Field Day 2017 Our Best Yet

Lots of logos showed up at Field Day 2017 

By every internal measure—notebooks used, donuts consumed, people present—our recent Field Day was the most popular one we have presented. Over 100 attendees were on hand, many wearing their company logo on shirts, t-shirts, or hoodies. That pride inspired us—here’s a little of what we saw.

‘NuMex Easter’ for autumn

Here we are on Autumn’s doorstep and I’m talking about a plant with Easter in its name, but the pastel colors work surprisingly well with fall décor, adding a bit of balance to all the bold orange, gold, and red. ‘NuMex Easter’ makes the transition from summer to fall simple—it actually does it for us. Clusters of small peppers top the plant and mature from light lavender to darker purple, then pale yellow and eventually to light orange.

This is a fun little pepper to work with; like the popular ‘Chilly Chili’ that we talked about recently, an assortment of colors is present at any given time. Unlike ‘Chilly Chili’, however, the peppers are pretty darn hot—so be mindful of where you use the plant. 

A dwarf with dense foliage

‘NuMex Easter’ is a dwarf that was developed at the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University. It only reaches about 8 inches high and its small fruits do bring to mind dyed eggs hidden in the grass. This grass, however, is dense, dark green foliage and the pointy peppers stick straight up out of it, taking the challenge out of finding them. Fruits are produced continuously so baskets—and containers, window boxes, and beds—will always be full. 

We grow this festive variety in the 4.5 and 8-inch pot sizes.

Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ with petunias

If you’re planning to get creative with novelty fall décor, keep in mind that foliage plants are great sources of drama and texture. Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ is a prime example with shimmering silver leaves that drape and flow in waves over the edge of a tall planter or rock wall. Look very closely and you’ll notice that each leaf actually resembles a tiny lily pad—rather appropriate for a plant that mimics a cascading waterfall.

Silver-white foliage pairs stunningly with brightly colored flowers, especially in shades of pink, purple, and blue. Try mixing it with ‘Famous Purple’ petunias, or  ‘Royal Velvet’ or  ‘Bourdeaux’ from the Supertunia series. We also use it with SolarPower ipomoea in Black and Lime for a striking all-foliage combo. 

‘Silver Falls’ has been known to trail 3–6 feet out of a hanging basket in one season—very dramatic. If you’re good with a carving knife you can send a pumpkin pirate ship crashing over the falls. 

This selection is available in the 4.5-inch pot.