November 7, 2010 – 11:28 am
Today – Sunday November 7th – is our last official retail sales day. Our perennials are already tucked away for winter, and we have started the over-wintering process on our production areas. Our retail shrubs will be available yet for a few more days until they too, will be covered up for winter protection.
We will still have a couple hundred potted trees available and our larger balled and burlapped trees should be available for most of November. Our crews can continue to plant these trees for you even with a couple of inches of frost in the ground. The trees have already gone dormant, so we can plant them and in the spring they wake up in their new home! Our larger in ground field trees will be available for most of November.
We have mulch – bags and bulk and cow manure compost still available for your late fall garden clean-up. Don’t forget the tree wraps for your trees. Our firewood bundles are ready to go and we are delivering orders for fireplace cords of firewood! Kristin Lucas, our designer, is still visiting with customers regarding their landscapes and will be doing design work all winter!
November 1, 2010 – 6:36 am
Last year some of the best weather of the season for planting came in November. Mild temperatures, October rains that softened the soil, and dry working conditions during November made for many successful late season projects.
This year looks like similar late season planting opportunities are available. We still have an excellent selection of most varieties of trees, shrubs and quite a few perennials. Our crews usually do landscape installations well into late November, and so can you, so come on down to look over the plants and the Fall Sale prices!
October 26, 2010 – 8:25 am
Dakota Pinnacle Birch
Extending Fall Color
The intense windstorm of October 26th and 27th comes on the heels of some of the mildest October weather we have ever experienced. This has extended the length of the fall color season, and opportunities to get out and see the succession of reds, yellows, oranges, and burgundy that delights our eyes and soothes the soul.
One of my favorite times of the year is when the Northern Red Oaks and Northern Pin Oaks finally come into their peak of fall color in mid to late October. Most of the Sugar Maples have shed all their leaves, but the Quaking Aspen display their glorious gold at the same time as the Oaks show reds and burgundy. A wonderful new tree variety can also add a lovely gold to the late October landscape.
Dakota Pinnacle Birch grows quickly into a straight and very well proportioned upright shape, and turns a beautiful buttery gold at the very end of the fall color showcase, extending the autumn colors into early November. The Dakota Pinnacle in our memorial park at our home will hit peak color this year on October 27th or 28th, and blends beautifully with the Pin Oaks, Maples, Red Twig Dogwood and Flame Willow seen in the photo to the left.
An added virtue of Dakota Pinnacle Birch is the beauty of the pure white bark, which only increases as the leaves fall away by mid-November. Dakota Pinnacle is also very versatile – showing an ability to gracefully tolerate alkaline soils. River Birch sometimes struggle in alkaline soils, so you may want to consider Dakota Pinnacle Birch the next time you want to add a touch of distinction to your landscape. Our fall sale will continue for the next 10-14 days and all plants are at least 30% off.
October 21, 2010 – 6:33 am
We have taken two new shipments of trees this week – and they’re included in our fall sale pricing! Shop now – it’s still a great time to plant this fall – and you’ll have tree varieties that are different! We also re-stocked on Hydrangea Trees.. they are gorgeous!
The new trees include – Crimson Spire Oak – Prairie Sentinel Hackberry – Green Column Black Sugar Maple – Crimson Sentry Maple – Parkway Norway Maple – Autumn Fest Sugar Maple – Northern Flare Sugar Maple – Streetkeeper Honeylocust – Espresso Kentucky Coffeetree and more..
We have had a great October with the weather so favorable and we still have a good supply of most plants. All plants are 30% off and some are at 50% off. We will be open everyday through November 7th. Starting the 8th of November, we begin tucking the plants in for their long winter’s nap!
October 17, 2010 – 12:10 pm
October and November are traditionally the months when people stock up on firewood. For your safety, and to enjoy beautiful fires that burn nicely instead of smoldering and smoking, be sure to buy firewood that has been well dried. An awful lot of firewood that is sold has been drying for only the summer, or less.
Wood that has been dried in an open, sunny, windy place for two full summer seasons or longer, burns far better, and produces far less creosote deposits which is a big safety concern. It is also important that during the drying process, wood be stacked neatly so air can move on all sides of the wood. Firewood that has been simply thrown in one huge pile will dry some, but does so far more slowly than in neatly stacked rows. Be sure to ask how long it has been drying when purchasing firewood.
The amount of firewood pictured here is a “fireplace cord”. It is a stack of wood that is 4 feet high by 8 feet long and approximately 15″-18″ wide. (This amount of firewood measures about 1/3 of the standard logger’s cord). Our supply of firewood has been drying for three summers, and consists of hardwoods – elm, maple, hickory, oak, basswood and others. The price for this delivered in Northfield is $175. Please give us a call for delivery costs to other areas. We also have for sale here at the nursery firewood bundles for that backyard campfire this fall. These bundles are also from this same supply of firewood.
October 17, 2010 – 7:59 am
The amazingly mild October days and nights have been a joy for anyone working or playing outdoors this fall. If there is any downside at all to this fine weather, it has been the muted fall colors I have noticed the past ten days or so.
The best conditions for excellent fall color is a period with warm days and crisp nights with a bit of light frost. We had some frost several weeks ago, but since then nighttime temperatures have been considerably above normal, and the result has been noticeably less intense fall color on the varieties that turn color in the last half of the fall color season.
One tree that has showed nicer than usual fall color this year is the Celebration maple. Many years this useful hybrid maple of modest size simply turns to a soft shade of yellow. This year, the Celebration maples in our fields have a lovely orange/apricot glow that is really quite striking. Celebration also distinguishes itself with very uniform and strong branch angles, and a narrower width than most shade trees, making it a good choice for smaller spaces between buildings and along lot lines.
I have also shared this blog with the Northfield News.
October 14, 2010 – 11:37 am
Amsonia hubrechti - provides a wonderful fall color show is the 2011 Perennial of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association.
The tall arching stems of this perennial sport long narrow leaves that gives this plant a very delicate and graceful appearance. Clusters of light blue flowers bloom late spring into early summer, followed up by the wonderful display of yellow fall color!
This plant is hardy in zones 4 through 9, and will grow to a height of 36″. It is great for a cut flower, is deer resistant and can grow in sun to part shade.
Our fall sale has this perennial on sale at 50% off! Final sales price is $4.49. Sale through 2010.
October 14, 2010 – 10:33 am
Trees that have been recently planted (sometime within the last fives years or so) – are much safer in the late fall – winter and early spring with a white tree wrap protecting the bark from sun damage, rodents, rabbits and deer. All young trees should be wrapped going into winter, however, it is very important for maples, crabapples and ALL fruit trees to be wrapped. These trees are more tender, and are more attractive to the rodents and rabbits. We have three different kinds of tree wraps available that are all re-useable for several years and a weed whipping guard for protecting the bark on trees.
We highly recommend that you use only white materials to wrap your trees for winter protection because white changes temperature far less during the cycle from night to day than darker colored materials. Temperature fluctuations if they are extreme can encourage sap to rise into the bark of the tree prematurely and when a cold snap comes this extra moisture in the bark can sometimes freeze and destroy fairly significant amounts of bark. I’ve often seen people use black drain tile for wrapping trees and while it does prevent bucks from rubbing their antlers and rodents from chewing, it may actually aggravate problems with sunscald damage or frost cracking.
When installing the white wraps it is important to try to fit the bottom of the wrap as tightly to the ground as possible. This makes it tougher for small animals like mice to do any major damage. We recommend wrapping trees to a height of 4′ or 5′ if possible. White wraps only cost a few dollars each and can save an awful lot of disappointment. Last spring we had a very sad and unending procession of customers coming in and telling us how their tree(s) got severely damaged because they were lacking a good wrap. Wraps should be removed in the spring and stored again until fall. It is important for the tree to be able to get good air circulation during the growing season and it also prevents insects from causing damage underneath the wraps during the summer.
September 30, 2010 – 5:40 am
In addition to the hundreds of Minnesota grown trees and shrubs that produce fabulous fall color – all of our plant materials are on sale now at 30% to 50% off through the second weekend in November, 2010. You’ll find some of the well known fall color show stoppers on sale such as Autumn Blaze Maple, Majesty Sugar Maple, Northern Red Oak, Burning Bush, and the Amur Maple as well as some lesser known but equally as colorful fall favorites such as Emerald Carousel Barberry, Grace Smokebush, Tiger Eyes Sumac, Magic Carpet Spirea, Firefall Maple and many more.
If you’ve had a landscape project in mind for some time but just haven’t gotten around to it, this is a great time to enjoy some substantial savings on the cost of your plant materials. If you don’t have time to plant yourself, you can hire our landscape crews to do the planting for you! Our retail center is open 7 days a week until the second weekend in November!
September 22, 2010 – 9:28 am
The fabulous Firefall Maple is finally available, and offers homeowners and professionals alike a great new option for placement in the landscape of a fast growing, well structured maple of moderate width that shows eye popping reddish fall color.
Firefall Maple becomes ever more handsome as it matures, sporting a distinctive cutleaf foliage, lovely oval shape, and sturdy 45 degree angle branching that attaches strongly to the trunk for excellent long term durability. Branches sometimes develop a slightly wavy appearance that adds to visual interest, particularly during the long 6 1/2 months when there are no leaves on the trees here in Minnesota.
Versatility is another hallmark of Firefall Maple. Firefall will grow well in pretty moist soils, somewhat sandy/gravelly soils and most everything in between, and will be a good fit for smaller yards with a rated width of approximately 35′-40′ compared to most shade trees that commonly spread from 50′ to 70′ wide.
We have Firefall Maple available in #3, #7 and #15 pot sizes with 2010 Fall Sale prices ranging from $13.99 to $97.30. Heights of these trees cover a range from 4′ to 15′, with a caliper thickness of 1/2″ to 1 1/2″. Prices valid during 2010.
September 9, 2010 – 5:46 am
Our retail manager, Heidi has picked Sedums as her Perennial of the Week – at 10% off. Sedum special runs through 9-15-10. She submits the following:
‘One of my late summer – fall blooming favorites is the reliable and hardy succulent Sedum. These perennials provide great texture throughout the growing season and then a spectacular bloom late in the season, attyracting butterflies by the hundreds. Amazing in the perennial border, rock gardens and tough sites. Sedum is very tolerant of drought once established and great in full hot sun. Some varieties do grow well in part shade.
Sedum varieties offer the full spectrum of sizes. There are ground cover sedums that will spread out and carpet the ground, growing to just a few inches high, there are varieties that will grow to 10″-12″ and others will form nice big clumps 20″ to 24″ in height and diameter. So versatile and so easy! These plants are always a joy, wonderful paired with Salvias, Asters, Rudbeckias, Echinaceas and Mums! Sedums are hardy to Zone 3. Pictured here is the intense pink flower blossom of the Autumn Fire Sedum.’
September 4, 2010 – 8:08 am
While improved growing, packaging and planting techniques now enable us to be successfully planting from April through November, many people think of fall as an excellent time for planting a wide variety of landscape plants, and with good reason.
There are a number of things that make fall planting appealing. Temperatures are cooler, so working conditions are more pleasant for most people. Shorter days and longer nights mean plants use less water, making the watering of new plantings a bit easier.
Weed germination is less in fall, so maintenance needs are reduced for fall planting, and when fall rains come, soils stay soft for easy digging for a longer period of time than in mid-summer.
Probably the biggest advantage to fall planting is the cost savings. Most nurseries have reduced prices on many items, so excellent bargains are available. Don’t delay too long in securing your desired plant materials since inventories tend to be thinner as the seasons gets closer to November.
Enjoy your time in the autumn garden. These can be some the most pleasant days of the whole year to enjoy the outsdoors and your cherished gardens.
I have also shared this post with the Northfield News.
September 2, 2010 – 6:21 am
‘Fox Valley’ Dwarf River Birch – Betula Nigra – Over the years many people have admired the beautiful cinnamon color peeling bark of the River Birch. Handsome as both a single stem, or clump, this Minnesota native has been a staple of beautiful landscapes.
One difficulty with normal River Birch has been that they are sometimes too large for smaller areas of our landscapes. Fox Valley Dwarf River Birch solves this problem with a mature size rating of 12′ tall by 12′ wide. Fox Valley sports an interesting bark similar to regular River Birch, can handle damp soils, and can be used as a focal point around which to artfully group shrubs and perennials.
The ‘Fox Valley’ Dwarf River Birch prefers neutral to acidic soils, and with just a bit of supplemental watering, can prosper in upland soil. Check out this new and interesting birch for small spaces.
I have also shared this post with the Northfield News.
August 30, 2010 – 7:03 am
Have you noticed here and there the beautiful white (and pink) blossoms on small (4′-9′ tall) trees over the last 5-6 weeks? You have probably been admiring the lovely mid to late summer blossoms of the hardy hydrangea trees.
The whole paniculata family of hydrangeas are exceptionally cold hardy, and are useful in the landscapes in both shrub form and also when carefully trained into small trees.
My wife and I are frequent visitors to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which takes up to Ely, MN on a regular basis. I gained an awful lot of respect for hardy hydrangea trees when I noticed several large specimens growing in the front yards of homes in Ely, where -40 degrees temperatures occur almost every winter, and sometimes as low as -55 degrees. The trees were in full bloom in late July to late August and had to be 30-50 years old or more, judging from the trunks that were up to 6″ in diameter!
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August 25, 2010 – 12:08 pm
Ornmanetal Grasses provide texture, color, movement and sound to our natural and intentional environment. Screening, vertical accent, fall and winter interest can all be achieved with well placed and selected varieties of grasses.
Providing an amazing relationship with wind, even the slightest breeze can create a rustle and gentle nod from these gracefully bending, versatile plants. They’re able to grow in a wide range of soil types from sandy to heavier clay, most varieties are tolerant of drought once established and some can be tolerant of moisture making them ideal in rain gardens.
These pictures both are of the same perennial bed – one in summer showing their ability to show off other perennials and the wonderful winter interest that they provide. Ornamental grasses are on sale through the end of August at 10% off regular prices.
The above article was submitted by Heidi Brosseau – our retail manager.
