Rush Creek Growers, Inc
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Rush Creek Growers, Inc. Wholesale Catalog 2016 Above: Ipomoea ‘Kniola Purple Black’ with caterpillar - Photo by Amy Kalmon Front Cover photo: Caladium ‘Royal Flush’ Photo by Suzanne Baker To Place an Order To place an order, please use the separate Order Form and Price List. If you need a copy, we’d be happy to send you one. Just call us at 1-800-669-2971. You can also download this catalog (many pages) and a Microsoft Word version of the order form from our website at www. rushcreekgrowers.com. Our weekly availability will also be posted on our website for downloading. Rush Creek Growers, Inc W4727 770th Ave, Spring Valley, WI 54767 715-778-5577 • 800-669-2971 • Fax 715-778-5077 www.rushcreekgrowers.com • email: [email protected] Rush Creek Growers 2016 Catalog 2016 Welcome to our 20th year! .....................................................4 Our Growing Methods —Updates for 2016 ............................7 Birds in the Greenhouse ..........................................................8 Plant Descriptions Key ............................................................8 Annuals & Baskets Specialty Annuals—4” pots .....................................................9 Specialty Foliage—4” pots .....................................................44 Annual Grasses—4” pots .......................................................58 Border Gems—jumbo 6-packs ..............................................60 Early Spring Program—1204-packs .......................................73 Large Annuals—8” x 6” gallons and 5¼” square ....................74 Baskets—10”, 12” & 16” fiber maché baskets .......................79 Annual Vines—5¼” square ....................................................83 Edibles Edibles Charts ........................................................................87 Edibles—jumbo 6-packs and 3½” pots ..................................92 Herbs Herbs Charts ........................................................................116 Herbs—3½” compostable pots ............................................120 Perennials Perennials—4½” deep, color coded pots ............................138 Summer and Fall Programs .................................................170 Natives—4½ deep, color coded pots ...................................170 Perennial Grasses—4½” deep, color coded pots .................175 Ferns—4½” deep, color coded pots ....................................177 Perennial Groundcovers—jumbo 6-packs ...........................178 Tree Peonies—trade gallons ................................................183 Life at the Greenhouse From the Staff--Our first memories of the garden .............. 184 Cat Report from Suzanne ....................................................188 Index Plants to Category ...............................................................189 Rush Creek Growers, Inc. • 800-669-2971 • www.rushcreekgrowers.com 3 Welcome to our 20th season Wow! In November of 1995 with a cold wind blowing and snow flurries in the air, we (Suzanne and Vicky) and a pack of fabulous friends and family erected the first Rush Creek Growers greenhouse. It wasn’t quite how we expected to start but still stands today – our dear Motherhouse. The first winter was trying with water issues – Suzanne spent much time covered in frozen spray from the funky watering system and slept under the furnace heat duct with our new kitty August, who came with a broken leg and cast. Vicky brought a little pick-up camper to stay in as she commuted from Shell Lake. With the help of friends and parents, we made it through and started a journey full of adventures. This fall, we are building our 20th greenhouse. We have been blessed with a dedicated, smart, kind and funny staff many of whom have been with us for 15 years. We have survived the ups and downs of 2 decades and are proud of what we have built. We have stayed true to our vision while continuing to evolve and grow. We are grateful for the great customers and vendors we have met along the way and are hoping for many years of continuing partnerships. Now, on to 2016! Amy, Melanie, Suzanne and Vicky traveled to Columbus, OH in July to the Cultivate ’15 trade show and convention. Visiting the show and especially the trial gardens at OSU gives us 4 Rush Creek Growers, Inc. • 800-669-2971 • www.rushcreekgrowers.com confidence in the new varieties that we added but haven’t had a chance to trial. They have extensive container trials and gardens. The classes and information available are invaluable. Our 2016 list includes over 300 new or renewed varieties along with our usual eclectic mix. We have continued to expand our edibles and herb sections to meet the increasing demand for these. Bless the urban farm movement. The Tom, Jon and Steve building Frances revived real estate market seems to be impacting renewed interest in perennials and landscaping. Bless Janet Yellen and the Federal Reserve for keeping those interest rates low. We have seen several years of growth in our perennial sales. Most indications are that growth in our industry is back on track. We feel it here. So let’s jump into spring planning together with optimism and passion for the peace, joy and exercise that we nurture in our part of the world. Let’s embrace social media but help folks look at the beautiful world that’s actually in front of them – not just on their Smartphone screen. We’ll text you with updates. LOL or whatever. Thanks for 20 years. Fondly, Suzanne Baker, Vicky Weis and all the folks and critters that share our work days at Rush Creek Growers. Baby June Rush Creek Growers, Inc. • 800-669-2971 • www.rushcreekgrowers.com 5 Our Growing Methods I’m pleased to report that once again, in 2015, we employed only certified organic products in our pest control endeavors. I don’t anticipate any major changes in the coming year. Soilless Mix: For the spring crop we’ll be using the same coir based soilless mix. For next summer’s crop however we’ll be switching over to a Minnesota peat product that will have Sustane composted turkey manure incorporated as a slow release fertilizer. We’ve been experimenting with this mix for the past two years. Pest Control: Our banker plant systems of pest control were highly successful this past summer. Pots of ‘Purple Flash’ Pepper hosted Minute Pirate Bugs which feed on thrips. In the same pot an Asclepias c. ‘Silky Gold’ lured the thrips to the predators. These bankers were placed throughout the range. Another banker system we used were pots of grain aphids that were raised in a predator free cage. Then on a weekly basis the aphids were placed around the greenhouse to make sure that our predatory wasps and midges had a steady supply of food. Besides beneficial insect we used some fungi in our insect control efforts. Met 52, Preferal, and Mycotrol are all fungi that were sprayed onto pest outbreaks. Under warm moist conditions the spores hatch and attack the pests. Once again, Steinernema feltiae nematodes were applied through the Mel’s Foliage 6 Rush Creek Growers, Inc. • 800-669-2971 • www.rushcreekgrowers.com Slumbering Caterpillar irrigation water on a regular basis to consume fungus gnat and thrips larvae. Root Zone Colonization: One of the keys to the health of our plants is the attention focused on colonizing the root zones of all our plants with a wide array of microbes. Some products used are Rootshield and Actinovate. This year I’ll be adding EM or Effective Micro-Organisms to the line-up. Rainwater Harvesting: Finally found the right filter for the system of tanks that collect the rainwater and snow melt from some of our gutter connected greenhouses. It’s a wine maker’s fabric that is big enough to fit the tank opening but is simple to remove and clean. So often it’s the small things in life… -Suzanne, Head Grower Baby June in the grass Rush Creek Growers, Inc. • 800-669-2971 • www.rushcreekgrowers.com 7 Birds in the Greenhouse We had our usual menagerie of birds nesting in the greenhouse this past year. The barn swallows and English sparrows are finding the greenhouse a suitable substitute for the barn which is no longer there. The barn swallows brought their friends to this sanctuary and tried many precarious sites for nests, not all of which were successful. Most of those who did succeed pulled off two broods and knew all the ins and outs. They were constantly on guard for cats and dogs and raised a ruckus if they perceived one. It was suddenly quiet in September when they all left. The English sparrows are now year-round residents – not always to our liking but we can’t really keep them out. And with the declining number of farms in the area, they have to go somewhere. This year they seemed to have won the skirmish with the house finch, as few finches nested inside. Since both are equally non-native, we can’t really take sides. Meanwhile the robins and song sparrows go about their business raising brood after brood. The robins among the rafters and the song sparrows in baskets and flats. Both provide us with song and diversion to enliven our work day. Norma Rudesill, Resident Ornithologist Plant Descriptions Key Plant Name ‘Cultivar’ h 6-12” w 8” U Height Light Width Requirements Form/Habit U for upright; T for trailing; ST for semi-trailing 8 Rush Creek Growers, Inc. • 800-669-2971 • www.rushcreekgrowers.com Specialty Annuals Annuals & Baskets Specialty Annuals Baskets & Annuals Specialty Annuals—4” round pots, 10/flat After our July trip to Ohio for personal education and inspiration, we dived into the new catalogs and see what we could find