Featured plants in the Lou!
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June Tree of the Month-Washington Hawthorn
The name is deceiving; Washington hawthorns, Crataegus phaenopyrum, are not native to the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Their native range runs from Virginia to Missouri, Arkansas, and Alabama. (The common name is attributed to…
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June ANTI-Shrub of the Month-Barberry
OUCH! I’m not sure what is more painful, pruning and removing mature barberries, or the fact that homeowners have been dealing with them for so many years when they didn’t have to. That…
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June Perennial of the Month-Butterfly Weed
My husband loves orange. I knew this going in, but married him anyway. We’re not just talking about the random orange shirt or fun socks… we are talking everything from his car down…
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May Tree of the Month-American Chestnut
The American chestnut, Castanea dentata, is a tree with incredible stories to tell. Tales of diverse forests full of their ancestors soaring 75-100’ high. Tales full of Native Americans who coexisted with those…
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May Vine of the Month-Climbing Hydrangea
I haven’t seen my garage in over three years. The door still works, yes, but when open, my “garage” resembles a somewhat rectangular green monster that eats cars and grows larger and hungrier…
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May Perennial of the Month-Foxglove Beardtongue
“Elegant” is seldom a word you hear used to describe a native prairie plant. When it comes to Penstemon digitalis, commonly called foxglove beardtongue, I don’t think there is a more elegant perennial…
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April Tree of the Month-Horse chestnut
Wanna play a game of conkers? IF you grew up in the UK, you probably have fond memories of collecting conkers to battle your mates with. The shiny mahogany-colored nuts collected in fall…
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April Perennial of the Month-Lily of the Valley
Lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis, with its charming white flowers and intoxicating fragrance, has held symbolic meaning for centuries in Europe and Asia, where the plant is native. It’s also beloved on…
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April Shrub of the Month-Brown Wonder Arborvitae
Once in a while, a plant takes the industry by storm. We’ve had our fun with Knock Out roses, the Endless summer hydrangeas, the Wave petunias…This spring, gardeners are getting anxious for the…
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March Tree of the Month-Arborvitae
Do you want to know what’s the #1 reason I hear when I’m called for a landscape design consultation? “I need to screen my ___” Fill in the blank: Neighbors, roads, trash cans,…
