With a spotlight on C.R. Nelson Wholesale Plant Supply and the people behind the plants

At LandscapeHub, we’ve built technology to make sourcing easier, but the heart of what we do is rooted in relationships. The trust between growers and contractors, between buyers and reps, is what keeps projects moving.

As the green industry continues to evolve, so do the materials that power it. The 2025–2026 landscape season is being shaped by regional climate shifts, evolving design standards, labor constraints, and growing sustainability demands, all of which directly impact how contractors and buyers source landscape materials.

Here are the key trends shaping what’s being specified, stocked, and shipped in the months ahead.

In the heart of Ohio, Intel’s new semiconductor manufacturing site—dubbed the Cardinal Campus—represents one of the most ambitious tech infrastructure investments in recent U.S. history. This multi-billion-dollar project aims to reestablish domestic chip production and bring thousands of jobs to the region. Led by Bechtel, the site is not only an engineering feat, it’s also a showcase for how thoughtful landscape design and native plant selection can support long-term sustainability and regional identity.

Behind the scenes, a TX-based buyer from Ruppert Landscape was tasked with managing procurement for the extensive planting plan. With a species list heavy on resilient natives and site-appropriate varieties, the job required careful coordination across growers and geographies to get the right mix, on spec, on time, and at scale.

When you’re taking on a large landscape project, one of the biggest challenges, and risks, is managing the plant order. Chasing down availability from multiple vendors, juggling spreadsheets, comparing inconsistent quotes, and hoping deliveries show up on time can drain hours (and patience).

You’ve got a confirmed install date, a final plant list, and crews scheduled, but one of the key trees is suddenly nowhere to be found. You call your usual suppliers. No luck. You check availability sheets. Out of date. Now you're spending half a day chasing down a single line item just to keep the project moving.

At the Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, NJ, a well-maintained living wall adds natural beauty to a space focused on healing. We recently supported a refresh of this vertical system in collaboration with GSky Plant Systems, a firm recognized for designing, installing, and maintaining living walls across the U.S. and Canada.

In the landscape industry, timing matters and so does trust. Whether it’s a large commercial installation or a fast-moving residential job, contractors need to source plant material from suppliers they know will deliver. For years, that meant relying on a familiar network of local nurseries, often coordinated through a patchwork of phone calls, spreadsheets, and in-person visits.

By June, most landscape contractors aren’t looking for ideas, they are looking for solutions. Projects are underway, install schedules are tight, and material sourcing needs to be fast, reliable, and accurate. Even now, many buyers are still relying on outdated methods: email chains, texts, spreadsheet lists, and phone calls that go unanswered during peak hours.

For years, sourcing nursery products wholesale has meant juggling phone calls, spreadsheets, and email chains, often while you're already knee-deep in a project. It’s time-consuming, repetitive, and doesn’t always guarantee you’ll get what you need when you need it.

What’s trimming your margins? There’s a good chance there are many factors. Changing prices, seasonality, time-consuming product hunts—can all shrink your margins.