WHAT’S NEW for 2026

Annuals

 Coleus 'Under the Sea Monkey Apricot'

Lithops (Living Stones)

Gomphrena 'Cosmic Flare'

Petunia 'Lace Veil' - Limited

Petunia 'Inferno'

Colocasia 'Pharoah's Mask'

Begonia Rex 'Iron Cross'

Caladium 'Mint Julep'

 

Perennials

Ajuga 'Cordial Canary'

Helleborus 'Irish Luck'

Hosta 'Dancing With Dragons'

Baptisia 'Musical Duet'

Hibiscus 'Holy Grail'

 

Herbs & Veggies

Broccoli 'Sidekick'

Pumpkin 'Cronus'

Winter Squash 'North Georgia Candy Rooster'

 

 

 

Shrubs

Syringa 'Virtual Violet'

Amelianchier 'Standing Ovation'

Juniperus virginea (Eastern Red Cedar)

Tulip Poplar

 

First,  a HUGE THANK YOU to all of the customers who ventured out in cold rain, soggy humidity or the parched dry summer air of 2025!

 

Reflecting on 2025, we can say it was a challenge. A cool, damp May was ideal for planting shrubs & perennials and seeding lawns but prevented most gardeners from venturing into their yards. Then came the sun and humidity, and plants just reached for the stars! Then came the clear, sunny days of dry heat… As a result, the region entered late fall and early winter with a water deficit. The extended cold temperatures this winter will also have a negative effect on recharging groundwater so we encourage gardeners to water fall plantings when the grass starts turning green.

 

We are also mindful of the many hours put into installing and maintaining permanent greenhouse irrigation over the years, as well as the annual routine installation of outside irrigation for perennials and nursery stock. Having a drilled well in combination with our timed drip irrigation provided us with peace of mind while battling the elements to keep plants thriving with a conservation -minded approach. We will continue to adapt our irrigation program to meet the challenges of the dynamic climate.

 

Another hurdle has been tariffs. We have limited purchase of some gardening accessories because of the proposed and active tariffs, however some items are crucial to our production and retail sales. As of summer 2025 Felco products were subject to a 39% tariff  but Felco absorbed some of that so there is a 15% tariff. Certain seeds, bulbs, cuttings and beneficial insects (– yes, really) continue to be subject to tariffs with a minimum of 10%. This is a dynamic situation that we hope we will be reversed in the near future.

 

We continue to expand our use of peat/pulp pots to include annuals and some perennials and nursery plants. This provided some challenges with our use of efficient watering systems (flood tables and capillary mats) but overall has proved to be successful and should reduce the hassle of plastic waste. As always we continue to use IPM (Integrated Pest Management) in our growing environment and include beneficial insect packets in our hanging baskets. The addition of beneficial biota in our plants during the transplanting regime proved highly successful and will continue to be a standard component of our plant production. As a reminder, we do not use chemical growth regulators. Our growth regulators are our Felco pruners, thumbs and regulated greenhouse temperatures. As a rule we try to pinch all of the annuals at least once before May and in some cases move annuals to the cold frames to control growth. This may seem like a lot of information to absorb, but we feel it is important to understand that we do not buy these plants in finished and that there is a lot of work involved from inception to sale.

 

Customers often ask if we provide landscape services and though we do not work off-site we often provide walk-in consultation. In some cases we have designed instant gardens for novice gardeners. During busy weekends this may be more challenging and time restrictive, so we recommend emailing with detailed questions and calling to arrange a time when we can provide more one-on-one service. Crucial details in helping you choose the appropriate plant are light exposure, soil type, topography, square footage and height restrictions. Photos are very helpful!

 

Many customers may also be familiar with the mobile plant displays we create in front of the greenhouses to showcase combinations of annuals, perennials and shrubs. These displays serve as a template for customers to create their own sun or shade-loving garden spaces. We also tag pollinator plants to help customers choose the appropriate bee and butterfly-friendly plants. As we start a new growing season we are looking forward to showcasing our expanded pollinator selection including the many varieties of Vernonia (Ironweed) that we seeded in summer 2024. We grow a combination of native species and native selections (modified natives) and continue to grow and develop the right blend of natives. There are a lot of options, not all of them zone, region or soil appropriate and we are still navigating those hurdles.  

 

We welcome warmer weather and look forward to seeing you!

 

Happy Gardening!