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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 27 Hiawatha Evergreens/e Hiawatha Corporation, located in Shelton, Wash., is a well-known and respected supplier of Christmas evergreens and has been in business since 1938. Continental Floral Greens (CFG), a cut foliage grower and distributor with 10 farms throughout Washington, Oregon, California and Florida, acquired Hiawatha in 2021, bringing together two extremely experienced teams. "For 2022, we are seeing increased demand for our basic items—plain wreaths, centerpieces and bulk greens, giving wholesalers and retailers the ability to sell as is or update with as much 'bling' as they want," shares Sarah Keefer, marketing director at CFG. Top-sellers include noble fir, cedar, pine and juniper. Oregonia and boxwood are also popular this time of year, but they are available year- round. Bulk boughs are also in high demand this year." Dave Grotz, owner of Peace of Mind Nursery in Silverton, Ore., grows a unique array of rare and unusual conifers and ornamentals at the company's two locations in Oregon. e company started in 1986 selling distinctive high-end plants to landscapers, designers, architects, contractors, nurseries, retail garden centers and homeowners, but it has expanded to offer a large variety of cut foliage, as well—more than 160 varieties of rare conifers as fresh cut foliage. ey are inspiring and introduce a wow factor into floral designs. "We offer floral designers the opportunity to use interesting product that they may not have used before," Grotz explains. "Florists rely on us for a selection of rare and fanciful foliage throughout the year, and our selection changes with the seasons. We offer colors, textures and fragrances that most florists don't know exist. In addition, our foliage is known for its longevity ; it can last for several months." One of Peace of Mind Nursery's most popular items is the "WildBunch" box, which includes a variety of unusual winter greens. "It is a big wow-factor assortment of more than 20 genetic codes, enabling maximum creativity and inspiration," Grotz informs. "e assortment gives designers a chance to get to know and work with different types of winter foliage showcasing beautiful colors including gold, blue, silver, white and burgundy. For example, Cuprocyparis leylandii 'Gold Nugget' [Leyland cypress] is a bright gold color that comes in 4-foot-long cuttings." Grotz was also excited to share about a rare fun favorite, Cryptomeria japonica 'Cristata', which is a conical tree form of Japanese cedar that grows bizarre, contorted fasciations on branches and branchlets that resemble cockscomb. Peace of Mind Nursery also offers vibrant fresh wreathes, garlands and swags in various sizes created with interesting mixes of the company's rare conifers. Southern Evergreens Albin Hagstrom & Son, a fourth- and fifth-generation family business in Pierson, Fla.—"e Fern Capital of the World"—is one of the nation's top producers of leatherleaf fern and other cut foliages. In the 1990s, the company began offering bulk coniferous and leafy evergreens including Magnolia, pine, cedar and cypress, as well as handmade Christmas wreaths, garlands, door swags, candle rings and centerpieces during the winter holiday season. Southern evergreens are of similar size to their Northwestern counterparts, but they (reportedly) have no sap, and don't drop needles because they are grown as shrubs rather than trees. Sustainability is also another great feature of Southern evergreens. Stems can be cut from the bases of the plants without cutting them down, and they regrow for the next season. In addition, Southern evergreens require less land and resources to produce. Incense ceder Calocedrus decurrens Peace of Mind Nursery

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