Ellisville Nursery Gets Tropical

Dynamic weather has made for some challenges, but in Ellisville is in full bloom.

The nursery recently enjoyed the arrival of a varied selection of tropical plants, but residents and admirers from throughout the area didn't limit their plant-loving pursuits to any one type during the warm weather Tuesday.

Paula Mahoney of Chesterfield was one of many shoppers at the nursery that day.

"I was just looking at the perennials and then the annuals caught my eye," Mahoney said. "They're just spectacular."

M.A. Ward, the nursery's perennial plant buyer, said purchasing plants from throughout the U.S. including Oregon, Florida, Georgia and elsewhere, help the nursery maintain a diverse selection. The access to a variety of greenery also allows the nursery to make customized arrangements, which Ward said can be particularly satisfying.

"It's just fun being able to assist," Ward said.

The acquisition in recent weeks of tropical plants, which will thrive only in warm weather, gives even more options for customers' home gardens, Ward said, although those plants do come with certain caveats.

"If you bring them out too early and they get zapped, it'll probably be July before they get moving," Ward said of the tropicals, many of which came from Visalia, CA.

Susan Mogab, General Manager of Summer Winds, said frequent changes in the weather, including bursts of cold, requires extra care for more vulnerable plant life.

"It's always a challenge in the spring," Mogab said. "If it's going to do down into the 40s, anything that could be sensitive, we have to put it inside ... it's a lot of work, but we want the plants to be in top condition."