For All You Plant Nerds: The Nursery & Landscape Expo

I just got back from the first day of the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association’s expo at the Dallas Convention Center where I bumped into Dr. Bill Welch from A&M. Anyway, I scurried through there– absolutely no way you can see it all in a few hours– and jotted down some gorgeous plants and trends I noticed along the way. Plant nerds, hit the jump for more.

First off, I noticed that ornamental grasses in all shapes and sizes continue to be all the rage. And I absolutely fell in love with one of them called the Firecracker Plant (first pic). It’s nice and thick, like the silky thread grass, but it’s got these fun red blooms that dangle from the tops of the threads and move around with the breeze. So cute! I’m told it needs full sun, and judging from our weather lately, we’ve got that in spades.

I also am crazy about the peacock spikemoss. (It looks like exactly a fern up-close, but actually is a member of the Selaginella family.) This pic does not do this justice, the fronds are opalescent, changing colors from emerald to sapphire and the grower told me they turn a gorgeous rust shade in the fall. This plant loves moist, shady spots (like a fern) and would be AMAZING as a groundcover. Seriously, it presents like a gemstone.

For an example of how the peacock spikemoss shimmers, you can use another fave plant of mine as an example, the shade-loving, purple Persian Shield. (Got mine at Walton’s on Garland Road.)

Finally (like I said, wasn’t there long) I lingered for a while in a beautiful caladium booth. Man, I love those plants. There are all kinds of fun new varieties with awesome foliage and colors to choose from. Couldn’t find any good pics up on the Internet of the new colors, so you’ll have to hit this really odd link for extreme caladium close-ups.

More about the expo later…