Blog

A Royal Flush is the highest possible poker hand. You can play for a lifetime and never draw that perfect combo.But when you deal in ornamental grasses, a winning handful is yours for the asking. Just ante in for our Royal Collection of big, bold, dark Pennisetum hybrids. They win the pot every time. Pennisetum First Knight™(PP25515)The broadest, blackest blades, with gleaming ruby red center stripes. Bred for enhanced disease resistance. Upright/arching habit grows 4-5' tall, big eno

The “fountain grass” genus is large and multifaceted. We grow over two dozen varieties, spanning a wide spectrum of colors, statures and uses.Most are hardy, like the famous ‘Hameln’, but stellar sellers ‘Rubrum’ and ‘Fireworks’ are annuals. ‘Burgundy Bunny’ is a sturdy little cutie just over a foot tall. The tender Royal Collection ranges from three to over six feet.With so much variety, you’d think we had all the bases covered. But those clever plant breeders always have something unexpected u

What gives a grower the blues? Small plants and disappointed customers.Forget what the song says. There IS a cure: Plant this fall instead of waiting until spring. It’s not just for trees!It’s a simple equation: Build a firm foundation under that crown. When your plants go into winter with a bulked-up root mass, they’ll do three things quicker in spring: Fill out, look gorgeous – and sell. The principle applies to many genera, but we particularly recommend it for these four grass families; 

The genus known as “Fountain grass” is large and multifaceted. We grow over two dozen varieties, covering a wide spectrum of looks, hues and uses.Our Pennisetum offerings range from sturdy little cuties less than a foot tall, up to soaring six-footers. Most are hardy, but some of our most popular cultivars are annuals. With so much variety, you’d think we had all the bases covered. But the plant breeders of the world always have something unexpected up their sleeves.Brent Horvath with ‘Yell

When the color experts at Pantone announced their Color of the Year for 2021, they gave us a rare double-header. Illuminating is a cheerful yellow. Ultimate Gray is exactly what it sounds like. They complement one another beautifully: Yellow for sunny optimism, gray for rock-solid reliability. We looked at gray last time, so let’s get sunny and optimistic again! In this episode, we shine an Illuminating beam on the golden blades of two grasses and a Carex (a grass like sedge, not a tru