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Paul Pilon
Paul Pilon is a horticultural consultant, owner of Perennial Solutions Consulting and an author.
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Agastache ‘Raspberry Summer’
Greenhouse Product News
August 2008
By Paul Pilon
This summer staple series is a breeze to produce and boasts an abundance of colorful flower clusters. Once established, ‘Raspberry Summer’ is also fairly drought tolerant.
Monarda Didyma ‘Pink Lace’
Greenhouse Product News
July 2008
By Paul Pilon
With an enticing aroma, burst of lipstick-pink flowers and compact habit, this old-fashioned garden perennial manages to remain fresh and exciting. ‘Pink Lace’ is a perfect candidate for the current container craze.
Leucanthemum maximum ‘Broadway Lights’
Greenhouse Product News
February 2008
By Paul Pilon
With its artistic look and marketing versatility, this chameleon-like cultivar stands out from the competition. The recent introduction is capturing the admiring gaze of gardeners and growers alike.
PDF Version
Geranium ‘Rozanne’ Hybrid
Greenhouse Product News
January 2008
By Paul Pilon
This versatile perennial exhibits an extended bloom time and can withstand intense heat, allowing the prize-winning hybrid to thrive continuously in diverse climates across the country.
PDF Version
Campanula glomerata Bellefleur Series
Greenhouse Product News
December 2007
By Paul Pilon
This compact and colorful series loves to show off and is ideal for production in small containers. With its first-year flowering, floriferous nature and uniform growth habit, it is sure to breathe new life into any perennial program.
Caryopteris divaricata ‘Snow Fairy’
Greenhouse Product News
November 2007
By Paul Pilon
‘Snow Fairy’, an herbaceous perennial that grows and performs like a shrub, can be beneficial for growers. With its striking green-and-white foliage, few cultural problems and ease of production, it’s a must-have in the landscape. Just keep them away from wet sites.
Achillea millefolium Tutti Frutti Series
Greenhouse Product News
October 2007
By Paul Pilon
The heat-loving and low-maintenance Tutti Frutti series is easy on the eyes and easy to grow. Beneficial attributes include uniform flowering, a long bloom time, great plant habit for container production and robust, disease-resistant foliage.
Verbascum x hybrida ‘Southern Charm’
Greenhouse Product News
August 2007
By Paul Pilon
Formerly recognized only as a weed, verbascum is gaining popularity with gardeners and growers. ‘Southern Charm’ will bloom the first year when started from seed without the need for vernalization.
PDF Version
Astilbe arendsii Astary Series
Greenhouse Product News
July 2007
By Paul Pilon
Cultivars in the astilbe Astary series do not require vernalization for flowering. These cultivars also have very predictable flowering, which makes commercial production more practical for growers.
PDF Version
Turning Your Production Space
Greenhouse Product News
June 2007
By Paul Pilon
Adding an additional turn of production space can bring many benefits to your business. Read on to learn how to effectively produce a second perennial crop.
PDF Version
Salvia x sylvestris ‘Marcus’
Greenhouse Product News
June 2007
By Paul Pilon
This dwarf meadow sage is well suited for container production. Avoid crown and root rots by refraining from excessively moist or wet conditions.
PDF Version
Primula Acaulis Harlequin Series
Greenhouse Product News
March 2007
By Paul Pilon
Breeding efforts throughout the past few decades have helped produce primula varieties with improved attributes, such as those in the Harlequin series.
PDF Version
Asiatic Lily: Lily Looks Series
Greenhouse Product News
February 2007
By Paul Pilon
Lily Looks, a new series of Asiatic lilies, contains numerous dwarf cultivars with various flower colorations that are all well suited for commercial production.
PDF Version
Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’
Greenhouse Product News
January 2007
By Paul Pilon
Thanks in part to ease of production and landscape appeal, nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ has been named the 2007 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association.
PDF Version
Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Pot Of Gold’
Greenhouse Product News
December 2006
By Paul Pilon
This black-eyed Susan is an improved selection of a proven cultivar. These cold-beneficial plants feature long-lasting, daisy-like flowers and can be used as accent and border plants and in mass plantings.
PDF Version
Viola ‘Starry Night’
Greenhouse Product News
November 2006
By Paul Pilon
This cool-season perennial has great landscape appeal
and no vernalization requirement, which means producing
flowering plants is mostly a function of temperature and time.
PDF Version
Solidago ‘Little Lemon’
Greenhouse Product News
October 2006
By Paul Pilon
Suitable for production in a range of container sizes from 4 inch to 1 gal., solidago ‘Little Lemon’ is a cold-beneficial plant that prefers full sun.
PDF Version
Doronicum orientale ‘Little Leo’
Greenhouse Product News
September 2006
By Paul Pilon
This cool-season perennial does not tolerate heat well but is commonly produced for early spring sales because of its abundant semi-double, bright-yellow flowers.
PDF Version
Buddleia davidii ‘Peacock’
Greenhouse Product News
May 2006
By Paul Pilon
This buddleia’s compact habit and ability to attract butterflies and hummingbirds make it a popular choice for container production, smaller gardens and mixed borders.
PDF Version
Bellis perennis Bellissima Series
Greenhouse Product News
April 2006
By Paul Pilon
This vigorous series of English daisies forms compact,
low-growing rosettes that produce large, double flowers in early spring.
PDF Version
Hibiscus moscheutos Luna Series
Greenhouse Product News
February 2006
By Paul Pilon
This series of hibiscus has a compact,
well-branched habit that is ideal for container plantings and landscape use.
PDF Version
Perennial Solutions: Astilbe chinensis ‘Visions’
Greenhouse Product News
August 2005
By Paul Pilon
Visions’ is not a patented cultivar and can be propagated by any grower. There are two fairly new introductions with the Visions name, ‘Vision in Pink’ and ‘Vision in Red’; these are patented cultivars.
PDF Version
Echinacea purpurea ‘Little Giant’
Greenhouse Product News
June 2005
By Paul Pilon
This American native is used as an aromatic border plant to attract hummingbirds and butterflies into the gardens. Echinacea is widely used as an herbal medicine to stimulate the immune system and fight off various viral and bacterial infections.
PDF Version
Perennial Solutions: Geranium ‘Rozanne’
Greenhouse Product News
May 2005
By Paul Pilon
‘Rozanne’ is an easy, carefree cultivar with finely cut, slightly marbled, deep-green foliage that turns reddish-brown in the autumn for added interest.
Gaillardia aristata ‘Arizona Sun’
Greenhouse Product News
April 2005
By Paul Pilon
The common name, blanket flower, came about since the striking three-colored flowers of gaillardias resemble the colors commonly found in Indian blankets.
Nepeta ‘Blue Ice’
Greenhouse Product News
March 2005
By Paul Pilon
This new variety is an exception in its species, making it suitable for use as a groundcover or in rock gardens, borders and containers.
PDF Version
Pulmonaria'Polar Splash'
Greenhouse Product News
February 2005
By Paul Pilon
This variety, which tolerates more sun than other pulmonarias,
works well as a specimen plant and a ground cover.
Helleborus x hybridus
Greenhouse Product News
January 2005
By Paul Pilon
It has gained such popularity that the members of the Perennial Plant Association have voted Helleborus x hybridus the 2005 Perennial Plant of the Year.
PDF Version
Digitalis purpurea‘Camelot’
Greenhouse Product News
December 2004
By Paul Pilon
This digitalis
provides high
germination rates, uniform growth
and more reliable first-year flowering.
PDF Version
Gaura lindheimeriBallerina
Greenhouse Product News
October 2004
By Paul Pilon
This series performs well across a wide portion of the United States in containers, mass plantings and
as accent plants.
PDF Version
Dianthus
Greenhouse Product News
June 2004
Paul Pilon
As 2004 has been dubbed “the year of
the dianthus,” here
is one to consider.
Aquilegia x hybrida Swan
Greenhouse Product News
March 2004
By Paul Pilon
The cultivars in the Swan series produce an abundance of large, spurred blooms above mounds of attractive, medium-green foliage.
PDF Version
Gaillardia compositae 'Fanfare'
Greenhouse Product News
January 2004
Paul Pilon
Occasionally a really exciting plant comes along that can easily be placed into mainstream perennial production. Gaillardia 'Fanfare' is one of those plants that has caught my eye and is receiving rave reviews from countless growers, retailers and avid gardeners alike.
Tiarella 'Jeepers Creepers'
Greenhouse Product News
December 2003
Paul Pilon
Growers often consider tiarella cultivars prime candidates for their product mix for shady locations. Tiarella 'Jeepers Creepers' is no exception. With its large, bold, well-marked foliage, abundance of cream-colored flowers and eye-catching winter contrast, this cultivar is sure to perform well in today's perennial marketplace.
PDF Version
Festuca glauca ‘Boulder Blue’
Greenhouse Product News
November 2003
Paul Pilon
Festuca 'Boulder Blue,' an outstanding cultivar of ornamental grass, has been produced regionally for quite some time but just recently became available to growers throughout the country.
PDF Version
Hedera helix 'Duck Foot'
Greenhouse Product News
October 2003
Paul Pilon
A sport of Hedera helix 'Merion Beauty' isolated in New Jersey in 1976, 'Duck Foot' gets its name from its small, 1-inch, three-lobed leaves that resemble the foot of a duck. Due to its distinguishing characteristics, ease of production and marketability, the American Ivy Society has named Hedera helix Duck Foot the 2004 Ivy of the Year.
PDF Version
Athyrium nipponicum 'Pictum'
Greenhouse Product News
September 2003
Paul Pilon
With so many landscape uses, ease of production and wide availability, it is no wonder Athyrium nipponicum ‘Pictum’ is gaining popularity and receiving national recognition. Pictum was the recipient of the 2002 Growers’ Choice Award by the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association and most recently selected by the Perennial Plant Association as the 2004 Perennial Plant of the Year.
PDF Version
Clematis 'Inspiration'
Greenhouse Product News
August 2003
Paul Pilon
This variety, with its unique flower color, long bloom time and exceptional vase life, has received rave reviews in European markets, earned numerous awards including the 1999 Award of Recommendation by the Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society, The Netherlands, and was selected as the best introduction at the 17th Salon Végétal, France in 2002.
PDF Version
Hibiscus moscheutos 'Pyrenees Pink'
Greenhouse Product News
July 2003
Paul Pilon
Hardy hibiscus is an old-time garden favorite riding a new wave of popularity. Hibiscus moscheutos is a marshland native of the eastern United States and has hardiness in USDA Zones 4-9. With new developments in plant breeding, today's hibiscus cultivars offer improved flower sizes and colors, more appealing plant habits and extended bloom times.
Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles'
Greenhouse Product News
June 2003
Paul Pilon
Veronica 'Royal Candles' is a clump-forming, bushy cultivar often utilized in rock gardens, as a border plant or in containers. This cultivar has many distinguishing characteristics such as a compact growth habit, reaching only 10-12 inches tall; clean leafy foliage topped with numerous vertical flower spikes; and deep blue-purple flowers, lasting from late spring to midsummer. With these characteristics, it is well suited to production in small container sizes and for marketing alongside bedding plants.
PDF Version
Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote Superior'
Greenhouse Product News
May 2003
Paul Pilon
Lavender 'Hidcote Superior' is an improved version of the very popular cultivar lavender 'Hidcote'. The improvements over its predecessor include enhanced uniformity, consistent quality and improved flower power. This cultivar of English Lavender remains compact and is very suitable for container production or in border plantings.
Hemerocallis 'Little Missy'
Greenhouse Product News
April 2003
Paul Pilon
Hemerocallis 'Little Missy' is a new diploid daylily that was recently introduced by DeVroomen Holland Garden Products. This cultivar reaches 2 feet tall, bearing beautiful, purple-red flowers with fine, white edges and a contrasting yellow throat. Little Missy is considered a rebloomer, which means it produces a flush of flowers in late spring to early summer and bears flowers again later that same summer.
PDF Version
Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' (Perennial Solutions)
Greenhouse Product News
March 2003
Paul Pilon
Salvia 'Caradonna' is a unique cultivar of the reliable genus and species Salvia nemorosa. The violet-blue flowers are similar to other cultivars of this species except they are held on purple stems that provide an added element of texture. In the landscape, it is often used in borders and cut flower gardens where there is full sun to partial shade.
PDF Version
Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'
Greenhouse Product News
February 2003
Paul Pilon
Brunnera 'Jack Frost' is a new cultivar of Siberian bugloss discovered at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Mich. This cultivar was the winner of the Plantarium "Best New Plant Award in 2001." Its most distinguishing characteristic is its frosty silver leaves with green veins and edges.
PDF Version
Dianthus 'Bouquet Purple'
Greenhouse Product News
January 2003
Paul Pilon
Dianthus 'Bouquet Purple' has been produced as a bedding plant or cut flower for a few years, and it is still underutilized as a perennial crop. Bouquet Purple has many desirable perennial characteristics such as: quick finishing time from plugs, easy flowering that can be scheduled, hardiness in USDA Zones 4-10 and few known cultural problems. Bouquet Purple is a seed-propagated, interspecific F1 hybrid that produces lavender flowers on strong, well-branched stems. Throughout the country, it has been a terrific performer and has been named winner of the 2000 Minnesota Select Perennial award and the 2001 Mississippi Medallion award.
PDF Version
Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky'
Greenhouse Product News
December 2002
Paul Pilon
Leucanthemum 'Becky' is quickly becoming one of the most common varieties of Shasta daisy in commercial production today. This long-lived variety has gained so much attention that the Perennial Plant Association has selected Leucanthemum Becky as the 2003 Perennial Plant of the Year.
PDF Version
Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby' Hybrid Tickseed
Greenhouse Product News
November 2002
Paul Pilon
Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby' is destined to become one of the most sought-after perennials for growers and gardeners across the country. Discovered by Mary Ann Faria of Limerock Plant Farms in Lincoln, R.I., this hybrid coreopsis with unknown parentage brings a new bright red flower to a genus that is dominated by various shades of yellow blooms. With these characteristics and ease of production, Limerock Ruby has the potential to be a classic American perennial.
PDF Version
Lamium 'Orchid Frost' Spotted Deed Nettle
Greenhouse Product News
October 2002
Paul Pilon
Orchid Frost is a cultivar of Lamium maculatum, which belongs to the mint family. Unlike most varieties of lamiums, Orchid Frost holds up remarkably well during the summer months, without foliage scorching or being overcome with leaf spots. It bears bright, orchid-pink flowers during both the spring and the fall over its variegated silver foliage.
PDF Version
Heuchera 'Fireworks' Coral Bells
Greenhouse Product News
September 2002
Paul Pilon
The Native American perennial heuchera has become one of the hottest, most must-have perennial plants for today's gardens. Fireworks is best recognized by its "explosive" display of light, coral-bell-shaped flowers on wiry stems held over the lightly ruffled bronze foliage. It is a prolific and a long-lasting bloomer that continues flowering from May-August and attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds. It has good re-blooming characteristics and can be used as a cut flower.
Getting to the Root of It
Greenhouse Product News
July 2002
Paul Pilon
With the advancement of perennial production, many operations are looking at their current fertility programs only to discover the traditional practices used with greenhouse crops aren’t always sufficient with many perennial crops. With a shift in production practices, it is often helpful to review the basics of crop fertility and apply these principles to meet the needs of new crops.
PDF Version
Advanced Height Control of Perennials
Greenhouse Product News
April 2002
Paul Pilon
Unlike most greenhouse crops, perennials consist of a diverse array of plant species (literally thousands of them). Until recently, relatively little research has been conducted with perennials; therefore, the availability of high-quality cultural information is almost nonexistent. Consumer popularity, increased competition and stricter quality specifications have helped make controlling the height of perennials a real challenge for today’s growers.
PDF Version
growth regulators
Greenhouse Product News
October 2000
Paul Pilon
Limited production research and a "free growing" nature can make perennials an intimidating crop to produce. No less difficult is the art of height control using growth regulators. But with a little patience and some practice, the marriage of perennials and growth regulators can be a success.
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