This month as we were “Around the Garden Center”, we took the time to ask some of our Lurvey staff what their favorite plants, trees, pavers, and water features are.  We want to share some of these favorites with you today.  Take a look!

Northwind Switch Grass

We’re not the only ones who picked this ornamental grass as a favorite. This year, Panicum virgatum ’Northwind’ has been selected as the Perennial Plant of the Year 2014  by the Perennial Plant Association.

With its steely blue leaves and very erect growth habit, this Switch Grass is a 5-foot tall showstopper in the garden. In the fall, when its seed heads bloom, it takes on a delicate and ethereal beauty all its own. It is especially pretty when backlit by the rising or setting sun.

Northwind is also easy to grow, being very drought tolerant and disease free.

Beech Trees

Beech trees are versatile and unique in the garden and deserve to be a favorite for many reasons. Here are three examples:

The Purple Beech, with its dark leaves, makes a unique archway in the garden when two trees are trained over a frame. They are also available as beautiful individual upright specimen plants.

The Tricolor Beech stands out in the garden with its pink and green foliage and delicate layering habit.

The Weeping Beech provides its own unique form, growing to be over 20 feet tall.

Pavers

Natural stone or clay pavers provide durability and beauty to any landscape.

Small pattern thermal Bluestone is a natural stone paver that comes in sizes perfect for smaller spaces.

New! Acme Wire-Cut Clay Pavers give new meaning to the look of brick. These pavers come in hues of red, gray, and brown. The wire-cut creates a unique texture offered in standard or rumbled. They’ll give your patio, walk, or driveway the rich look of old-fashioned brick with the high quality and durability of a modern paver stone.

Basalt Column Bubblers

Have you always wanted a water feature in your garden, but you don’t want all the fuss and care of a pond? If so, consider a bubbler, like the basalt columns pictured here. Water circulates continuously through the columns but does not form a pool at the bottom.

Always a favorite, they will add drama, depth, and the sweet sound of running water in your garden without any fuss and without taking up too much room.

The Dwarf Japanese Maple Collection

Nothing adds class to the garden like a Dwarf Japanese Maple.  Japanese Maples can have green or red, purple or even pink leaves, and they come in a wide variety of styles and sizes.  To get the most out of this lovely tree, you need to pick just the right specimen for each setting.

We’ve selected an outstanding variety of dwarf Japanese Maples this year! Learn more about these great varieties today!

These are just a few of our favorites, and we hope you will give them a try.  Come see us at one of our 5 locations and speak with one of our friendly associates and they can help you implement any of these items into your outdoor space.  If you have some favorites, let us know about them in the comments.