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The fall season is an exciting time of year for many. We look forward to a change of weather. The forecast is showing overnight temps beginning to dip into the upper 30’s at night. This is causing many plants to begin to exhibit their fall color. Maples are beginning to turn rich shades of red and yellow. Ash trees are beginning to turn a rich golden yellow. Other trees are beginning to change as well. There are some perennial plants that are finally going after opening their fall blooms. Plants like Asters and Sedum that are terrific c...
Among my favorite spring shrub choices is that of Forsythia. These stunning "light barked" shrubs can make a great specimen for a hedge or visual privacy. Achieving a height of between six and 10 feet with rich green foliage all summer perhaps the most interesting thing about Forsythia is that they flower BEFORE they leaf out! Bright yellow buds followed by yellow petals adorn this shrub sometimes as early as mid-April. The blooms give way as I mentioned to lush green foliage. The Forsythia...
I stopped for a second, one Friday afternoon, as I was preparing for one of our many Saturday workshop opportunities. The sun was coming through our big glass door and I remarked to myself, "that sun is starting to get some strength behind it again." Every year around this time, people begin to get excited about Spring. Spring is indeed an exciting time of year. Things "begin anew" during spring time and it's always fun to watch the landscape come to life again. And those of us who are...
Temperatures are getting colder; soon we are likely to experience a killing frost. I generally consider that to be a cold snap below 28°F. When that happens things start to go to bed for the winter months. We often receive many inquiries this time of year with regard to specific questions on how to prepare perennial plants such as trees, shrubs, and other flowers for winter here in ND and eastern MT. The big one we usually remind folks of is consistent water. Although some years there is an...
One of the many projects when improving on the landscape of a home is the desire for visual privacy. Whether the proximity to neighbors is a concern or the desire to block or obstruct other elements of the landscape that are undesirable, visual privacy is just one of many characteristics that plants can help us with. Many are drawn to evergreen options for visual privacy. While they can be a nice idea, they often can be difficult to get established in our region. This coupled with the fact that...
Owning a home can be one of the most enjoyable things you will ever do, and keeping the outside looking beautiful will help maintain its value. Many people come to visit us looking for landscape ideas for entrances that are shaded. Either by large trees or by the angle at which the home was built, the front entrance to the home finds itself in the shade most of the time. There are many plants that can perform well in the shade. In a series of articles, we'll share with you some strong shrub...
With summer in full swing, the enjoyment of the outdoors should be something that we all should take time for. While you're out and about enjoying the outdoors, take some time to observe some things you may see happening in the landscape this summer. In this article, I'll outline some of my favorite "summer blooming" perennial plants by the estimated months that they should be in bloom. Summer beginning in mid-June usually brings the familiar plant friends such as Bee Balm, Goatsbeard, Salvias,...
With tropicals or indoor foliage becoming increasingly popular, people are looking for ways to create an exotic look indoors. In this article, I’ll share with you five tropical plants that can help create that exotic tropical look you’ve been hoping for. We’ll also go into the care of each of these various plant choices. Calathea Also known sometimes as “shadow plant”, “peacock plant” or “cathedral windows plant” are exotic-looking foliage from South America. Native to the forested jungles in that region, this foliage can tolerate very low...
The first day of spring is behind us and that, coupled with the warmer temperatures these past days can now begin to see many trees starting to think about spring. If you spend some time outside you'll notice that maple, elm, and several others are beginning to think about waking up. Some trees and shrubs are "early risers" like maple, while others like to "sleep in". Don't be surprised if you don't see leaves on many varieties of ash until into May. This time of year brings up a common topic....
