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“Balloon Flower”Here’s a garden plant that’s fun for all ages. Growers and gardeners love the flower color, about as close to true blue as a perennial gets. And your customers’ customers’ kids will love popping the inflated buds of this cheerful sun/shade tolerant border beauty .Please, don’t stop ‘em from poppin’ ‘em! Having fun in the garden helps bring them back. A few burst buds is a small price to pay for new gardeners. Think of it as a tiny investment in the green industry’s future.Platyco

About the Rock Star AwardOur Rock Star award honors ECG employees who demonstrate a sustained high level of performance and inspire others.This month’s award goes to assistant grower Luis Villarreal.If there’s a common thread connecting our Rock Star winners, it’s this: They all have a “Can do” attitude, and a “Whatever it takes” work ethic. Luis is no exception.Our April champion scored a first: He was praised by a peer for worn-out teeth -- not in his smile but on the equipment he works to its

This interesting native grass has seed heads that look like oats, rising from foliage that’s reminiscent of bamboo. It tolerates much more shade than most ornamental grasses, and can even handle the infamously inhospitable shade of black walnut trees.The pendulous seed heads emerge green, turning purple/bronze in summer. They’re dazzling in late-afternoon sunlight, and they make a fabulous filler for dried flower arrangements. Height 3 – 4’. Hardy in Zones 5 - 9 The Game of the NameThe vernacul

When a valuable, long-term team member calls it a career, it always brings mixed emotions. This month, we congratulate Gwen Young, perennial production supervisor, on her retirement, and we thank her, sincerely, for more than two decades of dedicated service to Emerald Coast Growers.Gwen Young first came on board in 1999, when ECG purchased the greenhouses in Pace, FL where she had been working. She quickly parlayed her horticultural experience to meet new challenges in perennial production and

Carex comans Amazon Mist™A hint of variegation on slender light green blades lends an appealing soft-focus “misty” look to this proud member of our ColorGrass® collection. Arching habit and intriguing twisted tips complete the picture.Carex comans Amazon Mist ColorGrass® Sedge at Chicago Botanic GardenLike others in the series, Amazon Mist™ makes a great border-edger. But its lush form and graceful movement in the least breeze are especially effective in mixed containers.Height 10” H