5 Plants for Early Spring!

At GrowIt! we stand by the ideal that all men and women were created equal. However, we also believe that all plants were not. Some plants bloom all summer long, but don’t bloom in the cooler parts of spring. Whereas some plants like it cool, but stop flowering in June.

Here are 5 plants that you’ve probably been seeing quite a bit of recently. They perform best in the earlier spring months before it gets too hot. If you’re looking for some last minute color for your gardens, through May these might be ok for you. However, these plants are not going to last all summer… and that’s ok! Basically what we’re saying is: take pictures of these plants when you see them, because they are in their prime now, and they’re only going to decline from here.

1. Hellebores – These early spring blooming perennials are favorites in a lot of collector gardens. Very popular in the Pacific Northwest and are generally hardy up to Zone 5 with some varieties even managing to over winter in Zone 4. So as long as you aren’t seeing temps lower than -15 to -25 degrees Fahrenheit your chances are good at this popping up every year. Some varieties have an awesome lime green bloom color which is not easy to find in the plant world!

From User: luriegarden

From User: indianajones64

2. Erysimum or Wallflower – A great flower for beginner gardeners looking to dabble in those early spring bloomers. Erysimum offers a great range of colors. Also, it’s one of the spring-bloomers that prefers the sunny spots. If you live in a warmer area (not the tundra of the Midwest) you might even see this come back for you!

From User: chaletnursery

3. Bleeding Heart or Dicentra – This perennial has one of the most unique flowers. It actually looks like a heart! Beautiful pink and white blooms year after year. However, they often stop flowering when the summer heat starts setting in.

From User: sidraisch

4. Tulips and Daffodils – We couldn’t leave out these bulbs! While tulips and daffodils are some of the most famous plants across the globe, many forget that they do not last into the summer. This is why tulip festivals are always held in the early parts of spring. Sometimes even as soon as mid-May these will begin to go out of flower. Take photos of these ASAP before it’s too late!

From User: nickflax1

From User: mrsjenclarke

5. Osteospermum – Sometimes referred to just as “Osteos” these can be a little tricky. Most varieties on the market prefer the cooler spring temps over the heat of the summer. However, some companies are working on varieties that can stand up to the heat! Before you buy this one, be sure to check the tag to make sure you know whether you’re getting something for spring interest or something that might last a little longer.

From User: cleigh

Another spring flower of note is Pericallis or Cineraria. You might have seen a lot of these on GrowIt! recently! This is because Suntory Flowers is giving away $200 in total prizes to people who upload a picture of their Senetti brand pericallis onto GrowIt! with the hashtag #SenettiRocks in the comments! One winner will receive $100 and two second place winners will receive $50. How cool is that? You could win some cash for your garden just by uploading a photo!

Be sure to stay tuned as we’ll be getting ready to see even more color in the garden as the temps get warmer! Next time we’ll be talking about all those plants that love the heat!

It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than That!

Over the past weekend we were invited to be a part of Chalet Nursery’s Garden Faire event in Wilmette, Illinois. The first weekend in May is the grand opening of spring in the Midwest. When we showed up to the garden center, it was about a quarter to eight in the morning and there was already a line of people waiting to get inside! It’s clear that people had enough of Old Man Winter and wanted to get some plants in the ground.

We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. It was 70 degrees and sunny for the most part. Also, we were able to camp out next to the popcorn guy so that wasn’t bad either!

Plants looked great as well, and the selection was fantastic. Even though some of the more prominent summer annuals weren’t available yet, the wallflowers looked fantastic and so did the lobelia baskets.

We held a raffle as well! Four lucky people are set to win $25 gift certificates to Chalet Nursery and four luckier people are set to win GrowIt! t-shirts. We also had an AMAZING run-in with one of our GrowIt! fans this weekend as well!

Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter, Pandora, Youtube.

Those are all examples of mobile apps that are the first thing downloaded when someone gets a new phone. This past weekend, we learned that you can now add GrowIt! to that list!

Last summer while we were doing events in the Chicagoland area we had the chance to talk to a lot of people about what we are doing with GrowIt! Because we are currently only a mobile platform some people couldn’t use GrowIt! from the beginning because they didn’t have a smartphone. Turns out that we left an impression on those folks too!

We actually had one fan stop by – in a GrowIt! t-shirt no less – and tell us that last summer she was unable to use the app because she did not have a smartphone. However, she said that back in December she finally upgraded to an iPhone. Can you guess what the first app she downloaded was? Yep! It was GrowIt! We honestly, thought she was kidding at first but she assured us that she downloaded it right at the Apple Store! How cool is that?

She now uses the GrowIt! app as username “booter13”, and really enjoys helping people identify plants that they have questions about. She said that it’s a lot of fun and that she enjoys spreading her passion for gardening.

At the end of the day that’s what GrowIt! is all about: Spreading a passion for plants. We’re just glad we can make people smile while doing it. It truly was a great weekend capped by an AWESOME interaction with one of our users.

Chicago Flower & Garden Show!

Spring is almost here….We promise!

Just in time for spring we have some exciting news and developments with GrowIt! to share with you!

Chicago Flower & Garden Show!

We are excited to be taking part in this year’s Chicago Flower & Garden Show! We will be setting up shop in booth number 627. If you get a chance, stop by and say hello. We’ll be showing off the app and helping people find plants that will work for them. Also… if you come by at just the right time, we might have a cool gift if you show us that you’ve downloaded the app!

The show runs from Saturday, March 14^th to Sunday March 22^nd on Navy Pier in Chicago. We’ll be there EVERY DAY. However, if you have the luxury to pick a time to come to the show, you should definitely come down on Friday afternoon. On Friday, March 20^th at 5pm we will be speaking about the future of “gardening” in our presentation: It’s a Garden Revolution.

If you happen to be one of the Garden Writers attending the Region 3 Regional Meeting at the show on Saturday, March 14^th, you’ll also get yet another chance to see us! At 11:15am we will be talking about technology in the garden. This presentation is called GrowIt! – The Garden-Tech Revolution Starts Now!

Also, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for GrowIt! throughout the show! We are working with a few of the other gardens at the show. If you can’t make it to Navy Pier, just search for these users on the app to see what’s going on as they’ll be posting photos of all the plants in their gardens and booths:

 Serenity in the City – Chicago Flower Show

Proven Winners – Chicago Flower Show

Tiny House, Big “little” Garden! – Chicago Flower Show

Again, the Chicago Flower & Garden Show runs from March 14^th to March 22^nd for more information go to www.chicagoflower.com.

We will be speaking on Friday, March 20^th at 5pm for information on our talk go here: http://www.chicagoflower.com/seminar-info.php?s=75&d=12&t=2

App Updates

What’s new? We’re taking GrowIt! interactions to the next level.

– Help someone out! Now, if someone has a plant picture, but doesn’t know the name, you can help them out by suggesting a name for the plant. Become the plant genius in your area!!! Plants that need suggestions will have a “Help Identify” tag on them.

– Is someone talking about your plants? Now you’ll be able to tell! We’ve added various notifications to the app so that when someone comments on your photo you’ll be notified. We’ll also notify you if your pictures become really popular and when someone has identified plants for you on the app!

More Than Poinsettias!

Trying to do the whole Christmas plant thing this year? Well here’s the scoop.

Believe it or not you actually have options! For years the go-to has always been Poinsettias. Classic Red, Pink, and White used to be the only varieties that you could find, but these days you can get them in just about any color as well. Just know that if you’re seeing Blue, Purple, or a Silver Sparkle, that your Poinsettia is putting on a façade. Psst! It’s Painted!  If that’s your thing we won’t judge. Just don’t let those plant purists find out.

However, we’re here to tell you that you don’t have to succumb to the pressures of Christmas past! If you want to change things up a bit this year we have a couple different plants to try out.

This first plant on our GrowIt! “Nice List” is the Christmas Cactus!

The Christmas Cactus isn’t actually something new at all. It’s a plant that used to be pretty popular but like the Poinsettia (and that “Shake it Off” song by T. Swift) it was overplayed! Now the waiting period has passed. People are starting to question why they disappeared in the first place.

It’s a showy plant that comes in a couple different colors. The most common of which are a red, and a purplish pink. The leaves have a pretty rockin’ texture too. They’re almost reminiscent of pieces on a suit of knight’s armor! Also, even though their name might suggest that they have a thorny or spiky element, they won’t stab your fingers or pets! Plus after the holidays a Christmas Cactus can be kept. It turns into a pretty cool houseplant, and you can look up methods on how to get it to re-bloom!

The other Poinsettia alternative that we have to offer up is the Amaryllis.

If you could ever use the word “sexy” to describe a plant, you would use it to describe the Amaryllis. Sleek and beautiful, it stands out as a decadent piece for this time of the year. If you’re looking to impress guests this Christmas, seek out a couple of these bad boys. Maybe even think about sending one to that special someone.

You can find them in a few different colors. Pink and white are nice, but RED is the way to go. It’s a classic look that hasn’t been overdone. Pricing usually depends on the variety of the Amaryllis. You can usually find these at shops when they’re just about to bloom. However, if you’re feeling adventurous try starting it from a bulb ahead of time!

Whether you’re sticking with the “old standard” or trying something new, we hope you have a fantastic Christmas season!

Merry Christmas!
Mason Day, Cofounder of GrowIt!
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GrowIt! Scholarship Recipients

At GrowIt! we know that the future of our planet lies in the hands of the youth. It’s up to them to plant the gardens of tomorrow! That’s why this Summer/Fall we decided to give away scholarships to Collegiate Students!

We are proud to announce the 2014 GrowIt! Scholarship Recipients! The students below are passionate about plants, and also have a pretty keen eye for a good photo opportunity. Here are their stories (and photos)! Congratulations and Great Job!

Maxwell Mercer

My name is Maxwell Mercer and I’m from Mount Dora, Florida. I’m currently a senior at the University of Florida, and will be graduating this December with a BS in Plant Science, specializing in Landscape and Nursery Horticulture. My parents own a tropical foliage nursery in Apopka. Growing up I would work there whenever we had breaks from school. Throughout my time working there I gained an interest in the company. I plan on taking over the family business and use my knowledge gained during school to grow the company to new heights.

Lindsey Miller

My name is Lindsey Miller. I am a proud Minnesota native who grew up in Brooklyn Park and graduated from Osseo Sr. High School. I am currently enrolled in the Horticultural Science program at the University of Minnesota, and expect to graduate from this program in the spring of 2015. It took me a bit of life experience, and a lot of general courses to realize my hidden passion for environmental science. Upon this realization, it was necessary to choose a more focused area of study: I chose plant science because these organisms were, and continue to be, a key supporter of other forms of life on the planet.

This past summer I was granted a full time internship at the University of Minnesota Display and Trial Garden located on the St. Paul campus. This internship allowed me to observe hundreds of native and locally popular perennial and annual plants throughout the growing season. One of the responsibilities delegated to me was to photograph garden happenings in an effort to draw attention to the garden through use of social media. As I began to do this, I became deeply fascinated by the structure and function of plants in the garden; the ecological interactions that took place before my lens continuously piqued my interest. Thank you to Mason and the GrowIt team for honoring me with this scholarship. I am excited and proud to have my passion for displaying the beauty of plants recognized in this way. I look forward to posting more photos and plant information to the GrowIt! app as the next growing season draws ever closer.

Sarah Swofford

Howdy!  My name is Sarah Swofford and I am a senior Horticulture major at Texas A&M University.  I’m a native Texan – I was born in Houston and grew up in Keller, Texas.  Since I can remember I have been fascinated by nature, especially the plants around me.  I followed this love of nature and it has guided me to a more specialized, detailed, and interesting area of agriculture.  One of the wonderful things about plants is that there’s always something new to learn about them.

I have also discovered that plants are not just beautiful and interesting, but are critical to life.  Realizing how essential plants are to life gives me a passionate desire to find a career involving plant life, sustainability, and the environment.  As I move forward I continually remember the necessity of plants in our everyday lives.

Emma Neigel

Hi my name is Emma Neigel. I am from the small farming community of Athabasca in rural Alberta, Canada. I’m a senior at Mississippi State University (hail state!) and studying Horticulture with a Floriculture concentration. My interest in plants comes from my Mother, who frequently had me help her in the garden. I also worked at a local greenhouse throughout high school and had the opportunity to work at Callaway Gardens in Georgia this past summer. I’m looking into doing the Disney internship this summer in and hope to pursue my Master’s degree in Organic Horticulture in the near future.

David Proven

David Proven is a student at Pennsylvania State University where he studies Landscape Contracting with a concentration in management. He grew up in Perkasie Pennsylvania, a small town about an hour north west of Philadelphia. Living in the suburbs brought David into contact at a young age with many beautiful landscapes ranging from large estates to natural landscapes which are abundant in the area. He always enjoyed seeing how the plants in the landscapes were capable of either enhancing or hindering the house which they surround. He was also introduced to plants at a young age because his grandfather is a certified Pennsylvania Master Gardner and so David was brought up living the green-thumb lifestyle.

Lauren Normandin

My name is Lauren Normandin, I am from Berwick Pennsylvania.  During high school I attended Columbia Montour Area Vocational School in Bloomsburg where I was a student in the Horticulture/ Floriculture program.  My Horticulture teacher Mr. Tim Mauk taught me a lot over those four years but my love for plants began even before that.  As a kid, I spent much of my time with my grandmother in her little greenhouse.  She showed me the miracle of growing beautiful plants from such small seeds.  Because of these two wonderful people I chose to attend the Pennsylvania State University and major in Plant Science Horticulture.  After I graduate I hope to manage a greenhouse or a nursery.