Welcome to the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Plant of the Week blog. The purpose of this blog is to provide gardeners and garden communicators with information and inspiration for their next gardening-related project.
Just as Alice found a whole new world when she stepped Through the Looking-Glass, we hope this blog introduces you to the fantastical world of flowering shrubs, whether you are viewing them Through the Greenhouse Glass, or in your own backyard.
About Samantha Huisman
Samantha grew up on a 20-acre farm in West Michigan, where she helped her mother garden. She is always eager to learn more about plants and share her experiences as she grows her USDA zone 6b garden.
Samantha has a B.A. in Writing from Grand Valley State University and joined Spring Meadow Nursery as an SEO & Content Specialist in April of 2022. She lives with her husband and her two German Shepherd dogs (whom she may spoil) in Grandville, MI.
About Olivia Marzolf
Olivia’s journey into gardening began in West Michigan, where she grew up helping with the family garden. This early exposure sparked a lasting interest in plants, which she now uses to help her mother and sister expand their USDA Zone 6a gardens.
Olivia holds a B.A. in Advertising from Central Michigan University and joined Spring Meadow Nursery as a Marketing Specialist and Event Coordinator in February 2024. She is excited to continue learning and to share her unique perspective with the gardening world.
About Natalie Carmolli
Natalie is rooted in horticulture. When she was six years old, her family moved to a farmhouse on 40 acres in mid-Michigan. This house was unique in that it had a full-sized glass greenhouse in the sideyard – so, of course, her mother started a small seasonal business selling spring bedding plants, which quickly turned into a full-service flower shop.
Natalie grew up working in that shop – learning floral design and customer service, skills she’d take with her to college, where she continued working in the floral industry as she earned her degree in performing and fine arts.
So how does one combine a fine art and theater degree with a lifetime immersed in horticulture?
As public relations specialist for Spring Meadow Nursery, Natalie has taken her fine arts-based eye for design and the communication skills she has learned in the theater and uses them to help her express herself clearly and confidently when talking about one of her favorite subjects…the art of gardening using Proven Winners® ColorChoice® flowering shrubs.
About Jane Beggs-Joles
Jane has over twenty years of experience working in the nursery industry and has had the privilege of helping to introduce some fantastic plants to North American horticulture. Some of those plants include ‘Limelight’ and Little Lime® hydrangeas, Spilled Wine® weigela, and Pugster® buddleia.
She’s worn a lot of hats through the years, but her current role is to introduce new Proven Winners® ColorChoice® plants to the landscape industry. It’s a pretty awesome job because she gets to see how the shrubs she has watched from little starts plants grow up to make landscapes beautiful. Even with decades of experience under her belt, she learns something new every single day!
Jane has a B.S. in Horticulture and an M.S. in Agricultural Economics, both from Michigan State University. She lives with her husband (also an M.S.U. graduate) and two teenage daughters in an old farmhouse in Michigan. They have two cats and a Norwegian Elkhound, and she says, “…our yard is a mess.
