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The Weeding Gnome

by Plants Nouveau · July 14, 2022

Cultivate '22 Preview

The Woodies

Cultivate is back and apparently, EVERYONE is going...yay!

The biggest tradeshow of the year in the U.S. is the Cultivate show in Columbus, Ohio. This year it is reported to have more people registered and coming to the show than in 2019. That's amazing! International visitors are back as well since there are no travel restrictions for entering the US. In this edition of The Weeding Gnome, we present the woody plants that will be on display at the show.

Elizabeth Ashley™
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Hokomarore’ PP31264

Honoring Elizabeth

Although we featured this plant in our 2021 display, word has it we have much better plants that represent how truly magical this selection can look in this year's booth.

Elizabeth was tragically ripped away from the world she so embraced while on her way to her first week of college by a speeding, drunk driver. It is through this lovely hydrangea that we honor her.

Cheerful, billowy flowers in taffy pink or soft blue (depending on the soil pH) form round flowerheads so dense, that there’s hardly room for leaves. A compact grower with strong stems and hard flowers, this consummate gift plant will make an ideal transition from gift to garden. Flowers show their first hint of color in May/June and continue through summer with fresh, new blooms that replace the older ones. A hydrangea that never stops giving, as flowers mature, they take on deeper, vintage hues of velvety-rose or violet-blue, both with green eyes. Much like its namesake, Elizabeth Ashley will bring joy to any outdoor setting. Growing 3’ tall and wide and producing flowers dependably on new wood in USDA hardiness zones 5-9, Elizabeth Ashley is a must-have for sure.

Raspberry Lemonade™
Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Zleyel2’ PP31198

This new yellow-leaved ninebark is impressing everyone!

There have been many yellow-leaved introductions of ninebark, but none have the grace and texture of Raspberry Lemonade. Shorter internodes and much smaller leaves make for a fine-textured beauty that shines in full sun and brings lemony joy to any garden bed. 

Bred by our friend, David Zlesak, in Minnesota, this one is also super-duper hardy and never has any dieback. Topping out at 3.5 feet tall and 4 feet wide, it is the perfect choice for mass planting or smaller spaces. 

Thuja 'Junior Giant' PP31297

Green Giant Sprouted a Baby. Presenting Junior Giant.

A shorter version with all of the same characteristics you have come to love in Green Giant, Junior Giant grows to about 60% as tall, needs less trimming in the nursery and in the garden, and has the same fragrant, feathery foliage that stays green all winter, plus, it's just so dang cute in a container. How could you not love it?

Found by our friends at Hermitage Farms in Virginia as a sport of Green Giant, Junior Giant will reach 15-20' tall, making it the perfect specimen for smaller spaces and an even more perfect choice for hedges. No need for trimming several times a year. Trim once after spring growth has finished and sit back and enjoy the garden.

Firefly™
Diervilla 'Bokofire' PPAF

Did you think we'd ever be talking about Diervillas?

Diervilla, or bush honeysuckle, is a US native that is super hardy, and drought tolerant with green leaves and bright yellow, fairly nondescript flowers. That was until plant breeders got their hands on them and started selecting for super habits and bright foliage colors.

I never imagined there would be a flood of diervillas on the market, but we are certainly approaching a good wave of new introductions. Along comes Firefly™ with a superior habit that looks wonderful in a pot and in the garden, it is a bit more well behaved, with brilliantly colored foliage. The best part (and hence the name) is when the bright yellow flowers open against the orangey-red new growth in mid-summer, looking like the bright glow of a firefly fluttering across the dark sky.

Divervilla Firefly™ is being sold exclusively through the Bloomin' Easy® brand.

Magical® Ruby Snow
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bokomarus’ PPAF

This BRAND new panicle hydrangea is exceptional!

Ruby Snow is a sensational new panicle hydrangea variety whose bright white panicles open in mid-summer. Closer to fall, as the nights cool, each cone-shaped panicle turns ruby-red from the base up, leaving the tips topped in white like a snow cone. A compact form with strong stems, Ruby Snow can be planted in smaller gardens among other flowering shrubs and perennials. Plant in groupings or as exclamation marks along a garden path to draw the eye in.

Growing 3’ tall by 4’ wide, this is the perfect size for any garden. A true performer, even a beginning gardener will enjoy bragging rights with Ruby Snow!

So many exciting, useful new plants!

That's all for now. Well, except for a pretty big surprise, that is. We will be introducing a new partnership that brings so many wonderful new introductions to the Plants Nouveau line-up. We can't tell you just yet, so PLEASE stop by Booth 3211 to hear about this exciting secret.

Stop by 3211 to see all of our fabulous plants and best of all...Linda & Me. We can't wait to see everyone. Please let us know if you can't attend the show because we'd love to send you our fabulous 2023 New Products poster/catalog. It's really something!

Take care, safe travels to those who are attending, and see y'all real soon!

Angela Palmer

Stay tuned for news & more exciting new plants from Plants Nouveau. 
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