Category Archives: Shrubs

Forsythia and Magnolia

May 12, 2013 – 2:57 pm
Forsythia - Shrub form

Forsythia – Shrub form

Magnolia

Magnolia

Forsythia - Tree form

Forsythia – Tree form

What’s doing the blooming this week?   The Forsythia – both the shrubs and tree form are absolutely beautiful with their buttery yellow flowers brightening up the landscape!  The Magnolia trees!   Awesome.   Almost every street that I went down yesterday here in Northfield had either a Forsythia blooming or the white Magnolia flowers seeming to shine brilliantly.  After such a long, long winter – or such a late spring – seeing these plants blossoming is such a welcoming site.

In the picture of the Forsythia shrub – you will notice that the surrounding plants are just starting to push their buds / leaves.  This is what makes the Forsythia such a great plant.  It’s early to blossom so you can extend spring color by planting Forsythia in your landscape.  Once the flowers fall away – the bright green leaves provide a backdrop to the next layer of either late spring color or early summer color.   The Magnolia picture here is pruned to this shape – and needless to say – it is eye-catching.

We have Forsythia in stock and shrub form Magnolias.   The tree form Magnolias start to arrive this week!   Stop in and get a dose of Spring!

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By Deb Knecht | Also posted in Trees | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Old Lilac Rehab

April 1, 2013 – 3:42 pm

Lilacs have long been a favorite in American landscapes, and with good reason.  Lilacs are fairly disease and problem free and bloom heavily year after year if they continue to receive lots of direct sunlight.

Lilacs are usually successful because they tolerate most soil types oas long as there is good drainage and plenty of sunlight.  Poor soil drainage, lack of sunlight and old age can all cause lilacs to struggle.

When the problem is old age, and some big stems have become unsightly or show some die-back, it is often possible to rehab  the lilacs with pruning.

There are two basic ways to do rejuvenation pruning of lilacs and neither are particularly easy.  Most pruning manuals recommend removing 20% to 30% of the lilac stems each year on an old lilac, beginning with the biggest and oldest stems.  Continue for about 3 or 4 years each year removing until all the old stems are gone, and only young vigorous new shoots remains.  This method requires a determine and consistent 4 year effort, and will give a good result without losing all the height of a lilac cluster.

The second way to rehab an old lilac cluster r hedge is brutal, but effective, and a lot quicker.  Use a chain saw to cut the entire overgrown mess down to a ehgith fo 6 to 10 inches.

When you get done removing all the brush created by giving your old lilac a severe crew cut you will be looking at stubs/stumps.  Do this kind of attack dog pruning only after the leaves have fallen off in late fall, and or definitely before the buds swell in early spring.  By doing this when the lilacs are dormant, all the stored energy in the root system will push an explosion of new sprouts once the ground thaws.

The first year you should see sprouts of one to two feet.  After three years, you ought to be enjoying a nice dense stand of all young and vigorous stems of four to six feet tall.  All your work has been done over ne winter, with no need to go back and re-visit pruning year after year.

Chose the lilac rejuvenation method that best fits you.  Gradual and incremental, or the shock and awe of cutting it all down at once.   Both methods can give you good results!

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By Leif Knecht | Also posted in How To Advice | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

‘Cardinal’ Red Twig Dogwood

March 6, 2013 – 5:32 pm

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Brilliant color in a late winter landscape is a visual feast and a great way to lift winter weary spirits.  ‘Cardinal’ Red Twig Dogwood is just the right shrub to produce a big splash of fluorescent red color that contrasts nicely with the stark white of a fresh March snowfall.

Hardy and time tested for decades in our harsh Minnesota climate, ‘Cardinal’ Red Twig Dogwood performs well in a wide variety of soil types, especially areas where soil may be too damp for other shrubs to prosper.  If you have an area where drainage is poor to moderate and other plant materials have struggled, you may want to try ‘Cardinal’ Red Twig Dogwood.

To get the best winter twig color, choose a sunny location for ‘Cardinal’ Red Twig Dogwood.  The best and brightest red twigs are canes that are one or two seasons old.  For this reason, regular and aggressive early spring pruning of  ‘Cardinal’ Red Twig Dogwood will produce the biggest and  brightest mass of red color the following winter.

Consider planting ‘Cardinal’ Red Twig Dogwood in your yard to add pizzaz to your winter landscape.  For best effect, allow plenty of space and sunlight, and create a fairly large massed planting for maximum impact.

Another tip for great color intensity is to place your ‘Cardinal’ Red Twig Dogwoods in a location where you will usually be viewing them from a southern vantage point.  As you look north at the massed planting, the bright winter sunshine will stream from the south over your shoulder and reflect back at your eyes off the bright red stems.  This virtually doubles the visual intensity of the stem color of  ‘Cardinal’ Red Twig Dogwood.

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By Leif Knecht | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Copper Bush Honeysuckle

October 18, 2012 – 6:18 pm

Copper’ Bush Honeysuckle

Diervilla Lonicera ‘Copper’

Here is a tough, deer resistant, North American native shrub that definitely deserves more praise!  ‘Copper’ Bush Honeysuckle is a fast grower, excellent for mass plantings, slopes rain gardens and wildlife plantings.  Their copper-red new foliage matures to a lovely bronze-green and is free from disease and pest problems.  In mid-summer small yellow trumpet-like flowers begin to bloom attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.  When autumn arrives ‘Copper’ produces layers of color in the foliage from yellow-gold to orange and red. What a lovely, low maintenance shrub!  They grow in full sun to shade and prefer sandy or dry soils making them very hardy, very versatile, and drought tolerant once established.  Mounded, arching/spreading branches produce mature plants about 2-3’ tall by 3-4’ wide.  ‘Copper’ Bush Honeysuckle you are a beautiful plant!

Thanks to Heidi Brosseau for submitting this blog!

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By Deb Knecht | Also posted in Fall Color | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Winterberry

September 20, 2012 – 7:44 pm

The Winterberry… A beautiful shrub for the landscape.   A nice green accent during the growing season, and beginning in the late summer / early fall – the berries start to brighten to a brilliant red and holds the color through even the bleakest part of winter – January/February.

Winterberries are a member of the holly family – and unlike their relatives who are evergreen – the winterberry are deciduous shrubs – losing their leaves in the winter which makes for a prolific display of color!  Attracting birds is another attribute to this shrub.   The Cedar Waxwings may find the berries in the fall, but the berries being low in fat content – are the last to be eaten  by the birds in late winter. The leaves of the winterberry are pretty much lack luster, but the colorful berries certainly makes up it!

You will need a male and a female plant.  Pictured here is the Red Sprite Winterberry – reaching a mature height of 3′-4′ tall and wide.  The recommended male pollinator is the Jim Dandy Winterberry.  These  shrubs can be grown in full sun to partial shade.  Good for moist soils as well – or just regular site  conditions.

The Winterberry is currently on sale now here at our garden center!   We have the male – Jim Dandy – and the Red Sprite and Berry Heavy females.  Stop in and add wonderful fall and winter color to your landscape!

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By Deb Knecht | Also posted in Landscaping, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

‘Pucker Up’ Dogwood™ – Red Twig Dogwood

September 13, 2012 – 4:54 pm

Wow!!!  We just added to our sales deck a new Proven Winners release- ‘Pucker Up’ Dogwood™.   This is a must have dogwood variety.  A red stemmed dogwood unlike any other dogwood!  It’s puckered foliage is so distinctive and is quite resistant to leaf spot because of the glossy, thick foliage which makes it attractive all season!  As with all red-twigged dogwood, the stems will turn red in the winter giving it year round appeal.   It is a dwarf dogwood – 3′-4′ in height and width and hardy from Zone 3 to 8. 

We have many plants that are in the Proven Winners line of plants.  These plants are all tested in various aspects before being selected into the line and it’s not that many which make me take a double look but this one did!   ’Pucker Up’ will certainly win you over!   We have this plant in very limited numbers this year as it will not be widely available until 2013.  Be the first in your neighborhood to have a ‘Pucker Up’™ Dogwood.

Photo courtesy of Proven Winners

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By Deb Knecht | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Forgotten Lilacs

July 12, 2012 – 3:34 pm

Lilacs can do very well in difficult alkaline soils, but are all too often forgotten when plans are made for shrubs in 21st century landscapes.  Many varieties and sizes of lilacs are now available, but I fear we have it in the back of our minds that they are somehow too old fashioned.

If you have soils that are properly drained with half a day of sun to full sun, and acid loving plants like yews, pines, azaleas, and rhododendrons have failed, or look sickly, you may want to consider either dwarf or standard size lilacs, depending on how large a plant you desire.  The problem with your previous plant choices may be alkaline soil.

Lilacs can tolerate alkaline soils as long as it is properly drained, and the area receives a minimum of four hours of direct sunlight per day sometime during the day throughout the summer months.  More sunlight is even better.  Dwarf lilac varieties grow from 3 to 7 feet tall and wide, while standard varieties mature to 7 to 15 feet in height.

If you want to maintain a flowering shrub at 3-4 feet tall, choose a dwarf lilac variety and shear it back each year with hedge clippers immediately after it is done blooming.  The new sprouts will quickly grow out into a tidy dense appearance, and set the flower buds for a crop of lovely and fragrant blossoms the following spring.Excellent dwarf lilac varieties include “Dwarf Korean”, “Miss Kim”, “Tinkerbelle”, Prairie Petitie”, and Bloomerrange”.   Prairie Petite” appears to have the smallest rated size, while “Bloomerang” blooms in both spring AND fall!

Members of the Common Lilac family are numerous, with some of the best time tested varieties including “Charles Joly”, “Albert Holden”, “Pocohontas” “Wonderblue”, “ Montainge”, and the common white and purple varieties.

Don’t forget lilacs when making your plans for a beautiful and fragrant landscape.  They may be just the thing for success in alkaline soils.  Be sure to avoid planting lilacs in areas that have poor drainage.

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By Leif Knecht | Tagged | Comments (0)

Invincebelle Spirit Hydrangea

June 28, 2012 – 8:42 pm

Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea®!  

The first pink Annabelle.  Easy to grow – blooms every year on new wood!  Will start to bloom in early summer and continue right until frost.  The blooms start out a bright hot pink and fade to a light pink as they mature.  Attracting butterflies and birds – you can plant this incredible plant in sun to partial shade in zones 3-9.

At the nursery we drive by our hydrangea production area each day and it is so beautiful right now.  All of the hydrangeas are starting to blossom and the pink of the Invincebelle is so outstanding!

Part of the proceeds of the sales of Invincebelle Spirit go to fight breast cancer!  Selected as a plant to be sold under the Proven Winners label – you can’t go wrong with putting this hydrangea into your landscape!

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By Deb Knecht | Tagged | Comments (0)

Hedgerow’s Gold Dogwood

June 21, 2012 – 11:15 am

Red Twig Dogwoods have long been a hardy and useful shrub where damp soils may limit other choices.  Hedgerow’s Gold Red Twig Dogwood adds a nice extra dimension with bright green leaves that have beautiful golden yellow edges.

Hedgerow’s Gold Dogwood will gradually expand to form a thicket of very nice color all year round.  In spring and summer,  the striking gold color in the leaves catches the eye, while the deep burgundy red stems of Hedgerow’s Gold Dogwood add a splash of color to the fall and winter landscape, contrasting in vivid fashion with a fresh blanket of snow.

Wise placement of Hedgerow’s Gold Red Twig Dogwood is especially important for getting the best performance.  Plant Hedgerow’s Gold Dogwood in soil with good moisture holding capacity, and where it receives good light for a few hours in the morning or evening, but is protected from the intense midday and afternoon sun.

Hedgerow’s Gold Dogwood is hardy to Zone 4 and grows to a mature height and width of 6′-8′.  It’s great for wildlife, as birds love it’s small white fruits.

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By Leif Knecht | Comments (0)

Techny Gold Arborvitae

May 25, 2012 – 9:41 am

If you are tired of the same old  – same old evergreen trees, you may want to place some Techny Gold Arborvitae out in your landscape.

Techny Gold Arborvitae has the same great resistance to winter burn as it’s ever popular parent tree, the Techny Arborvitae, but offers a nice frosted gold foliage rather than a deep green.   Maturing to a plump 10′-15′ foot size, Techny Gold Arborvitae can be used as a dense mid-sized screening plant or wind break, or as a colorful counterpoint to our darker green or blue confiers.  Techny Gold Arborvitae is hardy to zone 3  and does best in soils with good moisture availability. 

We have a limited supply of container and balled and burlapped Techny Gold Arborvitae in stock.   This 4 day holiday weekend – Friday,  May 25 through Monday, May 28th, we will be offering $5 off every Techny Gold purchased – whether it is one of our potted plants or the balled and burlapped.   We only have 5 balled and burlapped Techny Gold’s left, and they are at 50% off the regular price (plus an add’l $5).  All you need to do is to print this blog off and bring it in to get your $5 off.  If you bring in your smart phone you can also show the cashier the blog on your phone to receive the credit.

Pictured here are the balled and burlapped Techny Gold.  If you’re thinking of planting a screen between your yard and the neighbors, add some privacy around your deck or patio – or even as an accent plant –  this might be just the plant for you!

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By Leif Knecht | Comments (4)

Magic Carpet Spirea

May 17, 2012 – 9:13 pm

Magic Carpet Spirea continues to rank as one of my favorite shrubs because of its multiple color phases throughout the growing season, ease of maintenance and modest size.

With a rated size of 18″-24″, Magic Carpet Spirea is very useful in smaller spaces in the landscape.  In very good quality soils, Magic Carpet may grow a bit larger, but it is very easy to cut back aggressively in the spring to keep it as manageable size.

Each spring Magic Carpet Spirea starts out as a bright reddish burgundy shrub that lights up its part of the landscape.  Over a period of weeks, the burgundy new leaves change to gold, and soon violet / pink flowers cover the whole plant.  Once the blossoms fade in mid-summer, you can re-create the burgundy to gold color phases by lightly pruning enough to remove the spent blossoms.  New burgundy growth will push out and a light second set  of blossoms often follow.  The third color phase takes place in fall when the leaves that have aged to a gold/chartreuse once again become a vivid burgundy.

Magic Carpet Spirea  will  grow in a wide variety of soil  types and has its best color when planted in a location with 1/2 day to full sun.  An “old standby” shrub – it’s economical and will perform well.  (Photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries)

 

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By Leif Knecht | Tagged | Comments (0)

Cardinal Redtwig Dogwood

May 17, 2012 – 9:03 pm

Cardinal Redtwig Dogwood has long been my favorite variety of red twig dogwood because of it’s vigorous growth,  ability to grow in a wide variety of soil  types,  and its electric orange/red winter twig color.  While most red twig dogwood varieties have a nice burgundy with a tinge of  red winter stem  color, Cardinal Red Twig Dogwood bark changes from a green summer color to  an intensely bright,  almost flourescent red.  This creates an amazing color treat on sunny winter days when a massed planting  of Cardinal Red Twig Dogwood produces a stunning contrast with a fresh  snowfall.

Cardinal Red Twig Dogwood grows to  8′-10′ tall and is  a selection made by the plant research program of the University of Minnesota.  Hardy to  frigid zone 3, Cardinal’s green leaves turn to a pleasing purple-red in fall.  When the leaves drop they reveal the twigs which  have turned from summer green to  flaming scarlet.  Cardinal Red Twig dogwood is also very versatile with  a demonstrated ability to  grow in soils from poorly draineed to well drained upland soils.

Plant some Cardinal Red Twig Dogwood now, enjoy it now and wait for the magic to start this fall!

 

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By Leif Knecht | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Bloomerang Lilac

April 29, 2012 – 4:03 pm

Bloomerang Dwarf Lilac is creating a stir in the gardening world.  Like it’s close cousins the dwarf lilac category, Bloomerang Lilac displays nice fine textured foliage, fragrant lilac blossoms, and most notable of all, blooms more than once during the growing season!

With a compact and mounded shape, Bloomerang Lilac fits well as a foundation plant, small hedge or an accent to larger shrubs/small trees/perennials.  A vigorous spring bloom is followed by a “rest” period in the heart of summer, and more blossoming in late summer and through fall right to the first heavy frost.

Bloomerang Lilac prefers 1/2 day to full day sun, properly drained soils, and can even prosper in alkaline soils.  As with all other lilacs, avoid water logged soils and heavy shade.  With its wonderful re-blooming characteristics, Bloomerang Dwarf Lilac will please for years to come.  Mature size is rated at 4′-5′ tall by 5′-6′ wide compared to 10′-15′ tall and wide for standard lilacs.

Photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries.

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By Leif Knecht | Tagged | Comments (0)

Rhododendrons

April 5, 2012 – 12:00 pm

Aglo Rhododendron - photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries

With the memory of our mild Minnesota winter rapidly fading and the grass growing greener by the day, you may be feeling the need for a little something to chase away the last of the winter blahs.  A color burst from the Rhododendron family may be just the thing to perk you up!

Winter hardy Rhododendrons and Azaleas have long been a lovely spring fix for avid gardeners.  Rhododendrons such as Aglo and PJM have proven themselves able to prosper in southern Minnesota provided they are planted in a moderately to strongly acidic and well drained soil. 

Aglo Rhododendrons grow to 3′-4′ tall and wide and PJM’s grow slightly larger – 4′-6′ tall and wide.   Green leaves turn mahogany in the winter.   The Aglo sports clusters of pink flowers while the PJM’s flowers are a more vibrant, darker pink.

The Northern Lights series of winter hardy Azaleas has been devloped by the University of Minnesota and have become very popular.  Some of my favorite colors are Mandarin Lights, Rosy Lights, Golden Lights and Northern Lights.  These winter hardy azaleas grow to 4′-5′ in height and width.

Be sure to provide a location with 1/2 day to full day sun and acidic soil for your winter hardy Rhododendrons and Azaleas.  They will reward you with color beyond compare.   I just walked out to the sales deck and the Rhododendrons are beginning to blossom, and the buds on the Azaleas are swelling.  Prices range from $14.99 to $26.99.

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By Leif Knecht | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Magnolia Magnifica

March 22, 2012 – 2:12 pm

Winter hardy Magnolias are bursting into bloom all across southern Minnesota.  A few days after the bright yellow color bursts of the Fosythias start, the Magnolias swell and unfold their visual feasts of white/pink and reddish purple blossoms.

Royal Star Magnolia and Merrill’s Magnolia sport pure white blossoms, while Leonard Messel Magnolia delights the eye with a delicate pink and Ann Magnolia – a rich deep reddish purple.

These Magnolia varieties have proved themselves very hardy, even in tough Minnesota winters.  Mature sizes range from 10 feet up to 40 feet, depending on the cultivar your choose, so allow enough space for these magnificent small trees to reach their full potential.  Magnolias are able to prosper in locations with 1/2 day sun to full sun.

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By Leif Knecht | Also posted in Retail Sales, Trees | Tagged , | Comments (0)