For bountiful blooms, easy care and pollinator support, these garden and landscape shrubs give and give. Royal Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata ‘Royal Star’) Royal Star Magnolia Once it’s established in the landscape, this reliable early- to-mid-spring bloomer is one of the most breathtaking sites of spring. Large, 3 to 4 inch flowers have fragrant, double-white petals. Charming, butter-yellow crown centers beckon bees, birds and butterflies, giving them a good start to pollinator season. Royal Star Magnolia is a favorite choice for trendy, residential moonlight gardens.  It is also a po ..read more

Along with scary skeletons, carved pumpkins and graveyard ghouls, “spooky” plants bring out the best of the season and add life to outdoor Halloween décor. Here are a few of our team’s picks for spookiest (e.g., favorite) fall plants. Cheyenne Spirit Echinacea (Echinacea hybrid ‘ Cheyenne Spirit’) Cheyenne Spirit Echinacea “Fall is my favorite season because of the weather,” says Kurt Everett, regional sales manager. “The fall season has a certain smell, whether it’s football or cookouts. I’d take fall weather 300 days a year.” Kurt’s pick for plant-of-the-season is Cheyenne Spirit Echinacea ..read more

This time of year, who isn’t falling for foliage? For stately presence and autumn flair, consider adding these trees and shrubs to landscape projects and designs. Pacific Sunset® Maple (Acer truncatum x Acer platanoides ‘Warrenred’) Pacific Sunset® Maple A hybrid of Shantung and Norway maple trees, Pacific Sunset produces glossy-green foliage that turns stunning shades of yellow, orange and red in autumn. As a small- to medium-size tree, it is perfect in residential landscapes, making it adaptable in parkways and as a shade tree anywhere in the yard. Its habit is round and upright, with sprea ..read more

Some may say the best part of autumn is its colors. As the weather turns cooler, these tough beauties stand up to fluctuating temperatures and climate conditions and still look good. Oakleaf Hydrangea ‘Alice’ (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Alice) Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea  This tough, drought-tolerant hydrangea puts on a show in all four seasons. Leaves are large at 8 inches. Dark green textured foliage transitions to scarlet, then burgundy and purple as leaves mature. In mid-summer, 14-inch white flowers turn pink, then beige. Copper-brown exfoliating bark adds visual texture, underscoring the s ..read more

There is still plenty of time to put new plants in the ground and help roots become established before soil freeze sets in. Whether your retail customers are planting now or you are planning varieties to add to landscape designs in the spring, consider the following favorites for seasonal waves of color. Texas Scarlet Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles ‘Texas Scarlet’) Texas Scarlet Flowering Quince Among the spring’s first flowering shrubs to bloom in the Midwest, Texas Scarlet Flowering Quince produces a dramatic display of charming, orange-red blossoms in as early as February and March. Foliage ..read more

With Grandparents’ Day coming up on Sunday, Sept. 10 we’re taking a look at ideal plants for children’s gardens. Whether an urban park or a suburban back yard, children’s gardens encourage a love of plants, play and learning. Here are a few of our favorites to consider when designing professional landscapes that cater to children. Fire Chief™ Globe Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Congabe’) Fire Chief Arborvitae Who doesn’t love a bright red fire engine – and fantastic red color! This globe-shaped shrub has shiny gold foliage in spring, followed by its namesake show in fall. It grows slowly an ..read more

Waving atop foliage like magic wands, the slender panicles of the butterfly bush beckon pollinators as if by magic. The spikes, ranging from 5 to 12 inches long depending on the cultivar, consist of tightly packed, star-shaped flower petals clustered up and down the panicle.  Flower colors are bright and vibrant, in shades of pink, red, violet, purple and blue. ‘Miss Molly’ Butterfly Bush (Buddleia x) – USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9 – 5 feet tall and wide Summer Lilac Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) is sometimes called ‘summer lilac’ for its sweet fragrance.  Combined with its rich ..read more

Walk around your neighborhood or visit a nearby park and you’re bound to see them. Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are staples in Midwest gardens and landscapes and there are good reasons why. Consumers have numerous options for mixing and matching their bright and bold colors in beds, borders and containers. From crisp white to popular purple and red hot red, these herbaceous perennial hybrids put on a reliable flower show year after year.  Sombrero® Salsa Red Coneflower (Echinacea hybrid) – USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9 – About 2 feet tall and wide Strong, Fibrous Roots A variety of hei ..read more

Every growing season brings new and exciting plants to market and Spring 2024 will be no exception. Loma Vista Nursery is currently growing three exciting new introductions for the coming season. They are Wine  & Spirits® (Weigela florida) and Fizzy Mizzy® Sweetspire (Itea virginica) under the Proven Winners brand and Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) for Bailey Nurseries. For more information about Loma Vista Nursery-grown plants, visit our plant catalog online. Weigela ‘Wine & Spirits’® (Weigela florida) – Photo: Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Wine & Spirits ..read more

For discriminating pollinators, these perennials are the bee’s knees. With bold colors and interesting shapes, plants like the following provide interest, shelter and habitat for the more than 4,000 species of bees native to North America.  Loma Vista Nursery-grown plants produce high-quality nectar and protein-rich pollen, giving bees the nutrition they need to make honey and pollinate plants that produce enjoyment, food and products humans need. In fact, we can’t live without them. For more information about these and other landscape plant  solutions for honeybee attraction, visit ..read more