Posts Tagged ‘Plantings’

Possible stocking stuffers for you or your loved ones? Some might not fit, though. Hopefully, you can get a hold of these at the library or go ahead and order for yourself for Christmas or just for the heck of it — hey, it’s winter in Wisconsin.

Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs – Michael A. Dirr — If you haven’t heard of Michael Dirr, you need to attend more gardening functions, he’s the king.

Perennials – Garden Handbooks — A photographic guide to more than 1,000 plants by type size, season of interest, and color

Flowering Crabapples (The Genus Malus) – Fr. John L. Fiala — “Father Fiala bring 50 years of passionate interest in the hybridization and cultivation of the ornamental crabapple to his readers.”

Growing Shrubs and Small Trees in Cold Climates – Nancy Rose, Don Selinger, and John Whitman

Trees of Wisconsin Field Guide – Stan Tekiela — Every tree lover and hiker should have this in their stocking this year. If you don’t know what the trees are in your yard – you need this field guide. (New version came out last year).

Birdscaping In The Midwest – Mariette Nowak — If you like the birdies and the beauty of native plants, you will not be able to put this down.  Absolutely knockout photos of native plants and birds.  I’ve featured this one in our “Growing With Ganshert’s” newsletter.

And if it still isn’t spring yet and you finished reading all of the above, don’t forget The Pruner’s Handbook by John Malins — It’s the Ganshert staff go-to for specific pruning questions on a particular genus or species of plant or tree.

HAPPY READING!                 THINK SPRING.  

Yes, Good Landscape Design! Oh, and Conifers aren’t Just Green Anymore

Conifers provide winter interest and gives something for the pretty snow to fall on and drape over. There are many, many more evergreen varieties that provide all shapes, sizes, and colors. So much for just forest green, add some color to your yard, even in the dead of winter!

Now there are Junipers, Arborvitae, and Cedar that provide burgundy foliage in the winter: Creeping juniper ‘Youngstown’; Arborvitae ‘Degroot’s Spire’; or White Cedar Red Star ‘Rubicon’. All of these varieties turn either bronze or plum-colored in the winter.

If you want chartreuse to add a little winter interest, choose from Sea of Gold Juniper and Sawara falsecypress ‘Lemon Thread’.

Or still like that blue-green foilage? You can go with Dwarf Alberta spruce ‘Blue Wonder’ or Dwarf Himalayan pine ‘Nana’, both with blue-green needles.

If you can’t have flowers, you might as well have color. Good design stands out in every season. Get a good designer (that’s us) and a good design that offers structure to show off winter and all its wonder and beauty. Oh, don’t forget to invite the birds. Plant conifers, shrubs with winter berries, and ornamental trees — add a birdfeeder and they will come.

People plant around their air conditioning units for different reasons. Some think the units are ugly and try to hide them with plants; others want to cool the air surrounding the unit to increase energy efficiency. Either way, there are some important guidelines to consider when planting around air conditioners.

Do not block air emitted from the condenser. This can cause the unit to overheat and malfunction. To avoid this, leave about 2’ between plantings and the unit. There are some exceptions where plants can be closer to the units. Annabelle Hydrangea, for example, is a great plant for screening air conditioners because it allows for effective ventilation and tolerates the hot air emitted.

A shaded air conditioning unit requires 10% less energy to operate than an unshaded unit. The most effective way to shade the unit is by planting a shade tree that blocks light from above during the hottest portion of the day when the unit is most likely running. Shade trees can be 80’ tall, but a 20’ tall ornamental tree can be just as effective if placed properly. Be sure to leave at least 5’ clearance between any part of the tree and the top of the air conditioning unit.

If you are building a new home or placing a new air conditioning unit, you may want to consider where the unit will be located. Placing the unit on the north side of the building will utilize the shade created by building to help cool the air around unit.