Here at the nursery we have the option of burning ornamental grasses to make ready for the 2012 growth. This is a preferred method for us, partly for the ease of disposal and partly for the excitement.

The grasses shown are Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’, a 6-7’ grass, which burns extremely quick and hot. Therefore, proximity to any other combustible matter renders this process dangerous and ill advised. Note that these grasses stand alone, well away from plants or structures.

Address your spring planting needs now!

Call or email Doug Fraleigh directly at 734-426-5067 ext. 12 or email him at DVF1960@aol.com to discuss unique solutions for your landscape.

Links to the new Zone Map:

USDA PHZM Revision 1/25 Press Release

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map circa 2012

The experts are working to ascertain the extent of the disease’s spread and develop management strategies.  We at Fraleighs are concerned with this disease, especially since boxwood has become a staple deer-resistant evergreen element in the last decade.  We will continue to monitor developments and will post any preventative measures that are presented. 

In the mean time, following recommended procedures, we are limiting our incoming boxwood stock to plants grown by a trusted supplier here within Washtenaw County.  She has had all of her plants growing on site for many months now, and the liners she grows her stock from are all produced by Michigan propagators.

Likewise, we are expanding our plant palette to allow for more deer-safe evergreen alternatives.  We have dabbled in other options in the past, and while none of the alternatives have been as flexible as boxwood, several now merit a place in our designs.  Come see us this spring to meet some goodies such as Cephalotaxus and Ilex glabra ‘Nordic’.

Links for more info on the boxwood crud:

Science News 1/20 article

Connecticut Extension PDF

Click here to learn more about the product.

The ideal season for planting bulbs is upon us, and Fraleighs is once again glad to offer our fall bulb consultation and installation services.  We’d be glad to help you choose the right bulbs for your gardens — we have advice for folks dealing with deer browse, heavy soils, and odd spaces.  We can either order bulbs for you to plant, or we can put you on our schedule for professional layout and installation of your bulbs.  Call, email, or stop by today to learn more!

and ON SALE, too!

Fraleighs stocks a number of products that will fend off buck rub, the most effective being trunk guards — sturdy tubes of black plastic mesh that can be affixed around the trunk of small-to-medium sized trees using zip-ties.  While some find the trunk-guards unsightly, they are cheap and effective insurance versus a wounded or dying tree, AND they needn’t be left on year-round; just in the fall and early winter.

Contact our deer-damage abatement experts to learn more!

With recent daytime high temperatures topping out in the nineties and marginal rainfall totals, just about the entire landscape would benefit from supplemental irrigation.  This is especially true for newly planted and establishing plants.  Plants selected for ‘drought tolerance’ will not exhibit this trait until their root systems are fully established.  How long it takes for a plant to become established depends a little on what type of plant it is and a whole lot on how large it is at the time of planting.   Smaller perennials and shrubs may only need one growing season to become established in their new environment, whereas a large tree may take several years to become fully rooted-in to the point where supplemental irrigation is a luxury rather than a necessity.  It is up to the conscientious gardener to provide the additional water to ‘even out’ nature’s deficits until a plant is established.

The next question we regularly are asked to address is the frequency of watering.  How often?  This is never a question we can answer with a glib ‘once a day’ or ‘once a week’.  Too many variables exist to have a pat answer, other than to say ‘monitor your soil moisture.’   We’ve found that a trowel and a dollop of common sense are as useful for watering as is a hose.  Frequently checking the soil moisture 6-8 inches below the surface is the single best way to determine how much (or little) supplemental irrigation needs to be applied.  ‘Evenly moist’ is the target for most plants, especially newly establishing ones.  ‘Moist’ means neither soaking wet nor bone dry but comfortably in between.  ‘Evenly’ means don’t let the soil dry out completely between waterings either.  The common sense part comes in the form of ‘the hotter, windier, and drier that it has been the more frequently I need to monitor the soil, and the more frequently I’ll probably need to water’.  The probably part kicks in because not all soil types are the same in how they retain moisture — sand dries out much faster than loam, and clay can sometimes retain irrigation too well, leading to situations of over-watering for some plants.  That’s where the appropriately frequent soil moisture monitoring becomes so critical to determining how much and when supplemental irrigation is needed.

How should the supplemental irrigation be applied?  Again, there is no single answer, but whatever means are used should  result in ‘evenly moist’ monitored to a depth of 6-8 inches.  Will an automated irrigation system make this happen?  Probably, but it must be adjusted to compensate for weather and soil conditions.  Will a hand-held hose work?  Yes, in capable hands a hose can be very precise, but time consuming.   How about a compromise (heck, even the politicians are considering it these days!) — maintain an automated irrigation system and supplement with a manually activated sprinkler on the thirstier beds?  We even sell special hydration bladders (TreeCOVErs & ArborRain systems) to assist in spot-watering establishing larger shrubs and trees.  It is also worth noting that slower, lower volume irrigation is more effective than quick, high volume waterings that tend to run off rather than soak in to the soil.

Lastly, it is worth acknowledging that severe conditions (such as the recent heat) take their toll most heavily on marginal plants; otherwise established plants that are poorly suited to their environment will be the ones that perish.  If that sad outcome befalls one of your plants, be sure to mention it to our staff as you select a replacement –  we’ll be glad to help you find an option better suited to your site conditions.

The bad actor: the Big-leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla cvs) These are what many folks conjure up when they think of ‘hydrangea’: big, round inflorescences of ecstatically blue flowers.  Sadly, due to climate, soil type, and the species’ biology this ideal is hard to come by in most of Michigan.  Our winters tend to fry the old growth (including the following summer’s flower buds) unless extensive measures are taken to protect the plant’s tissues.  Newer introductions try to get around this by flowering on old and new wood, but the new wood flowers appear rather later in the season than most people would like.  Lastly, our soil pH makes a true-blue hydrangea coloration an uphill battle.  Big-leaf Hydrangea are pH sensitive — in acidic soil with available aluminum ions, they bloom blue.  In alkaline soils, such as in much of Washtenaw County, they bloom pink.  Heavy feeders to begin with, Big-leaf Hydrangeas must have a steady stream of acidifying aluminum sulfate fertilizer to have any hope of blooming blue around here.  This all adds up to heartbreak for a lot of folks hoping to grow a true-blue hydragea, but not willing or able to provide the rigorous maintenance required by the species.  It is worth noting that Big-leaf hydrangeas come in lace-cap flowering and exclusively pink forms, but these cultivars all still possess the same stringent requirements as the blue fellas.  Hardy variegated-leaf cultivars are at least effective as a foliage plant, and they may even flower sporadically, depending on the preceding winter.

The classic: Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens cvs)  If folks think of another type of hydrangea at all, they think of the ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea that grew in their Grandmother’s garden.  Stout, reliable, and unswervingly white, this hydrangea is about as simple as you can hope to get.  A moderate size mound of pale-greenish-turning-white flowers is perfectly situated for shady situations.  This species likes its moisture, and will engage in “hydrangea calisthenics” if they are in a overly dry or sunny situation.  That is to say, they do slow-motion jumping jacks with their wilting and recovering leaves.  Since they bloom reliably on new growth, this species circumvents the winter-kill issue that plagues the Big-leaf hydrangea.  Newer introductions of this species include ‘White Dome’ (lacecap flowers), ‘Incrediball’ (larger inflorescences), ‘Invicibelle Spirit’ and ‘Bella Anna’ (pink-blooming forms).  Smooth hydrangea: reliable for the shade.

The sun-lover: Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata cvs) These plants tend to be larger, woodier and more robust than the other members of the genus.  They bloom on new wood, and have upward-pointing grape-cluster shaped panicles of flowers.  Most cultivars bloom mid-summer, starting white and blushing pink as the season progresses.  Adaptable to moderate shade, this species flowers best in full sun.  Different cultivars provide a range of eventual sizes from medium-sized shrubs to small trees.  Likewise, the timing of the blooms varies from mid-June into September based on the individual varieties, so with a suite of cultivars (e.g. ‘Quickfire’ (early), ‘Pinky-Winky’ (mid), and ‘Tardiva’ (late)) one can have three months of continuous blooms in southeast Michigan.  This versatility and ruggedness makes the Panicle Hydrangea cultivars some of our very favorites.

The autumn rebound: Oakleaf Hydrangea  (Hydrangea quercifolia cvs) No, they don’t really bloom in the fall, but what other hydrangea species offers a nice fall leaf color?  Reliably burgundy, the oak-leaf-shaped foliage makes for an elegant finish to the shade garden’s season.  Oakleafs have similar growing requirements to Smooth hydrangeas, but have a mid-summer grape-cluster shaped inflorescence rather than a round flower arrangement.  The stems provide a hint of winter interest at maturity, showing off some shaggy strips of tawny-to-cinnamon colored exfoliating bark.  Wintertime is also a dangerous time for this species, too, but not because of hardiness.  Of all the hydrangeas we sell, the Oakleafs are by far the most susceptible to deer and rabbit browse. Caveat emptor!  Oakleaf hydrangea cultivars range in size from the dwarf ‘PeeWee’ and ‘Sike’s Dwarf’ varieties to the massive ‘Alice’ introduction.  ‘Snow Queen’ is the industry standard for both eventual size and flowering performance.

The vine: Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris)  The oddball of the group, this dear plant is a reliable-if-slow-growing vine that climbs rough shaded surfaces.  The vine grows slowly, attaching to rough surfaces such as stone, brick, mortar, or bark by small root-like holdfasts.  It does best in semi-shaded to shaded locations, and blooms midsummer with white, lacecap arrangements of dainty flowers held away from the surface it is climbing.   The spent flower arrangements are even effective in early winter as catchments for the first dollops of snow. There are now even variegated-leaf cultivars such as ‘Mirranda’ available, however we hasten to add the variegation may make them grow even slower than the species!  Likewise, there are ‘Hydrangea Vines’ that are actually Schizophragma hydrangoides, that express similar characteristics and habits to the ‘true’ climbing hydrangea, with the added thrill of pinkish flowers and dissected leaves.

I hope this rekindles someone’s interest in the genus Hydrangea.  In this case, one ‘bad hydrangea’ shouldn’t spoil the bunch!