Whether you realize it or not, you most likely have a plant in your yard that was grown by Midwest Groundcovers. As wholesale company, they supply local garden centers and landscapers with high quality plants that are bred to perform well in our area. Their plants add beauty, increase biodiversity, provide for a healthier living environment and allow for joy when incorporated into the landscaping around a home.
For this column, Nikki Melin, the Vice President of Sales & Marketing has agreed to answer a few questions.
Nikki, can you please tell us a bit more about Midwest Groundcovers?
Midwest Groundcovers is a wholesale nursery dedicated to growing and supplying quality plants throughout the greater Midwest. With deep roots in horticulture, we serve landscape professionals, garden centers with dependable products, knowledgeable support, and a passion for creating healthier, more beautiful landscapes.
In addition to working with plants, do you also have any opportunities to garden in your free time?
Yes! I am always working in my own garden and trialing new varieties. I like to test plants in different environments to see how they perform so I can advise from experience. For example, if a plant is labeled for sun, I may try it in shade to see how it handles those conditions and what performance may be lost.
Hocus Pocus Groundcovers is a unique selection of plants. Can you please tell us a bit more about the collection?
Midwest Groundcovers was founded on groundcovers, so this program was a natural fit. It includes more than 90 varieties that offer solutions for many landscape conditions, from dry sun to walkable spaces. The program also has a website, hocuspocusgroundcovers.com, with plant lists by site condition to help people choose the right plant for the right place.
Homeowners are often looking for plants that will give them color throughout the year. Are there any particularly colorful evergreen shrubs that you recommend our readers check out?
Fire Chief™ Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Congabe’) is one of the most colorful evergreens you can plant, with foliage that ranges from bright lime green to orange and red-tipped growth. It almost looks like it glows. It is a medium-sized shrub that does well in full sun to part shade and well-drained soil.
If blue is more your style, Nordic® Blue Juniper Juniperus virginiana ‘Blue Mountain’) is a great option. Its steely blue-green foliage and blue fruits add color, and birds love it. It is a tough plant that performs well in full sun and poor soils.
For yellow tones, Japanese False Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea Nana’) is a unique choice. Its soft, thread-like yellow-green foliage gives it a different look than most evergreens. It is very slow growing, but its texture and color make it worth the wait.
As our community matures, the growing conditions become shadier. What are the top five most popular shade loving plants?
- Noble Spirits Dwarf Goatsbeard – Bright white flowers for shade and performs especially well in dry shade under established trees.
- Alexander’s Great Siberian Bugloss – Larger foliage than older varieties and better heat tolerance.
- Crested Surf Fern – A newer fern with more frill and bolder texture; it performs very well in my own garden.
- Carnival Watermelon Alumroot – One of the best-performing Heucheras we grow, with strong winter color and a bright red pop in the landscape.
- Autumn Glow Toad Lily – An underused shade plant that blooms in fall with unique orchid-like flowers.
Vines do a great job of adding color to vertical spaces. Is there a vine that you grow that is particular floriferous?
Summer Cascade™ Wisteria (Wisteria macrostachya ‘Betty Mathews’) from First Editions® has incredible flower power in June and a wonderful fragrance. It was discovered in Minnesota, so it handles Midwestern winters well. We have grown it next to our office for several years, and it is a staff favorite.
Fragrance in a garden can transform the experience into one that engages the senses. Are there any particularly fragrant plants that you would encourage our readers to plant in their own yards?
Heaven Scent Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium ‘Heaven Scent’) is a fragrant spring bloomer with beautiful blue-purple flowers.
Phenomenal® Lavender (Lavandula x inter. Phenomenal®) has highly fragrant foliage and flowers in summer, and it also dries well.
Grape Delight™ Bearded Iris is another favorite, with large purple blooms and a scent often compared to grape bubblegum.
Roses have earned the reputation as being susceptible to insects and diseases. For someone who wants to plant a low maintenance rose, what do you recommend?
I am a big fan of Easy Elegance® Roses. They were bred in Minnesota and perform very well in our climate. My favorite is Sweet Fragrance for its bright orange-pink blooms and excellent fragrance.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc.,a landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
