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Winter Hellebores

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With cold weather circling the country, hellebores are a popular topic for the New Year landscape as a blooming, colorful alternative to traditional poinsettias and evergreens. While hellebores have been around for years, the newest technologies and expertise in breeding have provided the market with new and improved cultivars that really wow.

In a recent article about Double hellebores in time for winter published in Maple Ridge News, Mike Lascelle explores some of the most exciting new double hellebores by Terra Nova Nurseries. The company’s Winter Jewels series offer never-seen-before colors that remain consistent and reliable throughout the season. A few of our favorites mentioned in the article include:

Winter Jewels Hellebore ‘Peppermint Ice’


Winter Jewels Hellebore ‘Onyx Odyssey’


Winter Jewels Hellebore ‘Sparkling Diamond’


If you’re interested in learning more about Terra Nova Nurseries exclusive Winter Jewels Hellebore series, please feel free to contact us for high-resolution images and profile information, or visit www.terranovanurseries.com. We can schedule interviews and site visits with the breeding team for qualified writers and editors.

~ Leslie

Color Series: December Red

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There are plenty of memory associations that accompany color. We think back to a favorite painting we saw in a museum or the fading colors of a carousel we used to love visiting. Every color can connote a feeling of past or present, and very few shades exemplify the feeling of the holidays quite like red.

Velvety scarlet, deep burgundy, bright cherry – there are dozens of shades worth a moment’s pause in the spectrum of this primary color, and they all have a place in exterior and interior design. The hue complements the blues, greens and whites common of the season as well as provides a bold design statement for the rest of the New Year.

While we have previously placed a focus on one specific shade for our color posts, we wanted to break from tradition this time to discuss different shades of red and how each one can be used to provide maximum interest.

What does red denote?

Red is often associated with passion, free-expression, fire, courage, and self-confidence. Best used in accessories and accents, red can be overwhelming if over-used and actually cause stress in abundance. However, just a dab of red can increase excitement and is a classic color option for nearly any room.



A few ways to use red:

In the Home: A little red can go a long way. This is a good motto when designing with a bold or bright shade of red. Even an accent wall may be too much, so the best way to use red is accessorize. Trends have shown stripes of red to be extremely popular in indoor and outdoor furniture. Combined with blues, browns and tans, red is the best method of making a more neutral pallet pop. Candles, lamp shades, mirror frames, table runners, and cut flowers are all easy ways to add red into a room. Red is an excellent color selection when designers choose a contemporary look, but rustic and deep burgundies can mold quickly into the principals of Victorian style.

Especially during the holidays, red can be a treat for the eye. Any shade of red will complement evergreen, so consider adding red throughout a room or on a door using decorative wreaths such as this one from Jackson & Perkins.

In the Landscape: While hundreds of shades of red have been produced in blooming flowers for spring and summer radiance, it is often harder to find bold, daring reds for the landscape during the fall and into winter. This year, we recommend a brand new perennial, Heuchera ‘Autumn Leaves’ by Terra Nova Nurseries, for an absolutely stunning display of cranberry-red foliage during frost.



Our favorite shade:

Glidden offers two shades of red we highly suggest, as each provides two different application possibilities for the color. Candy Apple is a fantastic option for a bold statement through accents, accessories and containers. The deep, classic red will not disappoint to draw the eye to new heights or into unused corners of a space.

We have also notated Terra Cotta Rose, or similar shades, as a popular choice for 2010 design. This lighter, more soothing red has brown tones that calm the shock of the color, allowing designers to use more if they choose. An excellent example can be found in the stone flooring of this outdoor space.



How have you used or plan to use red in your interior and / or exterior design work this year? Or, if a member of the media, what types of color information, sources and photos would be most applicable for your audience members during 2010?

To read more from our color series, visit our September and October suggestions.

~ Leslie

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

Color Series: September Amethyst

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The September 2009 issue of House Beautiful greatly inspired us at Eberly and Collard Public Relations to continue looking at color with an in-depth approach and assessing what it means for every season. We deal so often with color design and conceptualization in this field – speaking on the topic at varied events and assisting our designer and product manufacturer clients – we have decided to begin sharing our experiences with color and our thoughts on how it can help enliven interior design, outdoor living and the landscape.

Color has the ability to drastically change a room. Without touching the accessories or furniture, paint can transition the entire ambiance of a room and make everything appear new and fresh. Or, with just a few colorful accessories, a room can take on new focal points and draw the eye into undiscovered corners.

Some colors make a room feel calm and tranquil, while other colors can spice up a space with a bold blast of energy. Every person is different, as is each room and garden, and that is why color selection is so very important.

For September, we thought we would discuss one of the many colors House Beautiful touched on in its special fall color issue – amethyst. A transparent violet, amethyst is a warm, soft addition to the home inside or out. September is the perfect time to use this color in the décor, as it spruces up a space with a last-minute splash of summer color as fall begins to approach.

What does amethyst mean?

The color of amethyst is often associated with stability, peace, balance, courage, inner strength, sincerity, and calm disposition. Amethyst in design offers soothing vibes, and has been linked to tension and headache relief. People have also claimed the color can help with sleep deprivation when painted as an accent wall in bedrooms or placed on beds in the form of throw pillows.

A few ways to use Amethyst:

In the Home: One of my favorite things about this color is that it can complement existing décor items from 2009. A warm yellow was determined earlier this year as Pantone’s color of the year, and amethyst is the perfect complement. Many designers suggest placing this light purple tone near yellow throughout the house to make both colors pop. For example, one interior designer we know recently added light yellow-accented draperies to a client’s living room infused with pale purple shades. By doing so, the result was a narrow yet creative color palette.

In the Landscape: Summer heat does not mean the planting season has to end. There are several lovely amethyst flowering and foliage varieties that are perfect for the garden bed such as the very heat-tolerant Heuchera ‘Sugar Plum’ from Terra Nova Nurseries and Mazus reptans ‘Purple Mazus’ from Stepables. For the landscape designer or architect, installing purple plants enhances or balances all of the surrounding greenery, a means to use opposite sides of the color wheel to develop harmony.

Our favorite shade:

Soft Amethyst by Glidden is a fantastic shade of amethyst – bold enough to make a statement, but soft enough to not overpower the area. Glidden certainly seems to have done its trend-based homework given the inclusion of this specific color.

As color palettes range in new directions, using amethyst as an accent or focal point is setting trends in today’s interior and exterior rooms.

How have you used or plan to use amethyst in your design work this year? What other colors are you seeing set new trends in interior design and outdoor spaces?

Watch our blog and follow our tweets for more about our take on color and the ways in which industry designers and manufacturers are coloring our world.

~ Leslie

OFA: Let’s Start from the Beginning

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The ECPR team just arrived home after three days attending the prestigious OFA Short Course, where our minds were filled to capacity with new trends, new friends and new products. Because there is simply too much information to disclose at once, I’ll just start from the beginning by sharing a few important announcements from trusted breeder and grower, Terra Nova Nurseries.With 54 brand new plant introductions, five new breeding breakthrough collections, a brand new catalog, and an entirely new grower / IGC support system, I’ll surely be posting more Terra Nova Nurseries information and photos in the coming weeks. But, for now, I’ll just give you a quick overview regarding the latest growth changes to the company.

Terra Nova Nurseries is listening to what growers, landscapers and independent garden centers want and need to set themselves apart. In a lagging market, companies want to bring in profit as much of the year as possible – not just during those epic weeks of spring. They need alternatives to mums and poinsettias; they need plants that will not fail during unpredictable weather; and they need additional marketing and educational support.

Terra Nova Nurseries deemed this a “personal” challenge, and spent months (and in many cases, years) breeding, trialing and brainstorming to solve problems for these folks. This company is unique in that it has the breeding technology, staffing and resources to actually accomplish a feat this large.

This year at OFA Short Course, Terra Nova Nurseries announced its brand new Web site with a plethora of information for growers, retailers AND consumers. The company also has a brand new catalog that easily spells out where plants will thrive and how they compare to previous breeds. The staff at Terra Nova Nurseries has introduced dozens of new plants that have been specifically bred to solve problems wholesale growers encounter throughout the cultivation season. An example of this would be the brand new line of Winter Jewels™ Hellebores and the novel selection of Cyclamen forced to bloom in winter – all excellent, unique options that contribute to year-round retail. Terra Nova Nurseries is also now offering grower-customers free tags on shipments. Can you imagine how helpful these extra savings might help a grower looking for an edge?

So, it seems there is a lot more available here than just incredible new plants. In these times, Terra Nova Nurseries is a positive and supportive partner to its customers. It’s an invaluable trait to have in an industry where working together is imperative.

~ 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

A Day in the Life…

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The 2008 GWA Symposium in Portland was truly a memorable experience. Great weather, great plants, and great friends is a tough combination to top. I especially enjoyed my visit to Terra Nova Nurseries. What a treat it was to spend the afternoon amidst the horticultural wonders of Terra Nova Nurseries and Dan Heims. The gardens and greenhouses were filled with so many delightful plants; I do not know where to begin.

I was particularly impressed with Terra Nova Nurseries’ vast collection of heuchera. Shade or sun, purple or chartreuse, ‘Southern Comfort’ or ‘Peach Flambé,’ there was certainly a heuchera for every taste. Thanks to the folks at Terra Nova Nurseries, gardeners are no longer limited by zone to enjoy these diverse beauties because many heuchera from Terra Nova are now bred to thrive in the heat and humidity – a very unique quality in these good-looking foliage plants. My favorite heuchera had to be the ‘Amethyst Myst,’ which I can now happily grow in my home city of Atlanta.

Check out the purple metallic tones of the ‘Amethyst Mist’

Heuchera may have stolen the show but another somewhat
“aristocratic” plant stood its ground. The fiery red, green-veined Begonia ‘Madame Queen’ was a marvelous new variety. What’s a queen without a poodle? I am not sure but, the Echinacea ‘Pink Poodle’ was quite stunning with double blooms that make it a first of its kind.

Terra Nova Nurseries is a magical place, and I am looking forward to my next visit.

With all the breakthroughs in tissue culture and breeding; what will Terra Nova Nurseries think of next?

~Adam