Knecht’s

We are very excited about the number of residents and businesses here in Northfield who are participating in the America in Bloom program.  We have a healthy supply of the designated colors in annuals and we have many planters planted with the designated annuals as well for those who would just like to buy a pre-planted container!  Leif’s article in the Northfield News this week shares his thoughts on America in Bloom

The Northfield Garden Club is working hard to encourage Northfield area residents, businesses and institutions to beautify town and build a greater sense of community by getting involved in the America in Bloom program.   It’s easy and enjoyable and costs little more than what you would spend anyway on annual flowers for your gardens and planters.

Participation in the Northfield America in Bloom project is as simple as choosing annual flowers that follow the 2008 suggested color theme of combining pink, chartreuse and burgundy/violet.  As these theme colors appear all over town, we will be individually and collectively participating in the building/re-building of community spirit, and beautifying homes, businesses and public spaces. Read the rest of this entry »

This year the Northfield Garden Club is promoting the America in Bloom program here in Northfield.  This stems from a national non-profit organization which encourages the business community and private citizens in a city to join efforts and celebrate the assets of their city and to enhance its appearance as an attractive place for which to work, live and  visit.

Local groups must register by late winter their intent to participate in the program.  In Minnesota this year, there are only four cities participating- Red Wing, Bemidiji, Northfield and Buffalo.  The Northfield Garden Club has contacted almost all of the businesses in Northfield to encourage everyone to "get on board".  There is a color theme for the program and this includes the use of the following annuals in either containers or annual bed plantings - hot pink petunias, hot pink wave petunias, lime green sweet potato vine, and dark colored coleus.

The program has several areas - not just the flowers.  It promotes tidiness, environment, community involvement, heritage, landscape areas, and also the floral displays.  In July, 2008, there will be nation-wide judging of the cities that have registered.  In 2007 Red Wing, MN  was a winner in the program.  Let’s have Northfield on the list of winners for 2008!

We will be trying our best to stock as many of these annuals as we can but we do encourage everyone to pre-order what they think they’ll be needing so we can try to have them available!

We have a huge assortment of baskets for Mother’s Day gift giving.  Baskets for the sun or shade - clip the coupon from the Northfield News for an additional savings and give Mom a gift she’ll have all summer!

Also for Mother’s Day - just on Sunday - we are offering a free perennial (from a group of selected perennials) with any purchase.  Bring Mom in for an extra special treat!

Every spring we find several robin nests here at the nursery.  With each one we find - it is a wonder all it’s own.  It’s like "Wow - look at this", knowing that we’ve seen it many times before but feeling as if we’ve just discovered something no one else has ever seen.

This morning, Heidi and I were working in the Hosta sales area - putting up some shady area hanging baskets and we had one mad robin on our hands.  Not seeing why she was so mad at her, Heidi started looking around only to find that the mother robin had made her nest in one of the pot trays on the top shelf of our display bench.  The tray held only 5 pots in it instead of 6, so the robin had used the empty space for her nest.  In it, we discovered 4 beautiful blue eggs.  As is our custom when we discover the nests, we put up signs and take the nearby plants off sale until the eggs have hatched and the baby’s are on their own.

The magic of spring!

Okay - it is getting warmer - we all want to get out and plant… So let’s see what’s doing the blooming…..

There are many spring perennials that add so much to our gardens but perhaps the best loved spring perennial is the bleeding heart or officially - “Dicentra”.  It is a part sun/part shade plant - and jumps out of the ground in the spring.  Even in this cold spring - my bleeding heart is almost a foot high already at home!

It produces these wonderful little pink and white flowers for several weeks, after which it will provide a nice green foliage plant until mid-summer.  After that time, it will begin it’s journey into dormancy and will most likely to brown by mid-August at which time I simply cut mine off and wait again till spring.

The picture here is of our grandson, Tyger, who when this picture was then was 2 years old.  A bleeding heart, given good well drained soil and the right light conditions will explode with vigor in the spring.

We have the old fashioned bleeding heart plants which are pictured here, as well as the White Bleeding Heart, the King of Hearts and Luxuriant varieties in this year!  Given the head start in the greenhouse - many are already blossoming and are ready to be planted in your garden!

There are so many benefits from planting trees - - - -

a -  Shade trees can reduce energy bills by 15 to 40 percent!  The shade from trees can reduce the amount of times that your air conditioner kicks on during the heat of the summer!   In the winter time - without leaves - the sun shines through the bare branches and warms your home - which again helps with the heat bill!  (Besides being a beautiful addition to your yard!)

b - Evergreen trees planted on the north - northwest side of your home  in that the evergreens help to block the cold winter winds!!!

c - One tree can absorb the carbon dioxide produced by four cars every year!!!!

d - The curb appeal and re-sale value of your home is enhanced by several times what you pay for the trees

We currently have thousands of trees in our retail sales center right now!   You can find all the usual types of trees and some very unique ones as well.   A new one this year - available in a limited number - is the weeping Larch.   Stunning!  An ornamental tree - but oh, so cool!

We have a sale on our spring 2007 dug balled and burlapped trees at 50% off (this will make sales room for the 2008 crop!)  There are many exceptional values here!  There are also many container trees marked at 50% off as well! 

The weather man says that tonight’s cold blast should be it!   Let’s get planting!!

Everyone wants to get into the yard and garden now with at least a hint of warmer weather…. Leif’s article from the Northfield News last Saturday highlights the different sequences for success in the garden………

A long winter and a scattering of nice days in April have most gardening enthusiasts eager to till and plant. The sequence of what you plant first and what you delay until later may determine the difference between success and disappointment.

April and the first half of May is a great time to plant cool season varieties of annuals, as well as trees and shrubs. Pansies, petunias, snap dragons, dianthus and alyssum are good choices for early season flowers. Cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, potatoes, radishes, lettuce and spinach are fairly safe early season vegetables that should prosper in cooler soil temperatures. Read the rest of this entry »

We are now celebrating our fifth season of having our retail center employees certified by Proven Winners.  Certification represents the highest level of achievement in garden center training that is offered by Proven Winners.  We complete a course in plant education, programs and promotion, focused on providing excellence in all aspects of customer service. 

Proven Winners are plants that have met or surpassed growing criteria and performance in the garden.  These plants are easy to grow and easy to maintain!   We carry a nice selection of specialty annuals that have earned this designation as well as a few varieties of shrubs.  Supertunias and Calibrachoa are just a couple of the great Proven Winners annuals.  Stop in soon to pick your out!

Nothing says spring more than the arrival of the pansies, snapdragons and the cool season vegetables.  Our first shipment arrived today.  Pansies are hardy plants that withstand colder temperatures at night and can also handle a fair amount of shade.  We usually plant pansies in the window boxes here on the office which is quite shady.

Plants arriving today include Alyssum, Dianthus, Dusty Miller, Lobelia, Pansies, Petunias, Snapdragons, Violas, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cabbage, & Collards. 

Decorate your window boxes - put a few planters out - enjoy the bright colors of spring annuals.  Even though these plants can tolerate the cool spring weather - you will still need to be prepared to protect them if the lows get down around 28 degrees or so. 

At the nursery this time of year, the question most asked is “Can I plant right now?”.  The April 12th article in the Northfield News shares Leif’s thoughts….. 

As winter ever so slowly transitions to spring, many people think about planting trees.  Spring has been a traditional tree planting time, and remains an excellent period for installing the trees that will make your property more beautiful with each passing year.

 The biggest advantage of planting at the beginning of the season is that your new trees will have an entire growing season to grow new roots and become established for more vigorous growth in subsequent years.  You can’t get strong growth without first growing a large network of new roots, and each additional week the tree has during the season to grow new roots means the tree is better prepared for the next year and the year after.

 Another advantage of early season planting is the dormant condition of the trees, and the cool temperatures.  Dormant trees can wake up slowly once they have been planted which reduces stress.  Cool temperatures mean less demand for moisture on a relatively small root system.  By the time hotter temperatures arrive, a tree planted early in the season has already grown some new roots, and can more easily draw moisture and nutrition from the soil. Read the rest of this entry »

Leif’s article in the April 5th - Northfield News  discusses things to do when it’s not quite ready yet to make a full assault into the springtime garden work…… 

Dare we hope that the long-awaited Spring of 2008 is now unfolding?  Most of the folks I’ve run into lately are feeling as if it can’t come soon enough.  Despite our yearning to get outdoors and DO something, patience may be advisable for most yard and garden activities.

 Soil compaction is one of the biggest enemies of landscape plants, and it is well documented that wet soil compacts easily.  Even foot traffic can cause some co0mpaction, so try to stay off wet ground until it thaws and drains enough to firm up.

 One early season activity that can be done without too much danger is pruning trees and shrubs.  It’s too early to dig or rake, but trees and shrubs are pretty much dormant and can be safely pruned.

 Another good activity on a nice day before the ground firms up is planning upgrades and additions to the landscape.  When the sun is warm and the wind light, put a comfortable chair in different parts of your landscape and sit quietly.  Allow the hub-bub of daily life to melt away and give yourself permission to imagine the possibilities for a new look in that particular area of the landscape.  Jot down your ideas even if they don’t seem inspired, and move the chair to another part of the yard.  Continue the process until you’ve quietly visited most or all of your landscape.   Put the notes away and look at them a few days later.  The passage of even this short amount of time will give you another perspective on your initial ideas.  In the end, suit yourself.  It’s your landscape, and part of your castle.  Trust yourself and make your yard the kind of place that brings you comfort, joy, renewal and peace. Read the rest of this entry »

We are here - 7 days a week (See hours) and are busily putting the nursery together after a long winter’s sleep!  Only if Mother Nature would quit taking these winter-like naps! 

Our retail yard will be receiving shipments of plants for the next few weeks and we will be fully stocked by the end of April.  Nonetheless, we have thousands of plants on site now!  With winter hanging on so long, our suppliers are experiencing the same thing we are in that they can’t get up and ready to ship as quickly as they have in past years. 

Our first shipment of annuals for this year will be arriving on April 17th.   The weather forecast for next week actually looks like we might be able to plant a pansy or two outside!

Our first big sale is happening right now - we are discounting our 2007 spring dug balled and burlapped trees by 50%.  There are many varieties to pick from - maples, oaks, lindens, spruce, pine and more!  At 505 off regular prices - these are exceptionally good prices!   Stop in now and pick out a tree or two - while supplies last!

Leif’s articles are again appearing in the Northfield News this year! The following article was published in the March 29th issue…

Good pruning of the trees in your landscape is one of the most important things you can do to build and maintain the value and appearance of your real estate. During a period of time when there is downward pressure on housing prices, and a large inventory of homes on the market, having well maintained and beautiful trees could be an important factor in whether or not you receive a reasonable offer for your property.

Many people know that oaks, elms, honeylocusts and fruit trees are best pruned in the winter when the risks of disease transmission are low. With winter slow to make its exit this year, it should be safe to prune these tree varieties up until April 15^th - 20^th.

Good tree pruning is timely pruning. Prune your trees early and often during the first 10-15 years after planting them. Every other year is a good rule of thumb. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve been busily potting up perennial plugs for the last few weeks in our greenhouses. Even if Mother Nature says it’s not quite time for spring yet - it is definitely spring here!

We have brought in several new varieties of Heuchera this year. Heuchera is a part sun/part shade perennial that is classified in the “evergreen” variety (meaning you don’t prune it back in the fall) and offers a wonderful array of colors and textures to its leaves. They offer a tiny flower on a long stem during the season - it’s common name is “Coral Bells” but you use the Heuchera for its foliage value more.

Every perennial garden should have at least one clump of ornamental grass. Ornamental grass offers a backdrop to annuals or colorful flowering perennials or looks stunning by itself. Some varieties of ornamental grass provide visual interest all winter long as well. This is just one variety that was on the potting table this morning when I was out taking pictures. We typically carry about 20 varieties of ornamental grass.

We start about 1000 little “tissue culture” trees each spring. Here are some birch trees, some Prairiefire Crabapple and several varieties of maple trees. It is so much fun to see that little twig in a pot of dirt all of a sudden produce these little tiny colorful leaves when there is still snow outside on the ground!

Even though the weather forecast for tomorrow (our first full day of spring) is for 6 inches of wet, slushy snow - we just need to open one of the greenhouses for a taste of spring!

We spent a week on the Georgia coast last month! The temps were in the 60’s and 70’s and spring was just starting to emerge. Except for the Azaleas - they were beautiful. The picture here is from an Azalea shrub in Forsyth Park in Savannah.

Even though we don’t have the wide number of varieties of Azaleas available here in Minnesota that they have in Georgia - there still are several varieties that are Zone 4 hardy. Yellows, pink, oranges… we’ll have our Azaleas in at the nursery the last part of April!

Savannah is an absolutely beautiful city. In the historic district, there are 24 small parks laid out on a grid system so that you only need to walk 2 or 3 blocks in any direction and you come upon a small city square park. Then - there is Forsyth Park. Centered around a huge white fountain, the sidewalks form the spokes of a wheel and lead you in and out of the park along pathways of flowers and trees!

The Redbud trees were just starting to blossom. This is always an exciting time in Minnesota at the beginning of Spring as it beckons the other flowering trees to follow.

There is a strain of Redbud that grows well in Minnesota. It needs well drained loamy soil with a little protection and it’ll thrive for years! We have a clump at home that is doing really well and we have a more mature clump here at the nursery! A small ornamental tree that will complete an area in your yard.