[December 18, 2018]

University of California South Coast REC Evaluating Village Nurseries Plants for Low Water Use Performance

As California's five-year drought continues, the need for low-water-use plants becomes increasingly vital for landscape architects and designers. To that end, the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) Landscape Irrigation Trials is currently evaluating Village Nurseries' plants for their potential as good performers in low-water-use gardens. The plants entered into the trials will help growers and breeders evaluate new plant varieties at the University's South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine, California with the goal of successfully distributing and marketing these plants to landscape architect and design professionals.

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Jacaranda 'Bonsai Blue' P.P. and Lavandula 'Meerlo' P.P. are two of the more than 100 Village Nurseries plants being evaluated by the University of California's South Coast REC for their potential as good performers in low-water-use gardens. (Photo: Business Wire)

Village Nurseries continues to partner with Hunter Industries, which donated all the necessary irrigation system components including irrigation controller, anti-siphon irrigation valves, inline drip tube and fittings, and drip indicator device. Together, the two companies are committed to providing products and opportunities for learning about landscapes throughout the plant-driven communities they serve.

"Village Nurseries has always been about providing the very best plants to landscape architects, designers and contractors," said Nicholas Staddon, Village Nurseies Plantsman, "so whenever we have an opportunity to get involved in a fully-fledged trial and evaluation program like UCANR, we'll be there. However, it's not just about the result. Because the plants don't get any special treatment, we can observe them throughout the trial period under real-world conditions.

"We also get to see other plants in the trials entered by plant breeders and growers from other regions of the United States, which provides us with the opportunity to see how their plants perform and to establish new relationships with plant providers."

Nick Straabe, specification manager at Hunter Industries, noted: "We see the UCANR facility and the programs they are making available to the public, industry and profession as very worthwhile and educational. We know the information gained from the research performed on the products we provided will make for healthier landscapes and more educated landscape professionals."

In 2019, UCANR will offer regular dates where the landscape design and landscape architect community and other interested parties can examine how the plants are faring in the field.

Last year, Village Nurseries entered 120 plants into the UC Davis Landscape Irrigation Trials as part of the company's ongoing commitment to develop information about water use for regionally significant plants.

About Hunter Industries

Headquartered in San Marcos, CA (News - Alert) since 1981, Hunter Industries is a global manufacturer of products for the irrigation, outdoor lighting, dispensing technology, and custom manufacturing sectors. The family-owned company offers a full spectrum of water- and energy-efficient solutions for residential, commercial, municipal, and agricultural applications. Designed with the demands of irrigation professionals in mind, the current Hunter irrigation product line includes pop-up gear-driven rotors, high-efficiency rotary nozzles, spray sprinklers, valves, controllers, central controllers, professional landscape drip, and weather sensors.

About TreeTown USA/Village Nurseries/Hines Growers

TreeTown USA, founded in 2001, is a privately owned business headquartered in Houston, Texas, with 18 growing facilities totaling over 6,000 production acres across Texas, Florida, Oregon, and California. With its recent acquisition of a West Coast Division, including Village Nurseries and Hines Growers, the combined company now has a coast-to-coast footprint for its broad mix of high-quality plant material that includes over 5,000 unique plant selections and variations. To learn more about TreeTown USA, visit the company's website at http://www.treetownusa.com.

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