Learn How to Care For Evergreen Plants | NatureHills.com

Power. Crispness. Formal. Wait, are we talking about Usain Bolt’s running technique? Nope! These are just a few of the adjectives we use to describe Columnar trees. 

Although, we do believe these natural specimens could win an Olympic gold medal or two as well.

The new craze of vertical accents in the landscape is upon us, and we want you to be fast adapting for all the right reasons. So let’s jump right in!

Our Go-To’s For Tight Spaces

Evergreen

Spooky Jack-O-Lanterns, a cup of fresh hot apple cider, and a few fuzzy scarves are all signs that the fall season has officially arrived in your neighborhood. But the most admired favorites are the burnt orange, light brown, and velvet red foliages that engulf the crisp fall leaves. 

Whether it was raking up a pile of leaves just to cannon ball into them or hearing the soft crunch underneath your shoes when trick-or-treating, the fall colored trees have had your back with providing fond memories of the leaves slowly changing. 

Fully embrace the fall season by keeping the tradition of a calming, colorful landscape alive in your own backyard. Plant a tree here and there to admire the elegant hues we have

Here at Nature Hills, we get asked a lot of questions about planting trees. People want to know if tree roots will grow into and damage pipes, water and sewer lines.  

Sure, it’s true that some plants have aggressive roots and some trees are very surface-rooted. Certain soil conditions may cause a tree to adapt their typical style.  

And of course, everyone's pipes are different. An old, cracked Orangeburg or clay pipe certainly tells a different story than new PVC pipe and steel pipes. 

Tree Root Growth 101

All roots are there to find food, oxygen, and water, and to anchor the plant in the soil

One of the best kept secrets of gardening is fall and winter planting. Take advantage of an “old farmer’s trick” and get your plants in the ground at the end of the season.

Why does fall and winter planting work so well?

The combination of warmer soil and colder air forces your plant to focus only on producing new roots in the fall and winter, which gives your plants a jump start on spring. Your new plant won’t make flower buds, flowers or seeds if it’s planted late in the season.

Growing those critical roots helps your new plant get itself established in your landscape. And that is just what you want!

Planting in fall t

Here are the Top 20 “Thriller” plants to adorn your front entrance this fall. Decorate them for the holiday season and enjoy them all winter long!

LINK: https://www.naturehills.com/cooperative_extension

Nature Hills Horticultural Staff is always happy to assist you with your gardening questions and challenges. But sometimes, customers pose location-specific questions to us that we are unable to answer. We don't always have knowledge of the regional climate and soil conditions. We do not want to pass on incorrect information to you. In situations such as these, we always recommend the customer contact their local cooperative extension office.

The cooperative extension offices

These days, every region is becoming more aware of precious water resources. And, gardeners are busy people, so time is also something to carefully safeguard. Watch the video below to get the pros and cons of different techniques, and learn how to adjust automatic water systems as you need to. 

Water-Wise landscaping is here, and we don't think that philosophy is going away. This is true all across the country as people realize how expensive water bills are getting. Learn the finer details of using timer for watering plants and automatic watering system for plants. That means automatic sprinkler systems, too. 

Have a question? Email us at [email protected]!

Nature Hills offers a wide variety of plants that will effectively screen a view for you. But which is the RIGHT tree for you? Well, take a look at our "Top 5" selections to get a sense of what other homeowners have used very successfully.

Need More Help Deciding?

Email our plant experts at [email protected]. We'd love to learn more about your unique situation. What are your goals, and what characteristics does your property have? 

Privacy isn't always limited to fast-growing Evergreen tree selections, either. Flowering trees and shrubs

Low soil moisture, low precipitation and wild swings in temperatures can cause lots of problems for many landscape plants. Many established plants can be harmed, but newly planted plants are especially susceptible to winter damage. 

Remember, keeping your trees and shrubs stress free is the key to success. Healthy and vigorous plants can ward off insect and disease problems much easier than plants that are weak and stressed.

Protect Evergreen Trees and Shrubs from Winter Burn

Was it dry in your region last fall? In areas where very dry fall weather precedes winter, there can be problems like winter burn and desiccation to evergreen trees and shrubs. Dry soils going into winter can also cause root damage, which can affect the entire

Let’s face it: even with the magic of snowfall, the garden can look pretty boring in winter. It doesn’t have to be! Try planting some of these unique plants for winter garden beauty and color. (Bonus: many of these plants offer fabulous visual appeal during the other 3 seasons too!)

Benefits of a Winter Landscape

Gardening with winter in mind is tough when you’re surrounded by spring flowers! But planting for winter color and texture is well worth the forethought. Benefits of a winter garden include:

• Simply pretty. You’ll actually be inspired to look out your window during the winter.
• Wildlife-friendly. Many of these winter plants double as valuable food and shelter for backyard wildlife.
• Effortless. Unlike flashy summer flowers, a winter