Willoway Nurseries, Inc.

Avon, OH
United States
http://www.willowaynurseries.com

Willoway Nurseries, Inc. is one of the largest wholesale growers of quality nursery stock in the midwest and ranks within the top 40 nationwide. Willoway encompasses approximately 550 acres of field production and 450 acres of container stock which includes 32 acres of climate controlled greenhouses. We carry over 2,000 different plant varieties including shade trees, ornamental trees and shrubs, evergreens, perennials, and flowering annuals. Discover the Willoway Advantage!

Join us for these exciting zoom meetings live with industry leaders on plants for 2021

Behind the Scenes at Raymond Evison Clematis LIVE from Guernsey -Webinar ID: Webinar ID: 913 6864 8710 & Passcode: 592278 January 6th @ 11 am EST

Rosarian Ping Lim on building Altman Plants’ True Bloom™ rose program. Webinar ID: 936 0742 1885 Passcode: 592278 January 6th, 2021 3 pm EST.

New Plants with Dr. Michael Dirr. Live Discussion on New Hydrangea and Introductions-Webinar ID: 988 4471 1408 & Passcode: 592278 January 7th, 2021 10 am EST.

Doug Tallamy's call-to-action for planting native plants and restoring biodiversity Webinar ID: 960 9387 4426 Passcode: 592278 January 7th, 2021 1 pm EST.

Why American Beauties Native Plants® is the EASY option to increase your native plant offerings-Webinar ID: 926 7375 4525 Passcode: 592278 January 7th, 2021 3 pm EST.

Handpicked for You®: Certified to Thrive! New Brand Unveiling Webinar ID: 912 4528 7960 Passcode: 592278 January 8th, 2021 10 am EST.

A Boxwood Revolution! Live discussion on the New Gen Boxwood Collection Webinar ID: 926 3832 5365 & Passcode: 592278 January 8th, 2021 11 am EST.

Join Tim Wood to Discuss New Hydrangeas and Plants of the Year. Webinar ID: 983 9301 0195 Passcode: 592278 January 8th, 2021 1 pm EST.

Join PP&L to Discuss the Frostkiss® Hellebores and Delgenius™ Delphinium Webinar ID: 973 7848 6862 Passcode: 592278 January 8th, 2021 2 pm EST.

Brands: Willoway Nurseries, Inc. carries over 2,000 different plant varieties including including all of the top brands in the industry.

Videos

Press Releases

Willoway Nurseries Selected as the 2020 Great Game of Business All-Star Champion! (Oct 19, 2020)

Willoway Nurseries Selected as a Great Game of Business All-Star Champion!

Avon, OH | September 2020

Willoway was recently selected as a 2020 All-Star Champion of the Great Game of Business!

The 20th annual All-Star Champions are chosen from the All-Star team. Chosen by a panel of judges these companies are the best of the best from around the globe that have fully embraced the principles of open-book management and The Great Game of Business and have demonstrated outstanding results.

The inspiration for the All-Star Awards came from the pioneers of open-book management themselves. This recognition program was created in 2001 to highlight the companies on the leading edge of this innovative management practice, who have discovered first-hand that when you harness the collective wisdom of your people, great things can and do happen.

But as Great Game™ practitioners know - it’s not just about generating profits, cash and wealth, but also about distributing it for the good of everyone involved. The Game starts with a sincere belief in people along with fostering trust and mutual respect. The companies recognized as Great Game All-Stars embody these concepts to the fullest. All-Star companies show tenacious dedication to open-book management and business transparency and continually spread the word to help others succeed as well.

Willoway Receives Smart Culture Award (Oct 19, 2020)

Willoway Receives Smart Culture Award

Cleveland, OH | August 2020

Willoway was recently recognized by Smart Business Cleveland, a Cleveland based Magazine, and presented with their Smart Culture Award in the area of Mission, Vision, and value in the work place.

Willoway was recognized for embracing core values, employee involvement & interaction, open book management, and a dedication to a strong company culture.

Our Passion for the Environment- It is part of our Culture! (Oct 19, 2020)
Our Passion for the Environment

We are passionate about community service, education, and supporting our industry to help grow the next generation of horticulture professionals. Our Core Values compel us to always try to do the right thing. Our efforts on behalf of the environment are part of our process of continual improvement. We believe in challenging the status quo. We listen, then use our experience and technology to innovate procedures to help sustain our environment.

Here are a few of the best practices we employ in our efforts to make a difference:

Systems Approach to Nursery Certification or SANC reduces pest risk associated with nursery stock by identifying and dealing with pest hazards at all stages of the plant production system. Willoway’s SANC-certified facilities use best production practices that reduce the risk of spreading plant pests throughout the trade.

MPS (More Profitable Sustainability) is an industry initiative that grants sustainability certificates for international floral and ornamentals growers and breeders. This prestigious certification is recognized worldwide as a standard for sustainability practices. Monitoring tools encourage us to chart farm usages in water, fertilizer, crop agents, electricity, land, and fuel and identify ways to lower consumption. MPS certification increases social accountability as growers compare results to reduce impact on natural resources.

Electrochemically activated water or ECA - A better treatment of recycled water. Older methods such as ultraviolet disinfection, heat treatment, chlorination, copper-silver ionization and slow sand filtration are being replaced by electrochemically activated water (ECA). This is an environmentally friendly process that reduces the use of chemical products for water purification. Cleaner water reduces disease and the need for chemical treatments. We also use irrigation monitoring to apply the correct amount of water to reduce waste.

We are always looking for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle in the nursery. Plastic used to cover our growing houses through the winter is pulled and sent for recycling. Office products are sourced sustainably, and all of our lunchrooms and administrative offices have recycling containers. Paper use is reduced further with our digital customer portal for online availability and invoicing. We are also moving to digital versions of phytosanitary certificates to save on paper.

Integrated Pest Management or IPM is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Pesticides are used only after monitoring indicates they are needed according to established guidelines, and treatments are made with the goal of removing only the target organism. Pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and nontarget organisms, and the environment.

Phenology is the study of recurring biological phenomena and their relationship to weather. Tracking this information is part of our IPM practices. Using growing degree-days (GGDs), while not perfect, is a more reliable method of predicting crop and insect development than calendar days. This measurement of the growth and development of plants and insects during the growing season gives us the ability to react proactively and limit the use of chemical needs.

Something as simple as the application of rice hulls in our containers effectively suppresses weed seed germination in container nursery production. Rice hulls are an excellent renewable resource that we use to reduce weeds and minimize the need for herbicides.
Smart Sprayers are offering a new technology that detects unique crop architecture and makes management decisions based on height, width, spacing, and density of each plant or tree.

47-73% reduction of spray consumption

40-87% reduction in spray loss beyond tree canopies.

Up to 87% less airborne drift

68-93% reduction in spray loss on the ground.

Equal or better crop protection
These are part of Willoway Nurseries’ everyday approach to continual improvement and part of our core values to do the right thing. Schedule a tour of the nursery and let us show you our tools for sustainability.

Willoway with SynRG® Charter Growers Announce Educational Programming for 2021 MANTS (Dec 07, 2020)
Dec. 7, 2020

Raleigh, NC

SynRG® Charter Growers Announce Educational Programming for 2021 MANTS

Join industry visionaries and world-class breeders to get a peek behind the curtain of exciting new plant introductions! SynRG® is taking you on a trip around the world to hear the stories behind some of our favorite new plants. All times are Eastern.
- January 6, 2021 | 11:00 AM – Go behind the scenes at Raymond Evison Clematis as we join Raymond from his nursery in Guernsey Island. Raymond has spent six decades searching for, breeding and developing the world’s best clematis and has developed and introduced over 100 varieties and cultivars. Join us to hear Raymond share his story and learn about his top-quality clematis.
- January 6, 2021 | 3:00 PM – Join rosarian Ping Lim for a discussion on building Altman Plants’ True Bloom™ rose program and learn about current and future releases. True Bloom™ roses have won many awards, including at the Biltmore International Rose Trials.
- January 7, 2021 | 10:00 AM – Join horticultural legend Dr. Michael Dirr to hear about his new hydrangea breeding; including three new hydrangea that will be available from SynRG® growers in 2021. Dr. Dirr’s lifelong passion for horticulture is well-known and his teaching, research, writing, and plant introductions have made an immeasurable impact on the green industry.
- January 7, 2021 | 1:00 PM – SynRG® is partnering with American Beauties Native Plants® to bring you the opportunity to hear Doug Tallamy share his call-to-action for planting native plants and restoring biodiversity. Doug is a professor at the University of Delaware and author of several books, including Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens and Nature’s Best Hope.
- January 8, 2021 | 10:00 AM – Attend the unveiling of the new Handpicked for You® certification logo and learn why we’re Certified to Thrive! Handpicked for You® is a plant certification program designed to rigorously identify the top performing plants and shrubs in specific regional and local markets. We are committed to helping consumers become more successful with outdoor gardening by alleviating the fear of failure.
- January 8, 2021 | 11:00 AM – Join the Boxwood Revolution and hear from the team behind the ground-breaking NewGen Boxwood introductions that have better resistance to Boxwood Blight, better resistance to Boxwood Leafminer, and overall stunning appearances.

Products

Plants that Work®

Plants that Work® offers a product assortment with selections of top quality plants including annuals, perennials, shrubs, succulents and tropical plants. We have the plants you need for a successful solution for every area of the home and garden. This is our house brand and we offer new and exciting plants to offer garden success! Unique plants with merchandising apeal that will not be in the box channels. This will give you plants that are new and exciting that perform and not have to compete in the market with the box channels. The plants have beautiful full color tags and branded pots so your display look great and the plants are always the best the industry has to offer for easy garden success!

AMERICAN BEAUTIES NATIVE PLANTS®

AMERICAN BEAUTIES NATIVE PLANTS® is a ground breaking native plant program that offers proven solutions for garden centers, landscapers and home gardeners.... More Info Less Info

AMERICAN BEAUTIES NATIVE PLANTS® is a ground breaking native plant program that offers proven solutions for garden centers, landscapers and home gardeners. Native plant experts have teamed up with wildlife experts to bring you selections that will enhance our environment and bring life to your garden.

Bloomin' Easy®

Bloomin' Easy® is a response to younger homeowners who appreciate the value of a beautifully landscaped yard.... More Info Less Info

Bloomin' Easy® is a response to younger homeowners who appreciate the value of a beautifully landscaped yard, but think tackling such a project is too difficult, time consuming and beyond their expertise. We select plants that offer exceptional beauty and color—plants that are more resilient and lower maintenance, and which enable success for your outdoor space. You can learn more about this exciting program: https://youtu.be/OE9nxXHaj-s

Bushel and Berry™

The Bushel and Berry™ collection consists of compact, self-pollinating, ornamental berry plants for the home gardener! Bushel and Berry™ plants are a cinch to grow and will dazzle the eyes as well as the taste buds. These varieties are like nothing seen before. With exquisite ornamental qualities and amazing fruit, these are berry plants that belong front and center in decorative patio containers and in the landscape.

Drift® Roses

Drift® Roses are a cross between full-size ground-cover roses and miniature roses. From the former they kept toughness, disease resistance and winter hardiness. From the miniatures, they inherited their well-managed size and repeat-blooming nature.... More Info Less Info

Drift® Roses are a cross between full-size groundcover roses and miniature roses. From the former they kept toughness, disease resistance and winter hardiness. From the miniatures, they inherited their well-managed size and repeat-blooming nature. The low, manageable habit of Drift® Roses makes them perfect for gardens small to large, for planters, and for mass commercial plantings. They brighten up borders, fill in empty spaces, meander around established plants, and can control erosion on hillsides and slopes.

Endless Summer®

The Endless Summer® collection consists of beautiful re-blooming hydrangeas. The Original, the first of the hydrangea varieties in the collection, revolutionized the way gardeners were able to incorporate hydrangeas in their landscapes.... More Info Less Info

The Endless Summer® collection consists of beautiful re-blooming hydrangeas. The Original, the first of the hydrangea varieties in the collection, revolutionized the way gardeners were able to incorporate hydrangeas in their landscapes. Breeders continue to add new varieties offering exciting color for the home and garden. These plants are hardy, easy to care for, and offer large, beautiful summer color.

First Editions®

With over 100 rock star varieties that deliver more success with less hassle, you can take any yard and make it burst with energy, creativity, and pizzazz.... More Info Less Info

With over 100 rock star varieties that deliver more success with less hassle, you can take any yard and make it burst with energy, creativity, and pizzazz. And with hard-working plants like First Editions® shrubs and trees, having a good-looking landscape doesn’t have to be a pain. In fact, it can be a good time. It’s time to think about shrubs and trees differently. Consumers, and especially new homeowners, don’t want to work too hard but they do want a beautiful space. First Editions® new look and energizing campaign, coupled with an outstanding lineup of shrubs and trees, puts the fun back into gardening.

Handpicked for You®

Handpicked for You® is a certification by a collaboration of plant breeders, growers and independent garden center retailers.... More Info Less Info

Handpicked for You® is a certification by a collaboration of plant breeders, growers and independent garden center retailers. Together we’re working to identify and introduce the best tested and most trusted plants available to you for garden success.

A Better Plant. Handpicked for You® plants undergo trials at regional grower locations and are evaluated by local independent garden centers before they are awarded the Handpicked for You® trustmark. Each plant is tested on 10 core performance criteria and is evaluated on 18 additional factors designed to assess their suitability for your yard. Only the best garden performers are selected to receive the Handpicked for You® trustmark.

New plants are added each year from bredder all over the world. You have the oportunity to evaluate them and give your thoughts why they should be added to the ceritification program. This is very differnt from other new plants being introduced in to the market. They are tested in our trial gardens before being offered but your impute is important to the success and future certification.

Learn more : https://www.handpickedplants.com

Criteria:

This certification is awarded to plants that demonstrate superior performance during both regional grower trials along with feedback from local garden centers on how the plants performed in their unique geographic area. Handpicked for You^® plants must meet or exceed expectations on the following performance criteria:

Overall Performance
Reliability for Garden Success
Different and/or an Improvement over what is Currently Available
Low Maintenance
Foliage and Bloom Interest
Heat and Cold Tolerance
Disease Resistance
Non-Invasiveness
Retail Appeal
Ease of Production

The goal of the core performance criteria is to ensure Handpicked for You^® plants are evaluated not only on general plant quality but also on those factors that help to make a plant successful in your garden or yard.

In addition to these core criteria, a number of value-added factors are considered as well. While each plant might not meet all of these additional criteria, their performance on these factors are considered in the selection process. Value-added criteria include:

Multi-Season Interest
Multiple Uses in the Garden or Landscape
Size Suitable for Small Yards
Stress Tolerance
Salt and/or Pollution Tolerance
Adaptable to Several Soil Types
Deer Resistance
Low Water Usage
Nativar
Additional Features (such as being a pollinator species or having edible fruit or berries)

Knock Out® Family of Roses

The Knock Out® Family of Roses revolutionized the way we think of roses. These roses are easy to grow and do not require special care and offer great disease resistance.... More Info Less Info

The Knock Out® Family of Roses revolutionized the way we think of roses. These roses are easy to grow and do not require special care and offer great disease resistance. They have stunning flower power with a generous bloom cycle that will begin in spring and continue until the first hard frost.

Proven Winners®

Proven Winners® searches the world to bring you vibrant flowering annuals, perennials and shrubs that deliver beautiful garden performance.... More Info Less Info

Proven Winners® searches the world to bring you vibrant flowering annuals, perennials and shrubs that deliver beautiful garden performance. Working with top breeders across the globe, the collection offers new and exciting plants that are easy to grow, hardy and offer color in flower and foliage.

Raymond Evison Clematis®

Raymond Evison Clematis® are the result of 50 dedicated years searching, breeding and developing his award winning, flowering clematis for today's homes and gardens... More Info Less Info

Raymond Evison Clematis® are the result of 50 dedicated years searching, breeding and developing his award winning, flowering clematis for today's homes and gardens. His stringent selection process produces varieties with interesting new flowers that have the ability to flower up the entire stem over a longer period of time.

True Bloom™ Roses

A new generation of award winning roses for your garden. Finally an easy to grow rose with a True rose flower.... More Info Less Info

Altman Plants is at the forefront of the horticultural industry, taking great strides in the study and development of plants. Through careful research and with upmost care, we have been able to cultivate some of the most unique roses in the industry. We are bringing you True Bloom™: A new generation of award winning roses for your garden. Finally an easy to grow rose with a True rose flower.

NewGen® Boxwood

NewGen® Boxwood offers growers, landscapers, and garden retailers hope for the future of boxwood by trialing, selecting and marketing superior boxwood selections.... More Info Less Info

The mission of NewGen® Boxwood is to be the standard bearer of a distinctively better family of boxwood. We are here to bring the industry a new generation of plants that have proven themselves through years of observations, trialing, and research. Our promise is to provide exceptional plants that have better tolerance of Boxwood Blight and other boxwood diseases, better resistance to Boxwood Leafminer, and overall stunning appearance.

Premium Field Selections

This program offers specimen sized plant material for an instant effect in your landscape designs... More Info Less Info

Premium Field Selections: This program offers specimen sized plant material for an instant effect in your landscape designs. We take great care in selecting new and exciting as well as tried and true varieties that are hardy to our shipping regions. The team works to keep the crops looking great, offering a consistent supply chain for your project needs.

Container Tree Selections

Our container tree program is designed for all sized projects. It gives you the ability to plant all season long with plants ranging from garden center friendly 7 and 15 gallon to landscape ready 25 and 45 gallon specimens.... More Info Less Info

Seasonal Color

This category consists of our annual, herb, vegetable, succulent and tropical color selections. These plants are the colors of the seasons that give the punch of color, interest and drama to your home and garden.... More Info Less Info

Seasonal Color: This category consists of our annual, herb, vegetable, succulent and tropical color selections. These plants are the colors of the seasons that give the punch of color, interest and drama to your home and garden. We offer many sizes for installation designs from large landscape projects to small containers for that special area of your home and garden.

Premier Plant Solutions

Premier Plant Solutions was founded in 1989 as Willoway Wholesale Distribution Center in Avon, OH. By 2016 we had grown to three locations (adding Hilliard and Broadview Heights) and re-named the company Premier Plant Solutions. With the new name comes a fresh approach to making it easier for our local landscape customers to access over 2,000 varieties of high-quality plant material (most of which is grown locally by Willoway Nurseries) with no minimum order size and walk-in, delivery, or call-ahead options. We use our unique resources and established relationships to provide simple, successful solutions for horticulture professionals.

Willoway Nurseries Customer Portal

This portal is located on our website to offer our customers 24/7 access to online information on availability, crop photos and account details.... More Info Less Info

The portal is designed to give you 24/7 access to ordering, availabiity, crop phots, account details and other tools to work within your busy schedule. Sign up for our newsletter and also recieve weekly update and our dock videos to help you to stay upto date on what is looking good for your next delivery. Easy to get started on our site: www.willowaynurseries.com

Systems Approach to Nursery Certification (SANC)

The Systems Approach to Nursery Certification (SANC) Program is a voluntary audit-based program for plant production facilities. This program promotes effective practices in producing healthy plants.
Learn more @ https://sanc.nationalplantboard.org/

... More Info Less Info

Systems Approach Benefits

Healthier plant material
Facilitates commerce
Scalable to all sizes and types of plant production facilities
Prevent the introduction and spread of nursery pests, pathogens and weeds
Increased communication between facility staff
Facilities with employees utilizing best management practices grow healthier and safer plant material
Critical Control Points (CCPs) are monitored reducing risks to the facility
Industry and States work together in collaboration to ship better plant material
Recognition of a level of achievement as a SANC-Certified facility

Facility Responsibilities

Conduct a facility pest Risk Assessment (RA)
Select and use Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce pest risk
Document practices and maintain records
Develop a Facility SANC Manual including a pest management plan
Train employees to ensure BMPs are used throughout each level of the facility system
Conduct internal audits to document SANC Program procedures

WorryFree® Collection

WorryFree® plants have been bred with your landscape success in mind. Each WorryFree® plant addresses specific problems and challenges in the landscape, allowing you to spend less time worrying and more time enjoying your garden!... More Info Less Info

The WorryFree® Barberry Collection features two non-invasive Barberry. Most Barberry can be invasive. The WorryFree® Barberry solve this problem as they were bred at the University of Connecticut to be non-invasive, providing you with an attractive and well-performing landscape plant that is deer resistant and now without the invasive risk.

The WorryFree® Grasses Collection feature non-invasive popular groups of Ornamental Grasses in the American landscape but the genus has been an invasive plant issue throughout a good portion of the U.S. Now there are sterile varieties, offering a winning solution in terms of form, color, and reliability without the invasive risk.