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IN THIS ISSUE:
- Save the Date - INLA Day of Service
- Picks of the Month
- Memberships
| | INLA Day of Service- Save the Date! | | |
Mark your calendars for September 18, 2025—come join the students from DMACC, Kirkwood Community College, and Iowa State University’s Horticulture programs as we roll up our sleeves to make a difference at our annual Day of Service!
In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, these future green-industry leaders will transform the open space surrounding a detention basin along a brand-new road on E 45th Street, just west of Delaware Elementary in Des Moines.
With shovels, plants, and plenty of teamwork, this hands-on project will turn a blank canvas into a welcoming, vibrant landscape for the neighborhood to enjoy for years to come.
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Perennial Plant Pick of the Month
by Tyler Baird
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COMMON NAME: Catmint
BOTANICAL NAME: Nepeta x faassenii
USDA ZONE: 3-8
SUNLIGHT: Full sun – part shade
SOIL CONDITIONS: Dry to medium well drained soils preferred but a very adaptable plant.
HABIT: 1-2’x 1.5-3’
FEATURES: Catmint is a long blooming perennial with gray-green leaves and lavender flowers. Repeat blooming can be enhanced through shearing after the initial and most abundant bloom in the spring. If left alone, catmint will still flower throughout the season but with fewer blooms. Plants can be vigorous in growth, but they are sterile when they are part of the x faassenii hybrids.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Catmint is a great plant to consider when filling an area where spring blooms are desired but continued blooming throughout the season is also important. The combination of the gray-green leaves and the lavender flowers help catmint to stand out in the garden and provide good color and texture contrast with plants they are commonly planted alongside. They are a tough plant that can take most growing conditions and usually survive with minimal care. The pleasant aroma they add to the garden is another one of their benefits.
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Annual Plant Pick of the Month
by Dylan Schrock
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COMMON NAME: ANNUAL VINCA, PERIWINKLE
BOTANICAL NAME: Catharanthus roseus
SUNLIGHT: FULL SUN
HEIGHT: 6-14”
SPREAD: 8-10”
SOIL CONDITIONS: PREFERS WELL DRAINED SOIL BUT CAN HANDLE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOIL CONDITIONS.
FEATURES: GLOSSY GREEN FOILIAGE, SHOWY 1-3 INCH FLOWERS, SPREADING AND UPRIGHT VARIETIES ALLOWING FOR DIFFERENT USES.
WHY WE LOVE IT: THE HOT AND HUMID SUMMERS WE OFTEN HAVE IN IOWA ARE WHAT THIS PLANT THRIVES IN. VINCA DOESN’T REQUIRE THE CONSTANT WATERING THAT MANY ANNUALS DO. IT WILL FLOWER BEAUTIFULLY THROUGH DRY SPELLS. AS THE HOT SUMMER DRAGS ON VINCA NEVER GETS THE ‘SPENT’ LOOK THAT ANNUALS OFTEN DO AFTER A LONG SEASON. IT LOOKS FRESH RIGHT UP UNTIL FROST AND GIVES BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS THROUGH THE WHOLE SEASON. MY FAVORITE VARIETIES COME FROM THE ‘CORA XDR’ LINE WHICH FEATURES MANY COLORS OF BOTH UPRIGHT AND CASCADING VINCA.
| | Hardscapes Pick of the Month | | |
The FastGRAB TSZ-UNI and TSZ-MAXI are mechanical lifting tools designed for safe and efficient handling. With self-tightening grips and easy release, they make lifting and placing heavy materials faster, safer, and more precise—ideal for hardscape and construction jobs.
Both models attach to a skid loader or other lifting equipment and require no slings or straps. Their rugged design and adjustable width make them a versatile solution for a wide range of precast and natural stone applications.
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Woody Herbaceous Plant Pick of the Month
by David Selmer
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COMMON NAME: Northern Bush Honeysuckle
BOTANICAL NAME: Diervilla
USDA ZONE: 4a-7b
SUNLIGHT: Full Shade to Full Sun
SOIL CONDITIONS: Moist well-drained but drought-tolerant
HABIT: 3-4’ x 3-4’ Mounded
FEATURES:
This plant is not the invasive honeysuckle Lonicera! To the contrary, it is a native and attracts many of our favorite pollinators including butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds with its light yellow flowers.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
This plant is extremely durable to just about any condition. It grows in full shade to full sun. it is drought-tolerant, and deer-resistant. It stays true to its habit and doesn’t require maintenance – though will welcome a trim in spring like most cut-back shrubs as it blooms on new wood. There are many great cultivars including the Kodiak series by Proven Winners that have wonderful colored foliage including Orange, Red, and a Dark Maroon. It is an excellent way to add some color interest – especially in shady spots where weigela, ninebark, and barberry won’t thrive. In fact the bright red color in the Fall makes this plant an excellent native replacement for the popular invasive burning bush.
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If you’re looking to get ICNP certification, please contact Bob Smith at Kirkwood Community College, and we will try to organize a time to sign your business or individuals up to test and become an Iowa Certified Nursery Professional.
Contact Bob at 319.398.5899 x5127 or Bob.Smith@kirkwood.edu
| | INLA Membership Enrollment | | Thank you for your membership! | | |
John DeHaven
Acorn Farms Inc.
Galena, OH
Riley Marvin
Alpha Landscapes LLC
Johnston, IA
Todd Wiebenga
Aunt Rhodie's Landscaping & Design Studio
Eldridge, IA
Ryan Dralle
Bachman's Wholesale Nursery & Hardscapes
Minneapolis, MN
Jimmy Juergens
Bentley Ridge Tree Farm & Nursery
West Des Moines, IA
Tyler Baird
City of Iowa City
Iowa City, IA
Breanne Lesher
City of Webster City
Webster City, IA
Rick Worcester
Conifer Corner
Anamosa, IA
David Cribbs
Cribbs Landscaping Inc.
Bettendorf, IA
Travis Baker
DMF Gardens
Des Moines, IA
Doug Egeland
Doug Egeland Tiling
Ossian, IA
Tim Egli
Egli Landscapes
Wayland, IA
Nick Reiter
Escapes Landscape & Design, Inc.
La Porte City, IA
Chuck Seymour
Farber Bag & Supply Co.
Peosta, IA
Renee Quance
Ferguson's Garden Center, Inc.
Spirit Lake, IA
Curtis Schoenthaler
Fiddlehead Gardens
Iowa City, IA
Jeff Engel
Foster's Inc.
Waterloo, IA
Brian Fowler
Freeman Tree Farm & Landscaping
Davenport, IA
John Goode
Goode Greenhouses Inc.
Des Moines, IA
Mark Andrews
Greenleaf Nursery Co.
Park Hill, OK
Dale Peterson
Green-Link and Associates Inc.
Cedar Rapids, IA
Ron Greene
Greenscape Turf & Design Inc.
Muscatine, IA
Eric Ribbens
Greenworld, Inc.
Sioux Center, IA
Greg Scharf
Greg's Lawn & Landscaping
Cedar Rapids, IA
Tim Foreman
Ground Effects Landscape & Produce, LP
Sioux Center, IA
Hilliary Metzger
Home Nursery Inc.
Albers, IL
Cathy James
Hortica Insurance
Edwardsville, IA
Tom Hughes
Hughes Nursery & Landscaping LLC
Cedar Rapids, IA
Camille Dykstra
Iowa City Landscaping & Gardening Center
Iowa City, IA
Vanessa Mueller
Johnson's Nursery, Inc.
Menomonee Falls, WI
Michael P
Kankakee Nursery Co.
Aroma Park, IL
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Michael Kellor
Kellor & Kellor Landscape Inc.
Muscatine, IA
Kris Weis
Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids, IA
Dan Erkel
Landscaping Solutions of Iowa LLC
Cedar Rapids, IA
Ben Lounsbury
Lounsbury Landscaping Sand & Gravel
West Des Moines, IA
Doug Matthias
Matthias Landscaping Co.
Waterloo, IA
McKay Nursery Company
Waterloo, WI
Maggie Balistreri
Midwest Groundcovers, LLC
St. Charles, IL
Maggie Balistreri
Midwest Trading Horticultural Supplies Inc.
Maple Park, IL
Matthew Foster
Miller Nursery Company
Johnston, IA
Mark Klein
MLS Landscapes & Design Inc.
Granville, IA
Jamie Miller
North Central Turf Inc.
Webster City, IA
Rick Rasmussen
Oaks Garden Spot & Rasmussen Lawn Care Inc.
Dakota City, IA
Lynn Ritter
Ritter's Inc.
West Burlington, IA
Jimmy Six
Rochester Concrete Products, LLC
Rochester, MN
Collette Jurek
Russo Outdoor Power Plus
Schiller Park, IL
Ryan Katch
Sustainable Sites Snow & Maintenance
Des Moines, IA
Ryan Bates
Ted Lare Design Build, Inc.
Cumming, IA
Andy Schmitz
The Brenton Arboretum, Inc.
Dallas Center, IA
Val Holm
Tiedt Nursery, LTD
Waverly, IA
Nick Walker
TNT Landscaping & Nursery
Ankeny, IA
Jeffrey Rhea
Turf & Landscape Inc.
Tripoli, IA
Robbie Shannahan
Twixwood Nursery
Berrien Springs, MI
Lisa Lawyer
Unilock Chicago Inc.
Aurora, IL
Austin Blunk
Valley Outdoor, LLC
Bettendorf, IA
Danny Moulds
Wapsie Pines Lawn Care & Landscaping
Cedar Falls, IA
Matthew Wells
Wells Hollow Landscaping Inc.
Waverly, IA
Carrie
Winona Nursery
Winona, MN
Jennifer Anderson
Wright Outdoor Solutions, Inc.
West Des Moines, IA
R. Scott Zaiser
Zaiser's Landscaping, Inc.
Burlington, IA
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