UpShoot eNews: Golden Ruby® Barberry

A 2012 Great Plant Picks

I’m proud to announce that LCN Selections Golden Ruby® dwarf variegated barberry is one of the 2012 Great Plant Picks!

Great Plants Picks is an educational program of the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden which, since 2001 has made recommendations of outstanding plants for the maritime Pacific Northwest. Over 800 exceptional plants have been selected for gardeners living west of the Cascade Mountains from Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Golden Ruby was also honored in 2009 when it took ‘Best of Show’ in the New Varieties Showcase at the FarWest Trade Show.

Snow Survivor
Thuja occidentalis ‘Bobazam’ Mr. Bowling Ball®

I lovingly refer to Mr. Bowling Ball®, as a ‘plant for gardening dummies’ because even brown thumb gardeners can be successful with it! This plant forms a perfect 2 ½’ ball with no shearing.
Mr. Bowling Ball has attractive, finely textured sage-green foliage that looks more like a fine needled Juniper or Chamaecyparis.

Unlike other globe arbs it is more soft and flexible and does not break open under heave snow loads (we live in the NE Ohio snow belt so it has been well tested). Useful as a single plant or in a group, it is an ideal landscape foundation or rock garden plant in particular for smaller spaces. It can also be trimmed to form a low hedge.

An 80 Year Milestone

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my father Jim Zampini, who is my best friend, mentor and business partner, a happy birthday!

Dad turns 80 on Tuesday, February 28th. He and my brother Joe Zampini actually share the same birth date.

Happy birthday Jim and Joe and many more!

Expert
Plant Picks

The March/April issue of Horticulture will debut my new column ‘Expert Picks’.

Each issue features a horticultural ‘expert’ and three of their favorite plants.

In the inaugural column, I profile three personal picks:
Mr. Bowling Ball ®
Globe Arborvitae

Samaritan®
Chinese Dogwood

Lollipop®
Dwarf Crabapple

To access licensed growers of these plants, log onto LCN Selections portion of Lake County Nursery website where you can easily sort by plant or grower.

Here We
Grow Again

In addition to UpShoot LLC, I’ve joined the Agricola Management Group,
Exclusive Licensee for the HGTV HOME Plant Collection as their Director of Plant Development.

The HGTV HOME Plant Collection will launch this Mother’s Day to a select group of retailers and independent garden centers located in key geographic areas.

Industry professionals can view the new annual line March 25-29 at Spring Trials at the HGTV pavillion located adjacent to Dummen USA at Edna Valley Vineyards in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Sustainable
New Product

There is always something new at the trade shows and here is one product line that really appealed to me:

Flat Tire Decor

This company recycles and repurposes flat tires into baskets, entrance mats, pot lifts and totes.
Their baskets make great plant pots.

The uniqueness of recycled scrap tires ensures that no two products will ever be identical.

Best of all they are made in the good ‘ol USA – in part by disabled workers – providing them with a sense of purpose and self-esteem.

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UpShoot eNews: Golden Ruby® Barberry