Redbud along St. Olaf Avenue
I have found myself looking forward to the blossoming of the redbuds that have been planted here and there around town. Redbuds consistently provide lovely purple blossoms, and usually lots of them.
We recommend the Minnesota Strain Redbud mostly because of their demonstrated hardiness. As the Magnolia and Forsythia flowers of early spring begin to fade, the Redbud flowers burst right through the bark. It’s like a miracle every year. Unlike most flowering shrubs and trees, no flower buds can be seen on the dark grey twigs, yet all of a sudden they are erupting through the bark, and in a few days time, the tree is covered. Redbud blossoms also seem to last longer than flowering crabs.
Minnesota Strain Redbud favors part fo full sun, and properly drained soil that has some good organic matter content. Grows to 15′ tall x 15′ wide in 10-15 years here in southern Minnesota. We have Redbuds available in several different sizes and price points. Stop in soon to get your very own Redbud.
The Proven Winners SupertuniaR Pretty Much PicassoR came in today! They are beautiful! These unique flowers sport violet purple flowers edged in lime green. This vigorous plant is great for mixing in combination with other plants. They’ll atrract butterflies and hummingbirds, you don’t need to deadhead, they tolerate drought and heat very well, are pet friendly and low maintenance. How much easier could it be?
Pretty Much Picasso
They are a shorter plant – reaching a height of 8″-12″ and have a trailing habit. When you make up your combination baskets – they are the spiller for your basket. Your taller plant is the thriller and you can use other short, upright plants as fillers. These plants want full sun and should be watered regularly. When you initially do your containers, you should apply a slow release fertilizer as a top dress. When watering, twice a month you should feed with a water soluble fertilizer. Follow the package directions on the fertilizer you select. This should keep your annuals looking wonderful from the time you bring them home, until the first hard frost hits.
Magnolia blossom
After a long Minnesota winter, many of us are craving the sight of the spring blossoms. Hardy Magnolias have proven to be one of the best landscape plants to provide early spring blossoms that are large and showy.
While crocuses, daffodils, tulips and cilla are other great plants to get a fix of early spring flowers, the hardy Magnolias can give a nice upright mass of lovely blossoms in a variety of mature sizes and colors. With spring coming late the Magnolias have just started blossoming this last week.
Royal Star Magnolia has a nice white fragrant blossom with about 25 petals arranged into a width of 3-4 inches. This is a smaller sized Magnolia maturing to 8’-10’ tall.
Merrill Magnolia also has 3” plus white blossoms with wider petals, and a sizeable mature size of 30’ to 40’ tall by 30’ wide.
Leonard Messel Magnolia sports pink and white blossoms and a medium mature height of 15’ -20’ which makes a showy statement every spring.
Ann Magnolia is another short variety, growing to 8’-10’ and has eye catching reddish purple blossoms for people who prefer more color intensity. All 4 of these magnolias have demonstrated very good hardiness.
We do recommend on all these magnolias a once a year application of systemic insecticide to prevent Magnolia scale. This procedure requires no spry, since the recommended soil drench requires only a pail, 1 gallon of water, a few ounces of product and 1 minute of time to mix the solution and pour it on the ground around the trunk. Also, when planting Magnolias it is a good idea to add some additional peat to the soil as Magnolias do like a more acid soil.
We have all kinds of hanging baskets – single flower baskets – mixed flower baskets – sun – shade – ferns – and some beautiful Begonia baskets! Colorful watering cans – gardening gloves & tools, whimsical pot stakes – herb gardens – pansy baskets, geranium planters…. the list goes on. If you are still stumped – how about a Knecht’s Gift Certificate.. then Mom can come and pick out her own special gift. The weather now seems like spring so stop in and pick up that perfect Mother’s Day Gift.
The time has finally come! The May 2nd arrival of the Bella Anna Hydrangea has us pink with excitement! Bella Anna is a pink re-blooming version of the ever popular Annabelle Hydrangea. It shows the same hardiness and vigor of its parent plant with the incredible ability to produce beautiful magenta pink blooms on new wood. The amazing flowers last from summer all the way through fall on strong stems that keep them up and showy! It has an “easy-to-grow” low maintenance habit with a mature height and width of only 3′ x 3′. We are proud to make this Bailey Nurseries introduction available just in time for Mother’s Day! What a wonderful gift idea for Mothers and Grandmothers this spring! And while you’re here be sure to pick one up for yourself. They going to go quickly!
Photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries.
Flower of the Diana Remembered Hosta
In honor of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, we are offering a ONE DAY ONLY SPECIAL on the Royal Wedding Papaver (Poppy) and the Diana Remembered Hosta. On Friday, Apri 29th, receive 25% off on the purchase of either one or both of these plants.
The flowers of the Royal Wedding Poppy are almost as beautiful as the soon to be Princess Kate. The above link will share information from the Perennial Resource at Walters Gardens. The Diana Remembered Hosta – named in memory of Prince William’s Mother, Princess Diana, is one of my favorite hosta. It is a large hosta with this incredibly gorgeous white flower and is very fragrant.
Come in on Friday, April 29th, for your 25% discount in honor of the “Royal Wedding”
Cardinal Red Columbine
A perennial for a host of settings. Aquilegia are an old fashioned perennial who’s hardiness and vigor have withstood the tests of time. Often found in cottage gardens or eclectic perennial borders, this easy to grow spring bloomer lends itself to woodland and shade gardens as well. A good choice as a specimen or en mass planted amongst spring bulbs like tulips or daffodils. The spurred flowers are both unusual and showy, with colors ranging from vibrant jewel tones to soft pastels in late spring to early summer. As cut flowers they can have quite a long vase life of up to 2 weeks or a bit more. Attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds, but fortunately not rabbits. Some varieties like ‘Leprechaun Gold’, have a brighter golden leaf, adding more interest to this classic perennial. Aquilegia prefers loose, average to rich, well drained soil. Full sun to part shade is acceptable, but light shade sites will give you the longest bloom. Don’t plant this one in heavy or water logged soils, it won’t grow.
Aquilegia – Columbine
Full Sun to Part Shade
About 18″-24″ and 18″ wide
Rabbit resistant
Zones 3-9
What should you plant with this delightful perennial as companion plants? Try Brunnera, Dicentra, Paeonia, Dwarf Delphiniums, Geranium (Cranesbill), Iris, Forget-me-Nots
Heidi Brosseau, our retail manager, submitted this article. You’ll find this Columbine and more available now.
April 22, 2011 – 10:55 am
Open Easter Sunday!! Our late spring has delayed alot of the fun in the garden, but it’s going to be a beautiful day and we’ll be here from 10 am to 4 pm. We have a full selection of trees, shrubs and perennials along with a nice assortment of annual 4-paks, veggies and even some herb planters.
Just for Easter Sunday only - we’ll have an Easter basket filled with plastic eggs containing a surprise discount for the day. Come in and pick an egg for a extra-special eggciting discount! Hop on in – we’ll be here. Discounts will be from 10% to 15% and are applicable to any plant material! (even plants that are on sale!) Discount applies only to plant material – no hardgoods, mulches or bagged product.
April 17, 2011 – 12:04 pm
Northern Sun Forsythia Tree
An early harbinger of spring is the Northern Sun Forsythia tree. This bright yellow beacon grows to only 8′-12′ tall and 7′-9′ wide, making it perfect for small spaces providing a great vertical accent in borders or foundation plantings. This hardy forsythia, zone 4-8, sports its huge bright yellow flowers in early spring before the foliage appears. The medium green foliage on arching branches is attractive all season. With spring being so reluctant to come this year, it warms the heart to just look at these trees out in our displays
April 14, 2011 – 12:38 pm
Herb Gardens
- Pansys & Violas
Our first shipment of annuals are in! They arrived late yesterday afternoon and look fabulous! We have the cool season annuals – Alyssum, Pansy, Petunia, Dusty Miller, Diathus, Snapdragons and Violas. We also brought in a handful of other varieties for use in our Mother’s Day planters for our Kid’s Planting Day and for those who want to get a little head start on some planters. We have Asters, Marigolds, Cosmos and Ageratum. After Easter, we will be bringing in a huge shipment of annuals and the specialty annuals including Proven Winners and a full array of hanging baskets available. The fern hanging baskets that we have carried the last few years are here. They make great hanging baskets, or I take the hanger off of mine and set it on a stand on the deck They look wonderful and will go quickly!
The cool season veggies available now include brocolli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and collards. There are even some tomato and pepper plants for those wanting to get a headstart inside for these tender plants. For herbs you’ll find basil, chives, cilantro, dill, mint, parsley and sage. This weekend, there’ll be herb gardens ready to purchase. The seed potatoes, (red, white & yellow along with fingerling potatoes), onion sets, garlic, and asparagus roots are all ready to go!
2011 Bonus Bucks
Once again, we are giving away Bonus Bucks during April and May, 2011. For every $25 you spend here on retail purchases, you will earn one Bonus Buck. The Bonus Bucks can be redeemed during June – June 1st through the 30th on purchases.
Bonus Bucks cannot be used on landscape contracts or for payment of invoices.
During April, we have over 200 selected balled and burlapped (B&B) trees on sale at 50% off.
Maples
Oaks
Lindens
Elms – disease resistant
Flowering & Ornamental trees
These are 2010 carry-over trees that are in excellent condition and warrantied. You can flag the trees at the time of purchase and pick them up anytime during April. You will find exceptional values! If these larger trees are more than what you’re wanting to handle – we have thousands of potted trees for sale and you may want to check out our “Bargain Areas” where you will also find potted trees that have been deep discounted.
This past week we have been busily uncovering plant material, moving things around, cleaning up after the long, snowy winter and getting geared up for the new gardening season! We will be open once again starting on Wednesday, April 6th. Our hours during the week are 8 am to 6 pm, on Saturday we’re here from 8 am to 5 pm and 10 am to 4 pm on Sundays. Each day for the next several weeks, we will be moving additional plants into our sales area, and will be receiving shipments in from our various vendors. The long range weather forecast this morning indicates that we’ll be back to normal – instead of below normal which is certainly encouraging.
The greenhouses are full with perennials, little trees and this afternoon, we potted up 500 strawberry plants.
We expect to receive our cool season annuals the week of April 11th, and should have pansies, allysum, snapdragons, dianthus, and more. I’ll post it on our blog as soon as they get in.
November 18, 2010 – 11:30 am
Santa Claus is coming and we know what he has in his bag full of goodies – Knecht’s Gift Certificates of course!
With the purchase of any Gift Certificate over the holiday season, you will receive your choice of a brightly colored reference catalog. These catalogs are filled with loads of information about a variety of plants and ideas to help create the perfect outdoor living space. Vivid pictures and glossy pages will keep the lucky recipient dreaming and planning all through the long winter.
You can easily reach us by phone – 507-645-5015 or e-mail (info@knechts.net) this time of year. Just leave a message (if we’re not here) and we’ll get back to you in a flurry, I mean hurry.
Since Santa’s so busy, we can mail your Gift Certificate and catalog to you or the recipient. Here in town (Northfield, MN) we can even drop it off in person. If you would prefer to pick it up at the nursery, we do recommend you call ahead as our winter office hours are limited.
Happy Holidays — think Green! (This post was submitted by our retail manager, Heidi Brosseau)
November 11, 2010 – 1:28 pm
Our retail center has closed now for the season, but we still have about 200 potted trees and our larger balled and burlapped trees available through most of November. Our mulches and soil mix are also available (until we get freezing temperatures). We have firewood, firewood bundles and gifts certificates for sale all winter long. Our hours for the balance of November are Monday through Friday - 9 am to 4:00 pm. We are closed now on the weekends.
