Blog

Spotlight on Mops Mugho Pine

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Conifers shine this time of year and this little bun is no exception. Mops Mugo Pine is a low, dense and uniform grower that is a real low-maintenance plant. It grows at a rate of 3-5″ per year and will mature to 4′ high x 4′ wide. It makes a  Read more

Junipers – a Simple Solution for the Landscape

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When deciding on an evergreen for a full sun site, Juniper is one that often gets overlooked. They’re just the ticket for a low-maintenance, medium-sized evergreen complete with interesting berries, which attracts birds and tolerates a wide range of conditions including: -heat and drought once established -air pollution -clay soils  Read more

Focus on Bulbs – Spanish Bluebells

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Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica) are an underused spring bulb that should be planted more often. Basal, strap-like foliage forms neat clumps in spring and summer. In April to May, 8-12″ tall flowering stems are topped with loose clusters of bell-shaped flowers in pastel blue, pink and white. They are sweet  Read more

Winter Prep for Boxwood

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When it comes to the landscape in winter, it may seem like a great idea to sit back and let nature do her thing – any resulting issues from cold, wind and snow can be dealt with in spring, right? No. When it comes to Boxwood it’s important to take  Read more

Fetterbush – Dog-hobble – Drooping Laurel: It’s Leucothoe!

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It’s November – time for your evergreens to step up to the plate and give the garden the interest it deserves! Few broadleaf evergreens have striking fall and winter color like Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Scarletta’. The glossy green foliage turns deep burgundy-red as the temperatures drop. The color lasts through the  Read more

Focus on Bulbs – Narcissus for Naturalizing

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Probably the best spring flowering bulb for making a statement is Narcissus. They have unique flowers, vibrant colors and a wonderful fragrance. Most all varieties are long lived and will spread, or naturalize over time, but there are some varieties you can count on for spreading more than others like  Read more

Get a Move On With Ornamental Grasses

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The Ornamental Grasses are at their peak right now full of movement and waving their seedheads in the wind – especially the Japanese Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) seen here. They add dependable fall and winter interest with foliage that ranges from gold, tan and burgundy depending on the cultivar. Use  Read more

A Pillar of the (Tree) Community – Green Pillar Oak

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Everyone has their own mental list of go-to trees for fall color, but it’s not often that Pin Oaks are on them – especially the lesser-used cultivar Green Pillar. Pin Oaks usually do have burgundy-red foliage in the fall but this fastigiate form is known for fall color that is  Read more

Spotlight on Linden Viburnum

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Viburnums are a useful group of shrubs with three great characteristics – flowers, fruit and fall color – and the Linden Viburnum (V. dilatatum) is no exception. They have groups of white flowers May through June that are dome-shaped, developing into clusters of red fruit in the fall which, when  Read more

Focus on Bulbs – Darwin Hybrid Tulips

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Tulips have a color punch like no other spring flowering bulb. With such a wide range of color possibilities you can use them in large sweeps of monochomatic blocks or create a blend of complimentary colors to fit just about any palette. But, with so many classes of Tulips it  Read more