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In honour of Pistoia, the 2017 Italian Capital of Culture: the “GREY POT” line

In 2017, with Pistoia as the Italian Capital of Culture, our city is at the centre of a series of events, exhibitions and festivities designed to celebrate the values and culture which we have always protected and promoted.

Proud but also discreet, we are a people who believe that in order to promote yourself, you don’t have to change who you are, but rather highlight your good qualities and what makes you special. Pistoia has invested in high-quality cultural projects, and we here at Vivai Capecchi have followed suit and created a line that unites our traditions with the aesthetics and practicality that today’s market requires.

The pot that we’ve chosen is an anthracite grey bell-shaped model with a decorative relief.

Those who choose this line will be able to use it in a vast number of different ways: directly position plants on a terrace or veranda just as they arrive, adding value to any setting; they can adorn squares, public spaces, roads and museums, guaranteed to make a great impression; or, if necessary, if you need to repot in the garden, you can reuse this line for especially beautiful flowers and plants.

What is certain is that the pot is quite decorative and will complement the plant, making it ready for use, right away.

The Grey Pot selection comes in a few different options:

·         4 varieties of Miscanthus, Pennisetum and Cortaderia

·         7 varieties of Fargesia, a variety of Bambusa whose roots aren’t too far reaching, meaning it won’t infest the garden, while still being quite pretty and compact.

·          17 varieties of Hydrangea, including a few species which are rare in their colouring and their leaves and flowers.

·         4 varieties of Abelia.

Naturally, all these plants are also available in the standard pot measurements: 3 lt., 9 lt., 15 lt. and 35 lt. 

 

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Mulching, essential for the healthy growth of plants destined for retail

Mulching is an essential step to helping plants grow strong and healthy, without being disturbed by weeds and other problems.

The process of covering the soil with a loose material stops weeds from growing, maintains the right amount of moisture in the soil, protects from erosion and hard rainfall, stops the formation of a crust along the surface of the ground and helps maintain the structure of the terrain, raising the temperature of the ground itself.

The materials used for this operation can vary, but we have selected and opted to use the following types of mulch:

 Miscanthus 

Miscanthus is a fast-growing plant, generally cultivated for its biomass. One of the most innovative uses of this crop is as a 100% natural mulch. Once chopped, the resulting dried material is quite effective in stopping weeds from growing and providing excellent protection for the plant.
Stable against the wind and runoff water, Miscanthus is characterised by high levels of water retention, which limits evaporation during warm weather. Miscanthus decomposes naturally and is a source of minerals for plants. In addition, its light colour complements the aesthetics of potted plants.

 Containermulch

Container mulch is made of conifer wood, barked and chopped into 2-10 mm particles. During the production process, the material is heat-sterilised and dyed with natural pigments which give it its characteristic rosy hue. The material should be applied upon potting, creating a layer of at least 2 cm. After the first watering, Container mulch will form a compact but permeable layer which is resistant to wind and water runoff. In addition to blocking weeds, the mulch layer slows the drying out of the pots while providing an aesthetically pleasing chromatic aspect. Container mulch is available in 70 lt. bags and 3m³ Big Bales.

 Discoplus

3 mm thick felted vegetable fibre discs, Discoplus forms a barrier against the growth of weeds. Discoplus is heat sterilised and each disc lasts 12-18 months and comes in a range of diameters, from 14 to 56 cm. Discoplus should be placed over the substrate when potting, making sure that it covers the all of the exposed surface within the pot. The disks are water- and fertiliser-permeable, biodegradable and they also limit evapotranspiration.

 Pellet Biopacciamante

Organic Mulching Pellets are a mixture of chopped and pressed hay and straw. Once placed in the pot during planting, the pellets should be wet with water. Absorbing the liquid, they will grow four times in volume to form a compact layer (1 cm of pellets will become a 4 cm layer within the pot, once wet). In addition to stopping weeds from growing, the material limits evapotranspiration and acts as a snail deterrent.

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TRANSPORTATION, a key element to appreciating our specimens

At our nursery, we take pride in the quality of the plants we offer our customers. We care about making sure that when you choose a plant, it gets to its destination as planned, without damage of any kind.

It may seem like a given, but behind the simple delivery of the plant just as you chose it is an incredible amount of care and attention, work which we gladly do to make sure we never cause problems or discontent among our customers.

Purchases must arrive on time, in optimal conditions and ready to be unloaded and displayed quickly and easily, without difficulty or time wasted.

To strengthen the services we provide, in recent years we have consistently selected and used specialised carriers, able to provide quick and careful transport within Italy and to most of the rest of Europe. This includes the delivery of small lots, freeing the customer from the burden of buying too many plants which might end up sitting in storage, becoming less fresh and less lush over time.

This is exactly why we opted for bi-weekly and weekly deliveries (according to the destination), allowing for a wide range of variation within each lot at convenient pricing.

But let’s start from the beginning and take a look at each step of the process.

Most of the work we do involves shipping plants which are loaded loose, meaning each one isn’t attached to the next. When we have small lots to deliver to nearby areas, we organise the “groupage” of orders, which we ourselves plan, thereby ensuring lower transport costs and making sure we meet the agreed upon delivery time.

The plants are “wrapped”, that is, their foliage is wrapped up in a stretchy, macro-perforated tape which protects their branches during transport, allowing us to pack the plant more compactly to optimise the load space and, at the same time, lets the plant breathe and stay fresh.

For the same reason, smaller plants are “bagged”, meaning the pot and foliage are placed inside a mesh sack which provides the same protection as described above.

At times, upon request or when an order is made up only of small plants (generally for garden centres or retail stores), we load them in what’s called a CC TROLLEY, multi-level Danish container carts which make it easier for the customer to unload the product. When it arrives to the point of sale, the trolley just needs to be lowered off the vehicle on the platform. These trolleys also help maximise space on the lorry and keep the plants safe during transport.

We currently offer deliveries of partial loads, departing weekly for Central-North Italy, England, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Germany, Austria, as well as weekly and bi-weekly deliveries to the rest of Europe.

Of course, full load departures are sent out daily, destined for Italy, Europe and just about any other country around the world.

All this work is done to ensure that anyone, at any time of the year, placing orders and/or restocking, feels free to choose the quantity needed and is always satisfied with the quality and costs of shipping our products.

You might also be interested in reading the page we’ve dedicated to logistics: https://www.capecchivivai.it/servizi/?lang=en

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GRASSES: ancient innovation

Grasses include a vast array of plants, approximately 10,000 species, which span from the most ancient grains to the wonderful ornamental variations used in parks and gardens.

These resistant plants adapt easily to the most varied environments, creating a charming atmosphere and, not to be undervalued, they are almost immune to phyto-pathological issues.

Thanks to their nearly “fluid”, soft appearance, they echo landscapes where the wind works together with the plants to create movement, new perspectives, a sense of space and sophistication as well.  Imagine American pastureland, where the thin spikes of grain follow the wind, creating continuous movement along the field’s surface, or the cold cliffs of Scotland, where just a few types of grasses work together to create a charm and harmony which is practically unique throughout the entire world.

All this just to show all you can do with this varied group of plants, which are both resistant and affordable.

In the past, very few grasses were used in gardens, but today, thanks to research and effort, an increasing number of ornamental grasses can be used in landscaping, from the park to the garden, inserted into almost any setting.

A few landscaping ideas:

As mentioned above, given the variety of plants which you can find, the possibilities are truly endless, only limited by one’s creativity and the effects desired.

  • As isolated specimens, to create a specific effect within a flowerbed or garden.
  • As a border along streets, roads, flowerbeds or gardens, thanks to their variety in terms of form and colour.
  • For very arid, dry soil where they manage to survive just fine, bringing life to areas which would otherwise be bare and difficult to manage.
  • On balconies, terraces, courtyards and patios, used in planters to create effects which once were unimaginable, adding colour, even in winter, to urban landscapes which tend to be sad and grey.

Forms and colours:

Grasses come in many different forms, starting from stalks as straight as a spear and leaves as soft as pillows or as fluid as water flows. They can resemble peacock feathers or rigid structures, small bushes or long edging, conferring effects of every type of and genre. They’re quite tall, some a few metres high, or low and compact. Small the soft or majestic and robust!

In terms of colour, they range from bright green to bronze, from red to violet. They can be almost white, ivory, yellow or grey with special decorations on the tips or on the leaves, adding depth and a wider range of uses, enriching backgrounds in flowerbeds, perspectives in gardens or creating milieus in parks, and so much more.

Bloom times:

Given the incredible variety of species, there are grasses which show off their utmost beauty at all times of the year.

In particular, a few varieties are at their peak during the cold season, displaying special tonalities which bring a touch of cheer to gardens, flowerbeds and terraces when other plants are hibernating or at least when their growth is rather limited.