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Everything but the Kitchen Sink: New Catalog, New Web Site, New Plants, New Video

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We are excited to share that Terra Nova Nurseries has announced the launch of a redesigned Web site and 2010 catalog which target grower / retailer audiences with solution-based information and photos. The site and catalog were created in tandem to serve as informational tools for industry customers and end-consumers, and to position Terra Nova Nurseries as a destination breeder for wholesalers, re-wholesalers, retailers, and professional landscapers.

The new 2010 catalog and site contain rationales behind various new plant or genus improvements, along with explanations as to how the plants have been improved over previous cultivars. Plants were specifically bred to match unique customer needs and to address undesirable cultural traits. Some noteworthy examples of this innovative breeding include a new leucanthemum without an unpleasant scent, hardy echinaceas with sturdier stalks, and several tiarellas with trailing habits for extended landscape applications.

The catalog – encompasses all-new features such as content-rich boxes placed throughout the 80-page colorful booklet that supply grower customers with breeding and plant cultural insights. The graphically designed boxes consist of Grower Solutions, Breeder Goals and Native Species maps.

The Web site – has been organized by relative sectors: home gardeners, professional growers and media professionals. Notable highlights from the new Web site include:

  • Extensive photo library with downloadable high-resolution images for customers and media members
  • Updated access to current plant availability
  • News section with the latest ready-to-print press releases
  • Marketing section with a downloadable version of the 2010 wholesale catalog
  • Detailed plant information for every product offered by Terra Nova Nurseries

Check them out, and let us know what you think about the new Web site / catalog! Are there any new plants this year from Terra Nova Nurseries that solve any particular problems about which you have been hearing from your readers?

~ Leslie

P.S. In case you haven’t seen it, Terra Nova Nurseries and Dan Heims were recently featured in the popular gardening program, GardenTime. It’s a warming story about the perennial contributions from Terra Nova Nurseries to Portland’s famous Rose Garden and other public gardens across the country. Watch the video here…

“Heuchera Happening” in Mill Creek

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Dan Heims, national horticulturist and plant explorer, will be speaking about “Everything New in the Heuchera World” at the Second Annual Heuchera Happening Event at My Garden Nursery in Mill Creek, WA. Dan is president and co-owner of Terra Nova Nurseries and has helped introduce more than 600 new plant varieties to gardeners all across the United States. Heuchera is one of his team’s specialties as they continue to push the limits with this genus, making each new introduction more hardy, heat tolerant, and beautiful.

Event details are as follows:

What: A fun discussion led by Dan Heims on all things new in the Heuchera world, including the newest introductions and breakthroughs in the genera. All attendees will be given a free Terra Nova Nurseries Heuchera to start or add to their own collections with any purchase at the garden center.

When: Saturday, October 3, 2009, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. PDT.

Where: My Garden Nursery
17414 Bothell Everett Hwy
Mill Creek, WA 98012

Web sites of Interest: For more information on My Garden Nursery, please visit www.mygardennursery.com. For more information about Dan Heims and Terra Nova Nurseries, please visit www.terranovanurseries.com.

R.S.V.P: Your readers are welcome to RSVP by calling 425-402-1842. (There will be a small fee of $5.00 for attendees). Note: All members of the media are welcome to contact me via email or phone by 5:00 p.m. EDT, Friday, October 2, for a VIP / media pass. (Contact: Eberly & Collard Public Relations, 404-574-2900).

If you have interest in the event, we are happy to provide photos and additional information, and answer any questions you may have. Interviews with Heims can be scheduled through our office. We hope you can make it if you’re in the area!

~ Leslie

Asian Fascination

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A Portland local has been selected to speak at the Annual Plant Fair at the Classical Chinese Garden in Portland, Ore. As president and co-owner of Oregon-based nursery, Terra Nova Nurseries, Dan Heims has helped introduce over 600 new plant varieties to gardeners all over the United States. Heims also shares a unique love of the environment and plants as do so many in the Portland area, and now he hopes to share some of his knowledge during this education-based lecture on March 21, 2009.

If you are interested, and will be in the Portland area, the details include the following:

What: Dan Heims will cover the horticulture marvels of Asia, how to collect plants and bring them home, and an overview of Asian nurseries and “wacky” collectors in his lecture called “Asian Fascination.” Slides will be presented of incredible plants from this region in cultivation and in the wild.

When: March 21, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. and again at 2:00 p.m.

Where: The Chinese Garden on NW 3rd & Everett, Portland, Oregon.

Web Sites of Interest: www.terranovanurseries.com; http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/

Hope to see you there!

~Leslie

Dan Heims Speaks to the Masses!

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Alright all you Dan Heims fans, there are plenty of opportunities to see him speaking on all things plant-nerd, er, horticulture in the upcoming months!

Upcoming Events this Spring:

The Summit County Master Gardeners of Ohio presents: “Containers and Small-space Gardening” and “Flash and Splash” from Dan Heims on January 24 & 25. For more details on attending, click HERE.

  • “Containers and Small-space Gardening” synopsis: Dan’s trips around the world have exposed him to an amazing array of wild containers planted with the most unusual plants. Dan will cover these as well as a wide assortment of unusual plant materials that give new life to containers. (Heads-up! He will provide some great tips on how to design containers and small garden spaces as well as helpful information on maintaining soil fertility and plant health for ultimate success.)
  • “Flash and Splash” synopsis: One of the most comprehensive slide presentations of variegated and colored-leaved plants in the world, including surprises from New Zealand, Japan, and Europe. Topics include: How variegated plants are discovered, chimera vs. virus, and classification of variegation. How to use color in design, featuring color echoes, repetition, contrast, and harmony.


Yard, Garden, and Patio Show presents: “New Perennials from Around the World” by Dan Heims on February 27. This show is open to everyone! So, if you’re in the area (or have always wanted that lovely trip to Portland, Ore.), visit HERE for details on tickets, times, etc.

  • “New Perennials from Around the World” synopsis: Ever wonder how new plants are found? Well, Dan will be sharing his whirlwind tour of ten horticultural countries (Japan, China, Germany, Tasmania, Australia, US, Holland, England, Ireland & New Zealand) and how he found his fellow brethren in each country and the plants they love. His focus will be on hardy perennials but exceptional “temperennials” will also be shown. In his most popular presentation, he will also provide tips on how to get plants into the U.S. legally.


Not available to attend? No problem! Details coming soon on additional talks by Dan Heims including the American Begonia Society Convention in West Palm Beach, FL, in April, and the De Vine Visions weekend event in Victoria, BC, in June.

For more information on Dan and his available talks, visit the Terra Nova Nurseries Web site HERE!

And, for those of you interested in an interview with Dan for an upcoming article or radio segment, feel free to contact me at
lesliekirk@eberlypr.com.

~ Leslie

Meet Dan!

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With 32 years of experience in the Horticulture Industry, Dan Heims researches, speaks, writes, and stands at the forefront of the horticulture industry as president of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc. Over the past 13 years, Terra Nova Nurseries has grown to become a world leader in plant breeding, introducing over 550 exciting new varieties to the global market, 498 of which include granted and pending patents in the United States, Europe and Japan. Heims has been an integral part of the company’s growth and success from its very beginning.


As an educator, Heims is known as a knowledgeable enthusiast in all things horticulture. He has spent years lecturing all over the world, including the United States, Japan, England, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Tasmania, Australia, and Canada. From breeding to growing, Heims teaches people about his experiences in the industry.

And, now, you may be able to visit Dan at one of his upcoming lectures around the United States. A few talks in 2009 include the following:

• 2009 Great Lakes Trade Exposition on “Containers and Small-space Gardening” on Tuesday, Jan. 6.
• The Summit County Master Gardeners of Ohio on “Containers and Small-space Gardening” on Saturday, Jan. 24, and Sunday, Jan. 25.
• Yard, Garden and Patio Show on “New Perennials from Around the World” on Friday, Feb. 27.
• 2009 American Begonia Society Convention: the West Palm Beach Branch on “California Dreamin’ (Plant Discoveries in California’s Hot Spots) on Thursday, April 30.

More about Terra Nova Nurseries:
Terra Nova Nurseries is a world leader in plant breeding and genetics which has introduced over 460 captivating, robust and innovative varieties of annuals and perennials for the landscape and garden to the marketplace. The Terra Nova Nurseries team produces dozens of hardy new selections each year through expert flower breeding and laboratory research. These varieties are then propagated through tissue culture in state-of-the-art labs to make large quantities of healthy plants available to home gardeners, independent garden centers, growers, and landscape professionals throughout the world.

~Leslie

Going Container Crazy

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Dan Heims, Terra Nova Nurseries president and co-owner, treated OFA attendees to an early morning, information-packed presentation titled Container Crazy (and Plants for Small-Space Gardens) on July 13. There were a lot of workshop participants (including myself) taking plenty of notes as Dan breezed through a selection of photos that showed how cool and creative container plants can be when you add a healthy dose of imagination to the plan. A few highlights from his presentation:

  • The new trend: there might not be a set trend; if it looks good to you, do it.
  • Container plants don’t have to reside in traditional-looking ceramic pots; think outside the norm and consider troughs, cupcake pans (yes!), picture frames and funky metal sculptures.
  • Dan reminded us there are still three key ingredients in the recipe for a good container planting: the thriller, the spiller and the filler.
  • Euro-style containers often offer a smooth, architectural presentation.
  • When selecting plants for a container, remember to pick plants that play well with others.

While Dan took us through a good number of plants during his slide show, there were several plants that I absolutely loved including the Begonia ‘Madam Queen’ (Pictured), Corydalis ‘Berry Exciting’, Eucomis ‘Oakhurst’, and Tricyrtis ‘Gilty Pleasure’. You can check out each of these plants on the Terra Nova Nurseries Web site at www.terranovanurseries.com.

We thought we’d share a photo of some of us from EPR with Dan following the session – from R to L: Dan, Leslie, Don, Jeff, and me.

Do you have a favorite container plant or a unique container idea? Feel free to post your comments below and let us know!

~ Audrey

Dan Heims, president of Terra Nova Nurseries, to speak at Powell's Books in Portland, Ore. as part of "Get Gardening" series

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Dan Heims, president of Terra Nova Nurseries in Canby, Ore., will be speaking at Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing in Portland on March 18, 2008 as part of the “Get Gardening” series. Heims will speak about and present information on varieties of Heuchera and Heucherella featured in his recently published book, Heuchera and Heucherella, Coral Bells and Foamy Bells. In the book, published by Timber Press, Heims and co-author Grahame Ware provide background on wild species of Heuchera as well as details about how these plants have developed into the garden stars they are today. The book also features extensive plant listings of the choice selections and hybrids available commercially. It also includes practical chapters on garden care, propagation and design uses, all recommended by Heims and Ware.

“Get Gardening” is a joint effort by three local Portland businesses, Timber Press, Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, and Al’s Garden Center, which have joined forces to bring garden enthusiasts an exciting program of monthly talks by some of the country’s top garden writers. Each presentation is followed by discussion and snacks. There are various door prizes and giveaways as well as an opportunity to talk to the authors, like Heims, meet other gardeners, and swap gardening stories and photos. There is no cost to participate in “Get Gardening”.

For more information on Dan Heims and the “Get Gardening” event at Powell’s in Portland.

Information about purchasing Dan’s Book, Heucheras and Heucherellas – Coral Bells and Foamy Bells

More about Terra Nova Nurseries:

Terra Nova Nurseries is a world leader in plant breeding and genetics which has introduced over 460 captivating, robust and innovative varieties of annuals and perennials for the landscape and garden to the marketplace. The Terra Nova Nurseries team produces dozens of hardy new selections each year through expert flower breeding and laboratory research. These varieties are then propagated through tissue culture in state-of-the-art labs to make large quantities of healthy plants available to home gardeners, independent garden centers, growers, and landscape professionals throughout the world.

– Sally