Perfection

For all of you landscape contractors that are looking for consistency and quality in large, containerized trees, look to Casey Nursery in Goldsboro, North Carolina. These trees, in 15 and 25 gallon pots, are specimen plants. They have the well-developed canopies of field-grown trees with the convenience of container-grown trees. It's a hard-to-find combination.

I love my job

While scouting Dudley Nurseries in Thomson, Georgia last Wednesday and full from a plate of fried turkey (thanks for lunch, y'all!), I took a few minutes to be thankful for the wonderful opportunity I have to work with great people at beautiful nurseries.

I'm one of the lucky people in this world that truly loves what they do for a living. When it's icy and windy or hot and muggy, I may question my decision to become a horticulturist.....but most of the time I'm happy as a lark.

After all, not many people get to stand in a greenhouse full of Fragrant Tea Olives (Osmanthus fragrans) that are in full bloom. If you've ever smelled one Tea Olive, then you'd know that over a hundred in an enclosed greenhouse will send you over the moon:
And the fragrance of Mahonia coupled with the glowing yellow flowers will make you pause for a moment in gratitude:
Lastly, everyone always asks what is my favorite flower. This time of year, it has to be Camellia. When the Camellias are in bloom, I get to wander through greenhouses and shade frames surrounded by these flowering shrubs.

Look at this Camellia japonica 'Pink Icicle'. The flowers are absolutely amazing. That pink flower set against a dark Charleston-green leaf is stunning. It has been my favorite cultivar for the last two years.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Kari

Fatsias and Camellias at City Nursery Farm

I know I have already written about the Camellias at City Nursery. They are so impressive that I have to tell you all about them again. If you are an architect, designer or landscaper, take notice.

The Sasanqua Camellias (budded and blooming) are incredibly vigorous- from a distance they look like robust Ligustrum shrubs. In the landscape, these Camellias would work as individual specimens (especially the white-flowering 'Autumn Rocket') or in a group to create an instant hedge.

As you can see from these pictures, the entire crop is PERFECT- dark lustrous green leaves, uniform growth habit, fully budded:
And they are big. These 30-gallon Camellias will have an immediate impact in the landscape:On to the Fastia....

Fatsia (Fatsia japonica) are notoriously difficult to grow in a container. If the soil pH is off or they are even slightly overwatered, they develop infections from Phytopthora and Fusarium. Many of the crops I scout consistantly look like this:
On the other hand, the crop at City Nursery has been healthy all year. These plants have well-developed, white roots and lush foliage:And they all look like this. The wholesale price is very good (call me if you want to know) and you can feel confident that you are going to get a high-quality plant.