Welcome to our second edition of Jason’s Journal!

Once again, we are excited to share your passion for gardening and look forward to hearing which topics you would like us to cover as we offer our knowledge and insights. This is the second in our two-part series. We will share a few more insights that we gathered on our visit to Cultivate, the industry’s leading show for garden centers, retailers, and growers.

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A look at the Echinacea Sombrero®

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I met with Mike from Darwin Perennials, which is an arm of Ball Horticultural. He told me that the Echinacea Sombrero is one of the hardest-working perennials they offer. It overwinters well, and the second- and third-year performance in the ground features an amazing flower count.

You may have experienced the same challenges I have with Echinacea in the past. I planted it in my yard and struggled to keep it alive over the winter. But recently, these Sombreros have held up great, and the second-year blooms are amazing. I’ve gotten double or triple the blooms from my plants in the second year. If you are looking for a plant to attract pollinators, the Echinacea Sombrero is a great choice.

We carried a few of these at the Gardens in the fall and will carry them again this coming spring.

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No garden. No problem with Kitchen Minis™.

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One very cool thing we saw at the show that we will be carrying this spring in the Gardens is the Kitchen Minis™ Table-top Vegetables & Herbs program from Ball Horticultural. I talked to their representative, Dylan, about the program and their motto - No garden. No problem.

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They are offering a fresh-food solution to those who might not have room or the time for a traditional vegetable garden. The Kitchen Mini plants are pock- et-sized, so you can put them on your windowsill or countertop when it’s too cold outside, or in the summer, they would fit nicely on your patio. They are featuring an awesome selection: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and basil. Great for grilling, cooking, or just adding to a salad.  

The basil has a boxwood-like appearance. I can picture it looking great if you have a real decorative or formal patio. You could put it there ornamentally and Courtesy of Ball Horticultural Company then use it for cooking as well. Look for these in The Gardens at Elder’s this spring, and share with us on social how you use them this summer!

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Monrovia celebrates 100 years in the industry with a new Hydrangea.

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Another vendor we are proud to work with at the Gardens is Monrovia. They have been in the business of growing plants for over 100 years and have nurseries across the country that deliver to all the different regions. Brandon from our Hardin Valley store spoke with Katie from Monrovia at Cultivate about one of the most favorite plants in our region, the Hydrangea.

For its 100th anniversary, Monrovia is introducing a gorgeous, unique ruby-colored hydrangea called Centennial Ruby™. It’s a compact plant, about 3 feet tall and wide, with mophead blooms whose color deepens as the flowers age. This hydrangea, because of its size, would work ideally as a border or in a smaller landscape. Not only is the color unique, but it’s a very hearty Hydrangea, with very sturdy blooms, stems, and leaves. It will stand up well to the weather.

Katie also shared that, because these are new and being released in celebration of their 100th anniversary, each plant will have a numbered tag. Look for the Centennial Ruby to arrive at our garden centers near the beginning of May.

Cascading color for your hanging baskets and pots.

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One of the new releases from PW that was shown at Cultivate was the Surefire Cascade™ Red Begonia. It’s a hybrid begonia that trails down the sides of a pot or hanging basket - hence the name Cascade! In a discussion I had with John from Proven Winners, he shared that Surefire Begonias, one of PW’s best sell- ers, have been around for years as more of an upright landscape plant. So this will be a nice complement to a long-standing, popular plant.

Now with this new Cascade variety, I can plant in a hanging basket or pot as well as in the landscape and they will match nicely. Last year, because I sit on a com- mittee with other Garden Centers and plant enthusiasts, PW sent me a Surefire Cascade to try in my yard. I planted it in a hanging basket, and that plant was amazingly sturdy. It weathered a couple of bad storms we had in 2025 very well.

John also shared a little trick: whenever you plant a begonia, point the leaves outward so they will trail. And remember, any time this plant gets a little leggy, don’t hesitate to trim it; it will continue to produce for you.

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The perfect recipe for a gorgeous, colorful patio or porch this spring.

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Each year, Proven Winners puts together what they call Recipes of the Year. Recipes are combinations of plants that complement each other well in hanging baskets and pots. This year, they are offering a couple of options, one for sun and one for shade.

First, the Saffron Sunrise, which features Safari® Dusk™ South African Phlox Jamesbrittenia hybrid, Superbells® Tropical Sunrise Calibrachoa hybrid, and the Supertunia® Saffron Finch™. It’s a full-sun combination, so feel free to put it on your back porch or anywhere you get intense sun during the season. We are seeing a lot of folks combining lavender and yellow, but this one adds a pop of orange that really stands out when in full bloom with the others.

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The shade variety is called the Pixie Powder. It contains the Double Delight® Appleblossom Begonia Tuberhybrida, the Diamond Frost® Euphorbia hybrid, and the Rockapulco® Coral Reef Double Impatiens. This recipe would work best on a patio with more shade, or maybe under a tree or other structure. The Appleblossom has a gorgeous bloom.

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A great solution for bordering in your landscape.

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There were many discussions about colorful flowers at Cultivate, but Brandon had a great conversation with a Proven Winners representative, Laura, about a brand-new fescue perennial that they are just bringing to the market this spring called Perfect Edging..

Perfect Edging features beautiful, bright leaf variegation and an attractive, light-colored flower that accentuates the plant well. It’s a great option for the home gardener – not so big that it covers up the other plants in your landscape, and not so small that it looks overwhelmed by its surroundings. The flower really stands up nicely and is very showy. Some of your smaller variegated grasses blend a bit, but this creates a great contrast. We’ll be carrying this landscape plant at the Gardens in the spring.

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