November/December 2019 - 16

DIRTY SECRETS
'Midnight Marvel'
Closeup of 'Red Hot Black Diamond'
1) Wild Valley Farms Organic Wool Pellets: Made
With hands-in-the-dirt
experience, GardenComm
members represent the
gold standard of garden
communications in all media.
in Utah and supporting American farmers, these
all-natural (OMRI listed) little wool pellets end up as
a single-ingredient fertilizer for your soil made from
byproducts of the sheep shearing process that would
otherwise get thrown away. They have no discernable
odor, so they're ideal for container gardening and
houseplants, but you can really use them anywhere.
The perfect balance of nutrients includes 9% nitrogen,
1% phosphorus and 2% potassium, it's high in sulfur
and iron, and the nature of it's slow release makes
it ideal for feeding plants six months or longer. It
begins breaking down and being available to the plant
immediately upon being added to the soil. But equally
as intriguing to me was the fact that because its wool
fibers naturally retain moisture, it reduces watering by
up to 25% and adds porosity because of wools natural
expansion when exposed to water.
2) First Editions Iceberg Alley Sageleaf Willow, Salix
candida 'Jefberg':
Now this is a plant introduction that I can truly sink
my teeth into! In case you're not aware, #FineFoliage
is kind of my thing, so this handsome silver-leaved
willow does not disappoint. Soft, fuzzy and surprisingly
large gray leaves will add so much tough texture to the
landscape. And, it's deer and rabbit resistant! Growing
to an easy to manage 3-6 feet tall by 3-6 feet wide, this
moisture-loving shrub also features the cutest catkins
too. Hardy in Zones 2-6.
3) Walters Gardens' Hardy Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel'
PP24079:
When I first saw this plant, I was looking for
Here are some of the promotional items that were handed
out at this year's GardenComm Conference.
something stunning for a magazine photoshoot at my
local wholesale nursery; I saw these and bought all
of them! 'Midnight Marvel' has intense dark foliage
with bright red flowers in summer and fall. It attracts
hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden and is
perfect for landscapes or planting in a container.
The other plant featured in the J Berry " booth/
happy place in my universe " was the 'Red Hot Black
16 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019
Diamond' Crapemyrtle Lagerstroemia indica. I had also
chosen these for the same photoshoot as container
centerpiece drama and they did not fail to bring on
the intense look I was after. Growing 12 feet tall x
8 feet wide in full sun, this nearly completely black
foliage features intensely red blooms up to Zone 6,
but I'm in Zone 8 and they're very happy.
Lastly, I want to take a minute and highlight the
people affiliated with GardenComm and how they
might help you promote your garden center, your
events and the things in your community that you
care about.
From writing to photography, from landscape design
to sales executives, GardenComm members represent
all facets of the communications industry. No other
organization in the industry has as much contact
with the buying public as GardenComm members.
Our members provide direct communication
and seasoned analysis between the green industry
and the consumers who buy goods and services.
With hands-in-the-dirt experience, GardenComm
members represent the gold standard of garden
communications in all media, including blogs,
books, calendars, design, digital publishing,
education illustration, layout, magazines,
newsletters, newspapers, photography, print,
professional speaking, radio, social media, tours,
video, web, writing and much more.
Our members work with arboretums, garden
centers and nurseries, garden clubs, garden
programs and event planners, landscape architects
and designers, landscape contractors, landscape
product manufacturers and marketers, master
gardeners, plant breeders and marketers, plant
societies, public gardens and parks, touring
companies, web and blog developers and more!
Members are experienced in crafting messages
that support gardening and landscaping. They are
the ones who write about new plants they trial, tools
they try and share what they learn from professional
November/December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November/December 2019
