EDUCATION
THINK SMALL. By Jane Beggs-Joles, Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. O
rnamental plant breeding is on a roll: nurseries are introducing varieties with longer bloom times, more
color, and better disease resistance. One of the strongest trends we are seeing, however, is the demand for new compact or dwarf plants. For years, the industry used plants that were
termed “dwarf,” but were anything but small. Anyone who has watched a dwarf burning bush reach its mature size knows that “dwarf ” is a relative term. A plant that truly stays small has both long and short term benefits. Compact varieties do not require heavy pruning to maintain a manageable size, and will not outgrow their sites. Most landscapers would rather spend their time installing new jobs than keeping
established plantings in check. You also
bolster your professional bona fides by choosing the right plant for the space. The fly-by-night crew may be OK with installing a plant that will become a problem for the client in years to come; the professional landscaper designs with an eye to long-term client satisfaction.
Smaller cultivars also allow clients to enjoy a desired plant without a large footprint, a particular consideration when planting a one-hit-wonder like Forsythia. Those bright yellow flowers do a lot for the spring landscape, but the plant doesn’t do anything for designs the rest of the year. You’ll get a greater color return on your square foot- age investment by planting a dwarf Forsythia and using the extra space for plants with multi-season appeal.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS
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