THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER, THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!

GOD BLESS KIRKWOOD

Our thoughts and prayers to all those involved with yesterday's unthinkable events.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER, THOUGHT & PRAYER FOR THE DAY!

PLEASE PRAY FOR JOSH.......OUR AMERICAN HERO.........WOUNDED IN IRAQ

We received news today from Josh's mom that he was wounded by improvised bomb and was medvac to Germany. Your thoughts and prayers to the Josh and the Eckhoff family will be greatly appreciated.

The following is a reprint from the Greenscape Blog of April 17, 2004

The following email is from Josh Eckhoff, a soldier stationed somewhere in Iraq. Josh is more than a soldier, he has been an employee of Greenscape Gardens for three years, a friend of everyone at the garden center, a boyfriend and is like a son to our family. The following letter was addressed to the students at Parkway South High School. To My Fellow Patriots, As I sit here writing in this hostile land, I wonder if these thoughts will reach you. Not so much in the physical sense, but more on an intellectual and emotional level. I hope that my simple words will somehow find their way into your busy hearts and minds. I suppose you are wondering just who "I" am. Quite simply put, I am an American Soldier, but I am much more than you might imagine. I am a friend and a son, a student and an athlete. I am a teenager, an adolescent and an adult. I am much like you, with one very distinctive exception.....I am in Iraq. My name is Joshua Eckhoff and I graduated from South High just last year. I have been "in country" now for over three months, and I have learned a few things along the way. I must admit though, these are not the types of ideas that one would expect to teach a person. I must share with you what I have come to know as two of the most powerful forces in the world today, Kindness and Hope. Unlike the divisive power of bullets and bombs, the power of kindness and hope comes from bringing people closer and reminding us that we are all in this together. As a soldier, I have been exposed to the evils and horrors of war. However, I have also experienced the effects of endless kindness from my family, my friends, my teachers, and from total strangers. I have received endless support and have been showered with kindness, but the greatest gift these people have given me is the gift of Hope. Hope of a better day, hope of coming home, and hope of having the opportunity to return the kindness that has been so selfessly shown to me in the months that I have been gone. Now, it is my hope that I can pass the importance of my realization on to you. I challenge you to shower those around you with kindness, not only your friends, but more importantly your enemies. Sometimes, the simple kindness of an honest smile can provide someone with just enough hope to make it through the day. You many never know the affect that your kindness has on certain people, but know this....a kind word or act often inspires hope in those who need it most. I have seen the glimer of hope in an Iraqi child's eyes, and I assure you that hope, like kindness, transcends cultural and racial barriers. In this time of war, I challenge you to show unconditional kindness to those around you and to inspire hope in every life that you touch. I hope these words find their way across the miles.....I hope to make a difference....I hope to inspire...I hope to have the opportunity to be kind...I hope to see you all again in good time.... I HOPE! With Patriot Pride, Joshua Eckhoff (class of 2003) P.S. I am very proud of all my fellow Patriots at South High, both the students and the faculty...you're simply the best! Editors Note: Please pray for the save return of Josh, he could easily be your son, grandson, brother, husband, friend or neighbor.

ANOTHER SKAGWAY, ALASKA HANGING BASKET. YES, EVERYONE IS THINKING ABOUT SPRING AND WARM WEATHER. NOTICE THIS HANGING BASKET IS ACTUALLY A WOODEN BASKET. LOOK FOR A SELECT FEW WOODEN BASKETS AT GREENSCAPE GARDENS THIS COMING YEAR.

TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY OF PLANTING OUR PREMIUM HANGING BASKETS FOR THIS YEAR. OUR HANGING BASKETS THIS YEAR WILL HAVE A SPECIAL "WOW" FACTOR. WE HAVE CHANGED OUR GROWING MEDIUM AND WE'LL BE USING MORE NATURAL FERTILIZERS TO ENHANCE THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE BASKETS. THESE BASKETS WERE PHOTOGRAPHED IN SKAGWAY, ALASKA IN AUGUST OF 2007.

New for 2008
Mike Wyatt "glass water flowers". Greenscape Gardens has the most unique water feature. These glass flowers are hand blown and equipped with plumbing to create the most spectacular "artwork" for the aquatic garden or even a small enclosure. Check out the "water artwork" only at Greenscape Gardens

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER, THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If you lived in your car, you'd be home already (American Idol)

HOSTA GROWERS

This is the story of two hosta pioneers, two hard working women who shared an intense passion for breeding hostas that every home gardener could grow successfully. Though they were born in different parts of the country, both were raised in farming environments and learned their trade the old fashioned way--through hands on experience. Neither was out to become rich and famous; they just needed to sell enough plants to support what stared out as a hobby and became their life long passion. The fame was just a bonus.
Pauline BanyaiAt first glance, you might not recognize her as one of the greatest women in the history of hostas, her bare feet permanently soiled by the rich black, organic soil that she built up in her garden one amendment at a time. She loved to garden barefoot. She said it helped her maintain a unique personal connection to her plants that simply could not be gained while wearing rubber soled boots. In her garden, brimming with seemingly every hosta ever invented, she knew each and every one by name and could tell you their stories from memory. This knowledge, combined with her uncanny ability to spot new sports among a sea of hundreds, made Pauline Banyai one of the most prominent hosta breeders in the country.
Literally born and raised in the greenhouse business, Pauline learned how to grow hostas from her father who was a contract grower for the original Wayside Gardens in Mentor, Ohio. She didn't just have green thumbs, she was green to the core! Though she dabbled in breeding several kinds of plants, in the 1950s she decided that all the new houses being built in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan would someday need shade plants in their landscape. So she started breeding and registering new hostas, 40 in all over her lifetime.
Arguably the best of all her hosta introductions was Hosta 'Gold Standard' which she registered 30 years ago in 1976. Named inadvertently by Paul Aden and Eldred Minks when they saw the plant and exclaimed that it would be the "gold standard" by which others would be judged, Pauline discovered the sport in a batch of Hosta 'Fortunei Hyacinthina'. In her ongoing mission to provide hostas at a reasonable cost so everyone could afford them, she sold a batch of 1,500 originator stock plants to Walters Gardens, Inc. so they could be mass produced for all to enjoy. Pauline had previously been a loyal customer of Walters and knew she could trust them with her prized plants. Honoring her mission, Walters continues to offer #1 Grade bare root Hosta 'Gold Standard' today for just a penny more than it cost 20 years ago, selling more than 1 million plants since its introduction.
Pauline's legacy lives on for hosta enthusiasts everywhere through the many organizations she developed throughout her lifetime. To name a few, she was a charter member in the founding of the American Hosta Society in 1968, founded the Michigan Hosta Society in the early 1980s, and co-founded the American Hosta Growers Group in 1988 which later developed the "Hosta of the Year" ranking. She was a friend and mentor to many of today's hosta greats including Stuart Asch of the FOoSF hosta breeders group among countless others. She died doing what she loved most at the age of 72 in 1992 and her loss was deeply felt by all who knew her.

Mary Chastain

No serious hosta gardener in the United States or Europe would be caught without them. They are, of course, Lakeside Hostas hailing from Lakeside Acres in eastern Tennessee, owned and operated by Mary Chastain and her husband Roy. Together, their work represents some of the most advanced hosta breeding in the world. Mary will tell you that, much like people, each Lakeside Hosta has its own unique personality, each one distinct from the next.
Though Mary spent most of her working years as an elementary school teacher, growing plants has always been an integral part of her life. Growing up on a farm, she always found time to collect and study wildflowers in between her usual chores of chopping the cotton or corn and driving in the dairy cows. Roy and Mary met at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville where Roy was majoring in agriculture. Together, they became involved in the world of hostas in the 1980s after Mary visited her first hosta garden while on a regional daylily convention tour. She claims the inspiration she received then has stayed with her and continues to flame her passion for breeding hostas today.
Right from the very start, Mary and Roy quickly learned that many of their favorite hostas grew beautifully in the north but performed miserably in their own Tennessee garden. Not easily discouraged, this led them to their life's mission of developing quality hostas that perform well in the heat and clay soil of the south. They define "quality" as having four key components: the ability to thrive in most conditions, an average or greater rate of natural increase, foliage with good substance, and a personality that sets it apart from all others in their class. Lakeside Hostas must possess all four traits before they are registered as new hybrids; each generation is expected to be better than what came before it. Most take 10 to 15 years to develop from birth to sale.
Like Pauline Banyai's Hosta 'Gold Standard', Mary's first introduction, Hosta 'Lakeside Symphony', was a huge success when it was registered in 1988. Though it arose literally by accident when she overfertilized some Hosta 'Piedmont Gold', it turned out to be a lovely sport with a soft green edge. Since that time, Mary has registered 125 Lakeside Hostas. Walters Gardens, Inc. is proud to currently offer seven of Mary and Roy's Lakeside Hostas: 'Lakeside April Snow', 'Lakeside Dragonfly', 'Lakeside Elfin Fire', 'Lakeside Looking Glass', 'Lakeside Love Affaire', 'Lakeside Shore Master', and 'Lakeside Zinger'. True to Mary and Roy Chastain's mission, each selection offers a unique set of physical characteristics, though all share the heat tolerance that is so critical for southern gardeners. Be sure to keep an eye out for future Lakeside Hosta introductions on their website, www.gardensights.com/lakeside/.

Top 40 Perennials of 2007



TOP 40 PERENNIALS OF 2007 (based on number of plants sold in the 2007 calendar year)

1. Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro'

2. Hemerocallis 'Happy Returns'
3. Convallaria majalis
4. Coreopsis v. 'Moonbeam'
5. Hemerocallis 'Pardon Me'
6. Salvia n. 'May Night'

7. Rudbeckia f. 'Goldsturm'
8. Rudbeckia f. 'Goldsturm'
9. Dicentra spectabilis
10. Perovskia 'Little Spire' PP11643
11. Hosta 'Francee'
12. Hemerocallis 'Strawberry Candy'
13. Festuca g. 'Elijah Blue'

14. Echinacea Sundown™ ('Evan Saul' PP17659)

15. Perovskia atriplicifolia

16. Calamagrostis a. 'Karl Foerster'
17. Sedum 'Black Jack' PP16736
18. Phlox s. 'Blue Emerald'
19. Gaillardia 'Fanfare' PP15892
20. Artemesia s. 'Silver Mound'
21. Hemerocallis 'Rosy Returns' PP9779
22. Echinacea Harvest Moon™ ('Matthew Saul' PP17652)
23. Coreopsis v. 'Zagreb'
24. Phlox s. 'Emerald Pink'
25. Hosta 'Fortunei Aureomarginata'
26. Helictotrichon sempervirens
27. Iris s. 'Caesar's Brother'
28. Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
29. Echinacea 'Sunrise' PP16235
30. Liatris s. 'Kobold' seed strain
31. Helleborus o. Royal Heritage™ Strain
32. Sedum 'Autumn Fire'
33. Dicentra 'Luxuriant'
34. Hibiscus 'Fireball' PP13631
35. Hosta 'Patriot'
36. Echinacea Summer Sky™ ('Katie Saul' PPAF)
37. Leucanthemum s. 'Becky'
38. Lavandula a. 'Hidcote'
39. Brunnera m. 'Jack Frost' PP13859
40. Hosta 'Sum and Substance'

Greenscape Gardens grows over 40,000 perennials yearly. Our Greenscape Grown Perennials are best situated for the St. Louis extremes of cold winters and extremely warm summers.

Top Five Home Trends for 2008

In a recent Chicago Tribune article, reporter Marcia Borucki talked about some of the latest trends in outdoor living in 2008 with Ann Mack, director of trendspotting at the ad agency JWT.

1. Living large in the yard: “Expect backyards to become an even greater extension of our living space, another area to flex our decorating muscles.”
2. Eco-chic turns eco-friendly: “Homeowners will continue to adopt green strategies to save money, as energy prices remain high.”
3. The local option: Backyard vegetable gardens will flourish as well as community gardens.
High-tech hideaways: “Expect to see functional furnishings that embrace electronics.”
4. Clutter cutters: Organization of the home as well as your technological life will be the hot thing. People will hire e-clutter consultants to de-clutter their lives electronically.

Solar Trees for Google’s Parking Lot

Another innovative move from the internet-based company Google—this time in the landscaping of their parking lot. This spring, Google’s plans to renovate the parking lot of their headquarters, located in Mountain View, California with groves of solar trees will be completed. Google hired Energy Innovations to design and build the project, which has already completed six solar projects for “green” businesses.
The solar trees, or pole-mounted solar panels, will line the parking lot as normal trees do. The trees will provide both shade from the sun and some protection from the rain with their “overhanging parking shades.” In addition, the trees will provide 5.3 megawatts of energy – enough to power about 330 homes. (Google also plans to mount more solar panels on the rooftops to provide another ten megawatts). Experts agree that solar trees are cheaper and easier to maintain than traditional rooftop panels, where both the installation and repair is often hard to get to.
Significantly, the trees will provide a new aesthetic to the parking lot landscaping. “[These] installations are a visible demonstration of the company’s commitment to the environment,” says Bob Noble, an architect at San Diego-based Envision Solar, which has also designed solar groves for companies such as Kyocera. “You can talk about your energy savings, your recycling and green practices, but the sight of solar panels in the parking lot is an emblem of that commitment.”
Envision is planning to enter the residential market in 2007 by scaling down the solar trees into solar carports that consumers will be able to erect as do-it-yourself projects at home.

2009 Perennial Plant Of The Year Announced

The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) has announced the 2009 Perennial Plant Of The Year. Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ features a graceful, flowing form and golden foliage. The color can vary depending on where the grass is planted.

In partial shade, the foliage will appear almost all-yellow, with narrow green stripes near the margins.

In full sun, the foliage can bleach to a parchment yellow, and in full shade, it becomes chartreuse. ‘Aureola’ will maintain its graceful, cascading habit throughout the season. In late summer, seed panicles will appear above the foliage. When the weather gets cooler, the foliage turns a reddish-pink hue. ‘Aureola’ can grow up to two feet tall and is hardy in Zones 5-9, and has been known to overwinter as low as Zone 4

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER RETURNS

THE ROAD TO SUCCESS IS ALWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

SMOKING IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF STATISTICS