The month of March and throughout the rest of spring is a good time of year to prune shrubs in the landscape.
Category: Ornamental Gardening
2025 Gardening Resolutions
Since January in the Midwest is usually not all that favorable for outdoor activities, we can grab the trowel by the handle and think ahead and backwards. Asking the question, “what didn’t go so well last year?” is a good one to springboard forward, or to borrow from the world of personal finance or fitness, to make new gardening resolutions.
Suddenly Sun
Following extreme windstorms, many homeowners find themselves dealing with the “Suddenly Sun Syndrome” or SSS. What’s that? SSS is an influence on the landscape in which lawns, flowers, shrubs and small trees that used to be shaded by trees are now in greater sunlight exposure because they were significantly thinned by Mother Nature or were removed for safety reasons.
Weekly Update July 22
What’s in Bloom Summer is in full swing and I wanted to share some pictures of lesser grown perennials for your garden. All six of these plants are native and do well in an urban setting. Most of these plants do need a little extra care the first year they are in the ground. After…
Weekly Update July 15
It’s been a quiet few weeks and I wanted to share some of the things that we have seen coming into the office. Japanese Beetles Japanese beetles have returned and this summer and they are feeding on our favorite herbs, fruits, veggies and ornamental plants. This introduced insect has been recorded feeding on over 300…
Weekly Update June 7th, 2024
White Mulberry This week we’ve been getting questions on how to manage white mulberries in the garden. White mulberries (Morus alba) is an introduced small tree/large shrub from China. It was originally brought over as a potential food source but it quickly escaped cultivation. The fruit is tasty and is enjoyed by many animals such…
Goats and Ladders
Every year, I discover a new plant to obsess over. Some have thrived in our garden, like the bush clematis, hairy beardtongue, and camas. This summer, I added Creeping Jacob’s Ladder and goat’s rue to my must-have list. While the former is a lovely ground cover, the latter has a complicated history as a milk production aid and natural insecticide. Careful not to confuse it with the invasive Goatsrue, I look forward to seeing how these newcomers fare in my urban garden.