Blog

Need to keep your benches full and your heating bills low? With the right cool season grasses, it’s more than possible — it’s profitable. “Feather reed grass” is a classic cool season grass that thrives with warm days and easy to maintain night temperatures.  Hardy from Zones 4–10 (except gold-striped 'Eldorado', hardy to Zone 5), these grasses add value with their versatile size, growing 3 or 4 feet tall at maturity. We offer six varieti

Easy to grow and remarkably versatile, Panicum virgatum, commonly known as Switch grass, is a warm-season ornamental grass that thrives in USDA Zones 4-10. It emerges as days lengthen and temperatures rise, offering attractive flowering spikes and color-changing foliage that last through summer and fall. Even in winter, its sturdy, upright form adds seasonal interest while providing essential habitat for small birds. Thanks to ongoing breeding, modern Panicum varieties now offer expand

Pat Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Nurseries in Ireland has selected some nifty variations and variegations of this versatile, sturdy genus. He describes his creations as "colorful, multifunctional, and easy" This popular collection of versatile, variegated sedges is chock full of colorful, right-sized, low-maintenance options for containers, edging, or ground cover. Hardy in Zones 6-9, these 'grasses' are designed for partly shady areas but tolerate moderately sunny spots nicely. They thrive best in

These ornamental grasses are specifically bred to be infertile and remove concerns about localized self-sowing. In addition, they also offer vigorous growth and gorgeous extended color from summer to fall. Many of the genera chosen provide strengths that breeding, in turn, enhances. Temperature: Keep greenhouses at 70 to 80° F during the day and 55 to 65° F at night. pH & EC: Aim for pH at approximately 5.8 to 6.2 and electrical conductivity (EC) at 1.0 to 1.5 mS/cm using t

From the dawn of time, ferns have seen it all. Many of our best sellers graced the world's gardens over a century ago. Before that, their foliar ancestors shared the planet with really big reptiles during the Jurassic era, a likely inspiration for the newest cultivar to catch our attention. Both Dryopteris varieties shown grow to a mature height of 18-24" and are hardy for Zones 5-9. We've included a look at the unique foliage of Fortune's cold hardy holly ferns and eve