New Varieties and POP Ideas, cont'd. 



All-American Rose Selections Gives Independent Garden Centers 



A New Way To Stop And Sell The Roses 



An example of Northern Charm Boxwood Buxus Wilson 



years in development. 



"This IS a completely different 

 direction for coneflowers, " said Ault. 

 "Pixie is more compact tfian any other 

 coneflower on the market and has an 

 incredibly long bloom time and small 

 perky flowers." 



Like most coneflowers, Pixie prefers 

 well-drained moist soils and full sun. 

 It is a wonderfully drought-tolerant, 

 dwarf perennial perfect for containers, 

 perennial borders and small urban 

 gardens. With the habit of a pot mum, 

 it fits snuggly into small gardens and 

 commercial landscapes. It has a heavy 

 flush of blooms from July to August 

 with sporadic flower production until 

 October and is very attractive to birds 

 and butterflies. 



Pixie Meadowbrite™ can be ordered 

 through retail catalogs Songsparrow 

 and Jackson and Perkins. All three 

 Meadowbrites™ will be available 



12 



in select independent U.S. garden 

 centers in late spring to early 

 summer 2006. In following years, 

 "Chicagoland Grows" will introduce 

 shades of red, apricot and white 

 coneflowers. 



The Meadowbrite™ series is marketed 

 through "Chicagoland Grows", 

 a non-profit corporation of the 

 Chicago Botanic Garden, The Morton 

 Arboretum and the Ornamental 

 Growers Association of Northern 

 Illinois (OGA). 



For more information on Pixie 

 Meadowbrite™ or the "Chicagoland 

 Grows" Plant Introduction Program, 

 visit www.chicagolandgrows.org. 

 Credit: Chicago Botanic Garden Jan. 

 17, 2006 



Charming its way into gardens this 

 spring will be a new "Chicagoland 

 Grows" introduction -- Northern 

 Charm™ Boxwood, Buxus 'Wilson.' 



The small leaved, emerald boxwood 

 has excellent cold-hardiness and a 

 uniform, oval growth habit. Foliage 

 turns a rich black-green in winter. It is 

 perfect for hedges, borders, accents, 

 groupings, foundation plantings and 

 formal gardens. 



Northern Charm™ was selected 

 out of a seedling block from which 

 Green Mountain and Green Velvet 

 boxwoods arose at Wilson Nurseries, 

 Inc., FHampshire, III. It has a compact, 

 oval-round habit and a good growth 

 rate. Its delicate semi-glossy emerald 

 foliage develops an appealing bluish 

 cast during the growing season, 

 changing to rich, deep black-green 

 during winter. The plant is hardy in 

 USDA zones 4b through 9. It has a 

 slow to medium growth rate (typically 

 less than 6 inches annually) but in 1 5 

 years, it can grow to 3 to 4 feet high 

 and 5 feet wide. 



Northern Charm™ is easily 

 transplanted and is best sited in 

 filtered sun, although it does perform 

 well in full sun, as well as in shaded 

 locations. Extremely wet sites should 

 be avoided. There are no pests or 

 diseases known to affect the shrub. 

 Credit: Chicago Botanic Garden Jan. 

 17, 2006 ♦ 



The Plantsman 



