Plant Native: Butterfly Milkweed
This showy native wildflower grows naturally in some tough conditions—upland sandy prairies, open rocky
woodlands and roadside embankments. To be successful in the garden, it is best to try to imitate the brutal
natural habitat where this milkweed grows. It is a long-lived, trouble-free perennial when planted in dry, welldrained soils on sunny slopes or at the top of a retaining wall. It loves the heat, so it’s slow to emerge in spring.
The lance-shaped, shiny leaves are crowded along upright stems, growing into a mound of bright green foliage by
early summer. In summer, bright orange flower clusters top the plant, made up of many small star-shaped florets.
The showy flowers attract a variety of butterflies, moths and bees. In fall, narrow, gray-green seed pods develop,
covered in silky hairs. The pods eventually split open to release the brown seeds, each with silken parachutes to
drift away in the wind.
Beneficial Landscapes: Plants for Sandy Soil
If you’re sitting on sandy soil and don’t have a flower garden, it’s well worth starting one. The rest of us—who sigh with disappointment every time we
read “must have well-drained soil” in a nursery catalog—can’t let you waste this opportunity that’s lying at your feet.
Sand, the largest of soil particles (and the only one visible to the naked eye), is no stranger to the state. It can be found along the Platte River lands
and all over the Sandhills. Characterized by excellent drainage, low fertility and resistance to compaction, sandy soil creates a truly unique setting for
landscaping in Nebraska. If you are willing to leave behind the nutrient- and water-loving plants often featured in magazines (astilbe, bleeding heart,
hellebore, hardy hibiscus, viburnum, hydrangea, daylily), you will find a whole new palette of plants worth their salt in color, texture and toughness.
Fold in compost for a boost in nutrient and moisture retention, and the possibilities are striking.
NNLA SCHOLARSHIP
The Nebraska Nursery and Landscape
Association is pleased to announce they will
be providing a scholarship again this year to
full-time horticulture students in Nebraska
colleges. The NNLA believes in investing in
students pursuing degrees in horticulture.
EAB Update
Several new finds of emerald ash borer
(EAB) have already been made this summer,
resulting in three new Nebraska counties
being confirmed for EAB infestations. In June,
EAB-infested trees were found in Kearney
(Buffalo County). Staff with the City of
Kearney Parks Department noticed declining
ash trees and reported those concerns to the
Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA). A
site visit confirmed D-shaped exit holes and
serpentine galleries present on the trees,
and adult EAB specimens were collected and
ultimately confirmed by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture identifier as EAB.
2020 NNLA Events Moved to Virtual Platform
The NNLA Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to not hold in-person events in 2020. The Eastern Field Day and the Winter Conference/
Annual Meeting have been moved to virtual platforms. Planning for both events is currently underway. Watch for emails and the next newsletter
issue for specific details.
Below are some national events which have shared they have been canceled or postponed.
• Oklahoma Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA) has made the decision to postpone
Oklahoma Grows, originally scheduled for October 29-30, 2020 until 2021.
• MANTS will not be hosting an in-person tradeshow as planned, January 6-8, 2021, at the
Baltimore Convention Center. Instead they will launch of an online platform on which exhibitors
and registered buyers can connect to network and conduct business.
• The GIE+EXPO has postponed until October 20-22, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky.
• The National Association of Landscape Professionals has moved their LANDSCAPES 2020 to a
virtual experience in October 2020.
• The TCI EXPO 2020 will not hold their event in Baltimore, Maryland. They are planning for a
virtual event in early 2021.
Unsolicited Seed from China
Thousands of Americans have reported receiving unsolicited packages of seed from online sellers, which appear to have originated in China. These
packages of seed are often labeled as other items, such as earrings or jewelry, and have no labeling to indicate the type of seed.
USDA believes this is part of a “brushing” scam, where companies falsify orders and reviews in an attempt to increase their online profile. In addition
to seeds, bulbs and small plants have been received, along with a number of non-agricultural commodities.
State Departments of Agriculture are working with USDA to collect these unsolicited seeds, and submit them for testing to identify them, and
determine whether they carry any plant pests. The seeds potentially pose a threat to U.S. agriculture and the environment, as they could contain
noxious weeds or carry diseases or plant pests.
Individuals who receive unsolicited seed should mail the unopened seed packets to: USDA APHIS PPQ, Attn: Cindy Stuefer-Powell, 5940 S. 58th Street,
Lincoln, Nebraska, 68516
For more information on unsolicited seeds, visit https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/stakeholder-info/sa_by_date/sa-2020/sa-07/seedschina
Eastern Redcedar on the Great Plains: Great Plains Society of American Foresters Position Statement
The Great Plains Society of American Foresters recently released a paper regarding eastern redcedar’s (Juniperus virginiana L.) presence on the Great
Plains. The issue of encroachment has led to some contention surrounding the appropriate place for eastern redcedar in the Great Plains, between
well-intentioned natural resource professionals, public and private landowners, public agencies, and private NGOs. To view the position paper, go to
https://www.gpsaf.org/2017/position-statements/.
NCN Continuing Education Hours Update for 2021 Renewal
At their last meeting, the NNLA Board of Directors approved allowing online courses attended by Nebraska Certified Nurseryman (NCNs) in 2020 to
count towards the 5.0 CE hour requirement for maintaining certification. Online courses, outside of those hosted by NNLA, will need to be reviewed
by the NCN Committee or NNLA Board of Directors.
NNLA Policy on Certification, Maintaining Certification
Certification lasts for one year. Continuing education (CE) must be completed each year. The current requirement is the certified individual must attend
five (5) hours of continuing education in the horticulture field at a state, regional or national event(s) each year. The Certification Committee reviews
the list of events and evaluates potential events for inclusion on a case to case basis.
To request a review of a course, NCNs should send an email to the NNLA office (jennifer@youraam.com) with any supporting documentation (agenda,
session descriptions, etc.) to be reviewed. Courses will be posted on the NCN webpage at http://nnla.org/certification/ as they are approved. If your
course is already listed, you do not have to submit for approval.
NCNs are responsible for tracking their continuing education hours and submitting documentation of those hours to the NNLA office with their
renewal.
Beneficial Landscapes: Lonely Trees how to help, and how not to
In our modern landscapes, trees often get planted as lone individuals surrounded by a sea of lawn. This
is less than ideal for trees—and vice-versa. Trees typically grow in forests where little grass is present.
When trees are placed in lawns and those lawns are excessively fussed over (and we Americans love to
fuss over our lawns) trees can be sitting ducks for such things as mower and trimmer damage as well
as herbicide injury. Another issue is underground as tree roots and lawn roots don’t always mix well.
Lawn soils are often wet and compacted which favors grasses while tree roots prefer loose soils rich in
microbial and fungal life.
National Garden Bureau announces five plant classes for the 2021 “Year of the” Program
The National Garden Bureau has announced the five plant classes that will be featured in the 2021 “Year of the” program.
• For the bulb crop, 2021 will be the Year of the Hyacinth.
• For annuals, 2021 will be the Year of the Sunflower.
• For edibles, 2021 will be the Year of the Garden Bean.
• For perennials, 2021 will be the Year of the Monarda.
• For flowering shrubs, 2021 will be the Year of the Hardy Hibiscus.
The “Year of the” program chooses crops specifically for the North American market that are easy to grow, genetically diverse, and with a lot of new
breeding to showcase. Breeders, brokers, seed companies, growers and garden centers throughout the U.S. and Canada are urged to highlight these
flowers and plants when planning their marketing for the 2021 season as the publicity generated from this program is substantial.
How popular is this program? The five “Year of” pages on the NGB website are consistently in the top 10 visited pages by thousands of site visitors
every month.
Nursey Management - Posted by Julianne Mobilian - NurseryMag.com
Plant Native: Sweet Coneflower
This tough, dependable prairie plant deserves a space in any sun-loving garden. It grows naturally in high quality
prairies and sometimes in disturbed areas and clearings. It is an upright, clump-forming perennial with graygreen leaves and long, sturdy stems. It blooms over a long period, often during the hottest time of year, from midsummer to early fall. The plants are crowned by glowing yellow, daisy-like flowers to 3” across, with a pleasant
sweet smell, similar to sweetgrass. Each flower has a central brownish-purple cone packed with over 200 little
nectar tubes. The persistent, deep brown cones remain attractive all fall and winter. It is easy to grow in average,
well-drained garden soils and tolerates heavy clay, summer heat and humidity. This is a low maintenance plant,
but it may flop and topple if coddled with too much irrigation, fertilizer or shade. The flowers attract butterflies,
beneficial wasps, pollinating flies and beetles. The silvery checkerspot butterfly larvae and several species of
moths feed on the foliage.
Plastic Pots and the Green Industry: Production, Use, Disposal and Environmental Impact
From the Association of Professional Landscape Designers
The APLD Sustainability Committee and Missouri Botanical Garden conducted a research study on plastic pots. This report discusses what they have
learned about the production, use, disposal and environmental impact of horticultural plastics. It presents the consequences of increasing production
and use of these pots without a solution to the problems of disposal.
View the report at: https://www.apld.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/APLD-Plastic-Pots-White-Paper.pdf
BENEFICIAL LANDSCAPES: Oh, the Humility (of gardening)
As gardeners, we make decisions every day about what stays, what goes and what will take its place.
Being faced with constant predicaments means we’re bound to get it wrong some of the time; in fact,
the longer someone’s been at it, the more embarrassing notches go on the belt. A garden is a living
rather than static thing and never entirely within our control. For gardeners, this unsettling process
of working toward one result and having something altogether different happen in the meantime
ultimately moves us from novice toward master. It requires constant flexibility; there are no masters
on this road, just humbler gardeners. Long-time Nebraska landscape architect Steven Rodie says plants
regularly “make a liar out of him.” So too do they defy and befuddle the rest of us.
Walnut Twig Beetle Discovered in Gering
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) announced today that walnut twig beetle, a carrier
of a fatal disease of walnut trees, was discovered in Gering. This is the first confirmation of the
beetle in Nebraska.
Walnut twig beetles are tiny brown insects that feed under the bark, causing twigs to die.
“The walnut twig beetle actually is not a serious pest,” said Rachel Allison, Western Forest Health
Specialist for the Nebraska Forest Service. “The problem is the beetles often carry fungal pathogens
on their bodies, which can infect the trees they feed on. The resulting disease, known as ‘thousand
cankers disease,’ causes trees to decline and die.”
NNLA Requesting Call for Presentations
Are you interested in speaking at a NNLA event? Know someone who should be presenting?
NNLA is looking for speakers and session topic ideas for our winter conference which will be held virtually. Are you interested in speaking at our
conference or do you have a topic idea or even a speaker that you think our membership would benefit from? Please fill out this form and let us know!
Submit your entries by September 11, 2020
Complete the Call for Presentation form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NZTJW3W. The NNLA Planning Committee will review and be in touch
with next steps should your presentation be a good fit for the programming. Thank you for your interest in presenting.
Plant Native: WILD BERGAMOT
Wild bergamot or beebalm is a great choice for any sun-loving, prairie style garden with its showy blooms and
benefits to pollinating insects. It grows naturally in high quality prairies, savannas and margins of woods. It is
a sturdy, upright perennial wildflower that slowly expands over time to form colonies. Wild beebalm is very
adaptable. It thrives in full sun and moist, organic soils but also grows well in clay and high pH soils, and can take
heat and drought. In summer, the plants are topped wi
President’s Message BY BRIAN MUNK
Hello Everyone! I hope this newsletter finds everyone busy,
safe and healthy.
What a crazy year this has been so far. One thing I’ve noticed
this year is how well our industry is able to make changes
and adapt to new conditions and recommendations, and
I believe we are all doing a terrific job! I’ve not been able
to visit as many member b
Explore Vala’s Pumpkin Patch for NNLA Fall Field Day!
The NNLA Board of Directors is excited to partner with
Vala’s Pumpkin Patch for an exclusive behind the scenes
virtual video series!
Our Fall Field Day will feature Vala’s Agriculture Manager,
Vaughn Hammond as he gives NNLA an in-depth look at
this 100+ year old farm and its operations. With your
registration, you will virtually tour the apple orchard,
pumpkin patch and the vast plant and tree varieties that
inhabit the property.
Wildflower Week 2020 In Praise of Wild Places
This is a year unlike any other, a spring unlike any other, and it will be a Wildflower Week
unlike any other. Normally we gather the first week of June for hikes, talks and other
events that celebrate Nebraska’s beautiful wildflowers. This year social distancing won’t
allow such numbers. And so Wildflower Week 2020 will rely on your own experience,
your own memories of wildflowers and your own way of enjoying them in the present.
Funds Available for Community Landscape Improvements
Thanks to funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum is in its third
year of the Trees for Nebraska Towns (TNT) program. This program provides matching funds and technical
assistance to public tree planting projects in Nebraska communities. The focus is on large-maturing trees and
species diversity. Funds are available for fall 2020/spring 2021 projects and communities are invited to apply.
The maximum request per project is $20,000.