Winona Nursery

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So far Winona Nursery has created 53 blog entries.

Irritation from your Irrigation?

Spring Start-up photo courtesy of Hunter Industries

We’ve heard the pet name some people have for irrigation systems–“irritation” systems.

But c’mon, it doesn’t have to be that way!   Irrigation, or underground sprinkler systems, TAKE AWAY irritation from your daily life, not add it.  How much would you miss:

  • lugging hoses around this summer?
  • hunting for sprinklers to hook up to those hoses because the dog/ your kids/ neighborhood kids ran off with them?
  • buying more of said sprinklers because the ones you had just can’t be found?
  • worrying about your landscape because we are going through a period of drought?
  • paying big bucks on your water bill because you don’t have a more efficient means of delivering water to your yard?

Not much, we’re betting.  With all the easy-to-use controllers and sprinkler heads now available, irrigation is actually kind of fun!  And with all the water-saving features and adjustability built right in to these products, you can be green times two.    Irritation?  Not if we can help it.

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Perennials for Local Landscapes Seminar

Dana, Bonnie, and Becky attended a recent continuing education seminar entitled “Perennials for Local Landscapes.”  Five speakers dished out the good, the bad, and the ugly regarding mostly new perennial varieties for our area.

Plants we will use more of:  bush-form Clematis, Blue Heaven Little Bluestem, and the Twilight series Baptisias.   Plants to abandon:  sorry, but most of the new Echinacea (Coneflower) varieties.  While the names may be appealing (Sunrise, Harvest Moon, Razzamatazz, Green Envy, etc), their performance is not.

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If It Sounds Too Good to Be True…It Must Be a Pondless Waterfall

Pondless Waterfall, courtesy of Aquascapes

When you hear the words “water feature”, what do you think of? We tended to think these thoughts: high-maintenance, lots of work, needing tons of room,  parts to break down, algae problems, and did we mention work?

Enter pondless waterfalls. These relatively new water features claimed to add the lovely rushing stream look and sound without needing a catch basin (aka, pond), cleaning chemicals, and without eating up half your yard.  The water just traveled in one big circle, tumbling down the falls to be pumped up the hidden pipes and cascading all over again.

Hmmm.  Our skepticism held us back at first, but after having installed a few, we are pleasantly surprised!  They really do provide the homeowner with a lyrical waterfall and stream at a lower cost.  They really do require fewer moving parts, much less maintenance, less yard space, and no chemicals.  They really do sound and look beautiful.  It’s amazing.  Something to think about as you make plans to spiff up your yard this season.

To check out a pondless waterfall we did recently, click on the Gallery link above and go to “Urban Oasis.”

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Not Your Mama’s Elms

No disrespect intended, but elms are back, and they are not the elms of yesteryear.  Since the devastation Dutch Elm Disease brought to the American landscape in the late 1960s, plant researchers have quietly been working their way to getting elms back in the plant palette.  The US National Arboretum has recently released several varieties of Elms, all backed by 20+ years of testing, and the USDA and Morton Arboretum have had new introductions as well; two of our favorites are the Valley Forge and hybrid Pioneer Elms.  (Notice the patriotic theme going on?)   Another notable cultivar, if you can find it, is the Princeton Elm.

And just how do you test elms for Dutch Elm disease-resistance?  Researchers actually injected the most severe strain of the fungus into field trees and observed them; those that survived rigorous testing over the years were selected as the desired highly-resistant cultivars.

So don’t be surprised if you see more elms popping up.  Plant one of these new varieties and you will be rewarded with a stately, arching tree like those that once lined neighborhood streets…without the fear of losing them to disease.

**to see what we were up to this past fall, please click on the FAQ page to view a list of recently completed projects**

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