NEW! Ground cover in Ellepots

By: Christa Orum-Keller

At Midwest, we are always looking for the next new thing which can be useful to our customers and improve our green industry practices. And we are constantly looking for your feedback from the field - especially when we present something new.

Over the last year, we have been trialing the growing of ground covers in Ellepots. If you're not familiar with Ellepots, they are a biodegradable unit into which we can plant; the Ellepot sits in a plastic tray, but it eliminates the tray insert plastic and you can plant it without having to remove it from the tray insert. It could save time and $$ on ground cover planting projects and it saves the insert layer of plastic.

We've trialed soil mixes, various sizes of Ellepots and different species and now we're ready to share Ellepot ground covers with you!

This is still a trial program, but we have some inventory available currently, both items for sale and also some trial samples. Check with your sales representative for complete information.

First - the Ellepots we've grown in are the 30, 50 and 65 millemeter sizes. The 50 mm is close to Midwest traditional 3" size. Here's a photo of the three sizes side by side:












The plants we have for open sales are:

• Ajuga reptans 'Bronze Beauty' in the 50mm Ellepot
• Hedera h. 'Thorndale' in the 65 mm Ellepot
• Pachysandra t. 'Green Carpet' in the 65 mm Ellepot
• Vinca minor 'Darts Blue' in the 50 mm Ellepot

In addition we have a mixed assortment of various Sedum species in all three sizes in different soils. These are available as trial samples for small or larger jobs. We have 2-300 flats of each size available of mixed Sedum sp. Please check with your sales or customer service representative if you are interested in trying any of the Ellepots ground covers on a purchase or trial basis.

We are interested in your feedback on these topics:

• How do the plants root in if you are planting them in a mass planting in the ground?
• Do the Ellepot ground cover overwinter any differently than usual 3" material?
• If you use the Sedum in a green roof planting, how do they root in, perform and overwinter?
• What size do you prefer? 30, 50 or 65 mm?
• Should we grow more and add them to our regular line? If so, what ground cover should be part of the line?
• Could you see Ellepot ground cover replacing our 3" ground cover line?

100th Blog!

Hello again,

We've had a lot of great people post their favorite plants thus far. And a couple other blogs in between. There has been a request that I do my favorite plant. And I thought I'd save it for the 100th blog. I've been preparing and preparing, and then the shocker! The patent police are claiming Geranium 'Jolly Bee' invalid. DNA says it's too close to Geranium Rozanne. Most would think that I could easily make the switch. But my loyalties are to 'Jolly Bee', the first plant I've ever been able to definitively say was my favorite. So instead of giving you just one, I have to give you my top ten for sun. The top ten for shade will be seen in a future Landscape Contractor article. So my top ten sun plants in no particular order.

Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei'Such a great overall plant. Very little maintenance is ever required. It makes a stunning perennial hedge, and is the perennial meatball without any pruning for the meatball lover. Plants can be pruned back after flowering to encourage new floral growth.

Amsonia x 'Blue Ice'This is one that always attracts attention when in bloom. It has multiple uses like the Geranium above in that it can also be used as a perennial hedge. In our landscape it is planted with Geranium 'Jolly Bee' and that crawls over the top of Amsonia when it is not in bloom. This extends the time of beauty and usefulness of this plant.

Penstemon digitalisThis is a great native with so many uses as well. The seed heads are so attractive that I've placed those here instead of the flowers. I am very smitten with the flowers as well. Late June these will be blooming their hearts out in front of our nursery. They line IL Route 25 and create clouds of white in early summer.

Allium 'Summer Beauty'I've talked about this a few times in the three years of the blog. Here it is pictured with Festival® Burgundy in a container last year. The combination of these two plants was quite nice. The tropical Festival® Burgundy highlighted the bright green foliage of the Allium. Look at past posts if you would like more information on Allium 'Summer Beauty'.

Campanula 'Samantha'This is one of those plants I thought would be an instant hit. It is a much easier plant to deal with than other Campanula. Namely better than 'Blue Clips'. This flowers for a very extended bloom time and is a great combination with Dianthus 'Firewitch' for early season bloom.

Asclepias incarnata This is the plant that should assume the name of "Butterfly Weed". I see more insects fluttering around this plant than any other plant in the garden. The array of butterflies it attracts is quite impressive. A great plant for the rain garden or any location where it may be moist. Monarch butterflies use the foliage for their larvae. An amazing plant!

Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'This is a non-aggressive Solidago. Flowers that explode in late summer last for quite some time. They make a remarkable combination with Panicum 'Dewey Blue' or Rosa Flower Carpet® Scarlet. In early spring, the foliage is also attractive with reddish tints dominating the look.

Echinacea 'Pica Bella'The Echinacea trend continues to pour out new varieties left and right. This one is one that has a lot of staying power. My mother does not particularly care for coneflowers. She finds the drooping petals depressing. 'Pica Bella' solves that by having very straight rays of petals. The color is fantastic and it also has nice dark stems. Goldfinches enjoy the seeds throughout the winter as well!

Eupatorium dubium 'Little Joe' I have to admit that I wasn't that fond of Joy Pye Weed until I met 'Little Joe' He was a little shorter and could stand up straight. Others would lean over and just didn't command the attention of the upright 'Little Joe'. Butterflies, especially Painted Ladies, seem to love this plant. Seed heads remain attractive into winter.

Calamintha nepeta ssp nepetaCalamintha is one of my favorite plants for many reasons. First and foremost is the bloom time. From late June all the way to frost, the tiny white flowers can be seen in abundance. When temperatures are low at night, the flowers transform to a light lavender. Another reason I love this plant is that it attracts all sorts of bees. The honeybee population is quite outstanding and can be heard from afar on a quiet night once we've closed.

These are some of my favorite plants. Of course like I said, there will be an article in the Landscape Contractor that covers my favorite shade perennials. And neither of these lists has my favorite shrubs or trees. I have a lot of favorites. What are some of yours? Please let me know and I'll post them here. Thanks again for reading, and until next time, have a great day!

Early Season Bloomers

Hello again,

It has been some time since I last posted on the blog. I apologize for the length in time. Hopefully some beautiful pictures will make up for it. Midwest Groundcovers is offering some really great

plants in new sizes!

Salvia 'May Night' is a tried and true perennial that has some excellent uses. We are now offering this plant in a flat of 12. These plants offer themselves up very nicely to combination gardens. The 04 size is easier to carry around, and there are more varieties to choose from. Allium 'Summer Beauty', Sporobolus heterolepis, and Geranium 'Max Frei' to name a few.

Zizia aurea This American Beauties Native Plants® offering is a prime candidate to be combined with Salvia 'May Night'. The color combination is striking and they start to bloom around the same time. Zizia is a highly beneficial perennial for the native garden. Its early season flowers offer pollen to insects which feed migratory songbirds and the foliage is food for the black swallowtail butterflies.

Using 60% Salvia 'May Night' and 40% Zizia aurea creates and excellent Midwest Solution® for the dry sunny area of your garden. The combination will reach heights of 24-30" tall.

Thanks for reading and until next time, have a great day!

Drew's Favorite Plant

Hello again,
This weeks entry will be Drew Koschmann.

I started working at Midwest in May, 2003 as a Production Intern. I am currently the Nursery Manager for the Michigan Farm in Fennville. I am a member of Michigan Invasive Plant Council and active in the Perennial Plant Association.

Adiantum pedatum - Maidenhair Fern
As a native Michigander and avid outdoorsman, I have grown to appreciate the state's diverse natural landscape. One of my favorite things to do while hiking is to observe native plants in their natural habitat. While hiking, I enjoy discovering indigenous plants including Trillium and Jack-in-the-Pulpit. My favorite woodland plant type is the fern, specifically Adiantum pedatum, commonly known as the Northern Maidenhair Fern. This deciduous, mounding fern showcases delicate pink fiddleheads when emerging in late spring. Reddish-brown to black stems create a striking contrast with the plant's bright green fronds. For those of us who are not blessed with ideal conditions for growing prairie species, woodland plants such as the fern are an elegant yet natural landscaping solution for properties dense with trees and acidic, well-drained soil.

Thanks again for reading and have a great day!

Herman's Favorite Plant

Hello again,

This week we will feature Herman Tiedeman and his wife Carol! This will be the first time a family member has been featured on the blog, but we all love our science teachers, so she deserves a spot!
Herman O. Tiedeman, our Inventory Specialist, started with Midwest in 2005 in Customer Service after working at various Garden Centers in Iowa and Illinois for eight years. He currently works with the Inventory, Sales, Marketing and Production staff regarding Production Forecasting and coordinates our yearly Physical Inventory in fall. His affiliation with the outdoors dots his life from years of Scouting and family gardening in his youth to his degree in Biology emphasizing botany and ecology. Herman shares his passion for nature with his wife, Carol, who is a 7th grade Life Science teacher who uses every opportunity to bring their yard into the classroom, as well as providing the kids the opportunity to explore wild areas near the school.

Within our culture we seem to adore the underdog, whether political arena, sports event or business venture. With many of the popular hedging choices, like honeysuckle, currant and privet, fading in popularity possibly due to their contested invasive nature, I champion the original thicket – American Hazelnut. A native of the Midwest surviving suppression by the periodic fires of the prairies, savannas and forest edge, the natural ability of this shrub to sucker lends itself to use as an informal hedging choice, especially on larger properties. C. americana does host a number of insects, but diversity in fauna is what our landscapes need to be healthy. As a food source for numerous insects which will feed other insects, birds and small mammals, the American Hazelnut

can be a sustainable hedging option without even mentioning the delicious nuts it will bear after several years in the ground. Although not a highly ornamental shrub, the interestingly different catkins are harbingers of spring when they open in March. Tolerant of a wide pH range, C. americana does tolerate light shade to sun making it rather adaptable to many landscape locations. And the best feature for me, other than its contributions to sustaining a biologically diverse landscape, is the quintessential autumnal coloration. In fall the muted rust-bronze-red-orange leaves with golden highlights are the epitome of autumn.

Ephemeral- lasting only a short time. Dodecatheon meadia may only bloom for a short period each spring, but what a show it puts on for those few days. Prior to my husband working at Midwest Groundcovers I was unaware of the many incredible native plants that were available to the average person. With all of those choices I would still herald Dodecatheon, the shooting star, as truly a star among them. Each spring I carefully search the spot where they will appear. And seemingly overnight they arrive, dancing and swaying all over my yard. The tiny drooping little bird beaks of color create a spring display any natural woodland would be jealous of. The clusters of them scattered throughout my yard give me great pleasure and joy. They may last only a short while, but their impact is epic.