Décor Lettuce in 6-in Pots

Like kale and mustard, lettuce grows best in cooler weather—that’s when it tastes the sweetest. Many varieties come in eye-catching shades of red and bronze as well as traditional bright green, so it’s a natural choice for fall. Notice the assortment of unique leaf textures: frilly, crinkly, curly, smooth, and shiny. Some show a subtle variegation of red and green or have splashes or speckles of color.

You can see why we’ve added lettuce to our collection of edible décor crops—it’s great for tucking in between other plants as a foliage element in a design. We like to make patterns with solid blocks or rows of red and green, alternating short and slightly taller varieties—similar to the way we use red and white begonias in the landscape. 

Second and even third glances are the norm with radiant blooms like these—they’re showy, big, and bold on nice, strong stems. Notice how the dark green foliage makes the bright flowers pop even more. Jolt™ dianthus demands to be seen.

Durable Jolt™ is the most heat-tolerant dianthus on the market; it also tolerates cold, rain, and wind, making it practical for fall. Plants reach around 16–20 inches high and perform extremely well right up until frost. Jolt™ is uniform, neat, and tidy with a nice mounded habit—it’s simply a great landscaping variety.

This is 50mph color—plant it en masse in the border, especially along a walkway. We also like to fill containers with selections from the Jolt™ series for eye-catching accents around a deck or patio. Butterflies and hummingbirds flock to these plants daily.

‘Jolt™ Cherry’ and ‘Jolt™ Pink’ are shipping now in the 6-inch pot.

Another successful Field Day has come and gone—as always, it was a pleasure to spend some quality time with you. Each of the three speaker sessions for both retail and landscape was well attended—and lunch was delicious, too.

One of the highlights for us was touring the display gardens—hopefully you took away some useful information and maybe a bit of inspiration. We enjoyed the lively question and answer aspect of the tours and hope you did, as well.

Over the years we’ve acquired a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to growing plants, and we consider it a privilege to share what we’ve learned with you. 

If you have any comments or suggestions regarding next year’s Field Day, be sure to bring them to John’s attention when you speak with him. Some of the best ideas come straight from the front lines, and we value the input of our customers.