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Few things add to the aesthetic of an outdoor environment more than trees. Trees offer numerous benefits to us and to the landscape. Unfortunately, in the climates of the western Dakotas and eastern Montana, we do not receive enough annual rainfall to support tree life natively. The annual rainfall needed to support tree life naturally is around 35 inches of annual precipitation. Here in western North Dakota, we come up short of that number by over half! That coupled with some of our soil...
Spring has sprung! After what felt like an unusually long winter people are excited to enjoy the outdoors again. In this article, I'll focus on some shrub choices for early-season interest. Among my favorite spring shrub choices is that of Forsythia. These stunning "light barked" shrubs can make a great specimen for a hedge or visual privacy. Achieving a height of between six and ten feet with rich green foliage all summer perhaps the most interesting thing about Forsythia is that they flower be...
Planning Stages: The first place I like to start with this process is deciding what it is you would like to grow. People often ask me that question about their gardens and I respond with, “What would you like to consume!?” When it comes to veggies you should always seek to grow things you have a use for. The next part of the process is how will they be grown. Will you be gardening traditionally, in the ground, with rows? Will you be doing raised beds or containers? Answering these questions will help you make decisions on plant varieties. The...
With the houseplant craze in full swing, many people are jumping on the bandwagon of introducing plants into their homes. One of the many questions we get, in addition to those questions on how to care for these plants, is; will these plants be toxic to my pet(s)? While plant toxicity is not something that we worry too much about here, many wish to err on the side of caution. Since that is the case, we present to you a series of blog articles filled with foliage plants that are totally safe for...
Every year at the first signs of Fall temperatures begin to dip and we can start to expect the occasional overnight frost. This reminds us that winter will soon be here. It's time to start thinking about any of those plants you've enjoyed this summer and whether or not you would like to attempt to SAVE them by overwintering them indoors. There are many factors involved with overwintering plants in your home. Let's spend a few minutes outlining those various things. Cleaning When deciding to...
What is a perennial? Remember, a perennial is identified as a plant that comes back year after year bringing growth to the landscape for many seasons. Trees and shrubs are examples of "perennial" plants. However, there are many plants, such as daylilies, hostas, peonies, and tulips that are also perennials and yet are not what we consider a tree or shrub. These "non-woody" plants are known to the gardener as "herbaceous perennials". These plants do not grow on existing growth from last season....
With July approaching we're entering what I often refer to as the "dog days" of summer. It is a common misconception that the best planting time is the spring of the year. Which actually is incorrect. The best planting time for anything that is "perennial" is actually the fall. If you remember, perennial plants are plants that return year after year adding color and interest to the landscape season after season. In this article, I will share with you some of my favorite items for "midsummer"...
With the Spring outdoor season soon upon us, it usually means our workshop opportunities are coming to an end here at the nursery. We've had an immense amount of fun working with many various workshop topics this winter but perhaps the most anticipated topic occurred earlier in April. We had many attend our workshop on Carnivorous Plants. When we think about plants that eat something we often first think of the legendary Venus Flytrap. We often get requests for these unique plants all the time....
With the weather turning warmer, summer will soon be upon us. Overnight temperatures are causing many to hold off for a little while but many of the established trees and shrubs are beginning to leaf out, showing us that they are ready for another growing season. Taking a closer look at nature can be a fun thing to do as part of a family walk. I know I enjoy it when my family and I take our regular walking route on nice days so I can see how things are progressing. "Look," I'll say, "the lilacs...
Every year at the first signs of fall temperatures begin to dip and we can start to expect the occasional overnight frost. This reminds us that winter will soon be here. It's time to start thinking about any of those plants you've enjoyed this summer and whether or not you would like to attempt to SAVE them by overwintering them indoors. There are many factors involved with overwintering plants in your home. Let's spend a few minutes outlining those various things. Cleaning When deciding to...
One of the most common questions we receive at the nursery is, "When is the best time to plant?" As I write this, the month of July is drawing to a close and we'll soon be into August. It's surprising just how fast this summer has gone! The month of August usually has us starting to think about school and a return to our "indoor" environments. We are also approaching THE best time to plant ANYTHING that is a "perennial" planting. For those of you who've forgotten what a "perennial" is, I'll...
With the season of spring soon upon us many are turning towards vegetable gardening and what they can do outdoors. However, the groups of plants known as "tropicals" or "houseplants" Has become more than a little popular in past years. Everyone knows the concepts of the benefits of houseplants and how they can improve the air inside your home. What many generally forget is that the ability for a plant to help improve the air in your home depends directly on how much light it receives. This is...
As I write this article, "the first day of spring" (Mar 21) is almost upon us. This is a reminder for many of us in the northern climates that while it may not be "planting season" yet, it is certainly time to begin to think about the outdoors. Many enjoy the summer hobby of planting vegetable gardens and the crisp bite of that fresh cucumber or juicy tomato is a reminder that we're enjoying the summer season. We often receive many questions about starting veggies early to get a head start on th...
The fall season is an exciting time of year for many. We look forward to a change of weather. The forecast is showing overnight temps beginning to dip into the upper 30s at night. This is causing many plants to begin to exhibit their fall color. Maple trees are beginning to turn rich shades of red and yellow. Ash trees are beginning to turn a rich golden yellow. Other trees are beginning to change as well. There are some perennial plants that are finally going after opening their fall blooms. Plants like Asters and Sedum that are terrific choic...
Spring is here in our region. Daytime temps are regularly in the 60's but overnight lows are still a bit scary for most annual plants. Plants that are safe to install right now would be trees, shrubs, and perennials. Many people plant perennials because of the attraction of year after year growth. This means they will not have to plant their entire space with annuals each season. We try and keep a selection of perennial plants in stock all season long. Firstly, when considering perennial plants...
Like it or not, the changing of foliage, the coolness of the nights and the dampness of the air as I write this, are all signs that fall is upon us. People often ask us "when is the best time to plant?" They often are asking because they desire to succeed in getting whatever they are planting, to grow. It often sounds like a sales pitch this time of year when we respond, Now. "Oh sure, you just want to sell product" they might think. But the reality remains that now is simply the best time to...
The first day of spring will soon be upon us, those of us who are excited have been no doubt paging through seed catalogs for weeks now, looking for those favorite things we want to grow this year. If you are one who likes to start your own veggies now is a great time to be thinking about that. I had the honor of leading a seed-starting workshop at the recent NDSU Spring Tree & Garden workshop in Williston and I was excited about the enthusiasm of people wanting to grow their own food. In this...
