Shrubs for the Front of the House That Still Look Good in Ten Years
About ten years ago, when I was still learning how to run our family nursery, I bought several ornamental shrubs that our supplier at the time hadn’t managed to sell. The price was good enough for me to accept the offer, although I wasn’t…
How to Trim Bushes Without Cutting Off Next Year’s Flowers
A few days ago, I remembered a lecture from my college days when our professor explained why some shrubs fail to bloom for years, even though they look perfectly healthy. Out of curiosity, I decided to look up a few of my old professors on Facebook. I…
Some States Are Banning Burning Bush. Plant These for Fall Color Instead.
Last fall, I was making a list of shrubs I wanted to order for the next season when I noticed that burning bush was no longer available from a supplier I had worked with for years. I thought it was a stock issue, so I sent him a message and asked when he…
If You Want Flowers in February, Plant a Witch Hazel This Fall
If you want flowers in your yard as early as February, plant Witch Hazel in October or November, before the ground freezes. Varieties such as ‘Jelena’ and ‘Diane’ can bloom in the middle of winter, whereas ‘Arnold Promise’ usually flowers a little later.…
How to Tell If a Shrub Is Dead or Just Dormant
Every spring in Pennsylvania reminds me how easy it is to misjudge the condition of a shrub. One plant may already have fully developed leaves, yet another of the same species may not even have open buds. If you have never encountered such a situation…
Please Stop Chopping Your Crape Myrtles Down to Stumps
A few days ago, a business partner who supplies Crape Myrtles to my nursery came to visit. After we finished our business, we went out for lunch. We share the same passion for ornamental trees, so our conversations often last much longer than we…
Why Some States Are Now Banning the Bradford Pear, Including Ohio
I admit that the Bradford Pear sales ban annoyed me quite a bit at first, especially because I own a large plant nursery in Ohio. We had sold it for years. Customers regularly asked for it, and many came in with a photo of a tree they had seen in a…
How Limelight Hydrangea Won Over American Front Yards
Limelight Hydrangea now looks like an established American garden classic, yet its rise began with a Dutch cultivar that many buyers initially found unusual. Green flowers were a difficult sell at a time when people expected hydrangeas to bloom in…
