gill landis - Grow-How Blog

New Garden Center Products for Spring

Apr 122012

By Gill Landis, Sales and Marketing Manager, Dundee Nursery and Landscaping

Spring is the time of year when all of us in the garden center are excited for sun, warmth, plants and new stuff. Nothing symbolizes this more than our Annual Spring Expo coming up this Saturday and Sunday, April 14^th and 15^th. With that in mind I would like to share with you some of the new garden center products you will see at Expo and in our stores this spring.

Hi-Yield has a new weed prevention product this year. What’s different about it you ask? Well, it provides superior control of Crabgrass and many other annual grass and broadleaf weeds in ornamental landscape areas. It may be applied to either bare ground or mulched ornamental bed areas. Application can be applied much later than traditional weed preventers such as Preen.

Jiffy Products has a new Organic, all-purpose soil. 100% Organic Soil, designed for the special pH and nutrient needs of today’s seed and plant varieties. A greenhouse quality soil mix, this is the very best seed-starting mix available!

Tired of mowing the lawn at the cabin up north? Green Guard Freedom Mix is a new blend of grass seed that requires mowing only 2 or 3 times a year. Now that is cool! Where’s the hammock?

What’s super cool with seed potatoes? We have a selection of fingerlings and gourmet seed potatoes from Jack Rabbit Farms. If you have never had a fingerling potato, you owe it to yourself to try them. Fingerling potatoes have a creamy, almost sweet flavor that goes well with meat, poultry, and fish. They’re a nice alternative to your standard white or red potatoes.

Want to be the neighbor with bigger and better plants? Sylva Soils Pro-Growth Formula soil is a product the eliminates the need for manure and peat. Pro-Growth is a complete soil product that is great for amending soil beds for vegetables, flower gardens, and even planting of trees and shrubs. The science behind it is that it reduces compaction, releases useable nutrients in the soil and stimulates the native soil organisms.

Want to try vertical gardening but don’t know where to start? Woolly Pockets has a vertical planter that works both indoors and outdoors. Woolly Pockets are perfect for an organic kitchen, herb garden, or outdoor edible planter. Tropical plants and succulents also love this vertical garden. Easily attaches to wood, concrete, masonry, and chain link. Woolly Pockets are very easy going and love to live it up!

Woolly Pockets

Rocket brand deck plants hooks – install in seconds, no tools required, and it will really dress up your deck instantly!

Tired of lifting the water can up to water you hanging baskets? Rainmaker Garden Shepherd Hooks attach to your garden hose and supply water directly from the hook to your plants from the top down! Now that’s EZ!

Sloggers is a name that has been around the garden center awhile, and this year’s footwear features wonderful colors and patterns. Available in kids and women’s sizes. Sloggers is the perfect garden shoe or boot.

These are just a few of my favorites. Come and talk to our suppliers on Saturday the 14^th of April and learn about other new products at Dundee Nursery and Landscape.

Why Hire a Landscape Designer?

Landscape Design No Responses »

Mar 222012

By Gill Landis, Sales and Marketing Manager Dundee Nursery and Landscaping

Hiring a landscape design professional allows you the opportunity to work with someone who has vast knowledge of plants and their needs, understands the construction of hardscape features, listens to your ideas, and has the creativity to pull it all together to craft your ideal exterior space. The designer should be knowledgeable about a broad range of plants and hard materials that are attractive and durable for our climate.

Planning is a crucial step in the landscape design process. A professional landscape designer will listen to you and examine your site for challenges in sun, shade, water, drainage, and space. The designer will take careful measurements and produce a design plan that creates an outdoor space that responds to your site conditions and needs. Your designer will suggest wonderful plants and structures that will perform in your yard for many years to come based on his or her knowledge of a wide range of hardy plants and construction materials appropriate for our climate. Structure, color, and texture combine to create the aesthetics of the project.

Once you and your designer have made final decisions on materials and plants, quantities are calculated, plants and materials are ordered, and installation is scheduled. Many companies employ experienced installers who will execute the design plan in a reasonable amount of time using the proper tools and methods. With an experienced designer and crew you will experience less stress and have more time to enjoy your new living space.

Aftercare is an important consideration in keeping your investment looking good for years to come. Reputable companies have warranties in place and often have an arborist and horticulturalist on staff to serve you if any issue arises. Over time plants will mature, grow, and need maintenance. A good designer will allow for plant growth and will choose plants that require minimal maintenance.

When hiring a landscape designer choose one who is trained in horticulture and design, can show you samples of previous work, is willing to provide references, and works for a known and reputable company. There are many one truck companies driving through neighborhoods and knocking on doors asking for business. These people generally have not been trained in design and have limited plant knowledge. Hire a landscape designer, follow these steps, and you will be happy with the results for years to come.