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Preparing Your Landscape for the Winter Season
Preparing Your Landscape for the Winter Season

Preparing your landscape for winter began with proper planting and continued with year-round support. Healthy plants are better equipped to fend off the stresses of winter. But there are specific tasks that can be critical to improve survival and keep your landscape in good shape. Efforts we make at this time may not seem as enjoyable as gardening at other times of the year, but they do ensure a rewarding spring. Here are 12 essential activities for a successful winter.

Top 12 Unique Perennials for Shade
Top 12 Unique Perennials for Shade

Finding suitable plants that can thrive in a shady garden can seem like a discouraging task. The choices are actually more abundant than you might think. But what if you are looking for an exceptional plant that’s not so commonly seen, with unique qualities?

Nectar Plants for Migrating Pollinators
Nectar Plants for Migrating Pollinators

A hot topic in conservation these days is Connectivity - how to alleviate the habitat fragmentation that threatens the livelihood of wildlife. Gardeners can become part of the solution by ensuring that migrating pollinators have food sources along their way.

Oaktober - A Celebration of the Mighty Oak
Oaktober - A Celebration of the Mighty Oak

In 2015, the state of Illinois began a program to raise awareness of the decline of their native oak woodlands and put their oaks on the path to health and regrowth. It is an admirable effort that would be beneficial to many areas of the country.

Home Nursery, Inc. Announces New Growing Facility
Home Nursery, Inc. Announces New Growing Facility

Nearing its 100-year anniversary, family-owned and operated, Home Nursery, Inc., today announced it is expanding its 385-acre nursery in Albers, Ill. with the purchase of a new turnkey growing facility in Tennessee.

5 Great Boxwood Alternatives
5 Great Boxwood Alternatives

Boxwoods are incredibly popular in the landscape, but could the recent appearance of boxwood blight threaten their place in our gardens? Only time will tell how devastating boxwood blight will be to the boxwood population. Until then it might be good to consider these 5 great boxwood alternatives that are not susceptible to the fungal pathogen that causes boxwood blight.

5 Great Plants for Rain Gardens
5 Great Plants for Rain Gardens

Did you know that rainwater runoff contributes to 70% of water pollution? Plants are here to help! A simple installation of a rain garden can remove up to 90% of pollutants from rainwater runoff, not to mention the beauty & biodiversity they provide to the landscape. With rain gardens, everybody wins!

What's So Great About the Ginkgo Tree?
What's So Great About the Ginkgo Tree?

Aptly named maidenhair tree for its ridged and fan shaped leaves, the ginkgo tree is tolerant of almost any growing conditions. It is a slow grower, but it can reach heights of 50 to 80 feet at maturity. In a good year, ginkgo trees have a beautiful golden-yellow fall color. This is an incredibly low maintenance tree as it does not have any major disease or pest problems and can tolerate almost any soil type.

The 6 Best Evergreens for Live Holiday Wreaths
The 6 Best Evergreens for Live Holiday Wreaths

This blog post briefly explains how to make a live holiday wreath and list the best evergreens for live holiday wreaths. It analyzes each plant material’s pros and cons, gives ideas for additional decorations, and hopefully inspires your own creativity to make a unique and beautiful holiday wreath. For more information, please visit the Missouri Botanical Gardens website.

Best Ornamental Grasses For Creating A Screen
Best Ornamental Grasses For Creating A Screen

Ornamental grasses can be used for a variety of reasons, but one reason people may overlook is using them as a living screen. Many people think of using evergreens as living screens, which they do work well for, but several grasses can be a great alternative and take up less room too.

Upright Junipers Vs. Arborvitae (Reviews)
Upright Junipers Vs. Arborvitae (Reviews)

Upright conifers have many uses, from hedges and screens to specimen plants.  Upright Juniper and Arborvitae can both be used for the same purposes.  Are they actually the same genus?  Which should you plant?  Let’s compare them.