Help for aspiring Horticulturists




Bright, well trained, and qualified people are essential to the nursery industry, that's why Dale and Liz Deppe created the Spring Meadow Scholarship Fund in 1999. This fund is dedicated to helping aspiring students from across the country obtain a degree in horticulture. 

The Spring Meadow team has been blessed by this industry and the mentors who've helped them along the way. This scholarship fund is their way of giving back, and sharing the excitement for plants and the nursery industry with others. Spring Meadow Nursery's goal is to grant scholarships to students with an interest in woody plant production, woody plant propagation, woody plant breeding, horticultural sales and marketing.
Eligibility Requirements

1. Applicant must be enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate: landscape, horticulture or related discipline at a two or four-year institution. Students in vocational agriculture programs will also be considered.

Undergraduate: Applicant must have at least a sophomore standing in a four-year curriculum or senior standing in a two-year curriculum as of the fall semester of scholarship application year.

Graduate: All applicants in graduate school regardless of year in school may apply.

2. Applicant must be interested in woody plant production, wood plant propagation, woody plant breeding, and/or horticultural sales and marketing.

3. Applicant must be currently enrolled in good standing and carry a full-time course load at the time of application and during the semesters for which the scholarship is granted.

4. Applicant must have a minimum grade point average overall of 2.25 based on a scale of 4.0, and a minimum GPA of 2.7 on a scale of 4.0 in their major.

5. Previous Spring Meadow Nursery Scholarship award winners are eligible for additional funding and may reapply.
Submitting an Application

The application deadline is May 31st of each year including letters of recommendation. The online application and letters of recommendation must be received no later than May 31 at 11:59 p.m.

There are 6 components to the scholarship application: the application document, cover letter, resume, 2 letters of recommendation, and the transcript.

All applications must be completed using the HRI online scholarship application. No other form of application will be accepted. The general application, cover letter, resume and copies of transcripts must be uploaded by the student using the online form.

Each student must have 2 letters of recommendation submitted to HRI by the May 31st deadline. Letters of recommendation may come from a student's advisor, instructor, business associate or a combination.

Letters should include information on the student's potential to make significant contributions to the nursery and landscape industry, academic qualifications, and financial need if known.

Important: Letters of recommendation are the only items that may be excluded from the online submission-application process by the student. Letters of recommendation must be either faxed or emailed to HRI by the recommender. Mailed copies will no longer be accepted.

Email: scholarships@hriresearch.org. Subject line: Scholarship name and student name 

More Cool Foliage


A few posts back I spoke about how interesting foliage makes for an interesting garden even when the plants are not in flower. I dug into my perennial file and pulled up some plants with interesting foliage. Note that green leaves can be as interesting as colorful foliage. Note the different shapes and textures of these plants.

Some of these varieties are common while others are new. I'm not going to label them right away. I'm going to see if you can identify them. Don't email with your responses but rather be brave and post a comment so we can all see your answers. 


Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron' (Japanese Blood Grass)


(Lungwort) Pulmonaria ‘Spot On’ 


                                                              Japanese Hakone Grass



Euphorbia marginata


Dolce® ‘Silver Gumdrop’ coral bells (Heuchera


Liriope muscari Peedee Ingot 


Pachysandra terminalis 'Green Sheen' (Japanese Spurge) 


Queen of Hearts’ Siberian Bugloss 


Blue blue fescue (Festuca glauca


Asarum europaeum (European Wild Ginger


Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens,'  black mondo grass