It is the perennials, shrubs, and trees in a landscape that create a lasting garden ecosystem, returning season after season, delighting the senses with colorful flowers, heady aromas, and gorgeous foliage. Gardeners routinely look for healthy root systems, unmarred foliage, and abundant flower buds when choosing plants for their permanent landscape. There is another component, however, that may ultimately mean the difference between a plant that thrives and one that withers and dies.
That component has been neatly packaged, by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA), into the brand Jersey Grown. Similar to the popular Jersey Fresh label for produce, the nomenclature applies to qualifying Garden State growers of perennials, shrubs, and trees. “Plants propagated and/or grown in New Jersey for six months prior to retail sale” are eligible to carry the label, according to Ron Good, of the NJDA. The required “residency” ensures that the plants purchased by consumers will have adapted to local growing conditions and therefore be less likely to succumb to stressors once transplanted. Annuals, which grow and die off in one season are, by definition, not eligible for certification.
Aspen Companies has a comprehensive design build service that helps clients throughout the northern NJ and Hudson Valley region get the most from their property. Read more about how Aspen can help your yard become a true oasis>>
bizdatausa
Ronald Muller
