New Plants in the Nursery – 2026 Edition
Each year, as I become more and more accustomed to ordering for the nursery and landscapers, I try to add new plants that I think might excite customers. Adding new plants not only gets people more excited about gardening in spring, but it also helps the diversity of our landscapes. One of my personal pet […]
Buttonbush – August Plant of the Month
About Buttonbush Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis, is our August plant of the month for 2025. Common throughout the Central Great Plains Region, buttonbush grows east of the high plains of the Great Plains to the Atlantic Coast. It can be found growing wild alongside lakes, rivers, and wetlands, with its feet partly in the water. But […]
Edge Plantings
What is the edge? Well, it is the literal edge of the property. In most urban cases, planting along the edge of the property is considered bad form to the neighbor. However, in the rural world having edge plantings means having a separation between you and the neighbors, or a field. My mom’s house sits […]
Shrubby Plant Picks – Proven Winners
Now that 2025 is here, we need to talk more about Proven Winners shrubby plant picks. Yes, I said shrubby. Proven Winners has been working on their shrub line for a while now, and we love them! It is nice to be able to find plants that work in a host of ways within the […]
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 […]
Growing Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the most delicious of the fresh fruits. I love it when July rolls around, and our blueberry patch opens up. And July 8th is National Blueberry Day! In early July, usually around or near the 4th, we open our patch of blueberries to the public. Its a crazy time. And for […]
Legumes for the Landscape
What are legumes? And why do we want them in the landscape? Legumes are plants which produce bean-like pods of seeds and produce their own nitrogen, with the aid of a nitrogen-fixing bacteria. By putting more legumes in the landscape, we can help our gardens flourish and reduce the need for extra, synthetic fertilizers. Nitrogen […]
Boxwood – March Plant of the Month
While boxwood may not be one of my favorite plants, they are extremely useful in the landscape. And you can cut them for winter greenery. The reason they are the plant of the month is because of their winter durability. They provide quite a bit of green coming out of winter, and they look good […]
Peach Fuzz – The Color of the Year
Peach fuzz is the 2024 color of the year, according to Pantone. Each year, Pantone picks a color as a snapshot in time, trying to connect with our emotions and deep-seated feelings. Peach fuzz is a hue not really pink and not quite orange. It captures our desires to nurture kindness, compassion, and connection, all […]
