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Trees & Shrubs

Once you’ve decided to plant a tree, found the perfect spot and settled on the perfect variety, then it’s time to figure out if you want to plant a bare root, container or b & b tree. Since there are advantages and disadvantages to each type, it’s best to understand your options before you make a purchasing decision.

Hopefully, last week’s blog, In Awe of Trees, helped inspire you to add a tree (or even two) to your landscape this fall. Before going to check out what’s available though, it’s best to spend some time figuring out which kind of tree will be the best choice for you. Just like other plants in the landscape, placing the right tree in the right place is important. The designers at Embassy Landscape Group gave me some great points to ponder before heading out on a tree buying trip.

The 1 Trillion Tree Project  was in the news again last week. Although I personally believe that solving climate change issues is more complex than just planting trees, reading the article made me think about the importance of replacing the trees that we have lost over the past few years. Replanting our missing trees and adding some new ones is the right thing to do  -- not just for us but also for our immediate neighborhood, for our community at large and for the entire planet.

Last week we promised you a look at some of our favorite fluttering beauties. After some serious thought and lively discussion, here are our top ten choices...and one runner up. 

In the best of times, keeping a summer garden fresh and appealing is a challenge. This year, with half of the lower forty-eight states experiencing unusual heat patterns and moderate to severe drought, the challenges are even greater.  There are, however, environmentally friendly ways to keep your garden blooming throughout the dog days of summer. 

Daffodils may herald the coming of spring, but lilacs assure us that spring is here! The iconic lilac, once thought of as a throwback to grandma’s garden, is once again finding the place of honor it deserves in today’s gardens. 

I was musing the other day about planting a dogwood tree out front this spring, debating about where I should put it. Rather than suggesting a spot, my husband asked me which one I was going to plant. For a second, the question threw me  --  especially since I hadn’t bought any yet. Then it hit me; he wasn’t asking which one but which type I was intending to plant. Because it was April I had flowering dogwoods on my mind, but the truth is, there are several other types of dogwoods that would have also been beautiful choices. Here’s a run down on four of my favorites.

Early spring is a great time to turn a hum-drum landscape into the masterpiece of your dreams. Often, adding a few well-chosen and well-placed shrubs to the existing plant palette can make all the difference in the world.