Paul's Point of View
August 4, 2010 10:41 AM
It is once again time for the hardy hibiscus to make their dazzling appearance during these long days of summer. Unlike their tropical cousins, they are easy to grow, hardy through zone 4 and come in an array of colors. The large flowers are sure to please and always seem to draw attention. Actually, like everything else this season, they are blooming about a week and a half ahead of normal due to the unusual early spring we experienced here (warm and dry in March). It seems everything got a head start this year. Hardy hibiscus is notoriously slow to emerge in spring. Sometimes, the Fantasia Hibiscus planted in my yard does not emerge until early June! This year it surprised me by leafing out in mid-May. Patience is required each spring when growing hardy hibiscus. Often, gardeners will assume their hibiscus is dead as all else has leafed out, but the hibiscus shows no sign of life. They give up hope only to be amazed a few weeks later when they discover their hibiscus has...more
June 5, 2010 8:39 AM
About 20 years ago, I took a road trip to NW Minnesota for the purpose of visiting numerous nurseries/garden centers along the way. At the time, I was living in Minnesota and employed at a large bare-root nursery. Hence this was supposed to be a business trip not a plant collecting foray. Sometimes the best of plans work out differently. One of my stops was at Bergeson Nursery in Fertile, Minnesota. Paul Bergeson was gracious enough to show me around the nursery started by his father Melvin. After we finished our business matters, Paul told me about a wonderful red-stemmed dogwood they had selected from the wild near Fertile, MN. Bergeson Nursery was growing it on a very limited scale. Paul felt it had so many good attributes that a large wholesale nursery should start growing it. They had named it Gary Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘Gary’). I took a few small liners of this plant back for trial and found that Paul was correct. This dogwood was far better than the...more
March 30, 2010 11:44 AM
Buckeyes and horse chestnuts are magnificent trees that deserve more prominence in the landscape. They are quite under-utilized and have much to offer. While there are differences between the two groups, they are similar enough that many people tend to refer to all of them as “buckeyes”. Both are in the genus Aesculus and share similar leaf form (compound leaf) and flower form (panicle). Buckeyes tend to have 5 leaflets in their compound leaf while horse chestnut usually (but not always) has 7 leaflets in the leaf. Both produce large showy flowers in the spring and interesting nuts in the fall that are highly prized by squirrels and inquisitive children. A few selections exist that produce no nuts (sterile flowered) or produce very few nuts. These are desirable selections should the nuts be a problem at the growing site (near side walks or patios). Here are three of my favorite buckeyes: Yellow Buckeye - Aesculus...more
January 8, 2010 2:29 PM
The recent December snowstorms in our area have really changed the winter landscape. The wet, heavy snows have blanketed the ground and the plants as well. At first glance, it seems as if nature has stripped the landscape bare. No leaves or flowers to contend with at this time of year! A few remaining fruits persist on some trees (coffeetree, hawthorn, crabapple) gently reminding us of the past growing season. With all the bright colors gone, the interesting bark of many plants really stands out. Their unique bark was there all along but perhaps was not as noticeable during the growing season with all the foliage or flowers commanding our attention. Winter is the season when unusual bark finally steals the show and takes center stage. There are many trees, shrubs and even evergreens that have beautiful bark. Here are just a few as examples. The next time you venture outdoors, take time to stop and admire the bark on your plants. Exfoliating...more
October 19, 2009 3:57 PM
Many people think that once October arrives the yard and garden season is over. Not true! There are many plants that are at their peak performance at this time. Sadly most people do not plan for a fall landscape and miss out on such exciting plants. We can divide plants for the autumn landscape into two categories: plants with great Fall leaf color and plants that bloom in Fall. Those with great leaf color are easy to spot and are generally quite well known (maples, barberry, burning bush, etc.). Plants that bloom in autumn are not so common and not used in the landscape as much as they should be. During the height of the busy spring/summer planting season, fall blooming plants are often ignored by people when selecting plants since they are not in bloom at this time. What a shame so many people are missing out on fall bloomers in their landscape. Here are just a few of my favorites: Samurai Toad Lily ...more
July 22, 2009 9:46 AM
I am proud and excited to announce that Johnson’s Nursery is offering Evans cherry in #7 container. I have heard so much good news about this tart cherry that I think it will be an excellent addition to our line of container fruit trees. About 18 years ago I first heard about this cherry from Bill McKently of St.Lawrence Nursery in very upstate New York. Bill mentioned that he knew of a really special tart cherry in Alberta and was going to introduce it into the United States under the name of ‘Bali’. I begged for a chance to trial this tree in Minnesota (where I was living) but he did not have enough propagated yet to be able to part with one. After many years I heard of other growers producing this cherry. Soon it became apparent that while it was called ‘Bali’ in this country, many Canadians knew it as ‘Evans’. Most growers have now switched to calling it Evans since that was an earlier name for this cherry. Some offer it under the combined name ‘Evans Bali’ in...more
June 1, 2009 7:49 AM
June is the month of the first fruits of the season. Local grown anyway. Most people would think of strawberries (yum!) but other fruits are available from the home landscape as well: Tart Cherries: Here at Johnson's Nursery we sell 'North Star'. It is a spectacular genetically dwarf cherry. Great fruit for cooking as well as being extremely ornamental (see past posted article for more detail). I have a North Star in my yard. I usually spray my cherry only twice a season for insect control. Once late May and then again mid-June (for plum curculio and cherry fruitworm control). Usually the fruit will start coloring up around June 20th. It is best to cover your tree with netting to protect against birds at the first sign of pink on the fruit. Cherries color quickly so it is imperative to net at that time. Should you not be diligent in this task, you might be surprised how quickly the birds pick your crop for you. My North Star cherries are usually ripe the last week in June...more
May 2, 2009 8:03 AM
Fruit trees require lots of care in May. Early May is a great time to fertilize young fruit trees if they have not had adequate growth rates in the past. Typically we expect to get 12”-18” of new growth each year on young apple trees. If not, then your tree may need fertilizer. The best time to fertilize fruit trees is early May or sometimes late April when the buds are swelling or just opened. Here at Johnson’s Nursery, we sell an excellent slow-release fertilizer called Nutri-pac. This product is placed in the ground next to the root system at planting time. It will provide nutrients to the plant for about three years, is easy to use and has no fertilizer run-off issues. It will work well for fruit trees. If you did not apply Nutri-pac at planting time, you can still fertilize with either a good liquid fertilizer or a granular fertilizer. Follow the directions on the liquid fertilizer. For granular applications, use 10-10-10 or similar granular product on hand...more
March 31, 2009 3:29 PM
April is the start of the busy season for anybody in the professional plant business. We really look forward to spring during the long winter months but when it finally arrives, we find no time to "stop and smell the flowers". Now is the time for us to help make your yard beautiful. Sadly, our own yards must wait until time permits (August?). Such is life for the horticulturist. Sometimes a dreamer and always an artist. Yet we take great pride in our work as we see how happy our clients are with their beautiful new landscapes that we helped create. Knowledge is always the key to success. Providing information about new plant introductions or discussing the merits of an excellent but underutilized plant for our area is always one of our goals. Whether we design/install your landscape or you purchase and install yourself, we want our plants to make you happy! Late April is the time for magnolias to be in bloom. We grow several selections that are quite winter hardy for our area and...more
March 10, 2009 3:20 PM
March is a trying month in our part of the country. It can be warm one day then cold with snow the next. Sometimes it is hard to get any yard/garden chores accomplished. Yet March is an ideal month for several tasks (as weather permits): Fruit trees:Now is the time to prune! Pruning can be done anytime now up until the trees leaf out in April. It is best to prune your fruit trees when dormant so take advantage of any warm March days for this purpose. Please view my previous pruning article for details. If you are attempting to grow peaches in our climate, spray your tree with Daconil fungicide late March (if weather permits) and then again 10 days later in early-mid April. Daconil will control the fungus that causes peach leaf curl. This fungus attacks the meristem as soon as the leaf bud opens, resulting in the development of disfigured leaves that are curled and blotched. Since Daconil only works as a preventative spray, it will not work after bud break. One or two sprays...more
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About Paul Schwabe
Paul Schwabe is a salesman in our Contractor Sales division. He holds a degree in horticulture and will be writing about some of his favorite and underused plants.
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