There are many things that remind us of the holiday season. Hot cocoa, snowmen, Christmas Trees, and falling snow. But when you picture your decorated holiday table, there is usually a festive plant as well- the Poinsettia. This holiday classic is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving. Each year, over 70 million Poinsettias are sold in the United States during a 6-week period, making them a staple of the Christmas season- but how? And why? I decided to do some digging into this yule tide annual, to understand where it came from, and how it became so popular.

Poinsettias are famous for their bright red leaves- or bracts. These bracts are often mistaken as the flower, which is a small, not so radiant cluster, found in the center of the leaves. The bright red foliage is the most common color found during the holidays, but Poinsettias also come in over 100 colors including pink, green, orange, and white. Interestingly, the color of the bracts is determined by a process called Photoperiodism. This means the amount of sunlight vs. darkness, which changes with the seasons. Longer darkness periods (14 hours of darkness for 6-8 weeks) result in the bright red hue that the Poinsettia is famous for.

Contrary to popular belief, the Poinsettia plant is nontoxic to humans and animals. This urban legend began, after 2 children who were said to have ingested the leaves passed away. In truth, it never even happened. Despite being untrue, the FDA released a statement that “even one Poinsettia leaf can be deadly”. This caused people to turn their back on the scarlet beauty, even becoming prohibited in certain places. Studies on rats proved that the plant is not lethal, although if ingested could cause an upset stomach.

Poinsettias are indigenous to Mexico, and Central America and were introduced to the US by Joel Roberts Poinsett in the 1820s. Its popularity can be attributed to the Ecke family, who started by selling them at street stands in 1909. After realizing their natural floppy, weed-like look could be improved, the family came up with a new grafting method- cross breeding 2 varieties, to make the plant more desirable. This enhanced their fullness and made them more compact. After perfecting their habit, they began pushing the holiday favorite, and even took the plant to late night talk shows in the 1960s to help promote them. Soon the Eckes family had controlled the market on Poinsettia, at one point contributing to 70% of the domestic market. Eventually, their grafting process was published, allowing other growers to follow in their footsteps. Today, the Ecke family is out of the Poinsettia business, but growers in California continue to produce Poinsettia today, capitalizing on the Holiday cash crop.

The Poinsettia is a Christmas staple that lives on beyond just the winter season. By keeping up with water, fertilizer, and trimming schedule, you can keep them happy all year long. With the added bonus of being nontoxic, there is no need to worry about you or your animals falling ill. Although there is no true reason for these plants to be associated with the holidays- other than excellent marketing, they do not appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Fall and winter months are arguably the most difficult times of the year to identify plants. All the leaves are gone, and there are no flowers left. It may just look like there’s a random cluster of sticks in the ground, and each one looks like the other. However, have no fear, there are still plenty of ways to still accurately identify these plants! Here are some things to look at that might make this an easier process.

Size and growth habit are the easiest characteristics of a plant to pinpoint first. Whether it is columnar and upright, has a mounded shape or if it is lower to the ground and has more of a spreading habit. Sometimes this may not be enough to identify the plant, but it can point you in the right direction.

Buds can be an easy giveaway of what the mystery plant may be. Many plants have unique bud shape, size and color. The placement of buds on a stem can vary as well, helping to narrow down the investigation. For example, the buds on a Viburnum trilobum will be smooth and with two distinct outer scales, while Viburnum carlesii will have buds that will be more vegetative and almost resemble the start of a leaf.

The stems and bark of a plant can also hold many unique characteristics of a plant. A lot of which can be hidden by the foliage during the summer. For example, Weigela has relatively coarse or rough bark which is not very noticeable until it loses its leaves. Or a more easily identifiable plant, red Dogwood varieties will have their signature bright red stem color in the winter.

In most cases it will take a combination of these factors to properly identify a plant, but by recognizing these characteristics you will be successful. As the planting season comes to an end, it is a great time to take advantage of learning what these plants look like without their foliage. Well, that is until spring!

P.S. If you want to get deeper into identifying in the offseason, check out this book. 

Christensen’s wants to support you, our customers, in every way we can.  With that goal in mind, we have brought on a new supplier to offer bagged deicing products for this winter.

While the weather has been rather mild this autumn, we all know that the snowy, icy cold conditions are just around the corner. We have brought in the first two pallets (one each in the Plant and Hardscape Centers) of the Green Earth Safety Salt for you to pick up with your other fall landscape supplies. 

All of the deicing products come in 50 lb bags, 50 bags to a pallet. Pricing varies across the several mixes available, but all of them enjoy a quantity break price when purchased by the pallet. If you’re looking for 16 pallets (800 bags) or more, we’re happy to quote higher quantity breaks, just get in touch with your customer service rep.

We are offering 4 different deicer mixes:

• Green Earth Safety Salt (AKA Icinator Premium) – Pure sodium chloride infused with calcium chloride for effective snow and ice melting at -24°F. This mix is 18% more effective than its competitor at 14°F ($8.25/bag)
• Green Earth Pet Friendly – Designed to be safe for pets and the environment alike. Improved deicing with less overall environmental damage that will not dry out pets paws. ($9.75/bag)
• Icinator – Pure sodium chloride with calcium chloride that melts ice and snow at 5°F effectively ($8.25/bag)
• Northern MH Rock Salt+ - 98% Sodium Chloride that contains Calcium Chloride to enhance melting. ($7.00/bag)

All of these products are eco-friendly and contain upcycled sodium chloride while still meeting de-icing goals.

Delivery is available for orders over 4 pallets in full pallet increments within the delivery zone for $150.  The delivery zone takes in I-94 north to 1-96/696 and US-23 east to US-24 (Telegraph). (Outside of the delivery zone will need to be quoted based on location) We can deliver to yards or jobsites and to multiple locations for an additional fee.  Talk to your customer service rep about your options for delivery.

As always, we’re happy to work with you and quote on special projects, just give us a call!

What do Jaws, Jimmy Hendrix and emergency sirens have in common? They all include the ‘Devil’s Trill’! “What is this?” you may ask. Well, it is ‘Satan in music’ and was once banned by the Catholic Church for being a “demonic combo”! The Violin Sonata in G minor by Tartini or the Devil’s Trill Sonata is the notes F & B played together and they clash so much it gives us an unnatural feeling of foreboding. Some people twitch when they hear these keys played together.

Police sirens are a perfect example. They are typically the notes C and G flat – can you hear them in your head? They clash – trouble is coming. You will find the ‘Devil’s Trill’ in movies like The Exorcist, The Shining and of course Jaws (da-dum… da-dum; Can you see the shark coming? The music gets faster as the shark gets closer… da-dum. P.S. Did you know that it’s a Tuba in Jaws?). Or maybe you are into the Rolling Stones (“Sympathy for the Devil”), Metallica ,(“Enter the Sandman” Fun note: this is my cup of tea!) Led Zepplin, (“The Rover”, “Since I’ve Been Loving You”) or, of course, “Purple Haze” (Jimmy plays the B-flat while bass man Redding plays an E, da-dant… da-dant, in the opening riffs) These groups use the demonic combo!

You get the idea but what has this to do with plants – nothing. What does this have to do with Kim – lots! We receive a lot of trucks from growers. Some are small – some are large. I try my hardest to get out and look at every truck and the material. But I must admit there are some nurseries that as I am about to look into the back of the truck and *wham*, a “Devils Trill”!! I also hear it when we open the houses up in the spring and, of course, when someone walks into my office and says, “I need a favor!” It is usually Jaws that plays in my head at work, but, nevertheless, it is in my head as a sign of foreboding! (Usually, I internally yell at myself for thinking that way – especially when the load is beautiful or the favor is easy!)

The ‘Devil’s Trill’ itself was composed by Giuseppe Tartini. An Austrian dude from the late 1600’s. He has two claims to fame – He was the first ever owner of a Stradivarius Violin and his Sonata in G Minor or “The Devils Trill”. The Sonata was basically the first “Devil Went Down to Georgia” style song (and story).

I will admit I also get it in my head before I step into the doctor’s office, dentist, and even sometimes as I about to put on the news. Funny thing is that in those moments the trill I hear is ‘Purple Haze’, I didn’t know it had a name, but it does and a cool one at that. (Not really sure where I learned the name or why.)

A couple of last Devils Trill footnotes.

• Did you watch the Sopranos? The season finale? Because they purposefully used Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and purposefully ended it at the ‘Devil’s Trill’ just to make it even more irksome.
• It is the hardest piece of music to play on a violin.
• If Giuseppe lived in our age, he would have been in a major Heavy Metal Band. 

Every year as we start to bring in fresh trees in the fall we hear requests for any and every kind of tree. Unfortunately for us, the cold winters here don’t allow for just any tree to be dug and replanted in the fall. It is a great time to plant trees that have previously been dug and given time to recover in our yard. However, it can be dangerous to dig certain trees late in the year depending on the growth habits of the species and other environmental factors. There are many trees we try our best to avoid digging in the fall to protect ourselves and our customers from finding dead trees in the spring when everything else is nice and green.

Most trees go into dormancy in the fall, entering a state where metabolic processes slow down so they can survive the winter. Digging trees in early spring while they are still dormant minimizes the stress caused by cutting its roots and transplanting it. The root system is preserved more effectively, allowing the tree to recover quickly once replanted. As it warms up in spring, they break dormancy and start putting on new growth which is ideal timing for reestablishing the root system after being dug. Trees dug in spring also have the advantage of cooler but warming temperatures and higher moisture. This combination reduces how much water the tree is losing and provides ideal conditions for recovery. Most species acclimate to their new surroundings better when dug in the spring. This is why we bring in thousands of trees in the spring and hold them year-round. It gives the trees a chance to recover until you need them and minimizes the risk of transplant shock or failure to make sure your newly installed landscape looks good and will last.

Some trees are better suited for fall digging and can reestablish roots before winter. Most species of Amelanchier, Crabapple, Ginkgo, Linden, Lilac, and Maple do well with fall digging and some even seem to do better, avoiding transplant shock. These trees will still develop roots in the cooler months after being dug. With the ground still warm but air temperatures cooling, growth can continue even as the tree's leaves drop. This late growth enables the tree to adjust and recover before winter, preparing the tree to absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil as soon as the weather warms up in spring. During spring, the tree’s energy is directed towards new growth and root development, instead of recovery, which can result in stronger and more vigorous plants. This can enhance the overall health of the tree, making it more resilient to inclement weather, diseases, and pests. In contrast, spring digging can lead to transplant shock, as trees may struggle to adjust and recover while also trying to grow new leaves.

In conclusion, digging and replanting trees is a practice grounded in ecological and botanical science. The combination of biological factors such as dormancy cycles and growth rates with environmental factors like soil conditions and moisture determine the optimal time for digging. By timing the transplanting process correctly, one can set the stage for healthy, vibrant trees that will thrive in their new environments for years to come. So, if you see a tree with some old deteriorating burlap in the fall don’t be too quick to write it off. That tree is not “old”, it was intentionally dug in the spring according to the best botanical practices and held all year just waiting to be planted. It has survived the stress of digging and is primed for replanting, more resilient and ready to thrive in its new environment.

Every time I call a market “mature” someone surprises me with a new product. Recently, I mentioned to a friend that Oreos have done just about everything you can do with such a simple cookie sandwich. Change a couple of flavors, add some food dye…what else is there? Then, what appears this summer? Pop Rocks Oreos! Okay, they got me, never saw that coming.

Another surprise to hit the market this year is Alliance Outdoor Lighting’s latest innovation, BT Ally Bluetooth Lamps! Designed with installation contractors in mind, these cutting-edge lamps are set to revolutionize the way you approach outdoor lighting projects. BT Ally have all the tech built right in to the lamp, there is no longer a need for installing entirely new fixtures to enjoy wireless, color-changing functionality.

Let’s dive into the details of the four new types of BT Ally lamps, their impressive features, and how they can seamlessly upgrade older fixtures.

1. BT Ally for Bullets (Spotlights): Perfect for highlighting architectural features and garden elements, these spotlights offer precise control of your light, allowing you to focus attention at areas of interest. With Bluetooth connectivity, you can easily adjust settings from your smartphone, ensuring the perfect ambiance for any occasion.
2. BT Ally for Path Lights: Illuminate walkways and garden paths with style, keeping the light directed downward and out of your guests eyes. The Bluetooth functionality allows for effortless color changes and dimming, providing both safety and aesthetic appeal.
3. BT Ally for Flood Lights: Ideal for larger areas, these flood lights deliver powerful illumination with the added benefit of Bluetooth control. Whether you’re lighting up a driveway or a backyard, you can customize the lighting to suit your needs.
4. BT Ally A19 Lamps: These versatile lamps can be installed into existing porch lights and other traditional fixtures. The A19 lamps are a game-changer for retrofitting older 120v setups with modern, smart lighting solutions.

Features That Shine

• Color Changing: The BT Ally lamps offer a full spectrum of colors, allowing you to create dynamic lighting scenes. Whether it’s a warm white for a cozy evening or vibrant colors for a festive gathering, the possibilities are endless.

At the risk of sounding lazy, (this is my second article arguing for less work on behalf of pollinators) I’d like to encourage you to talk to your customers about a modified fall cleanup.  Now, before you tell me that fall clean-up is a healthy revenue stream for you, hear me out…

Environmentalism used to be considered a passing fad, merely a trend that would swing in the opposite direction given enough time.  However, as the years have progressed, environmental consciousness has grown into a common practice among many of the younger generations.  While the Boomer generation tends to be split, each generation following tends to have a higher awareness and commitment to the environment. Therefore, a sound business strategy includes incorporating environmentally friendly practices into your business plan as a long-term growth strategy to keep your clientele from aging out of your services.

So now that I’ve argued the business sense around this strategy, let me give you the environmental impact of leaving the leaves:

Many pollinators and other beneficial insects overwinter in or below organic debris. Leaving a layer can help bees, butterflies, moths, spiders, fireflies, worms, and so many more utilize this kind of protection. And, all of these primary consumers provide needed sustenance to secondary, tertiary, and, down the line, apex consumers. Habitat preservation through leaving the leaves plays into the whole food chain in your small area of the world.

And lest you think that you have to leave them where they fall, raking them into designated areas is perfectly acceptable. Utilizing them as mulch in flower beds or around trees & shrubs can suppress weeds and infuse the soil with helpful nutrients for the next year.

The other environmental impact that we see from this idea is the reduction of tons of yard debris being dumped into landfills.  In the yards, the leaves have more access to oxygen to decompose aerobically without releasing excessive amounts of methane.

Of course, this whole argument is for naught, if the homeowners association or city insists on leaf cleanup. However, “leaving the leaves” has been a movement for decades.  As it continues to garner attention and interest, it may become the norm even in city ordinances and HOAs alike.  

I’ve made sure to research this article with some online sources that you can check out for yourself if you want to learn more about “Leaving the Leaves”…

https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2022/10/17/fall-leave-leaves
https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2015/OctNov/Gardening/Leave-the-Leaves
https://www.webstergrovesmo.gov/708/Leave-the-Leaves
https://mdc.mo.gov/magazines/conservationist/1995-10/autumn-leaves-myth-reality
https://xerces.org/leave-the-leaves?blm_aid=1217656837

As we sit here under the clouds in Plymouth, contemplating more rain and clouds in the coming week, let’s talk about some full-sun shrubs that can liven up your plantings. We can help make a landscape pop with vibrant colors and beautiful flowers. Here are a few unique options to consider when trying to find the right plants for uncovered landscapes:

Summer Wine® Physocarpus opulifolius

Considered to be an improvement to Ninebark, Summer Wine grows to be 5-8’ tall and wide, with dark purple foliage and white flowers in the spring that can even be cut for arrangements. This plant is very low maintenance and provides a great contrast of color wherever it’s planted. As it grows it will also give a unique look as its stems start to splay out, but its tidy habit rarely requires pruning. (If you find you like this plant but need to tuck it into an even smaller space, check out Tiny Wine Ninebark!)

Czechmark Trilogy® Weigela

Czechmark Trilogy Weigela stays relatively small, between 3-3.5’ tall and wide. The interest in this plant comes in spring with its flower color, varying from white, pink and red at any one time. As for the rest of the season, Czechmark Trilogy will have glossy green foliage that stays looking brand new.

Double Play® Candy Corn® Spiraea

Candy Corn Spirea is a part of the Double Play series, and has only made an appearance in landscapes in the past few years. It is relatively new, but sets itself apart from other Spirea with its foliage showing all different shades of yellow, orange and green. A very compact plant that stays around 2-2.5’ tall and wide, this is another low maintenance beauty. While the foliage provides the show all year long, Candy Corn has dark purple flowers in the spring and early summer that contrast beautifully with the vibrant leaves.

These are only a few options for planting in full sun, but there are many more out there if you put your sunglasses on and take a look around!

Photos for this Article Courtesy of Proven Winners - www.provenwinners.com.

Christensen’s is dedicated to always doing a better job of supplying landscapers. To that end, we added Techo-Bloc to our hardscape lineup 2 years ago and this year we’re bringing back Oaks Landscape Products. 

Right now, we can order whatever you need from the full line of Oaks pavers, slabs, steps, curbs, walls, copings, and accessories. Large orders of 10 pallets or more can be here at Christensen’s within 2 days of ordering. You can pick up smaller orders in Wixom on the same day. Christensen’s can bring in orders of less than 10 pallets if an adequate lead time is available.

Next year, we’re planning to stock several product lines. Since we’re still in the early stage, you can let us know what products you might need at a moment's notice, so we can have it ready for you in 2025. Just stop by and talk to one of our friendly Hardscape Team members about the products on your wish list.

One product that we’re excited to have available in this product line is the Nueva 24”x24” Smooth Pillar Caps (in two colors). Besides the intended purpose of topping off pillars, these can also be used as a slab paver for walkways or in gapped patios for the popular “California look.” The Nueva offers curbs, walls, steps, slabs, and pavers in matching colors to complete a uniform space with the same look.

Oaks Landscape Products introduces a different price point to the Christensen’s Hardscape product lineup. New sample boards with examples of the rich Oaks colors and styles have arrived in the yard, so we would like to invite you to peruse our selection of all of our Hardscape lines, now including, Unilock, High Format, Techo-Bloc, Fendt, and Oaks.

Traditional fall perennials like Sedum, Anemone, Mums, Asters, and Rudbeckia are coming into their own! It's the time of year for a refresh into the new season.

However, there are some other fall flowers you may also want to consider. Let us take a look at the staples in the fall garden and then we can get on with some cool stuff!

Mums

Grown for us by a single nursery, they are not just any “Mums” but Belgian mums. Does it make a difference? Yes. Belgian “mums” have much stronger and, more importantly, pliable plant stems. Meaning they do not break when you look at them wrong. They also produce a uniform crown. Don’t forget that all mums are an important fall crop for bees and butterflies.

Ornamental Cabbage & Pansies

Both are waiting for cooler temps before they will show up. Pansies are very cold hardy. We’ve even had potted pansies flowering in January. Cabbage will freeze just like it is and sit like that all winter. Cabbage is an annual whereas the Pansies are semi-perennial – it all depends on how they fill and what the winter is like.

Ornamental Peppers

These have become all the rage. If you have not seen them, they’re worth checking out. They are literally small peppers that come in a multitude of colors.

Swiss Chard

We are going to have some this year – YEAH!! Hopefully, you can get some of them before we buy them all!! This is an ornamental Swiss Chard (yes, you can buy Swiss Chard and Cabbage at the supermarket, but they are just plain old green!) Ornamental Swiss Chard has stems in all shades of red and green with dark green leaves that are thickly veined in white. Very catchy!

Fall Anemone

There are a couple of plants and a few bulbous Anemones that bloom in the spring. However, all the cool hybrids are fall flowering. A couple of our favorites are ‘September Charm (2-3’ tall with pink flowers) and ‘Sweetly’ (from the ‘Fall in Love’ series, these grow 2-3’ tall with dark rose-colored flowers).

Aster

There are a multitude of Asters. Actually, there were so many, and they seemed so different that now we no longer use the word Aster, the new genus word (for some of them) is Symphotrichum. This is where you will find the “Fall Asters”. All of them will come in about 12-24” and there are numerous colors available. We are rather choosy here and try to pick asters that will maintain themselves. Many of the older cultivars need a trim in early summer to keep them compact. (A friend once told me to mow them down with the lawnmower on the 4^th of July. It is advice that I’ve never tried and don’t necessarily recommend, but it certainly gives a strong visual.) We try to only offer cultivars that don’t need that kind of maintenance.

The one everyone loves “Purple Dome” with the purple-blue flowers is one that needs a little trim, but the color is very distinctive. We like the ‘Wood’s’ series. They come in several colors and top out around 12” tall and are compact and uniform. We have also been selling the ‘Kickin’ series which is a new set of cultivars, again numerous colors, reaching about 15”. Aster as a group are a crucial butterfly nectar source in fall. You will find Painted Lady’s, Swallowtails, Sulphur’s, and Red Admiral fighting the bees for winter storage!

Rudbeckia

We will say that because we’re on a butterfly tangent these will supply nectar for Silvery Checkerspot and bees. There are some new ones on the market we have been trialing. They are worth checking out for fall. Some are hardy, others are supposed to be hardy. It will probably depend on the severity of the winter. Time will tell.

‘American Gold Rush’ possesses the traditional Rudbeckia daisy-shaped flowers except they are small but way more numerous. These are hardy and have proven themselves. The plants will reach 2-2.5’ and start blooming in late summer and all the way through fall.

There are numerous hybrids of Rudbeckia hirta and Rudbeckia fulgida, and these are the ones who may not be quite as perennial as hoped! However, even as an annual they are worth it for the fall show!

‘Denver Daisy’ is one of our favorite Rudbeckia. It has a yellow flower that has a mahogany center and a brown eye. The mahogany center is quite large and makes for a spectacular show in the fall. This one should definitely be treated as an annual.

‘Prairie Sun’ has 5” golden yellow petals tipped a lighter yellow. These are a hirta variety and should be treated as an annual. ‘Prairie Sun’ will reach 3-3.5’ tall.

‘Gloriosa Daisy’ are annuals coming in at 24-30”. They are yellow with either a red or an orange edge that start blooming in August.

And, from the same breeding as ‘Goldstrum’, comes ‘Little Goldstar’. We have been carrying this one for a while now and it is a fab little plant. Only 15” tall and covered with traditional flowers from mid-summer to fall.

Sedum

I saved this for the last of the common fall flowers. Everyone seems to think Autumn Joy is it! It’s not. (Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ has the orangish-red flower and stands about 2’ tall.) Check out some of these others for fall flash!

‘Brilliant’ and ‘Neon’ have magenta to reddish flower.

‘Plum Dazzled’ Sedum has plum leaves with raspberry red flowers. ‘Dazzleberry’ has blue-gray foliage with red flowers. Both of these are part of the ‘Sunsparkler’ series. There are several others in the series all with different colored leaves. We like the ‘Sunsparklers’ because of their height – 1-1.5’ with flowers.

‘Mohave Jewels’ also has several varieties in this series with different colored foliage. My favorite is ‘Sapphire’ with purplish-blue leaves and rose colored flowers. (12-15” tall)

Helennium

I call this my happy plant. It makes me smile even when I am just saying the word. The available colors are best describes as an autumn pallet; red, yellow, and orange. They have daisy-like flowers that point up to the sky, reaching 3-5’ tall and 3-5’ wide at maturity.

Heliopsis

H. annus is the traditional annual sunflower. H. helianthoides is the “False Sunflower”. Much smaller flowers but LOTS of them. Like their cousin, the annual sunflower, “False Sunflower” can get 3-5’ tall. There is a shorter one, ‘Tuscan Sun,’ coming in at about 2-2.5’. All flowers are golden sun colored. Heliopsis is unpalatable to deer and rabbits and is a pollinator for bees and butterflies.

Eupatorium

There are several natives belonging to this family and only a few cultivars. Eupatorium are deer, rabbit, squirrel, etc. resistant. Eupatorium produces a sap that tastes bad, can be poisonous and exists thoughout the entire plant. (Pointsettia are a Eupatorium) Nothing is gonna take a bite of these and if they do there will not be a second bite! The native eupatorium can reach 5-6’ even up to 8’ – they can get huge. There are a few dwarf varieties that will only reach 3-4’. Try ‘Little Joe’ 2.5-3’, or ‘Baby Joe’ 2.5-3’. Eupatorium flowers are a dirty white to rose red. This plant is a POWER pollinator. Bees, Monarchs, Skippers, Swallowtails, and Sulphurs, numerous moth species, and Sparrows will eat the seeds. This one feeds everybody!

Before we let you go to enjoy Fall – do not forget your fall bulbs! As long as you’re planting, you might as well drop in some bulbs. They will not brighten up a fall display, but they will be worth it in the spring! You will not be sorry when they start to pop up as the weather warms up next year! And, by then your back will not hurt anymore from all this fall planting!