eed 200 bougainvillea in 24-inch boxes all the exact same color and height? At MWN that kind of request is not unusual. As a leader in the commercial landscape industry, MWN frequently grows plants to meet specifications for clients with special needs.

Shopping centers, apartment complexes, hotels, golf courses, any business with a large area to landscape can benefit from a custom grow. MWN works with the landscape architect’s plan to ensure enough plant materials are available to meet the design specifications. Frequently, that means all the trees, shrubs or flowers have to be the same size, color and always must be of consistant quality. Plant materials are not typically available in enough quantity to meet that need, so the custom grow is a safe choice.

“Custom grows are becoming more necessary,” said Brad Lenahan, landscape architect with Nowell & Associates. “The economy is booming and plant materials in Southern California are hard to come by because demand is so high. In order to ensure we get what we wanted, we had to order ahead of time.”

Nowell & Associates placed an order in September for a custom grow to landscape Fenton Market Place in Mission Valley. MWN has grown a variety of flowering perennials, shrubs and ornamental grasses for the shopping center, which is under construction near Qualcomm Stadium. MWN grows plants for five to eight custom grows each year.

While many custom grows are large, requiring hundreds of plants, some are smaller, needing special, hard to find plants. MWN handles both with the same commitment to excellence. Depending on the plant materials selected, successful custom grows require an 8 to 12 month lead time. For more information about custom growing at MWN, contact Alan Stockton at (858) 552-0592.

Brad Lenahan leans against the base of one of many pillars used to landscape the new Fenton Market Place. The concrete pot atop the pillar is planted with dwarf (sterile) pampas grass for seasonal variety and movement, and with Bignonia vines, which will grow to drape over the edge of the pot.

 

MWN's Tree of the Season
A selection from the many distinctive trees within MWN’s Vista Hill Collection

BOTANICAL NAME:
Erythrina crista-galli

COMMON NAME:
Cockspur Coral Tree

Description:
One of the hardiest and most beautiful of corals, this native to South America is most commonly seen as a large mounding shrub, but with age it can become a beautiful small- to medium-sized tree. Specimens may be found in Northern California and Oregon, as well as in the deserts of Arizona and Southern California. The trunk and woody stem is slow to develop, but new growth appears rapidly in the Spring, with the striking salmon pink to red flowers born terminally on the pendulous growth. The national flower of Argentina, the inflorescence can grow up to two feet, reoccurring two or three times through Summer and Fall. With most of the new growth dying back after blooming, this tree needs proper pruning to encourage upright growth.

Cultural Requirements

Size: Ten years 8 - 12 ft. height
8 - 12 ft. spread
Mature 18 - 30 ft. height
18 - 30 ft. spread

Exposure:
Sun — Full sun
Wind — Tolerant when mature
Salt — Second zone coastal

Hardiness: 15°F

Moisture: Moderate to heavy

Pests and diseases: Minimal

Soil: Deep, well-drained

Growth rate:
Trunk/main branches — slow
New growth — fast

Landscape uses: Excellent accent tree, slope planting
Cautions: Thorny leaves. Will become mounding mass if not pruned.

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Look for plant materials from MWN at these locations:

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club — sprucing up for opening races with semi-tropical plants, including bougainvillea and hibiscus.

National University — custom grown materials planted this Spring include Liquidambar, ‘Palo Alto’ and Ulmus parifolia trees, as well as a variety of other trees and shrubs.

Viejas Casino — a variety of trees and shrubs now welcome visitors, including Strelitzia reginae, Phoenix roebelini and Rosmarinius.

Grossmont Plaza — Hemerocallis ‘Lemon Yellow’ and ‘Orange King’ fill the planters at this plaza.

Celebrity Home in Bel Air — we can’t say who, but she ordered ornamental grasses and California natives for her home on Crest Drive.

Arrowhead Pond — Bird-of-paradise now grace this Anaheim sports arena.

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