Protecting Your Garden from Wisconsin Winters

 

Here is a second installment of our articles on preparing your yard for Wisconsin winters. To assure that you will have fabulous color welcoming the spring to your garden, here are some tips on putting your flower gardens “to bed”.

• Prune – Though it is usually appealing to tidy your garden in the fall, pruning most plants is not necessary this time of year. In fact, left-over foliage can usually provide some winter protection for your flower bed. Most perennials can be pruned in the fall or spring depending on your preference. However, if they need to be cut back to promote healthy growth, they should be removed once done blooming and browning. Also, if any of your plants showed signs of disease or insects, those should definitely be cut far back and composted.

• Mulch – Mulching your beds is best done with shredded leaves, evergreen needles, or straw as these options will create a breathable covering for your plants and still protect them from winter conditions and limit predators. Oftentimes the type of mulch you use can also enrich your soil once decomposed. Feel free to add a layer of shredded bark if you already have that spread in your plant bed. However, limit this mulch at the base of your perennials and shrubs as too much covering could cause root rot in your plant.





It's a Wrap!

As Wisconsin weather is repeatedly unpredictable, who can guess what the upcoming winter could bring? However, whether a torrent of snow or unexpectedly mild temperatures, you can prepare your yard for this season. For the next couple of weeks this blog will outline winter-prep tips starting with wrapping your young trees.

The most recommended and common type of tree wrap is kraft paper as it is a biodegradable material and will not girdle the trunk if left on too long. Secondly, it can be found at a reasonable price in comparison with certain plastics or burlaps used to wrap trunks. When covered with this protective layering, trees are shielded from sun scald and rodents throughout the winter. Currently available at our design center, for only $9.99 you can get a 3"x 50' roll of Clark's Tree Wrap. This is definitely an investment worth making. We hope to see you soon!

Help the Environment, Help Yourself

 

While the environmental impact of tree planting has been well-publicized to Americans, we can't forget how it can personally help a home-owner as well. A tree's natural beauty alone cultivates a neighborhood's atmosphere and creates a peaceful environment. It also provides delicate privacy without the sense of a deliberate barricade. But having a tree in your yard goes beyond being beautiful by also being economically profitable.

The shade and transpiration of a tree provides natural air cooling, while its expansive size provides a wind-break in the winter. With proper placement it can reduce a property's utility bills by as much as 30%. Also, considering the increased real estate value presented in your home, investing in a tree is a positive and powerful impact in several ways.

There is not better time than now to stop in our Design Center with our current sale:

50% off select Maple, Redbud, Honeylocust, Oak, Spruce, Magnolia, Crabapple, and Fruit Trees!!

40% off select Arbovitae, Juniper, and Serviceberry Trees!!

Feel free to contact us with any questions, and we look forward to seeing you soon!



Spring is here!

It looks like spring came early this year. That means it's time to get a jump on your landscaping projects. Also, don't miss the big news! The biggest announcement from Vande Heys this year is the introduction of our new line, VHC Pools. That's right, we're now installing, repairing, and maintaining pools. Check out our new site to find out more.


Also, stop in our retail center which is back up and running for the year. You can pop in ask questions, get advice, and pick up everything you need to make your yard spectacular this season.

October Maintenance Tips & Tricks

• Finish planting Spring flowering bulbs.
*Stop in to our nursery to see what bulbs we have in!
• Start winterization of plants materials.
• Aeration of lawn to promote root growth.
• Start lowering the mowing height, continue to mow lawn until it stops growing.
• Wrap trunks of young or thin barked trees such as Ash, Honeylocust, Maple, and Linden with tree wrap.
• Continue to collect/mulch leaves from lawn areas.
• Remove debris and leaves from planting beds.
• Cut back all perennials except ones with some winter interest (grasses, sedum)
• Take snow removal equipment into repair center for tune up, so equipment is ready for the first snowfall.
• Spray crab trees with dormant oil to help control apple scab next summer.

Perennial Cut Back

To cut down or not to cut down that is the question many gardeners ask once fall has arrived. In other words they’re asking, “Do I cut back my perennials and seasonal plantings in fall or spring?” The answer is an emphatic yes depending on what you want from your landscape during the winter months.

If your concept of the perfect winter scene is an uninterrupted pristine blanket of snow, plan on cutting back and clearing out the perennial border each fall. However, if you are hoping that your landscape will continue to provide interest right up to spring, schedule that bed work for early April.

By keeping the foliage of ornamental grasses and perennials such as autumn joy sedum in place you allow your landscape to continue to provide color and movement right up until the arrival of deep snow. Besides the show, keeping the foliage in place for the winter helps to accumulate snow over the plants. This blanket of snow is nature’s protective mulch against the extreme cold of a Wisconsin winter. Another benefit is that dried and dead foliage helps mark the plant’s location come the warm weather of spring - A simple way to avoid damaging the plants while working in the yard in early spring.

September Specials

"Do not be afraid to go out on a limb...that is where the fruit is!"

Here is a list of our new Fall specials & be sure to stop in the retail center and nursery to see what other deals we have going on!

* 50% OFF
Perennials
Evergreens
Fruit Trees
Red Oaks
Crabapples

* 60% OFF:
Autumn Blaze Maples
Crabapples
Hackberry
Mugho Pine
Forsythia
Honeysuckle

* 75% OFF
Newport Plum