Channeling a little Monet
In this industry, the-outdoors-is-nature's-canvas-we-are-the-artistés references abound. Depending on the context, it either sounds good or cheesy. But we have some bona fide artistry going on in some of our landscapes, thanks to the classy little My Monet Weigela. When this plant was first introduced a few years ago, we were was skeptical. The name seemed to set up lofty expectations. The pictures showed crisp green, white, and pink-variegated foliage that you just knew would fade with summer's heat and/ or not be anywhere near as pronounced in real life. And it was being marketed in a white pot (white variegation [...]
Attention Leaf Peepers
I've always wanted to use the phrase "leaf peepers" in a post. It just sounds so cute. Although to me peeping means taking a little peek and when it comes to fall colors, don't you just want to soak it all in? We've known customers to pick a tree based solely on its fall color and that makes sense to us. So for all you fall color enthusiasts looking to relish the season, here are links to area fall color reports. Follow the maps to peak color! MN--http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fall_colors/index.html WI--http://www.travelwisconsin.com/fallcolor_report.aspx IA--http://www.iowadnr.gov/forestry/fallcolor.html
Hold on, Chicken Little…
Turns out the sky isn't falling. At least not as far as the destructive little Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is concerned. The Emerald Ash Borer is an exotic Asian beetle that is most harmful in its immature larvae stage, when it hides in and feeds on the insides of ash trees. Over time, this tunneling makes it really tough for the trees to freely pass water and nutrients throughout their systems and thus kills them. After the damage in the upper Great Lake states and in the wake of EAB spottings in the Twin Cities and Houston County, MN, one [...]
Which item does not belong?
There are a few funky things going on in this picture, and your first instinct might be to point out the weird-looking bag zipped around this tree's trunk. You may have even seen these around town. What exactly is that thing? Well let us tell you. It is a time-saving, water-saving, money-saving bag called a Treegator! Say you have a newly-planted tree in your yard. Zip this bag around the tree trunk, and through a hole at the top, fill up the bag with your garden hose. The Treegator takes it from there, slowly dripping the water out over the [...]
Eewww….
Tent caterpillars hanging out; photo by ken schneider The University of Minnesota Extension office reports that yard/ garden/ woods insect activity is 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule. As if we needed to tell you. Besides the tick population being particularly proliferous (I'm sure they're proud), tent caterpillar sightings have also been way more numerous and way earlier than usual. They are responsible for the big white masses you've seen woven in amongst tree branches...get close to them and you can see the swarming mass feasting on the tree. Yum. The good news: getting rid of them is [...]
Ever Been?
Pella Tulips For a few years now, I've wanted to take in the spectacle that is Tulip Time in Pella, IA. Very soon (May 6-8 this year), all things tulip and Dutch will reign supreme in this Iowa town, and I'm so curious what it's like! It's supposed to be one of the greatest tulip displays this side of the Netherlands--must be a sight for sore eyes. After all the white, white, white, the rich saturated colors of tulips are so amazing anyway, and to see so many in one town would be incredible. Plus I hear [...]