People are always asking me about the best time to prune the shrubs they've installed or are maintaining.  For flowering shrubs the answer is easy - prune right after they’re done blooming. Late pruning in this case is bad since you’re removing the next season's flower buds and most of your clients would not be happy about that.

Boxwood (Buxus) and yew (Taxus) are a little different as flowers are not necessary or desired. First and foremost, always use very sharp pruners or shears, to make the pruning easier and reduce damage to the plant. To maintain trimmed forms and hedges you ideally need to shear twice a year. Once in late May or early June after the initial foliar flush, and then a second time around August. This causes the formation of lateral buds which help maintain denser growth. 

Keep in mind that shearing a plant to the same exact size every year causes the outside of the plant to become very dense, leaving the interior bare. Allowing for a slight increase helps delay the need for an extreme renewal pruning or plant replacement. Try not to prune during a drought period, and to prevent foliar freezeback pruning should never occur in late fall or winter. If you’re only going to shear once a year, try to do it around August. 

When shearing hedges, taper them so that the top is narrower than the bottom, so all sides will be exposed to sunlight. This will give you a slightly pyramidal shape. Avoid at all cost the inverted pyramid look, as this even further screens sunlight and eventually kills the bottom.

Both boxwood and yew are very tolerant of shearing and with proper technique will remain attractive and functional in the landscape for many years. 

Native plants have their place in landscaping. It is in native areas. Attempting to force native plants into landscapes in urban areas is difficult for everyone and everything. The plants will have a difficult time being successful in those conditions, and often the property owner and the landscape contractor are not prepared for the amount of maintenance it will take to make this successful. And neither are prepared for the financial commitment to make this successful.

For the last several years there has seemed to be a push to have more natives included in landscapes. To say that I am not a fan of this is not a secret. But it is always nice when someone with Ph.D after their name supports your position. Please read the below article by Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott about how native plants might not be good choice for most landscapes in urban areas.

Take advantage of our industry-leading delivery service! We can deliver your plants, brick, or bulk items right to your jobsite - no need to rent a specialized vehicle - just let us handle it.

For two weeks this July we are offering FREE local delivery. From July 23rd to August 3rd, we will deduct up to $210 from your delivery charge. Our local area is highlighted in yellow on this map, but please check with your salesperson for details. (Click to zoom view)

We have full-size semis and a smaller dump truck and each has easy-to-reach minimums to qualify for a delivery. There may be site access restrictions as well, so plan on discussing your needs with your salesperson so we can service you appropriately.

Here’s the fine print: You, the contractor, are responsible for unloading the truck or trailer. Our driver is there to help, but you must have people and the proper equipment on site to unload the material.

Coniferous evergreen shrubs can be used for foundation plantings, hedges, screening, topiary or a stand-alone focal point, and if planted in the right location, they never disappoint. Narrow, wide, tall, or short and in shades of silvery blue to green to yellow, evergreen shrubs bring four-season appeal and must be included in any quality landscape design. 

Chamaecyparis brings many questions each year, and I’ll highlight some of our favorites.

Chamaecyperis obtusa - Hinoki Falsecypress: The obtusas have flattened sprays of arborvitae-like foliage. There are dozens of varieties available to the trade. These are the ones we try to carry every season.

C. obtusa ‘Aurea’: Full-size golden variety with spreading, graceful branches. The outer foliage is golden with a green interior. Can grow up to 12" per year. Use as a specimen or in a group as a focal point.

C. obtusa ‘Nana Aurea': Dwarf version of 'Aurea'. Slow growth rate of 1-6" per year. Maintains golden color all year long. High impact in a small package!

C. obtusa ‘Crippsii’: Broadly conical with spreading branches and pendant sprays of bright, yellow foliage. Best in sunny or partially sunny areas. Good winter color. Excellent specimen. Growth rate up to 12" per year.

C. obtusa ‘Gracilis’: Broadly pyramidal and compact, the dark green lacy foliage is elegantly swirled. The rate is moderate, averaging 6-12" per year. It can reach 5-10' in ten years. Stunning specimen plant.

C. obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’: Dwarf version of 'Gracilis', growing 1-6" per year. The rich green color makes it a focal point in any landscape design. An irregularly globose form that is beautiful pruned or natural. A favorite of bonsai artists.

Chamaecyparis pisifera - Threadleaf Falsecypress

C. pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea Nana’: This beauty is not a genuine dwarf, but a slow growing cultivar that can reach a height of six feet, though that is not common here in Michigan. Bright greenish-yellow to golden whip-like leaves and branches that grown into a haystack mound, this popular plant is hard to keep in stock!  ‘Golden Mop’ is a mutation of ‘Aurea Nana’ and a true dwarf. Other cultivars we carry are ‘Golden Charm’, ‘Golden Mop’, ‘King’s Gold’,  and ‘Lemon Thread’. We stock them all, but not all the time.

We are always looking for plants that will make your design stand out and these varieties deserve your attention:

Juniper chinensis ‘Daubs Frosted’: Light golden-yellow new growth matures to soft feathery bluish-green. We will have some this year on standard.

Thuja plicata 'Whipcord': Hard to believe that this is an Arborvitae! 'Whipcord' is a dwarf selection of Western Red Cedar. It's a slow grower, getting only about 3' wide in ten years. The unsual whip-like branchlets give it a soft, mop-like appearance, making this a fun accent plant in the landscape.

In closing, evergreen shrubs are an important element in any good landscape design. Next time you’re in the Plant Center have a look at the new varieties, and the great selection of ornamental conifers we carry. We are always looking for plants that will make your design stand out.

You might be surprised to hear that I have a night job as a stand-up comedian. I think I am really good at it since every time I’m up on stage, I always get a big reaction! Let me give you an example of one of my jokes: Two bags of polymeric sand walk onto a patio, and belly up to the installer. They each ask for a glass of water, but the installer looks at them and says “I can’t serve the two of you; you both look all washed out and in a haze!”

Okay, so if you are laughing at that, your sense of humor is in far worse shape than mine. If you're not laughing, then you know all too well that polymeric sand is really no joking topic.

Putting in jointing sand is typically the final stage of the project. We all know how easy it is to install - and sometimes to fail at. With all the new and improved polymeric sands flooding the market, how many have you tried? If you’ve answered none, then you are not alone. You have found the one product that works for you and have had success with. It’s hard to change the final step right before getting the final payment. However, many of these new products will outperform the “old” sands and save you time in the process. The key element is the watering procedure.

The most time-consuming step is that watering process. Many of the old products tell you to lightly mist a small area 2-3 times. That’s several opportunities for a mistake to happen. You have to also take into consideration the temperature, humidity, even if it is sunny or cloudy. Most of the new sands only require only a single watering application. Depending on the manufacturer, this could be due to polymer weight or reduction of dust particles. Now you have a few less chances to have an error. Make sure you apply enough water to fully saturate the joint, otherwise the joint will wash out at some point. I tell contractors to use the “shower” mode on the hose, and rinse off the bricks. The rest of the installation process is the same, but please read the instructions thoroughly. Even though the process may be similar, there could be slight differences between the manufacturers that could have consequences if not followed. Don’t be “that guy” that reads the directions after your IKEA cabinet is built upside down and inside out!

If you have a question about a process or a product, please call or stop in. If we don’t know the answers, we know the people that do. Let us help you solve whatever problems come your way over a cup of coffee, and maybe some really bad humor... I guess I won't be quitting my day job any time soon.

The ELD Mandate is a law requiring all over the road semi drivers to have Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) in their trucks. The device keeps track of the driver's road time and regulates how many continuous hours of driving they can perform and when they must take breaks from the road. This is nothing new for the drivers, except that the logs are now electronic - and they can't be fudged. The law went into effect in 2015 but the actual deadline for compliance was December 2017, so this shipping season is the first that we are noticing the effects of it since now every driver has to play by the same rules.

How does this affect you?  Well, it may mean that if you are getting a direct-shipped load of plants delivered it will arrive when the driver's hours allow him to be there. In the past we always liked to have delivery as early as possible in the morning when all of your crews were there to unload, however it now could be any time during the day. It just depends on how the driver's logs work out. To help avoid any problems that this might cause, we still will require the driver to call you 24 hours in advance and also to keep you informed if anything changes.

Another issue is the question of how soon will plants arrive at the nursery? Loads that would load on one day and deliver the next can now take two days to get here depending on the available hours of the driver. So please be patient with us. We will call you when the plants actually land so you don’t have people waiting around for material that won’t show till the next day. Remember that the ELD Mandate affects every hauler on the road today and we all will have to adjust to this new reality.