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A Case for Non Native Plants

April 2, 2019 By Jim 1 Comment

Non Native Plants for Landscaping

#1 - Invasive pests are less likely to kill your Non-Native shade tree Exotic disease and insect pests are big problems because exotic pests evolve with plants that are related to our native plants. The pest and its host plant compete in an "Arms Race" in their homeland where they are evenly matched. Problems occur when the pest with its "advanced weaponry" come to a new land where it finds plants that it knows how to attack (they are genetically similar to the ones it "grew up with") but … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plant recommendations

Tri Color Beech for Summer color and winter bark

February 26, 2019 By Jim 214 Comments

In the past, I have recommended two purple leaf beech trees for residential gardens.  I have already covered the purple fountain beech.  Now, I will cover the Tri-color beech, but with a caveat at the end of this post that may be changing my recommendation. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plant recommendations Tagged With: beech, Fagus sylvatica "Roseomarginata', purple leaf tree, specimen, tree

Two shade loving Asters that pollinators flock to

January 8, 2019 By Jim 1 Comment

Blue Wood Aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium

Fall blooming plants such as goldenrods and asters are great additions to almost any garden. Most of them like to grow in full sun. There are, however, exceptions. Let's look at two of these that are very similar, the Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) and Short's Aster (Symphyotrichum shortii). … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plant recommendations, Supports Wildlife & Biodiversity

Trees for wet areas and poorly drained soils

December 3, 2018 By Jim 71 Comments

I would like to talk about selecting trees for wet areas, as I recently received the following question from Aubrey from the Denver Colorado area: We have an area of our yard at the bottom of a small slope. It tends to stay damp to wet. It's also clay. What tree would you recommend for that area? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plant recommendations Tagged With: bald cypress, dawn redwood, reader question, trees, wet areas, wet soil

Trees for Carbon Sequestration and Wildlife Support

November 8, 2018 By Jim 8 Comments

CO2 Sequestration Rates for tree species

Picking the right trees for carbon sequestration is a good step to take in creating a Landscape that does more than look pretty. In this post, we will begin a 3 Part Series showing an ecological mixed landscape bed design by selecting trees to sequester CO2 and support wildlife at a high level. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plant recommendations, Supports Wildlife & Biodiversity Tagged With: carbon sequestration, climate change, native plants, shade tree, Wildlife

Landscaping for your grandchildren

October 23, 2018 By Jim 4 Comments

Your idea of landscaping for your grandchildren probably includes having a play and lawn area for running around and sports, as well as the usual goals of having a beautiful and low maintenance landscape. Those goals are no longer enough....not if you care about what your grandchildren will be inheriting. We are borrowing the land from future generations, even that yard you think is yours and yours alone, so you are indeed landscaping for your grandchildren whether you think about it or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Design, Plant recommendations, Supports Wildlife & Biodiversity Tagged With: carbon sequestration, climate change, ecplogical landscaping, native plants

Purple Fountain beech as a perfect specimen

October 22, 2018 By Jim 81 Comments

Mature Purple Fountain Weeping Beech

Today, I am, going to recommend you consider an odd specimen tree, the Purple fountain beech.  Yeah even though it's not a native tree and I have bad mouthed Purple leaf Japanese maples in a past post.  I made the argument that green leaf Japanese maples fit into landscapes better than their purple leafed cousins.  I also gave some suggested green leaf varieties. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plant recommendations Tagged With: fagus sylvatica, purple fountain beech, purple leaf tree, specimen, Weeping

3 Native Perennials for Fall Interest You Might Not Know

June 10, 2018 By Jim 1 Comment

When we think about fall color, we usually think first of trees or shrubs that have foliage that change colors, like red maples or burning bush. Perhaps flowering perennials like Goldenrod or Asters come to mind. They should as they are among the best for late season interest (and pollinator benefit). Here are 3 native perennials for fall interest you may not be aware of and yes I am including a Goldenrod and Aster, but lets start with one that's not. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Perennials and bulbs, Plant recommendations, Supports Wildlife & Biodiversity

My names not Annabelle! It’s Haas Halo Hydrangea!

January 19, 2018 By Jim 23 Comments

HYDRANGEA ARBORESCENS 'HAAS' HALO' PP24783

It has been a while since I wrote about a plant, the last one was the North Star Sour Cherry. That was a plant I had at my previous house and was quite familiar with. It is also a pretty old cultivar, certainly not the latest and greatest. Today, I want to talk to you about a new cultivar of an old friend, the Haas Halo hydrangea. Most people know the Illinois native Smooth Hydrangea because of the softball sized mophead white flowers of it's most widely planted cultivar, the Annabelle … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plant recommendations, Supports Wildlife & Biodiversity

North Star Cherry is a great smaller fruit tree

March 26, 2017 By Jim 24 Comments

North Star Cherry Fruit on Tree

Today, I am going to write about one of my favorite flowering trees. This plant has bright white Spring flowers, stays a nice compact size that fits almost any landscape. It also has an interesting bark color. It is hardy in zones 4-8 so you can grow it almost everywhere in the US. Sorry Northern Minnesota and southern Florida, your left out of this one. No, it's not a crabapple. It's not a redbud. It's also not even any of the dogwoods. Give up? It's a North Star sour … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plant recommendations

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