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 Many European countries have embraced the Green City concept. In Germany, it’s Die grüne Stadt, in France it’s Cité Verte and de Groene Stad in The Netherlands. Whatever the name however, the Green City concept is similar from country to country and promotes the numerous environmental, financial and societal benefits to be realized through the planting of more trees, shrubs and flowers in our urban environments.
Nursery managers are starting to notice that the growing Green City concept is definitely good for business. Notes nursery grower Jan: “ Sales from municipalities are definitely on the increase. And it’s not just an increase in tree plantings. More and more, citizens are calling for their towns and cities to provide them with more color. Aesthetics is becoming increasingly important.” Acknowledging that the 20 percent increase in sales from municipalities was not likely to continue into the near future given the state of the global economy, Jan also noted that “We deal with today’s realities today, but we always have our eye on the future and right now, we’re focused on the post-recession situation. And the Green City," he adds, "will definitely play a large role." |
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 The color blue is highly valued in the ornamental landscape chiefly because of its rarity, there are so few plants with blue flowers. One genus that is able to supply this need in the garden is Veronica. A relatively large genus with over 500 species Veronica was formerly classified as being within the Scrophulariaceae family but has recently been reclassified to the plantain family or Plantaginaceae.
Phylogenetic research (DNA testing) has indicated that the formerly rich and diverse Scrophulariaceae be divested of the majority of its 275 genera (over 5000 species) leaving Scrophularia, Verbascum, Diascia and Buddleia as the most familiar of about 60 genera. Plantaginaceae, previously best known for the lowly Plantago or Plantain (the common weed of containers and gardens, not to be confused with the banana plantain) now shelters over 90 diverse genera the most recognizable of which are Antirrhinum, Bacopa, Chelone, Digitalis, Veronicastrum and of course Veronica. Rarely has anyone accused taxonomists of a desire to simplify any situation that comes to their attention.
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Production advice — of interest to Growers
In The Netherlands, allowable nitrogen levels for nursery production are relatively low. It is therefore important to use the allowed quantities as efficiently as possible. As well as type of fertilizer, quantity, timing, application method, and soil type must all be taken into consideration.
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- Bugged by mosquitoes in the garden? Mosquito-repelling substances are found in such plants as Yarrow, Thyme, Monarda, Summer Savoury, Rosemary, Bay and Mint. Plant them near your patio for carefree summer evenings.
- Annoyed by ants in the garden? Camellia, Digitalis and Lythrum contain a substance that drives them away.
- If eelworms have become a nuisance, the best thing to do is to sow Tagetes erecta (marigolds). These contain substances that kill eelworms. But if you don’t care for their looks, perennials that control eelworms include Achillea, Agastache, Anaphalis, Artemisia, Inula helenium and Helenium. For a shady location, Macleaya cordata is the best choice to control these pests.
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