Job Posting

on Wednesday, 07 April 2021. Posted in Landscape architect, Landscape contractor

Join our team! Grower's Assistant and Retail Sales Help

class 10 year anniversary first day spring

Job Description #1 - Grower's Assistant

Shooting Star Nursery is seeking an individual to join our growing and propagation team! The primary task of this position is to plant and grow from start to finish a diverse variety of ornamental grasses, perennials & shrubs that are regionally appropriate for the Rogue Valley.

Other tasks include: watering, fertilizing, plant cut back & grooming, equipment & tool operation, weeding & sanitation, staking, propagation & division of new plants, greenhouse & growing area maintenance, labeling, data recording & pulling/loading & unloading of orders are also needed.

This is a fast paced environment that requires working in all weather conditions.  Experience with plants is preferred. Strong work ethic, punctual, team participation and willingness to learn and take on new tasks are required. Occasional weekend watering is required and applicant must be able to lift up to 50 lbs. occasionally.

Position runs from Feb 22nd to October 22nd: up to 40 hrs. a week during busy season, and tapering down slightly during slow seasons. Potential for a repeating job every year from February to October, and potential for growth into retail sales if knowledgable and interested in expanding hours.

Skills You'll Need:

* Be willing and eager to learn! There's a ton to learn about plants at our 10 acre nursery, with over 2000 different plants and trees we offer. This is a great opportunity for those wanting to expand their plant knowledge

* Be organized and detail-oriented

* Dependable and hard working

* Take initiative and notice details

Our Nursery:

Shooting Star Nursery prides itself on providing exceptional customer service as well as outstanding plants that make sense for our climate. We grow a lot of the plants we sell and have a well-rounded staff that feels like family, many have been here for 10 years now. There is a huge knowledge base among our staff, so this is a great place for you to learn your plants. Plus you get to be outside all day enjoying all that southern Oregon has to offer.

Hourly pay dependent on experience, will include group health plan and IRA plan after one year of employment. Paid time off is 1 hour for 30 hours worked.  

Please send resumes to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. No phone calls, please

class plant nerd night

Job Description #2 - Retail/Wholesale Sales Assistant

Shooting Star Nursery is seeking an enthusiastic plant person to assist with retail and wholesale customers. The primary task of this position is to assist customers in choosing plants among a diverse variety of ornamental grasses, perennials, shrubs, and trees that are regionally appropriate for the Rogue Valley.

You will assist customers in loading their vehicles, ringing up customers (which requires knowing botanical names)and making sure wholesale orders are loaded correctly. This can be a fast paced environment during the busy season of spring and fall that requires working in all weather conditions.

Experience with plants is a must, and strong consideration given to those with knowledge of botanical names and nursery experience. There are a lot of exciting new things to learn here, but a strong base of plants and how they are organized will be helpful. Strong work ethic, punctual, team participation and willingness to learn and take on new tasks are required. Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs. occasionally and pull a cart load of plants.

Position runs from mid Feb to mid November. Up to 40 hrs. a week during busy season (includes Saturdays) at time and a half) possibly tapering down to 20-30 hours a week during slower seasons. Potential for a repeating job every year from February to November and potential for growth into other areas of the nursery to expand hours. There's always something to do at a nursery!

Hourly pay dependent on experience, will include group health plan and IRA plan after one year of employment. Paid time off is 1 hour for every 30 hours worked.

Our Nursery:

Shooting Star Nursery prides itself on providing exceptional customer service as well as outstanding plants that make sense for our climate. We grow a lot of the plants we sell and have a well rounded staff that feel like family, many for 10 years now. There is a huge knowledge base among our staff, so this is a great place to learn your plants. Plus you get to be outside all day enjoying all that southern Oregon has to offer.

  Please send resumes to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. No phone calls, please

western columbine

Job Description #3- Part Time Watering and Restocking

Shooting Star Nursery is seeking a part-time person to assist with watering plants, help put away and tag plantsand general upkeep of plants.

There's always something to do at a nursery, and we are looking for someone willing to pitch in where needed,. The successful applicant will have good attention to detail, and a positive attitude. This is a great way to learn your plants! 

Hourly pay dependent on experience, starts at $13 an hour.  Paid time off is 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Part time schedule can most likely be determined based on your availability - could be half days, but summer time watering will be imperitive. May include some weekends. Needed for spring, summer, and early fall.

Please send resumes to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. No phone calls, please

Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

on Sunday, 17 January 2021. Posted in Deer resistant, Landscape architect, Landscape contractor

Privacy Screens and Hedges

portugueseLaurelCloseOf all the laurels used for hedges and privacy screens, Portuguese laurel is an all-time favorite. They have all the benefits of English laurel varieties, but what makes them unique is their striking red stems that contrast perfectly with the narrow, dark green leaves. They are also more heat tolerant than their English cousins.

portugueseLaurelFlowers

As an extra bonus, they produce clusters of fluffy, fragrant, white flowers in late spring, and black berries for the birds in fall. Maybe the best part of all… they are remarkably deer resistant! We see them planted in Jacksonville, untouched, next to deer ravaged English laurel.

 

portugueseLaurel2

In general, laurels grow fast, have a dense branching habit, are shade and sun tolerant, and have large glossy green leaves that respond well to being trimmed. Consistently trimming laurel hedges encourages new bushier growth. If you are going for a more natural-looking hedge, just trim it less often. Maintaining Portuguese laurel to your desired height and depth is easy to do once you get the hang of it. They can grow anywhere from 18-24” each year, and if not maintained, they can reach 18-20’ tall and 10-15’ wide, or larger. They can easily be kept in the 8-10' range with pruning.

Portuguese laurels prefer well-draining soil and do well in full sun to part shade. They become moderately drought tolerant once the root system is established.

Be sure to take a look at the Watering Guidelines for the Rogue Valley and Tree Planting Guide resources available on our website.

Hedges and Privacy Screens

on Monday, 30 November 2020. Posted in Landscape architect

Great options for Privacy Screens and Hedges

Privacy hedges or screens are more than just an attractive living visual barrier between you and whatever is on the other side. They also buffer noise, wind, dust, and other pollutants kicked up from nearby driveways and roads. There are many great selections of mid-size conifers and broadleaf shrubs that stay green all year round. Since we get a lot of questions about what can be used for privacy screens and landscape borders, we thought it would be great to tell you a little more about what we have.

This is just a small sample of many other options for evergreen hedges and privacy screens. We'll tell you more about other options in future posts. Make sure to sign up for the Shooting Star Nursery Newsletter for the most up to date news and new arrivals!


cedrusDeodaraDivinelyBlue2Cedrus deodara,
'Divinely Blue' Deodar Cedar

A dwarf variety of the full-sized Deodar Cedar, with the same beautiful blue-green evergreen foliage on graceful nodding branches that forms a low mounding shape. Prefers well-draining soil and full sun but will tolerate some shade. Drought tolerant once established. Slow grower of about 6" per year, reaching up to 6' tall x 3-6' wide within 10 years.

 


taxusHicksiiHicksYewTaxus hicksii, 'Hick's Yew'

The upright, columnar form of the Hicks Yew is made up of long branches with lush, glossy, evergreen foliage that makes it a great option for tall hedges and privacy screens. Does well in full sun to full shade and prefers well-draining soil. Drought tolerant once established. Grows slow at about 12" per year, reaching up to 10-12' tall x 3-4' wide at maturity.

 


thujaExcelsaThuja plicata,
'Excelsa' Western Red Cedar

A Pacific Northwest native with full-bodied, evergreen, fan-like foliage that is Aromatic with some deer resistance. Prefers moist, well-drained soil and full to part sun. Drought tolerant once established. Grows fast at 24-36" per year for an almost instant privacy screen! Reaches up to 30' tall x 20' wide at maturity.

 

 

thujaVirescensThuja plicata,
'Virescens' Western Red Cedar

A Pacific Northwest native with upward reaching branches that create a tall, tight, and narrow pyramid shape. Glossy evergreen aromatic foliage some deer resistance. Prefers moist, well-drained soil and full to part sun. Drought tolerant once established. Grows moderately at about 15" per year, and up to 25' tall x 12' wide at full maturity.


portugueseLaurelPrunus lusitanica, 
‘Portuguese Laurel’

If you don't want a conifer hedge, laurels are the way to go. Portuguese laurels have narrow, rounded, glossy, evergreen leaves and red stems. They are fast-growing, bushy, and produce fragrant white flowers that bloom in late spring. They respond well to being trimmed into a uniform shape, and if you prefer the look of natural growth, you should still trim them at least once a year. Prefers well-draining soil, and does equally well in full sun or full shade as long as its root system is established. Generally, these shrubs can reach 18-20' tall x 10-15' wide, and larger if not maintained.


buxusGrahamBlandy2Buxus sempervirens,
'Graham Blandy' English Boxwood

If you love boxwoods and need an option for a tall privacy screen that fits in a narrow space, then 'Graham Blandy' (Buxus sempervirens) boxwood, is the superstar you have been looking for. This is a relatively slow-growing boxwood, at less than 6" or less per year and that can reach up to 10’ tall and only 2’ wide. 

There are many great options available to you for a privacy screen. Take a look at some other ideas with compact and dwarf conifers, columnar plants, and even bamboo that is cold hardy enough for the Rogue Valley!