Today, March 20, is the first official day of spring, but it started months ago for Donna Hegwood.
“We often start our spring in July,” said Hegwood, who with her husband Rick owns Pomegranate Nursery in Pittsboro.
They grow nearly 70% of the plants they sell, so they have to begin in the summer and fall the year prior to be ready for spring when everyone gets excited about new plants.
Among the plants most in desire entering the spring of 2019 are artistic creations using succulents.
“They are the biggest rage right now, which I have finally managed to learn how to root and to grow,” Hegwood said. “We’ve had so many cloudy days this winter though, they’re stretching on me even in (this greenhouse) with no cover from not enough light.”
She’s designed numerous pots with an arrange of succulent plants or cacti, creating colorful scenes or displays.
“You can find ideas all over the internet,” Hegwood said. “You plant them and top dress it with a colorful gravel or whatever you think will be appropriate.”
“Fairy Gardens” are another popular trend. They are small pots with a mix of plants and a “fairy scene” of your own creation.
“If you get online and start looking you will see them everywhere,” Hegwood said.
Geraniums are a popular request from customers in recent years and Hegwood is hopeful the demand for Bougainvillea will continue to grow.
“We rooted it ourselves and it’s grown really, really well,” she said.
Other popular plants for spring are ferns and petunias.
“Petunias are big for us,” Hegwood said. “We do lots of baskets. Tidal Wave Petunias we grew through the winter. They’re more upright. It really works well in beds, but also does well in pots. I also love the Red Velour – it is so dark in the center, it pops in a landscape.”
Among the most requested plants at Pomegranate each spring are the Helleri or Dwarf Youpon among shrubbery options. They are two of Hegwood’s personal favorites as well.
“They are good, basic plants. I also love Loropetalum, but at my house I’ve had a lot of trouble with those, especially the newer varities. I have some I let go to tree form that are 10 feet tall and beautiful.”
Firepower Nandina is very popular, but not a personal favorite of Hegwood’s.
“It never seems to grow as well as some of the other things. There’s a new one out, Distylium. I think it’s a member of the Witchhazel family. What I’m seeing out of it looks real good. I think it’s going to be an irregular shape but it’s interesting.”
Among the popular plants are Vincas, Impatiens and Coleus.
“We sell a lot of Coleus because of its many colors,” Hegwood said.
Grasses are another growing trend, she said.
“Umbrella Grass or King Tut (Papyrus) is very popular. Farfugium for shade with its huge round leaves is very popular. It gives you a different shape and texture so people like to mix it with hostas.”
“We have a grass called Vertigo, similar to a Purple Fountain Grass but much bigger. I think this is its second or third year out. I think people will really like it.”
When considering the other end of the spectrum, the plant that is trending downward is the Knockout Rose.
“For years it was said they were disease resistant and I think people were hearing it didn’t get diseases at all and they do have problems with diseases,” Hegwood said. “There are some diseases that are airborne you can do nothing about. I really think the Knockout is just about to play out.”
“We haven’t sold as many the last few years. We sold a lot of the new Coral (color) last year, but it seems every time they breed a new color it has more problems. I don’t raise any Knockouts at my house. I have customers every year bringing me cuttings to send to Mississippi Sate (due to diseases).”
Hegwood’s love for plants and gardening has always been a part of her life.
“I remember my mother’s mother (Eunice Reedy) many years ago raised dinner plate sized Dahlias. She had them every single year and they were absolutely beautiful, but you were not allowed to pick them.”
“My Grandmother Sutherland didn’t do a lot of flower gardening, but she had an old wash tub by the steps going into her house and it always had touch-me-nots in it.”
Hegwood, a veteran of the Master Gardener’s program, bought the nursery from Jo and Jim Tedford 13 years ago.
“On my birthday in 2006 Rick and I went over to their nursery on Duncan Hill Road to buy two dwarf pomegranate trees. They were going to put the nursery up for auction and I made the statement that if Rick was closer to retirement we might just buy the nursery. Well things just worked out and we bought it.”
“We stayed there the first summer and she taught me a tremedous amount and I swear Jim Tedford could root a 100-year-old salad fork. He helped me learn how to do a lot of it. The next spring we brought it here. We enjoy it. We do it together. This is more than just having fun together, however, it’s a lot of work.”
“I love working toward spring. I don’t care much for fall, it’s too hot. It’s the challenge of getting the tomato and vegetable plants up and going in time and keep them going and all the bedding plants we do.”
“Petunias come in as a tiny stalk and they’re overflowing pots in a month. I love the challenge of getting them up and growing and I love rooting.”
“The rooting process is all about knowing how and where to cut and which ones to choose. That’s just hands-on. You learn it over time.”
“The hardest part is figuring out what people want. It doesn’t matter how much you bring in, there’s always going to be someone who wants something you don’t have. You can grow 50 varieties of tomatoes and somebody will call or come by looking for one you don’t have. It’s just the nature of the business.”
They typically decide in the fall what plugs they’re going to grow for bedding plants. They choose what to do with seeds over the winter.
“A lot of times if we know we’re going to sell something the following year we’ll start it by seed at the end of summer,” Hegwood said.
August and September are the most difficult times when it’s just so hot.
“Coming over to work in the greenhouses in the middle of winter can be more fun. When it’s really, really cold but the sun is shining, you can come in here and it feels like a summer day and you can do lots of stuff.”
Hegwood’s all-time favorite plant is the Agave, which frankly doesn’t do well here.
“I just love them, but they’re better for South Mississippi and Louisiana, but I have no shortage of other plants to work with.”