Winona Nursery

photo courtesy of kennymatic, vancouver

***UPDATE 10/5/09: Who knew that a post about the lack of rain would, in fact, be a rainmaker?? Last week we were in trouble; this afternoon, we are awaiting the latest bout of rain coming over from the Dakotas. Checking the Drought Index (see link below), you can see that we are beginning to get back to normal, but do keep an eye on recently planted trees and shrubs. And we’re going to leave this post up for a while yet!***

“Can you believe who won Best Drama Series on the Emmy Awards last night?”

“Can you believe the Packers lost and the Vikings won yesterday?”

All normal workplace water cooler talk.

But if you want to know what the buzz is around our water cooler, the topic is RAIN. Or rather, the lack thereof. It’s getting serious too… looking at the Palmer Drought Index map, you can see that our corner of Minnesota is in a moderate drought (http://drought.unl.edu/DM/DM_midwest.htm), which simply means we’re down on precipitation. We will need many, many nice soakers in order to catch up, and this isn’t the first time in recent memory we’ve gone through extended dry periods. Soooo, where does our conversation lead us?

• It leads us to think even harder about installing more native-type and xeriscape plants, plants that can get their own moisture through extensive and long root systems and through natural drought-tolerance.
• It makes us even more excited about the latest water conservation advancements in sprinkler system heads and controllers.
• It motivates us to get out the word that trees, shrubs, and perennials need to go into the winter with adequate moisture. Even trees that have been in the ground for a while would benefit from a weekly deep watering until rain starts falling again (“deep watering” consists of letting the hose trickle gently at the base for 15-20 minutes).

More horticulture than pop culture, but still buzzworthy we’d like to think!

Limelight Hydrangea with Nepeta and Iris

There’s something special about August, when all the fall bloomers start taking the stage.  And of these later-flowering plants, it’s hard to beat the hydrangea.

There are big ones, little ones (relatively speaking), tree ones, blue ones, pink ones, etc, but they all have one thing in common: BIG, show-stopping blooms that easily mix with other plants.

Swoon!

Our Current Top 5 Picks:

1.  Limelight Hydrangea–gorgeous blooms that start out lime-green, progress to white, and then eventually fade to pink.  We just used them in the landscape overhaul at Winona National Bank on Main Street.  Hope they don’t stop too much traffic!

2.  Annabelle Hydrangea–also known as “Snowball” or “Old-Fashioned” Hydrangea.  Gigantic round flowers still impress even with all the new youngster hybrids on the block.

3.  Endless Summer Hydrangea–actually it’s a love-hate thing with these…they can do really well or they can break your heart.  The beautiful blue blooms are like a siren’s song  though–they simply can’t be ignored–so we’ve found that if you site them properly and try to keep them evenly moist, they can be a reliable part of the landscape.

4.  Pink Diamond Hydrangea–gi-normous creamy flowers turn a lux shade of pink.  These have held up well even on tough commercial sites, so we’re believers.

new Twist-n-Shout Hydrangea with Sum and Substance Hosta

5.  Twist-n-Shout Hydrangea—hmmmm…really?  Well we’re crazy about this  brand-new variety’s exotic lacecap look, and the lilac flower color is simply spectacular with chartreuse-y/ yellow foliaged companion plants.  And check out the red stems.  Definitely a winner in the looks department.  But will they be tough enough?  Are they more than just a pretty face?   Stay tuned…..

Proud to support the fair and 4-H

We know our landscape crews work hard and well.  But this past weekend, we got to set landscaping aside for a while and see another hard working bunch–the 4-H kids of the Winona County Fair.  They really are what makes the fair tick, and this year was no exception.  They get the grounds and facilities ready (yes, we noticed the pretty flower plantings and that the bathrooms had a fresh coat of summer-y colored paint!).  They care for their animals and exhibit multiple projects.  They man one of the busiest food halls.  They get the work done.

Winona Nursery attended the fair’s 4-H Livestock Auction on Saturday and got treated to a fine display of animals and owner showmanship…we were proud to purchase Trianna Douglas’s market goat and Candi Jo Holets’s market swine and support local 4-H chapters.

Way to go, guys, and good luck to all those of you going on to the “Big Show”–the Minnesota State Fair!

Edward Becker, Winona Nursery, plants a tree at Sauer Memorial Home

Surely no one’s e-e-ever used that pun when typing a landscape post, but I couldn’t resist.  Yes, I’m referring to our annual community tree planting; this year we got to spread the shade to not one, but two worthy organizations!  The two chosen for tree donations were Sauer Memorial Home on Hwy 61 and Ridgeway Community School.

We lucked out and got sunny, beautiful days both times: May 1, an Autumn Blaze Maple went in for Sauer Memorial Home.  It was a little chilly so no residents came outside , but they were watching from the windows!  One woman even clapped her approval, really making our day.  Since this maple is a fast grower, the residents can watch it put on the inches this summer, too.

And the Ridgeway School planting on May 8 was a ton of fun.  We weren’t the only outdoor attraction that day:  we had to compete with the cute baby calves in the nearby corner and ice cream sandwiches on the playground, but the students were focused and energetic.

First we talked about the Swamp White Oak that was going to be helping to shade their new playground–did I mention these kids are smart as a whip, too; they answered all my questions perfectly!–and then everyone pitched in for the work. K-through-4th graders gathered compost to enrich the soil, and the outgoing 5th grade class did the actual digging of the hole. When asked if the graduating 5th graders would still come check on the tree to make sure it’s being watered, etc, they said all answered a resounding YES. And I know they will.

PS–If your not-for-profit organization would like to be considered for a tree donation next May, please contact us at info@winonanursery.com.

A circle of Ridgeway School K-4th graders watch as their new oak tree is prepared for planting…