Crabapple – April Plant of the Month
Crabapple is our 2024 April plant of the month. When I think of small trees for spring color, I think of the crabapple. Once a native tree widely spread across the North American landscape, the crabapple now exists as a series of cultivated hybrids that are found mostly in gardens, landscapes, and along roadways. Here […]
New Plants – I Cannot Keep Up!
New plants are always coming down the wire. But there have become so many that I cannot keep up with them! In the past, we have always strived to bring the best product to our customers, from years of trialing in our own gardens and at the arboretum. But now there are so many new […]
Keeping Trees Healthy in Stressful Conditions
Keeping trees healthy can be one of the most challenging things for gardeners. I once heard a colleague from Kansas State University say that trees in Kansas cannot be healthy, because our environment is too tough on them. But there are ways in which you can keep a tree as healthy as possible. There are […]
Callery Pear Says Goodbye
For many years now I have been expecting to say goodbye (and good riddance) to the callery pear. Why? There are a lot of reasons to dislike something, but this tree takes the cake. I will divulge into the origins of this troublesome tree, cultivars, problems, why it is going away, and what to plant […]
Spring Flowering Trees
August is the best time to talk about spring flowering trees. Why? Because the coming fall is the best time to plant them. I like to plant trees of all kinds in the fall, because the soil is warm and the trees are getting ready to go dormant, meaning they will require less care and […]
Columnar Trees
What are columnar trees? In short, these are trees that have narrow, upright canopies. They are usually dense in foliage too. Columnar trees have many purposes, even though the average homeowner cannot see it when they visit the nursery. I do not get a lot of requests for these trees, but we always keep some […]
Reblooming Plants – Are They Worth the Hype?
Reblooming plants have become a real favorite for gardeners in recent years. But are they worth all the hype that the green industry puts upon them? As a nursery manager, I do sell quite a number of various reblooming plants, but do they do what they claim? Or should we be focused on succession planting […]
Tidy Gardening
Recently, a colleague asked me about plants for tidy gardening. But what is tidy gardening, and how does one achieve it? I have discussed many times my gardening ideals, which include diversity, and lots of plant materials. But I realize there are many homeowners, and some gardeners who prefer to have a tidy look, with […]
Dark Leaves – Adding Depth to the Garden
Putting dark leaves in the garden not only adds depth, but also intrigue, and if done right, mystery. Plants with dark leaves are rare in nature, but abound in the nursery trade, after being bred and selected for generations. I love using dark leaves in the garden, more so than chartreuse or variegated leaves. But […]
