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How low can you go? When you hear the word “groundcover,” what comes to mind? After “Ho-hum,” probably a few too-familiar genera, right?It doesn’t need to be that way. There are strikingly different, even fascinating, perennials that blanket the ground without putting you to sleep. And low-growing does NOT have to mean low margin.Here’s the lowdown on a low-growing species we think highly of. Lamium maculatumSeldom rising above 8”, this pretty genus sports deceptively delicate looking folia

A rhinoceros with an elephant?A Heuchera with a Tiarella?Let’s answer the second question first: Those two North American native genera pulled off a trick that’s pretty rare in the plant kingdom.Heuchera (Coral bells) and Tiarella (Foamflower) crossed to form the intergeneric hybrid xHeucherella. The first known example was the work of matchmaking French breeder Emile Lemoine in 1912.There’s nothing unusual about species within the same genus getting together to form new hybrids. With or without

About the Rock Star AwardOur Rock Star award honors ECG employees who demonstrate a sustained high level of performance and inspire others.  This month, we have a first: A Rock Star winner who was a true rock star even before joining – actually, rejoining – Emerald Coast Growers. Grass Production Supervisor Greg Mandel worked for ECG for several years until his love of music pulled him away. He developed a solid career as the drummer for Black Eyed Blonde, voted Best Band on the Emerald Co

Salvia nemorosa May Night ranks among the most famous names in all perennialdom. But that well-known name isn’t its real name: Technically, it’s ‘Mainacht’, which means the same thing in German.In either language, it’s prized for its long-flowering stands of deep purple-blue spikes. Way back in 1997 it won the prestigious Perennial Plant of the Year award from the Perennial Plant Association. May Night loves to flower so much, it demands extra attention in propagation to root and branch – an iss

An artisan is one who brings both finely-honed skill and heartfelt creativity to bear on what they make. The breeders of the Artisan coneflower collection deserve the title.These are the first true F1 hybrids from seed, meaning multiple ready dates are possible. And they’re just flat-out good-looking plants with all the right qualities: Heavy flowering, compact, and uniform in flower for consistent cropping. Artisan™ Red Ombre(‘PAS1257973’)Rich red daisies age to subtle antique shades