Biodiversity (n). the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Most of us think of our gardens as peaceful places to spend time and quite literally “smell the flowers,” but what if our gardens brought us a little closer to nature?

Biodiversity in the garden is a hot trend; the result of a crossover between gardening and ecology. Biodiverse gardens, also known as cottage gardens, wildlife gardens or mixed plantings, are all about bringing back a little more “nature” into our lives.

Unlike traditional gardens that may have five or fewer species, these nature-based gardens boast a dozen or more species. Everything is all planted together in a way that mimics their natural habitat.

As a result, the plants in these gardens are much more resistant to comm

If you have trouble with water runoff damaging your garden, or you just want to do your part to protect your local rivers, then you'll want to explore creating a rain garden.

Rain gardens are a beautiful and practical way to control storm water runoff. They are simply a garden planted in a depression at the base of a slope that collects and holds rainwater, allowing it to slowly seep into the ground, rather than flow into roads and waterways. These are not ponds or even swampy areas. In fact, a well-made rain garden is designed to drain excess water in less than two days (which is good news if mosquitoes are a problem).

They are so effective, and so beneficial for stormwater management and improving water quality, that some homes can earn tax breaks for creating one.

Benefits of Rain Gardens

The primary benefit is its ability

Happy Pollinator Week!

It’s Pollinator Week, so we have put together a special plant collection of wonderful pollinator-friendly natives and nativars for you. Our horticultural team is  always on the hunt for plants that provide food and shelter for these critical insects and animals.  

If you’ve heard the buzz about declining bee populations, you probably want more information on easy ways you can help. At Nature Hills, we love plants of all shapes and sizes, but flowering and fruiting plants hold a very special place in our hearts.

To help celebrate National Pollinator Week, we’ve also put this informative article together for you. In it, you’ll find some easy ways you can improve habitat by creating gardens and landscapes that in

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]!

Did you know there are over 400 different kinds of trees and shrubs in the Salix genus?

We get a lot of calls from our customers looking for Willows to plant in their landscape. Willows are very popular, because they are so fast growing.

They can grow in most any soil including very wet areas - and even soils or land that can flood on occasion. Most people have seen a large Weeping Willow growing alongside a pond or riverbank and love these incredible specimen trees.

Willows are also used for those people who love to come home to a nice glass of wine on the patio and just chill out. You’d be amazed how relaxing it is to watch your swaying Willow tree.

Kids adore Willow trees, because the branches make natural swings. Please keep a watch out, but what fun memories to create with the little o

People are on the hunt for native plants that produce healthy berries. Today’s homeowner wants to take advantage of plants that provide edible – and ornamental – benefits.

Elderberry is also commonly known as “Sambucus” and you can find extracts and a dried version in pill form at any health food store. Historically, cooked Elderberry Syrup has been used as chest remedies to treat colds and flu.

Even though it’s touted for both immune support and to reduce the severity of colds, you may have heard that Elderberries are poisonous.

Here’s why. The leaves, stems and roots of the plants as well as the seeds in the berries have chemicals which metabolize into cyanide. Eating the raw seeds can cause a build-up of cyanide in the body and make you ill.

Many edible plants

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

The first crop that sells out on the Nature Hills site is our super popular smaller ornamental trees. Some customers call them “Patio Trees.” No matter what you call them, we see the trend to use smaller trees in both front and backyard landscapes getting bigger.

To keep up with the demand, we’ve really beefed up our numbers of smaller, more ornamental trees. After all, they fit so nicely into your landscape, and help you enjoy time spent outside on your patio.

Short on Space? Choose a Small Tree

With higher density housing in many areas, modern yards are not huge. Where space is limited, people want to choose plants with more ornamental attributes.

We’ve talked before about plant trends for more color and more seasons of interest. Plant breeders have introduced selections of high

Many homeowners focus on beautiful outdoor spaces specifically for entertaining, which may include a pool area, eating and bar areas set in incredible outdoor kitchens complete with plumbing, cooking and lighting.

But what about creating a garden space just for yourself? What kind of outdoor space would you use? Here are some ways you can create a deeply personal retreat that will support you and ‘fill your bucket’.

Planning Your Meditation Garden

Have you heard of meditation gardens? They are a deeply personal sanctuary – large or tiny – that give you much needed respite from the daily g