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Northerners who venture south are wowed by the stately stands of pampas grass that grace so many home and commercial landscapes.Alas, the coveted Cortaderia selloana won’t survive their winters back home. They can only dream of growing those tall, majestic plumes. They suffer from PGE – Pampas Grass Envy.But those dreams can come true! There IS a big, bold grass even Yankees can grow:It’s northern pampas grass, Erianthus ravennae, to the rescue! No prescription needed! Soaring even taller than

The Eponymous Garden Rides Again!The green industries embrace many careers and companies that could be described as “a hobby that got out of hand.” You may know – or be – one of those ex-hobbyists.One such entity gave the world a popular herb: Lavandula ‘Otto Quast’. Let’s meet its namesake.Born in 1924 in Hamburg, Germany, Otto Quast emigrated to California. He worked as a shipyard carpenter and dabbled in gardening. When an accident ended his woodworking career, he turned his pastime into a fu

We work in the green industries. We celebrate our world’s greenery. The word “green” isn’t just an adjective, it’s an eco-friendly accolade.But sometimes, oddly enough, green is a surprise.When someone mentions the genus Festuca, “blue fescue” is the term that comes to mind. It’s an unwritten law that every new Festuca must be bluer than the last one.Eilers Beauty™ is an outlaw: Its slender, hair-like blades are a rich, subtle matte green.Named for a distinguished Illinois nurseryman, Eile

Every July, the green industry converges on Columbus, Ohio. As surely as monarchs migrate to Mexico, plantsfolk flock (say that three times fast) to get their new, warm-from-the-oven Emerald Coast Growers starter plant catalog.OK. We know you’re really coming to Ohio for Cultivate. Even our most loyal customers know Booth #2313 isn’t really the navel of the hardy plant world. The green industry’s best trade show/education combo wasn’t really built around our industry-leading selection. But it’s

Yes, it’s Lavandula, all right. Nothing else can match the fresh, clean fragrance of this legendary herb. We know that fragrance well, since we grow 12 varieties in several species. Let’s look at four of them, shall we?L. angustifolia The specific epithet means “narrow-leaved.” Which is much more accurate than the common name “English lavender”, since it’s of Mediterranean origin. It acquired its nickname because it grows great in Great Britain.Big Time Blue PP24827 Wider than it is tall at ma