Horticulture's Premier International Meeting Columbus, Ohio 2024

 Cultivate '24 has come to an end. This amazing horticultural trade show, education venue, and networking event is an annual tradition for our grower, John Miller and me. We look for trends, new and improved plants, better ways to display, how to interact with social media and so much more. Here are some of the things we did over the 4 days of the event. 

On day 1, an all day workshop on creating content and sharing it on social media was attended by people from all over the U S and the world. Led by Kate Dubow, Clint Albin, Katie Elzer-Peters and Maria Failla,

we toured a cool garden center, Groovy Plants Ranch, first. It's hard not to compare this grower/garden center with our own. Their site was flat, (ours is not), and concentrated on houseplants, succulents, annuals, tropicals and a limited selection of  perennials. Easy to navigate and full of surprises, it was a joy to tour and talk about with the owners and members of our group. I've been here several times and have watched it grow. Groovy Plants Ranch lives up to its name creating a groovy vibe in it's surroundings. 

Beautiful gardens border the entrance...love the VW bus

This beetle has a fairy garden 

A potting area for DIYers 

One of my team members

Worth a visit 

We boarded the bus and headed to an award-winning landscapers' home.  Nick and Allison McCullough allowed us into their home landscape to view a remarkable site where entertainment areas, vegetable gardens, and other areas had their own 'rooms' divided by walls of green. 

Landscaper Nick McCullough

Nick says the lawn will go as his children grow; for now it serves as a play area for them between all the garden spaces at their home and their parents' home next door. 

Border planting between neighbors (family)

The landscape is still young. I loved their use of strong foliage elements in the containers and the color palate of green, gray and burgundy/purple. This unified the yard and house time after time. 

Loved the purple and gray accent plants and planters 

Foliage first for color, texture and design

Easy to maintain plantings between walkway and house

More gray accents with watering cans

Seating in the shade under topiary tree planting

Fun metal accents throughout the landscapes

Living walls open to a bridge to Mom's house

Upon our return to the convention center, we all shared Instagram stories and reels from our visits to the two stops earlier in the day. 

Up next, I will share some plant photos from the show and from our local trial gardens.

Mom's garden is beautiful as well 

 This book, authored by our hosts, provides wonderful inspiration to those of us who wish for help in designing our own home gardens. 

Plant of the Week: Crossandra infundibuliformis AKA Firecracker Flower

Summer heat has arrived and decided to stick around. So did the need to have beautiful, heat-loving annual flowers that bloom all summer. Lantana, vinca, scaevola, purslane, and many other flowers handle the heat, but my favorite is the Crossandra Orange Marmalade.

The brilliant orange flower atop dark, shiny green leaves is a must have in my garden. What better way for a plant-loving Baltimore Orioles' fan to show her support for the local baseball team!

 

Let's go O's!

Yep, I love my O's and my bright orange Crossandra. Both are sure to have winning seasons this summer! They're all all-stars in my book! 

Height: 8-10"

Love the glossy foliage with the bright orange flower

Space: 10"

Water: When soil is dry to the touch

Fertilize: Every other week when growing in containers

Sometimes available in watermelon and yellow colored blooms, but, obviously, orange is my favorite!