Important to know: Bring containers in early, especially if there is that special date or occasion this summer. We will plant them and they will get professional care until Memorial Day… then you enjoy. As always, we look forward to helping with your plants.

~ Diane Kahle

Why thriller, filler, and spiller? It’s a simple tip, yet a very effective way to create a lasting impact with only three ingredients, and can be used in many containers, large or small.

1. Thriller ~ The “main star” is big, bold, and attention-grabbing. Great choices for thrill-ers include cannas, purple fountain grass, spikes, elephant ears, and ornamental grasses just to name a few. For a shady container, try using hostas, ferns or heucheras.

2. Filler ~ Plants that take up space around the thriller, they add a nice textural or color contrast to the thriller without being distracting. Filler plants are available in all different color choices and foliar interest. Flowering plants such as marigolds, impatiens, wax be-gonias, osteospermums, and geraniums definitely add to a containers beauty. Don’t forget about non-flowering filler plants such as fiber optic grass, coleus, purple thread leaf, dusty miller, and gryphon begonia to add depth to your planting.

3. Spiller ~ Not surprisingly, spillers flow over the sides of the container and complement the thriller with contrast. Common choices for the spiller category include goldie vine, sweet potato vine, vincas, torenia, bacopa, and trailing million bells.
Containers of any kind do not need to be complicated to stand out, just as the simple wa-tering can display did last spring. Give it a try!

~ Diane Kahle

I’m happy to announce that this year the American Hosta Growers Association has named one of my favorite hostas, ‘Liberty’, as hosta of the year. ‘Liberty’ is a sport of the famous ‘Sagae’, but the leaves have a much wider, more dramatic creamy yellow border. Like ‘Sagae’ the creamy yellow fades to a creamy white later on in the season. This plant is classified as a larger hosta that can grow up to 26 inches high. One of the biggest reasons ‘Liberty’ is on my favorites list is because it is extremely slug resistant. ‘Liberty’ sends up lavender flowers in early summer.

You’ve asked for her and now we’ve got her! ‘Empress Wu’ is now at Cerny’s! This lovely lady is truly a stunning garden specimen that is sure to be one of the most sought after hostas this year. This impressive giant hosta was named in honor of the only lady em-peror of China and can reach heights of 4 feet and widths up to 6 feet… Yes, 48 inches high and 72 inches wide! ‘Empress Wu’ has massive 18 inch wide leaves in shades of green. Roughly mid-summer lavender flowers will appear on 5 foot tall scapes. This hosta is also a fast grower. I was able to get my hands on an ‘Empress Wu’ last year and she had grown to nearly 30 inches tall and 36 inches wide in just the first year. I can’t wait to see what she’ll look like this summer and next! Due to the sheer size and fast growth rate, ‘Empress Wu’ demands a soil that is consistently moist, but not soggy. To achieve the mature growth size you will need to keep an eye on soil moisture and feed her three times per season. This hosta does require a little extra maintenance, but her beauty is worth it.

Stop in to the greenhouse to pick up hostas ‘Liberty’ and ‘Empress Wu’ and to look at our large selection of available hardy perenni-als including other hosta varieties, ornamental grasses, ground covers, and lots of flowering perennials for both sun and shade!
~ Karolyn Krueger

Dragon Wing Begonia ~ The tag says part shade, but in our climate they will thrive in full sun or total shade. Their growth will be a bit different in each area, but will be outstanding in both.
Boston Fern ~ This is a very underutilized plant. Often thought of as “fussy” indoors, they are actually extremely easy outdoors. Our patio always has two 10” pots that receive hot afternoon sun. They start out stunning, and continue to be so until a hard frost. By mid-summer they boast a four-foot spread.

Heimalis Begonia ~ Often thought of as shade-loving, this compact show-stopper will take full sun with our moderate summers. Still, it will thrive in part shade.

Torenia ~ The tags say shade, but this plant also does very well in full sun.

Vines ~ This group includes sweet potato vines, German ivy, lotus, vincas, ibosa, and more. They are mainly used as fillers in containers, and are highly underutilized as focal plants. Often there seems to be too much focus on flowers, and not enough on texture and leaf color. One of the most striking displays in our yard is a group of stumps at various heights with a different potted vine flowing down each one. They are at the edge of the yard where the woods begin and form a living wall of unique beauty. Contrary to some labels, most vines will prosper in full sun, deep shade, or anything in between. An example of this is the three variegated potato vines we grow each year. They are in three different locations, from good sun to no sun whatsoever, and all three thrive beautifully.

Parting thoughts. Because of our moderate summers we can sometimes find locations (for instance, eastern morning sun) where a shade plant (i.e. impatiens) and a sun plant (i.e. geranium) can thrive side by side. Also, when bending the rules, some plants such as dragon wing begonia, when leaving the greenhouse will go through an adjustment phase if placed in full sun—you might even burn a few leaves. But once adjusted, they will grow beautifully.

Go be a garden rebel!!

~ Bill Cerny

Kaylyn Olson ~ Going into my fourth year at Cerny’s, many things have changed. As a sophomore in high school, I walked in not knowing the difference between an annual and a perennial. Thanks to the Cerny’s family, I’ve at least mastered that much. There’s more to the season than just watering and selling—everything from filling pots, to planting plugs, to pinching back, to keeping displays full, just scratches the surface. It’s all a giant process and now, with this being my first year of “full-time,” I get to see the whole process happen and better yet, be a part of it. At this point in time, I’m not considered one of the Cerny ladies like Judy and Diane. But, I’m no longer considered a “kid,” like the new high school crew Justin recruited this year. As Karolyn would say, “Kay, we’re in limbo.” It’s always a joy working with my grandma, (Judy), and now this year, my younger brother Kyle has joined the crew too. I’m looking forward to many more seasons at the greenhouse.

Marian Pranke-Kohl ~ Starting my second year at Cerny’s, I’ve experienced all seasons from beginning to end. I have a much better understanding (and appreciation!) of what goes on and how dedicated and hard-working the “Cerny Team” is. As a life-long gardener, I’ve always dreamed of working in a greenhouse someday. After ending a completely different career of 30+ years, I was given the opportunity to join the Cerny family. I thought “How nice it would be to water and take care of plants” because I “know” about plants and gardening—after all, “I’ve done it all my life.”

Beautifully designed blooming hanging baskets and containers, trays of annuals and vegetables and pots of perennials for sale to customers in the spring are only the “end result.” Months and months of planning, strategizing, meetings, ordering, planting, cleaning of benches, building and repairing greenhouses, heating and cooling the buildings, cleaning and filling pots and trays of soil, re-planting, “bumping up”, trimming, moving from place to place to utilize space, being time-motion efficient for productivity, watering, feeding, and caring for these precious plants is a 24/7 job—and starts well before the product is ready for sale! Our “Spring” starts in January with preparation and in February with planting. When it’s cold and snowy outside we’re like ants in an anthill inside the greenhouses. You never know what job you’ll be assigned to or what area you’ll be working in, so you learn early on to dress in layers. In a short time, you can go from wearing long underwear and boots to a t-shirt and shorts.

Here production is key! The old adage of “Make hay when the sun shines” holds true with “Unpack and start planting when the Foremost or FedEx truck arrives.” When living product shows up, you’d better be prepared to stop what you’re doing and attend to the shipment. The basic principles of having the correct size of pots for the product, filling them with soil, putting them on pallets, transferring them to the correct tables and benches, in the right greenhouse and in the proper order are all necessary before planting—and it’s all done by hand. It requires being agile, physically fit, knowing how to add and keeping good re-cording; much less having to understand “multitasking” if called to another job mid-term that requires more attention. It’s amazing how fast a cold empty greenhouse can turn into a warm full flourishing flowering environment.

The best part of my job is that I get to start my “spring” earlier than anyone else. By the time we are winding down for the sea-son, I’ve already gotten my “gardening fix” at work so I can truly enjoy the rest of my summer. It feels like I’ve extended my summer by three months! I’m on my feet all day—sometimes on my knees and bending over, or riding in the back of a van with the crew headed “down the road” to the wholesale area to work. I get dirty, wet, cold, hot, have to do heavy lifting and reaching, and work at a fast pace. One thing I know for sure—“Greenhouse work is not for sissies!” And it’s the most enjoyable and re-warding job I have ever had.

Cindy Schlachtenhaufen ~ The biggest surprise for me was the enormity of the Cerny operation. I thought that when customers came in to shop for their plants, what you saw in the showroom was the entire operation. However, there are twelve green-houses. Cerny’s supplies greenhouses in the entire Northwoods as well as special orders for businesses and cities in the area. We have one order alone for a business in Merrill for 1,500 planters. Another surprise is that we don’t just raise plants from seeds. Cuttings and plants are shipped in from various locations in the U.S. and as far away as Ethiopia. One day we planted over 10,000 geraniums! And that’s just one shipment. We have completed over 8,000 hanging baskets. Every plant and cutting that arrives is counted, and every basket and pot that we plant is recorded each year. The team leaders have their “bible” with all that information and they refer to it often.
My first weeks have been eye-opening. It seems like the staff is speaking a foreign language as they talk of plant varieties and species. It is a physically demanding job and I’ve had a sore back, but it is awesome to work with such nice people and watch what I’ve planted grow and bloom—soon to be purchased by loyal customers.

~ Karolyn Krueger

Cerny’s Greenhouse is once again providing our customers with many educational opportunities this upcoming gardening season. Here is the line-up of 2012 classes:

Moss Basket Class ~ Thursday, May 3, 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 5, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Work with our design experts to create your own moss hanging basket. The cost is $40 with all materials in-cluded. Once completed, you may take your creation home or leave it at Cerny’s until Memorial weekend. You are only allowed to plant the moss baskets provided by Cerny’s. Plant two for $75!

Container Workshop ~ Thursday, May 10, 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 12, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The exciting part about this class is that the only things you are charged for are the plants you use. Bring con-tainers from home or purchase one at Cerny’s. Soil and fertilizer is included at no extra cost. Work with our design experts to create your own unique container. Limited to five containers.

Hypertufa ~ Saturday, June 2, 10:00 a.m.
Hyper what?! Hypertufa is an anthropic-rock made from various aggregates bonded together using Portland cement. Hypertufa is intended as a manufactured substitute for natural, lightweight tufa, which is a slowly precipitated limestone rock. Being very porous, it is favorable for plant growth and can be used in rock gardens or molded into planters. It is made by mixing dry cement, sand or perlite, peat moss, and water. Come and learn all the ins and outs involved in making your very own lightweight, rustic cement planter. Once completed you can take your masterpiece home or leave it at Cerny’s for a week and use it in the June 9 class. The cost is $15.

Succulent Gardening ~ Saturday, June 9, 10 a.m.
Using either the planter you made the previous week or one supplied by Cerny’s, come and plant your very own succulent dish garden. While doing so, learn about all aspects of succulent gardening—varieties, proper water and fertilizer, pruning, light, soil, etc. The cost is $20 if using a container supplied by Cerny’s, and $10 if using the container you made the previous week. ~ Justin Cerny