Landscaping

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**

Makes-You-Look Exhibit

In our profession, the New Year brings flurries…a flurry of trade shows, expos, and continuing education opportunities.  After the fun of the holidays, it’s time to get back to business and what better way to do that than to exchange ideas with other professionals and see what’s new.

Wandering Around Encouraged…

It is so much fun, I mean, so invaluable to take in all the seminars and get re-energized.  If we have the good fortune to design something for you this year, you can be sure we are on top of all the trends (good and bad), and you will get the best landscape possible.  We are busy studying up!

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

Reblooming Blatant Iris

Who knew? Iowa has one of the best continuing education program around–Perennial Saturday–and it’s even open to the general public, not just the profession.

Dana, one of our designers, clears his calendar every year to attend this one-day intense workshop in early November–it’s that good. The program crams as much pertinent information in as possible with truly captivating speakers AND gives you a decent lunch!

This year’s Perennial Saturday highlights for Dana were the following:

• Kelly Norris’s presentation (Rainbow Iris Farm)–irises are such a valuable landscape plant because of their toughness and adaptability; now they are working on bringing more re-blooming irises to market–can’t wait!
• getting a signed copy of Adrian Bloom’s “Gardening with Conifers” book after Gary Wittenbaugh’s “Crazy About Conifer’s” talk; did you know the Compact Alpine Fir has incredible blue needles like a Colorado Spruce but stays small and doesn’t have needle disease problems?  Might look nice in your yard.

Compact Alpine Fir

Little Bluestem’s time to shine

Are ornamental grasses an overused plant in the landscape?  Some people are complaining that when even fast food joints are incorporating grasses in their landscapes, this plant family has lost its luster.

You can’t give up on a plant that easily!

• Low-maintenance and drought-tolerant once established?  Check.
• Clear foliage that rustles and blows in the summer breeze?  Check.
• Beautiful seed heads to buoy the landscape and give it second life going into fall?  Check.
• Seed heads that dry and hold up to provide winter interest, catching that low, precious sunlight just so?  Check.
• Trimming as easy as giving the plant a buzz haircut one time in March?  Check, check, check!

We’d be shirking our duty if we didn’t mention grasses’ hairy, deep root structure that pulls moisture deep down into the soil and prevents run-off.  This in turn prevents water pollution.  How cool is that?  And some grasses are so tall (but not floppy) that they can function as an inexpensive hedge, never presenting the “bare bottom two-thirds” syndrome, as some other plants are wont to do.

We could tout the advantages of grasses all day.  They may be getting more commonplace, but with an abundance of grasses hardy to Minnesota, there’s plenty of variety and jazzy combinations to go around.  Get creative.  And think of how nice it is to see some good-looking plants while waiting for your burgers.  Things could be worse.