by Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com Editors Dr. Bill Klingeman Dr. Bob Trigiano Associate Editors Dr. Donna Fare Dr. Nick Gawel Mr. Mark Halcomb Dr. Frank Hale Mr. Gray Haun Dr. Sandy Reed Dr. John Sorochan

Welcome, TNLA New Members! ACTIVE MEMBERS Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gardens Denise Oettinger or Terra Villers Chattanooga, TN Envirotexx, LLC Mike Bradshaw Knoxville, TN Garber Grounds, LLC Jason Garber Knoxville, TN Grown By Grace Nursery & Farm John Ricketts Gruetli Laager, TN Rusty Mangrum Nursery Rusty Mangrum McMinnville, TN

Brent Florida Landscape Co. (re-instated) Brent Florida Murfreesboro, TN

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Ditch Witch of Tennessee Ray Romano Lavergne, TN Sewanee, The University of the South Karen Kuers Sewanee, TN Southern Cal Transport Brokerage Division Tim Moore Murfreesboro, TN

TNLA Officers President John Watson, CLP Common Grounds Landscape Mgmt. 1st Vice President Michael Kassees Forest Nursery Co., Inc. 2nd Vice President Bill Seaton TruGreen LandCare 3rd Vice President Matt Dawson Natural Creations, LLC Secretary-Treasurer Randall Walker Randall Walker Farms Associate Director Mary (Strong) Pennington Ex-Officio Tim Gallagher Heather Farms Nursery, Inc. Executive Director Louree Walker Administrative Assistant Pam Stern

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N ews f rom T N L A

Meet Your New • President John Watson, CLP Common Grounds Landscape Mgmt. Knoxville, TN (865) 947-1516 jwatson@commongroundsinc.com

TNLA Leaders!

TNLA’s Business Meeting, held February 14 during the 2011 Winter Education Program in Pigeon Forge, TN, the following new TNLA officers and directors for 2011 were elected and installed.

• 1st Vice President Michael Kassees Forest Nursery Co., Inc. McMinnville, TN (931) 473-2133 forestnsy@blomand.net

• 2nd Vice President Bill Seaton TruGreen LandCare Alcoa, TN 865-970-1126 williamseaton@landcare.com

• 3rd Vice President Matt Dawson Natural Creations, LLC Nashville, TN 615-228-8860 matt@ naturalcreationsllc.com

! TNLA’s Officers for 2011 1 Front row (l–r): Michael Kassees, 1st Vice President; John Watson, CLP, President; and Mary (Strong) Pennington, Associate Director. Second row (l–r): Randall Walker, Secretary–Treasurer; Bill Seaton, 2nd Vice President; and Tim Gallagher, Ex-Officio. (Not pictured: Matt Dawson, 3rd Vice President).

• Secretary-Treasurer Randall Walker Randall Walker Farms Morrison, TN (931) 635-9535 rwalkerfarms@blomand.net

• Associate Director Mary Pennington Barky Beaver Mulch & Soil Mix Moss, TN (931) 258-3661 marystrongbb@yahoo.com

• Ex-Officio Tim Gallagher Heather Farms Nursery, Inc. Morrison, TN (931) 635-2826 hfndirect@blomand.net

Matt Dawson 3rd Vice President

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In 1996, Matt Dawson graduated from The University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design and a minor in Forestry. While in school, he secured an intern position at Shadow Nursery in Winchester, Tennessee, to further his knowledge in plant material and growing procedures. After graduation, Matt then managed a wholesale nursery, Kinsey Gardens, for two years. In 1998, Matt moved to Nashville and began Natural Creations LLC, with his partners John Henderson and Becky Dawson. Now, after more than ten years, Natural Creations has established itself as a reputable high-end residential landscape company. This led to the purchase of 80 acres five miles from downtown, which allowed Matt to fulfill his dream of owning a nursery. Matt continues to travel and visit nursery growers to find new or improved plant varieties that can contribute to the Tennessee landscape.

Bill Seaton 2nd Vice President

Bill Seaton brings 25 years of combined industry experience to the TNLA board. Formerly the owner of a landscape managementservices company, Seaton has been with TruGreen LandCare for the past 19 years, where he has served in a variety of roles, including landscape installation and management. He is currently a commercial accounts manager, responsible for customer assurance and satisfaction, as well as new-customer recruitment. He is also the president of TNLA’s new East Tennessee chapter. “My varied career in the ‘original green industry’ enables me to appreciate the perspectives and challenges of the grower, the mower, the business owner and the customer,” Seaton says. “I have a passion for educating employees, prospects and customers, while encouraging cooperation among my competitors to do the same. We all have a common goal of bettering the industry and ensuring business success. We need to be united as we grow our future.” C

G r e e n G at h e r i n g — R e c e n t E v e n t

HIGHLIGHTS FROM TNLA

Winter Education & Exhibits PIGEON FORGE, TN • FEBRUARY 14–15, 2011

A Big Thanks TO OUR 2011 WINTER EDUCATION SPONSORS!

Thanks

ALSO TO OUR EXHIBITORS • Airitech Tools | Crossville, TN The ever-popular TNLA Annual Awards Luncheon was thoroughly enjoyed by all attendees.

(Above) Left, TNLA member (and 2003 TNLA President) David Bates and Tom Shay, Winter Education keynote speaker. (Left) Left, Tennessee GreenTimes editor Dr. Bill Klingeman chats with Winter Education speaker Dr. Douglas Airhart.

Mark Halcomb (The University of Tennessee Extension) discusses spider-mite control in landscape beds. 10

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• Turf Mountain Sod, Inc. | Hendersonville, NC • Wood Nursery | McMinnville, TN • Zija International | Celina, TN

G r e e n G at h e r i n g — R e c e n t E v e n t

CONG RATU LATIONS TO TN LA’S

2011 Award Winners! (SHOWN WITH TNLA PRESIDENT JOHN WATSON, CLP)

TNLA Wholesale Nurseryman of the Year

Charles Yancy (Don Yancy and Sons Nursery, McMinnville, TN)

TNLA Young Nursery Professional of the Year

William James “Bill” Reilly Jr. Salesperson of the Year

TNLA Landscape Contractor of the Year

James Hines

Jason Folsom

Natural Creations, LLC

(Hale & Hines Nursery Co., McMinnville, TN)

(Griffin Greenhouse & Nursery Supplies, Knoxville,TN)

(Paul Ballenger, Nashville, TN)

TNLA Retailer of the Year

TNLA Committee Chair of the Year

TNLA Memorial Scholarship Winner

Johnson Nursery & Garden Center

Jed Young, Ph.D.

Adam Young

(Sarah and Chuck Johnson, Cookeville, TN)

(Tennessee Tech. Univ., Cookeville, TN)

(Middle Tennessee State Univ., Murfreesboro, TN)

TNLA Hall of Fame 2011 Inductee

Don Yancy

Bill Yancy

Barry Underwood

(Don Yancy & Sons Nursery, wife Wilma Yancy, with sons Charles and Don Yancy Jr., McMinnville, TN)

(Don Yancy & Sons Nursery, wife Melissa Yancy, with daughter and son-in-law Tiffany and Brian Traylor, McMinnville, TN)

(Underwood True Value Hardware, wife Patty Underwood and daughter Nola Grepperud, McMinnville, TN) tennessee greentimes

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G r e e n G at h e r i n g — R e c e n t E v e n t

Mid-St ates Horticultural Expo JANUARY 28–29, 2011• LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

Thanks

TO OU R G E N E ROUS MSH E SPONSOR S! PLATINUM

Congratulations

TO THE MSHE BEST OF SHOW BOOTH WINNERS

Kentucky Department of Agriculture Tennessee Department of Agriculture

GOLD Heather Farms Nursery Imperial Nurseries Randall Walker Farms Riverbend Nurseries Swafford Nursery Trivett’s Nursery Walker Nursery Company Wilson Nurseries

1st Place Green Goods Imperial Nurseries (Granby, CT)

1st Place Hard Goods Pond Builder, Inc. (Saginaw, MI)

SILVER Harrell’s Fertilizer

TRADESHOW ENTRANCE Clinton Korfhage Nursery, Inc., Louisville Kentuckiana Greenhouse Association, Louisville Lawnco LLC, Louisville Wilson Nurseries, Frankfort

Also, Thanks

2nd Place Green Goods Greenleaf Nursery (Park Hill, OK)

2nd Place Hard Goods Barky Beaver (Moss, TN)

3rd Place Green Goods Pack’s Nursery Inc. (Boaz, AL)

3rd Place Hard Goods Eads Fence (Loveland, OH)

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TO OUR MSHE SILENT AUCTION DONORS

Abrams Nursery Blankenship Farms Bryant Nursery, Inc. Cam Too Camellia Nursery, Inc. Forrest Keeling Nursery Home Nursery, Inc. Imperial Nurseries, Inc. Kinsey Gardens, Inc. Larry Walker Nursery Laurel Nursery, LLC Mike Brown’s Wholesale Nursery, LLC R.A. Dudley Nurseries, Inc. Snowhill Nursery, Inc. Sunny Ray’s Nursery

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Prepared by Susan Hamilton, Ph.D., Director of the UT Gardens; James Newburn, Assistant Director; Jason Reeves, Curator of the Jackson UT Gardens; Beth Willis, Trials Coordinator; and Betty Tipton, Plant Evaluation Coordinator Note: Check local nursery availability of listed varieties at the UT Gardens website —http://utgardens.tennessee.edu.

ANNUALS Best in Show Annual Calibrachoa Million Bells® ‘Trailing Magenta’ from Suntory was a low-growing variety that impressed everyone with its season-long show of numerous brightpink blooms resembling miniature petunias. Due to its low height (3") and trailing habit, this carpet-like annual was best sited in the front or edge of a planting bed or placed in a container.

Best Repeat Annual Variety Begonia BIG™ ‘Rose with Bronze Leaf’, from Benary, produced masses of large, self-cleaning blooms above lush, glossy

foliage. Tolerant of both shade and sun locations, this large, upright begonia was a standout in our gardens from early spring until frost. The BIG™ ‘Red with Green Leaf’ variety, also from Benary, performed equally well.

Best New Annual Variety Pennisetum Vertigo™ was a dramatic ornamental grass that featured broad blades of deep burgundy and reached a height of 3'–5'. Because it produces no bloom, it is best used as a contrast to flowering plants in the landscape. From Proven Winners.

Top Annual Performers Angelonia Serena™ series (Lavender, Purple and White) were seed-grown

mounding annuals from PanAmerican. Each performed well all season, with perfect foliage and full blooms. Angelonia Angelmist™ ‘Spreading Purple Improved’ was an upright, vegetative variety from BallFlora that featured lush growth and blooms all summer. Anisodontea Slightly Strawberry™ from Proven Winners was an unusual annual perfectly suited as a filler plant in the middle of landscape beds. Low maintenance, it featured soft pink hibiscus-type blooms. Begonia Brandy® Improved and Nightlife Blush (from Benary) along with Volumia™ Rose Bicolor (from Syngenta) were seed-grown begonias that boasted heavy blooms all season. Like most begonias, these were well suited to part-shade or shady garden areas. tennessee greentimes

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Bracteantha Dreamtime™ ‘Jumbo Light Pink’. The huge blooms on this mounding annual were unusual because they opened up each day and featured a beautiful range of soft pink colors. Ball FloraPlant provided this variety, as well as the equally striking Dreamtime™ ‘Jumbo Pure White’ and Dreamtime™ ‘Jumbo Red Ember’. Calibrachoa ‘Liberty Blue Vein’ and ‘Liberty Magenta’ from J.P. Bartlett were carefree annuals with dense, healthy foliage and numerous blooms. Million Bells® Brilliant Pink was a mounding variety from Suntory that performed very well. Proven Winners provided three notable varieties in the Superbells® series: Blackberry Punch (an unusual and striking color combination) and the more typical Lavender and Yellow varieties. Carex ‘Amazon Mist’ and ‘Prairie Fire’ were short ornamental grasses from Kieft that provided a nice contrast of color and texture to flowering plants. Celosia ‘Fresh Look Gold’ (an AAS winner) and ‘Glorious Red’ (from Benary) featured healthy foliage and striking blooms all season long. Cleome Senorita Rosalita® was a wonderful variety of an old-fashioned annual. This tall, upright plant with spidery lavender blooms was well suited for the

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mid to back of a landscape bed, but, as always, was short-lived and gone from the garden by the beginning of August. Coleus (Solenostemon) ‘Rebel Rouser’ from Proven Winners. Grown for its foliage rather than its bloom, coleus always provides an excellent contrast to flowering plants in the landscape. This shade-tolerant variety had an attractive bold texture and color. Two other varieties from Proven Winners — Colorblaze® Alligator Tears™ and Lancelot™ Cherry Cordial™ — were also great performers that tolerated shady garden conditions. Diascia Diamonte™ Coral Rose was a surprise this summer. An annual that usually performs much better in coolseason conditions, this AAS Winner variety held up well in the heat and humidity. Euphorbia Diamond Frost® was, as usual, a carefree, mounding annual. Profusely covered with tiny white blooms, it was a great filler plant that served as a contrast to annuals with larger, more prominent blooms. From Proven Winners. Gomphrena ‘Audray Purple Red’ from American Takii was a new spin on an oldfashioned plant. This full, mounding variety was absolutely loaded with bright, clover-like blooms all summer and

was well suited to the middle of a planting bed. ‘Audray Bicolor Rose’ was equally attractive, with a more sedate bloom color. Hibiscus Luau™ ‘Peach Mai Tai’ was a dramatic annual with exceptionally large, striking blooms against dark-green, glossy foliage on a compact plant. Luau™ ‘Pink Paki’ was equally impressive. Both from Proven Winners. Impatiens ‘Patchwork’ series (Peach Prism and Pink Shades), vegetative varieties from Ball FloraPlant, were non-stop bloomers all season long. The Super Elfin™ series (Cherry Splash, Red Star-burst, Rose Starburst and Violet Starburst), a seed-grown series from PanAmerican, provided a welcome splash of color in our woodland garden, where the full, mounding annuals appreciated the shade. Laurentia (Isotoma) ‘Avant-Garde Blue’ and ‘Avant-Garde Pink’, both from Thompson & Morgan, had a full, mounding habit, lacy foliage and delicate blooms that made them great fillers against plants with bolder texture or blooms. Lobularia Snow Princess™ was a ground-hugging annual that tolerated part-shade and was covered all summer with dense panicles of small white blooms. From Proven Winners.

Lysimachia Superstition™ from Proven Winners was a carefree and vigorous groundcover annual with dark, rubybronze foliage and bright, contrasting yellow blooms. Marigold (Tagetes) ‘Moonsong Deep Orange’ is an award-winning variety of the popular annual. Remarkably long-lasting in the landscape, it was disease-free all season long and remained covered with large, bright blooms against attractive, lacy foliage. From AAS Winners. Melampodium ‘Casino Light Yellow’ from American Takii was a mounding annual with striking, dense foliage and profuse, cheerful yellow blooms all summer. Nierembergia Augusta™ Blue Skies from Proven Winners was a deceptively tough performer, with delicate-seeming foliage and light-blue, cup-like blooms that provided a season-long show. Ornamental Pepper (Capsicum) ‘Black Pearl’. This AAS Winner has never failed to grab visitors’ attention in the garden. Its dark purple foliage was a wonderful contrast to the shiny black, marble-sized fruits that ripened to bright red. Osteospermum Asti™ White was an AAS Winner that was covered profusely with unusual blooms resembling a blue-eyed daisy. This mounding annual performed beautifully all summer.

Petunia ‘Black Velvet’ from Ball Flora-Plant was a vigorous trailing annual that boasted the blackest blooms ever and was quite eyecatching in the landscape. This solid black variety was joined by Ball Flora’s ‘Pinstripe’ and ‘Phantom’ varieties, which featured black and cream blooms. The Supertunia® series (Vista Bubblegum, Vista Silverberry, Indigo Charm and Lavender Skies) — As always, this incredibly vigorous series from Proven Winners was covered in masses of clear-pink blooms from early summer to frost. The AAS Winner varieties ‘Burgundy Trailing Type’ and ‘Opera Supreme Pink Morn’ were also vigorous and heavy blooming. Salvia ‘Coral Nymph’ and ‘Lady in Red’ (from American Takii), ‘Forest Fire’ (from Benary) and ‘Red’ (an AAS Winner) were carefree and extremely vigorous varieties of Texas sage, featuring nonstop blooms all summer. ‘Evolution’ (also an AAS Winner) and ‘Fairy Queen’ (from Benary) were great varieties of mealycup sage. Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea) Illusion™ series (Emerald Lace and Midnight Lace) and Sweet Caroline™ series (Bewitched Purple, Bronze, Green Yellow, Light Green, Purple, Red, Sweetheart Light Green, Sweetheart Purple and Sweetheart Red), all from Proven Winners, provided a

riotous selection of colors and foliage textures. All were extremely vigorous vines that performed well throughout summer. Torenia Summer Wave™ series (Large Blue and Large Violet) from Suntory were mounding annuals covered with vibrant blooms that had an unusual “wishbone” structure formed by joined anthers. These varieties performed best in a part-shade location. Verbena Superbena® Royale Chambray was a Proven Winner selection that was simply perfect all summer, with a ground-hugging habit and an unusual purple-blue bloom color. Vinca (Catharanthus) Titan™ series (‘Apricot’, ‘Icy Pink’ and ‘Dark Red’), ‘Cherry Halo’, ‘Rose Halo’ and ‘Pacifica Orange’, all from PanAmerican Seed, along with ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ (an AAS Winner), boasted numerous blooms in attractive colors. All were maintenance-free annuals with mounding habits that performed well all season. Zinnia Zahara™ series (Double Cherry, Double Fire and Starlight Rose) and Zowie! Yellow Flame (all AAS Winners) featured exceptionally gorgeous and heavy blooms throughout the season.

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PERENNIALS Achillea ‘Summer Berries’, although trialed as an annual, was actually a seed-grown perennial from American Takii that bloomed its first year in the garden, yielding extra value for the landscape dollar. Amsonia hubrichtii — Arkansas blue star, thread-leaf blue star. This fabulous plant has been chosen as the 2011 Perennial Plant of the Year™. From late spring to early summer, it features twoto three-inch-wide clusters of small, light-blue, star-shaped flowers with bright green fern-like foliage that turns a bright yellow-golden color in fall. Coreopsis ‘Ruby Frost’ (Ruby Frost tickseed). This 2010 hybrid coreopsis, from Terra Nova Nurseries, has a ruby-colored bloom fringed with a frost-white margin. This perennial is ideal as an accent or in mass plantings for the mixed bed, border or containers. ‘Cherry’, ‘Citrine’ and ‘Pineapple Pie’, also from Terra Nova, were also beautiful selections. Echinacea ‘Paradiso Mix’ (from Sahin) and Prairie Splendor™ (from Syngenta) performed well in a hot, humid summer that was hard on other trialed coneflowers. Both had profuse blooms and held up well throughout the season. Gaillardia x grandiflora ‘Arizona Apricot’. This blanket flower is a 2011 AllAmerica Selections winner and a wonderful perennial for our region. This new variety offers an apricot color not seen in Gaillardia before. ‘Arizona Red Shades’ (from Benary), along with AAS Winners ‘Apricot Shades’ and ‘Mesa Yellow’, were strong varieties. All offered bright and cheerful bloom colors, with healthy foliage and profuse blooms throughout the summer.

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Gaura ‘Summer Breeze’ (from Jelitto) and ‘The Bride’ (from Kieft) were stunning, airy annuals that worked well in the middle to back of garden beds. The wands were liberally covered with small white blooms until frost. Lavender (Lavendula) ‘Ellegance Snow’ and ‘Ellegance Purple’ from Kieft brought a welcome herbal fragrance to the garden, with heavy blooms and healthy foliage throughout the season. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gold Bar’ (Gold Bar dwarf zebra grass). This slow-growing grass can take up to five years to reach a height of five feet. It is upright and compact with a spiky texture. All these attributes make it ideal for smaller gardens where other ornamental grasses can quickly take over. Paeonia x (Intersectional hybrid) — Itoh peony. Itoh hybrids have the best characteristics of both herbaceous and tree peonies. They are vigorous, easy to grow and very longlived. They are relatively low plants, rarely growing taller than 45", but they feature the large blooms of tree peonies, held up on sturdy stems. Phlox hybrids (summer phlox). Good breeding has brought an array of fantastic new phlox hybrids that display wonderful characteristics. Some of the hybrid phlox that are great performers for our Tennessee landscapes are the Cocktail Series: ‘Watermelon Punch’, ‘Pina Colada’, ‘Cosmopolitan’, ‘Peppermint Twist’, ‘Purple Kiss’ and ‘Tequila Sunrise’, as well as the Flame Series: ‘Pink’, ‘Lilac’ and ‘Purple’. Physostegia ‘Crystal Peak White’, from Benary, was trialed as an annual, but was actually a perennial that bloomed the first year from seed. It provided dense, profuse blooms in mid-summer and persisted in the landscape even after frost.

Sedum ‘Crystal Pink’ from Terra Nova was a delightful succulent selection with frothy, yet dense pink blooms. Its water-wise nature made it well suited to rock gardens or well-drained landscape beds. Stipa ‘Pony Tails’ from Kieft. This under-used ornamental grass provided a wonderful fine texture, graceful weeping form and a sense of movement to the landscape. As with other grasses, it was best used as a contrast to flowering plants. Verbascum hybrids (ornamental mullein). An upright, vertical perennial with tall flower spikes rising from a basal rosette of woolly gray-green leaves. Available in colors ranging from pure white to pinks, peaches, yellows and lavenders. Some great selections to use are ‘Southern Charm’, ‘Caribbean Crush’, ‘Jackie in Pink’, ‘Jackie in Yellow’, ‘Sixteen Candles’ and ‘Wedding Candles’. C

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In the Garden

By Hubert P. Conlon, UT Extension Area Specialist in Ornamental Horticulture, with Richard Hawke, Chicago Botanic Garden

The

Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) has released the results of a 10-year study of speedwells (Veronica and Veronicastrum) in its 33rd issue of Plant Evaluation Notes, “A Comparative Study of Veronica and Veronicastrum.” Between 1999 and 2009, 64 taxa of Veronica were evaluated by Richard G. Hawke, plant evaluation manager. The goal of the comparative trial was to recommend outstanding speedwells for northern gardens. Many of the speedwells received 4-star good ratings or higher (out of possible 5) for heavy flower production, robust plant habits, disease and pest resistance and winter hardiness. Veronica, known commonly as speedwell or bird’s-eye, is a large genus in the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). There are approximately 250 herbaceous species of Veronica native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, found in such diverse habitats as alpine meadows, grasslands, oak forests and riverbanks. Speedwells are typically grouped into two habit types: prostrate mat-forming and upright clump-forming species. Regardless of their stature or habit, all speedwells exhibit spiky inflorescences rising from several inches to a foot or more above the foliage. Speedwells are generally longblooming plants, often flowering from June into September, although not continually during that time. These easy-care perennials offer a range of plant types with a distinct verticality prized by gardeners. Whether at the front, middle or back of the border, their slender wands enliven the garden with color and attract lots of butterflies and bees. Many hybrid cultivars with new flower colors and improved plant forms have been introduced in recent years. Although speedwell flowers may be white, pink, violet or purple, it is the sumptuous shades of blue that are particularly coveted by gardeners. Flower blossoms are small, each with five-petals and a pair of conspicuously protruding stamens. Florets may be loosely or densely clustered in vertical inflorescences in leaf axils or at the tips of stems. While commonly referred to as a spike, the inflorescence is technically an indeterminate raceme. Flowers open from the base upward, which causes the main axis of the raceme to elongate throughout the long bloom period.

Growing speedwells Generally easy to grow, speedwells prefer sunny locations in moist, well-drained soils. Plants grown in less light will not

(Top Left) Speedwells are generally long-blooming plants, often flowering from June into September. (Top Right) Veronica ‘Fairytale’ (Middle) Veronica ‘Giles Van Hees’ (Bottom Left) Veronica ‘Total Eclipse’ (Bottom Right) Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’

bloom as profusely and may become lax or open in habit. Speedwells can be long-lived, provided that the garden soil drains freely, which is especially important during winter months (although all are extremely cold hardy, crown loss or plant death may occur in wet soil conditions in winter). Many speedwells drop their lower leaves in summer, resulting in bare stems and a spindly habit. A mid-summer shearing after the first bloom promotes healthy new basal foliage and encourages late summer flowering. Deadheading throughout the bloom cycle produces many new, albeit shorter, floriferous spikes later in the season. Taller speedwells may require staking, especially in overly moist or fertile soils. Dividing crowns in early spring is beneficial for plants that have lost vigor with age. A number of foliar diseases may affect plant health (though rarely severe), including powdery mildew, downy mildew, leaf spots and foliar rust.

CBG trial results In the CBG trial, maintenance practices were kept to a minimum to simulate home-garden culture, thereby allowing plants to thrive or fail under natural conditions. Water was provided as needed, and mulch consisting of shredded leaves and wood chips helped with water conservation and weed suppression. Moreover, plants were not fertilized, winter mulched or chemically treated for insect or disease problems. Seven speedwells received good to excellent ratings for their overall performance, including Veronica ‘Fairytale’, V. ‘Giles Van Hees’, V. austriaca ‘Ionian Skies’, V. longifolia ‘Blue John’, V. spicata ‘Baby Doll’, V. spicata ‘Ulster Blue Dwarf’ and V. wormskjoldii. These top-rated speedwells exhibited strong habits and excellent flower production throughout the evaluation period. The lack of any serious pest or disease problems, along with good winter survivability, contributed to their high ratings. Additionally, 18 taxa received 4-star good ratings for similarly strong performances. Among the top-rated plants were outstanding groundhugging speedwells such as: Veronica ‘Blue Reflection’, V. gentianoides ‘Pallida’ and V. prostrata ‘Mrs. Holt’; as well as exceptional upright clumpers such as V. austriaca ‘Ionian Skies’, V. longifolia ‘Blue John’ and V. spicata ‘Baby Doll’. Notes and Credits: Tennessee and Chicago do not share a similar climate and soils. However, CBG continues to be a valuable source for perennial plant evaluations. Generally, plant disease pressure is more severe here in Tennessee compared to the Midwest region. This is a summary of the 8-page CBG report (Issue 33, 2010) originally authored by Richard G. Hawke. To read the full report and for other great gardening information, go to the Chicago Botanic Garden website (www.chicagobotanic.org/plantevaluation/). C

tennessee greentimes

SPRING 2011

I n d u s t ry n ews

Focusing on the Future… u

TNLA WELCOMES THE

CHARTER MEMBERS

OF ITS

NEW

EAST TENNESSEE CHAPTER

Pictured (left to right) are charter members of the new East Tennessee TNLA Chapter: David Vandergriff (UT Extension Service), Mary Wigginton (Chapter Secretary, Nature’s Accents, Inc.), William Seaton (Chapter President, TruGreen LandCare, Inc.), Amy Fulcher (UT Plant Sciences Faculty and chapter advisory member), John Watson (Common Grounds, Inc.). Not pictured, other charter members include Brian Light (Chapter Vice President, Weed Man of Knoxville), Keith Thress, (Chapter Treasurer, Thress Nursery Gardens), Reg Jellicourse (Walters State), C.B. Howell (Howell Nurseries), John Botts (Beaver Creek Land Management), Wendell Jones Jr. (Volunteer Lawn, Inc.), J. Michael Blankenship (Halls High School, FFA), Jason Garber (Garber Grounds, LLC), Travis Bullington (Bullington Land Management), Leonard Stevens (JG Supplies), Robert and Gretchen Wilkerson (Outdoor Designs) and Kim Holden (Holden Nursery). Photo credit: Eddie Coutras, Leading Edge Communications

tennessee greentimes

SPRING 2011

ennessee’s green industry value — which includes nursery production, landscape design, installation and management, as well as greenhouse, sod and Christmas tree production — is estimated to exceed $3.9 billion annually and provides jobs for more than 51,000 fulland part-time employees. In order to most efficiently advance action on key issues critical to the future stability and growth of Tennessee’s horticultural economy, a core group of Knoxville-area green industry professionals have organized to promote education, a more cooperative local presence, high professional standards for horticultural practices and sound business ethics. As a result of these founding member’s efforts, the East Tennessee Chapter of the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association (TNLA) was officially chartered in February 2011. Bill Seaton, now chapter president, first sounded the call to recruit new members to join the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association’s East Tennessee Chapter while serving as a guest on Dr. Sue Hamilton’s “Garden Talk” on WNOX radio in Knoxville. This opportunity was again presented to industry professionals gathered at the 39th Annual Green Industry Short Course hosted in Knoxville by The University of Tennessee Extension, and again at TNLA’s Winter Education Meeting held in Pigeon Forge. Seaton and the other chapter officers are quick to point out that among the most compelling advantages of joining a professional organization like TNLA are benefits gained by being associated with

a group of industry-focused professionals who have similar business concerns, who share common interests in both personal development and corporate growth and, most importantly, who can work together to influence proactive and progressive leadership by presenting a collective voice as a unified industry. For example, despite the value of green industry contributions to Tennesseeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, repeated cutbacks at state and local levels continue to resonate with lost jobs and reduced opportunities. Most recently, budget cutbacks by The University of Tennessee Extension resulted in elimination of 60 positions state wide, including two Area Specialists and two County Extension Agents who have, for years, provided critical support to commercial horticulture and green industry interests. Aside from the incalculable loss of more than 80 years of the collective professional knowledge and experience gained by these individuals, the elimination of these positions will have long-lasting repercussions to ongoing efforts at education and knowledge of green industry professionals, as well as to lifelong learning by gardening public. The East Tennessee TNLA Chapter expects to greatly benefit from its geographic location, which will allow it to make the most of the resources available through The University of Tennessee and its students, faculty and staff. Newly elected officers of the East Tennessee TNLA Chapter are: President: Bill Seaton (TruGreen LandCare, Inc.) Vice President: Brian Light (Weed Man of Knoxville) Secretary: Mary Wigginton (Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Accents, Inc.) Treasurer: Keith Thress (Thress Nursery Gardens) For more information or to get involved by joining, contact any of these chapter officers or e-mailing us at tnlaeastchapter@aol.com. C

calendar of events

Index of Advertisers

June 13

July 18–20

TNLA/HRI Memorial Golf Tournament Contact: 931-473-3951 Fax: 931-473-5833 Email: mail@tnla.com www.tnla.com

ANLA Legislative Conference Liaison Capital Hill Washington, DC Contact: 202-789-2900 www.anla.org

June 14

August 2–4

Tennessee Green Industry Field Day U.T. Gardens Knoxville, TN Contact: 931-473-3951 Fax: 931-473-5833 Email: mail@tnla.com www.tnla.com

Penn-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (PANTS) Greater Philadelphia Expo Center Philadelphia, PA Contact: 800-898-3411 www.pnla.com

January 27–28, 2012 June 16–18 Southeast Greenhouse Conference Greeneville, SC Contact: 614-487-1117 www.sgcts.org

July 17–18 ANLA Annual Meeting Liaison Capital Hill Washington, DC Contact: 202-789-2900 www.anla.org

Mid-States Horticultural Expo (a partnership of TNLA and KNLA) Kentucky International Convention Center Downtown Louisville, KY For advertising contact: Betsie A. Taylor 502-695-0106 or knla@gmail.com For booth information contact: Louree Walker 931-473-3951 louree@TNLA.com

Boshancee Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.boshanceensy.com Braun Horticulture, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 www.braungroup.com Camm Too Camellia Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 www.camtoocamellia.com D & D Agri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Ewing Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 www.ewing1.com Farm Credit Services of Mid America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.farmcredit.com Griffin Greenhouse & Nursery Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 www.griffins.com Hayes Nursery Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 JG Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 John Deere Landscapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover www.johndeerelandscapes.com Low Falls Wholesale Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 www.lowfallsnursery.com Mid Tenn Turf, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 www.midtennturf.com Motz & Son Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Scotts Professional Horticulture . . . . . Inside Front Cover Surface Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover www.surfacenursery.com Swafford Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover www.swaffordnursery.com Tennessee 811 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.tennessee811.com Willamette Nurseries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 www.willamettenurseries.com

classified

Hayes Nursery Enterprises 76 Bellewood Dr. McMinnville, Tennessee 37110 Trudie or James Hayes, 931-235-3911 Liners to Landscape