Happy EARTH DAY!

Posted by Eric

While many may feel this is actually a "non-holiday", in our times, I can think of no other secular observances so worthy of attention.
After more than a century of thoughtless consumerism run amuck, the direct impact of our daily decisions is now becomming apparent. There is ONE Earth. We are ONE People.
DO something GREEN today!

In observance of EARTH DAY, here are some new GREEN things going on around the greenhouse:

The first garden I ever designed (in 5th grade) featured all GREEN flowers! Seeing this Primrose "Green Lace" in Telly's perennial department took me back! It's ruffled, it's green, and it will be finding it way into my garden today!

Peas are GREEN and I love them! Recent visitors to the greenhouse have had the chance to watch the progress of my EARTH BOX. This "earth-friendly method of growing vegetables is amazing! I planted ORGANIC Snap Peas & Carrots on March 1st. I've already harvested about half a pound of delicious carrots, and fresh raw peas are now a daily delight for the staff!

The Woods Are Alive!

Posted by Mike H

On Easter morning my wife and I decided to enjoy the warm sunny spring day by taking a walk at one of our favorite local parks. Dodge Park has a wonderful array of walking/running/biking paths along the Clinton River and through a light woodland of mostly native trees.

The deciduous "forest" canopy, still naked, allowed he warm sunshine to reach the usually shaded ground and some of the earliest woodland wildflowers were taking advantage of the situation. Amid millions of Trout Lilies (Erythronium americanum) and Spring Beauty (Clintonia virginica) I spotted one of my favorites; Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) just emerging from beneath the leaf litter.




A poppy relative, Bloodroot is one of many early blooming woodland treasures of eastern North America. In a race to emerge, flower and set seed before the trees leaf out and effectively intercept the sun's rays before reaching the forest floor, our native woodland wildflowers have evolved qualities that make them valuable garden plants that provide color and excitement before most of our typical garden plants get started.









Trillium are certainly one of the most popular of these woodland natives and we currently have five species available:


Trillium grandiflorum
Trillium luteum
Trillium erectum
Trillium sessile
Trillium recurvatum




In bloom in several colors at Telly's, along with several other favorite spring wildflowers.



Including the previously mentioned Bloodroot, Hepatica, Dutchman's Britches (Dicentra cucullaria) and the gorgeous Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica).

More Pack Trials Highlights

Posted by George

Zinnia 'Zahara Starlight'. I've been watching this one for a year or so and it looks like they have it perfected for 2010. This is the first bicolored flower on a mildew resistant plant. The 'Zahara' series is very similar to the 'Profusion' series but offers this unique color. Tellys will be offering a few of these plants in 2009!

Zinnia 'Profusion Yellow'. This is the best mildew resistant yellow zinnia available. It has good size flowers on plants that grow about 10-14" tall. This is sure to be a very popular plant. By the way, the 'Zahara' series is offering a new yellow that is very similar but from what I have seen thus far, the 'Profusion' version is slightly superior due to its uniformity and flower size.

Ipomoea 'Sweet Talk Light Green' and 'Purple'. These are sweet potato vines - some of the most popular bedding plants on the market - but with a new look. The foliage is exceptionally narrow providing an extra fine texture. This expands the sweet potato vine pallet to include a broad
range of colors as well as textures.

Petunia 'Sophistica Lime Rose Bicolor'. I sowed samples of this seed a few days ago not knowing what they would produce. The striped flowers have a color combination never seen in petunias before - Lime and Rose. I was pleasantly surprised to see this one. The flowers are large and
interesting but the flowers are somewhat variable producing some inconsistant striping. Nonetheless - a breeding breakthrough.

From the California Pack Trials

Posted by George

Hello from California! - Every year for about 9 days, plant companies from all over the world gather along the west coast of California to show off their varieties. At about 22 locations from San Diego to San Jose, 40+ different displays have been set up for growers, brokers, & retailers to see thousands of beautiful plants including new varieties for the next year (2010). We have been coming here for years to learn about and photograph the many plants the world's greatest breeders have to offer. Many of these plants will grace the benches at Tellys some day so that you can see for yourself what they have to offer. Following are some sneak peaks at some of the of the new plants we may be offering in 2010!

Calibrachoa 'Minifamous Double Amethyst'. There are a slew of new calibrachoa out there but this one offers a great color in a double flower form. Like the rest of the 'Minifamous' series, the self-cleaning flowers are held well above the foliage. This one has an extra bit of sheen to
its petals.

Petunia 'Pretty Much Picasso'. A new petunia plant that is interesting to say the least. This distinctive flower is rose with a green picotee edge. I couldn't believe it either but I photographed it just to prove it exists. This isn't for everyone but it will certainly become a conversation piece for gardeners everywhere.

Euphorbia 'Breathless Blush'. This type of euphorbia has become extremely popular the last few years and this one will surely become a favorite. It is similar to 'Diamond Frost' but with flowers "blushed" pink and foliage accented by a dark purplish center. If I had to pick one exceptional new plant for 2010, this is it!

Petunia 'Potunia Cappaccino'. This is one of many wild and crazy petunias that will be available in 2010. These almost beige flowers are accented by a center suffused with brown and purple. Some gardeners will find this color combination priceless while others (I'm sure) will find it useless. I can't wait for you to see this in real life!

Cordyline 'Renegade'. This is the darkest Cordyline we have yet to offer. The nearly black leaves provide a perfect focal point in containers or beds. It prefers sun or part sun and grows with very little maintenance. Try this one with gold foliage!

Well, this is my last day at the pack trials, & I have to get back on the road. There are plenty more exciting new finds I can't wait to share with you! I'll try to get some more "sneak peels" posted when I get back to Troy, over the weekend . . .

Days Start Early Out On The Farm

Posted by Eric












So many things happen at once this time of year, it's almost hard to keep track! George is touring growers up & down the left coast looking for NEW plants for 2010! The California Pack Trials provide the opportunity to observe the performance of new varieties in the ground, and the chance to determine which are worth growing for next year! (Yes, we really start a year in advance!)
Before he left, George & I spent an early morning reviewing the progress out at the farm (which at the rate Maria & crew are transplanting, is filling up quickly!) Many of the pants you see here were selected at last year's Pack Trials, and will be in the greenhouse in just a few short weeks as "New Plants for 2009"!
Afterwards, we were off to Ann Arbor to meet with our web site programmer to check on the progress of all the exciting new changes coming to the web site. We are very anxious to unveil the new look & all the new features! This has been a winter-long project, and we hope to share the results of our efforts later this month! As always, we look forward to your feedback!