Garden Phlox for Landscapers

Hello again,
Here at Midwest Groundcovers, LLC, we are growers of fine plants for the midwest. We are pretty good in my estimation at making plants look great in containers so that landscapers, garden centers, and rewholesalers get outstanding plant material. For Phlox, we've gone through a myriad of changes over the years with many varieties going in and out of our product line. Now, we have several varieties that look outstanding in the ground. These garden Phlox that have excelled are three of the most eye-catching plants in the landscape today. Some have made the blog before, and some haven't. But as a collection, they can make your yard look superb. Without further ado, here they are!
Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavender'
This one has been posted in the past. Now, I'm a big fan of Phlox 'Blue Paradise'. And while it's colors are more intense than 'David's Lavender', the plants don't even compare. The foliage of this one is super clean, and I have it in part shade. No mildew to be seen, whatsoever. On nearby plants, they are covered.

Phlox paniculata 'Lord Clayton'
We've had several reds in the past. The best selling was the 'Starfire'. Those plants would be destroyed by powdery mildew by this time. 'Lord Clayton', on the other hand, is more than just marketing. Brought to you by Plants Nouveau, this red flowering, dark-leaved variety, is visible from afar. I have it planted in the landscape next to a white flowering Euphorbia corollata, and the combination is stunning.

Phlox arendsii 'Baby Face'
This has also made the blog in the past. This plant in the phot has already been in full bloom, yet it has a complete set of new blooms coming right now. It has outperformed many other highly touted Phlox in the garden. While initially, I trialed this plant as a recommendation for a pink version of 'Minnie Pearl', but it clearly is not. It blooms later and longer, but it still has the great disease resistance.

That's it for today. I hope you enjoyed! Until next time, happy planting. Have a great day!

Summer blooms

The garden is looking great right now. Echinacea are blooming everywhere you look. There are definitely some stars out there, even though it all looks great.

Echinacea 'Pica Bella'This has been a favorite of mine since the first day I laid eyes on it. This is a nice, shorter variety growing to 30" tall maximum. The petals curve upwards which give it a unique look different from other coneflowers. Dark stems, and just an overall interesting color, make this a top-of-the-line perennial.

In the Piet Oudolf garden, seedlings have popped up everywhere with Echinacea and quite a few others. But these white Echinacea looked very nice amidst various pink seedlings. The contrast in colors is always a welcome site.

Monarda Grand Marshall™ has been one of the best beebalms in the garden for mildew resistance. I have it planted here in part shade where it gets plenty of morning sun but is in medium shade from mid afternoon on. Plants are located next to Ligularia 'Britt Marie-Crawford' and Dryopteris 'Brilliance', the Autumn Fern, and look great there. In the background, you can see that our Aesculus parviflora hedge is in full bloom. Grand Marshall™ grows only 3' tall in shadier locations to 28" in full sun. In a full sun garden, I would site near Liatris 'Floristan White' or Phlox 'David's Lavender' for some nice color contrast.

Thanks again for reading. We intend to go back to enhancing the Piet Oudolf garden next week! Until next time, have a great day.

Perennials in Late Summer

Hello again,
It's been a while since I've posted a blog. My apologies. Hopefully I can make up for it here. There is a mixture of plants that we either grow and will have as new 2011 and some that are still in the trials stage. There are also some nice tried and true plants that were too stunning to pass up. This edition will be the perennials. Shrubs will be coming next week.
Euphorbia 'First Blush'
This is a plant that I've been watching for a couple years now. Two years ago they were planted as small plugs, and now I have some really nice plants in the landscape. Euphorbia in general is not always hardy for this area. Sure there are some like the native E. corrolata that are hardy, and there are some weeds like E. esula that you can't get rid of. But this one shows promise for the garden. Nicely variegated with more pink in spring than now. It grows to 12" tall in a shady location. Interested? Post comments. I'd like to see us do this, but we need some interest first!
Gentiana andewsii
The native Gentiana that we used to carry was such a nice plant. The problem is that it is very difficult to grow. We have a solution for you. While what you see is in fact the native, we are now carrying a variety called Gentiana 'True Blue' which is very close to start blooming in the pots. It shows an incredible amount of potential in the containers, and if you are interested in this type of plant, I highly recommend it. It is available now, and will be new in our catalog for 2011!
Geranium Rozanne
I was always a 'Jolly Bee' backer, but now I'll get with the program and back up Rozanne. Truthfully, she is a non-stop bloomer as well. I've tried planting her with Geranium 'Biokovo' to see how the combination will work. 'Biokovo' has a much shorter bloom time, but I think the fall colors of 'Biokovo' are going to really compliment the blue-purple flowers of Rozanne. Stay tuned!
Parthenium integrifolium
This is a very underutilized native plant. When I first saw this at the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park I fell in love. Bright white flowers act like beacons to bees in the daytime. This image was taken in the morning before the bees were awake. We have this in combination with Liatris spicata and Eryngium yuccifolium and they make a great combination together. These plants can handle the drought, so it offers up something nice for those difficult areas.
Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride'
I've always loved the large panicle flowers of 'Autumn Bride'. Every year when I see this plant, I wonder why it isn't used more often. This is pictured in an area that is half day sun and they are very successful. Also at the Lurie garden in a similar location, this can brighten up a semi-shady spot and look great in combination with Anemone 'September Charm' or for Spring blooms, Geranium 'Bevan's Variety'.

Allium senescens glaucum
One of the last Allium to bloom in the landscape here at Midwest. Allium 'Ozawa' being the last. I've tried a planting of this with Stachys minima. The Stachys will begin to bloom in late June early July. They are spent now, but the seed heads are very attractive. The flowers of the Allium float above the twisted foliage and in this image aren't fully open yet. When they are, they are a site to see.

Pennisetum 'Piglet'
This is one of the best Fountain Grasses on the market. Reliably hardy, it blooms fairly early and looks great long into the fall. While some Pennisetum are known to be seedy, this one has not shown to be so. I have not seen any seedlings anywhere near the plant. Hopefully it remains this way. There are several types that are supposed to be dwarf in the industry, but not all of them are reliably hardy. Try this and be satisfied!
Sorghastrum 'Indian Steel'
We used to carry an Indian Grass named 'Sioux Blue'. That became increasingly difficult to produce and find liners for. Therefore, we have switched over to the very similar 'Indian Steel'. In my opinion, the foliage of 'Indian Steel' is more blue overall. The flowers are now just starting to emerge, and this grass, is in a bit of shade. Therefore, with complete confidence, I can recommend this for a part shaded location. It still gets a majority of the day in full sun, but mornings are completely shaded.

Phlox arendsii 'Babyface'
We are always searching for good Phlox cultivars that are mildew resistant. This variety, being from a different species than P. paniculata seems to fit the bill. I have not seen any mildew on this plant this year even though it is surrounded by varieties loaded with mildew. This one only grows to 24" tall and also has the opportunity to rebloom. This flowered all the way back in June and the deer ate all the flowers off. Now they are back for another show. This will be new in the catalog for 2011, but we do have some available to you now in 2010!
Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavender'
Here is a P. paniculata that has seriously outperformed expectations. This has been in our catalog, but I don't think it has really caught on yet. The color of the blooms in morning is magical. Of all the cultivars in the landscape, this one demands attention. They have grown to 3' tall, but are completely free of mildew. Others nearby are covered in mildew. The flowers of this mixed with Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers' is stunning. That combination in the back of a border with Sesleria autumnalis up front could be a real show stopper!

Thanks again for taking the time to read. You will be seeing a lot more from this blog in the near future. Until next time, have a great day!

Yes! Michigan!

Hello again,
I had the pleasure of going to Michigan to look at some of our sample plants that various vendors have given us to trial. I wanted to see how things have been progressing and work with Drew, our production manager there on which plants we think we should grow. It really helps us when the accession and production groups get together so that we can all be on the same page. Communication is everything in this business. Maybe in all businesses for that matter. Here are some of the plants that we've added in the last few years for various reasons. And also pictured are some nice shots of crops growing there as we speak. In the next couple of weeks, Midwest Groundcovers will be having some great sales! Now is the time to buy plant material. But in addition to the great plants that we will be discounting are some fabulous regular priced items. I will show you one of the great deals, but mostly I wanted to show you some of the great plants that are not on sale and worth every penny we ask.
Phlox 'David's Lavender'
If you like Phlox 'David', then you should like his lavender counterpart. They have a nice colored flower similar to what we used to offer in 'Franz Schubert', but with greater mildew resistance. They are not all blooming now, but the plants are super clean and will perform well for you next year!


Aster tataricus 'Jin-Dai'
Several years ago we planted these in the garden here. They are very late bloomers, so I was never sure if there was a true market for them. Architects and designers have come late enough to see them bloom, and have had really nice words to say about them. A trip to Cleveland a couple years ago brought them back to my attention. They had planted them along a walkway that looked down onto another garden. The blooms were looking up at me with their bright yellow eyes, and I fell in love all over again. They do have a course foliage but they do not show off their naked legs like so many other Asters do. They do have a tendency to spread a little, but what good Aster doesn't?
Aster novae-angliae 'Purple Dome'
The crop of these look so nice right now. I always enjoy seeing a big crop like this one when everything is in bloom. If you were thinking about planting fall mums this week, why? Get some Asters! They'll even come back reliably. Oh, that's why.



Hosta 'June'
This is a favorite of mine. All Hosta have become a recent passion, but 'June' will forever remain the best. This is just the liners, but who wouldn't want to see this. I just made it the background for my computer monitor! It's always fun to see the baby plants, and if you are a grower, to see them mature into larger saleable plants. These babies will be saleable next year.

Hosta 'Frances Williams'
I have to admit that sometimes I forget about the oldies. One look at this crop and I realized that once I have more room to plant at home, I'll be buying some. They are so clean without the slightest touch of a slug. No damage on any plants whatsoever. So, remember that sometimes new doesn't always mean good. Don't forget about the beauties of days past.

Hosta 'First Frost'
So new doesn't always mean good, but in this instance it does. This is the Hosta of the Year 2010. It may not look like much now, but a mature plant of this is very nice. Think Hosta 'Halcyon' with white margins. In my opinion, 'Halcyon' is one of the best Hostas ever. Another sport of 'Halcyon' is 'June' so it has a history of nice children. I'm really excited that we will be able to offer this superb plant to you next year.
Echinacea Big Sky™ Harvest Moon
This is a house of Harvest Moon, just to show you how nice some of these plants still look. In the landscape, a mature plant may not still have as many blooms as these do, but it makes me think that if we could convert people into purchasing them at this time of year instead of mums, the world could be a much better place. Think about the additional benefits of coneflowers over chrysanthemums. After they are done blooming they still provide color with the goldfinches and other birds that will come to eat the seeds.
Echinacea 'Coconut Lime'
Even the double varieties look great in the pots. No need for white mums with these hanging around.





Veronica 'Royal Candles'
These still look superb as well.







Chelone 'Hot Lips'
I never fully understood the appeal of this plant. But I'm learning to love it. This year, these plants look great. They always do, but we always sell out so that I don't get to see them bloom this way. I planted them in the landscape a couple years ago when we finally had plants that I didn't feel guilty to take. I don't like to plant things that our customers really want and we don't have great quantities on. So we did plant them, and we do have good quantities now. Look at the great fall flower color these have. The houses are blooming like mad. If you are not familiar with these, they like some moisture and like some shade. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked about plants for moist shade. That explains why they are in such demand.
Let's move on to grasses:
Molinia 'Transparent'
This would be one of the plants that we are offering at a special price. Look at how nice they are. This is one of the best deals I've seen in a long time. For more information on the sale, please call us or go to our website at http://www.midwestgroundcovers.com/ and go to our availability for pricing.


Miscanthus sinensis 'Purpurascens'
I'm not always the most fond of Miscanthus. But seeing a large crop of 2700 #3 sized plants with their flowers glistening in the sunlight is a sight to see. Clearly they are available, so please don't hesitate to call and order some for your next pick up or delivery!



Sporobolus heterolepis 'Tara'
I always talk about how uniform a house of 'Tara' is, so I wanted to show you. Though I know the picture may not be in the greatest focus, you can get the point. You could put a level on top of these plants, and if the seed heads were strong enough, it would be perfect. This is such a uniform plant. For those that are afraid of the "native look", and still want the cilantro like smell of Sporobolus, try 'Tara'.

Sesleria autumnalis
As you can see, this is a very nice mass of plants. It's a different look than Pennisetum, but they will reliably live and look great season after season. And they are salt tolerant.




Phytolacca americana
Commonly known as Pokeweed, this is my favorite of all weeds. The problem with it is that it is terribly poisonous. If you have kids around, you should probably not have this plant. If you do not, then I say keep it. A friend of mine has a variegated one! Ooohhh! If it is close to an area where it could get stained by it's fruit juice, you may want to remove it as well. The birds in my neighborhood eat the fruit, which can cause a mess once digested. Birds apparently are immune to the poison but mammalian herbivores leave it alone.

Fall colors are coming. My next post will focus on that. Thanks again for reading. Until next time, have a great day.