Ree's Top 5 Plants

What makes you LOVE a certain plant? Do you look for COLOR? Texture? The shape? Do certain plants have special meaning for you? Or maybe you have memories of plants that your grandparents had in their yard growing up?

All of us here at Natural Plus love helping you find the perfect plants for your yard that you will love for years to come. And, after being in business for 42 years, we have figured out what plants do well and are our favorites!

If you’re in the market for some new trees, shrubs, or perennials, you’re going to want to follow along with these blog posts, I’ll be sharing each of our top 5 favorite plants with all of you!

Next up is Ree, who has been employed at Natural Plus since we bought the nursery in 2014. Fun fact: she is my (Mary’s) aunt).

HERE ARE REE’S TOP 5 PLANT PICKS:

1 . Autumn Blaze Pear: It’s a medium sized tree and has a brilliant fall color (35 tall and 20 wide)

Photo from Baileys Nursery

2. Easy Elegance High Voltage Yellow Rose: I love the yellow color and it reminds me of the song my daughter Atty used to sing, “The Yellow Rose of Texas”

Photo from Baileys Nurseries

3. Bailey compact viburnum: I love it because of its compact size, and brilliant fall color

Photo by Mary Hopper

4. Siberian Iris: Because of the contrast in color, it’s purple and yellow for the Lake Mills Bulldogs, the Lakers and the Vikings. I also just love irises.

Photo from Walters Gardens

5. Marquee Moon Daylily: It has a soft creamy yellow color to it.

Photo from Walters Gardens

This was so hard to pick, Ree added, “and there are 8 million more!”

She also loves the purple sandcherry and the ivory halo dogwood because of the variegated leaf and red twigs in the winter.

And, in case you missed them, here are owner Dave’s Top 5 Plant Picks and employee Mike Watson’s

6 Must-Have Late Fall Perennials

6 Must-Have Late Fall Perennials

Fall blooming perennials are especially important food sources for butterflies and pollinators.  These plants will attract butterflies and pollinators to your yard.

Asters

·      Asters – Natives come in purple, blue, and pink. A couple of my favorite varieties are Purple Dome (deep purple, globe shaped) and Alma Potsche (bright pink – grows 4-5’)  Bloom September/October

·      Black Snakeroot – Deep burgundy leaves with pink spiking blooms, shade tolerant, Grow 3-4’ , Blooms September/October

·      Dahlias – These are bulbs that must be dug late fall, stored, and replanted in the spring. My favorite color is deep burgundy red. Grow 3-4’ Bloom August-October

·      Joe Pye Weed –Native, Purple/lavender clusters of blooms, Native Americans used as a medicine for fever, etc., Grow up to 5’, Sun or part sun

Tiny Tortuga Turtlehead

·      Pink Turtlehead – Pink blooms resemble a turtle peaking out of a deep green plant. Grow 3-4’, Sun or shade tolerant.

·      Sedums – These come in multiple varieties. A couple of my favorites are Frosty Fire (green & white variegated leaves with lime green/red blooms), Mr. Goodbud (green leaves, bright magenta blooms), and Carl (red stems, magenta blooms)  Butterfly favorites  Grow 2-4 ‘,  Also come in ground cover varieties, Bloom August- October

Cherry Truffle Sedum

Grasses are another great addition to the fall landscape. You can read more about Grasses HERE.

More articles you might like:

PLANTING PERENNIALS THAT ATTRACT BUTTERFLIES

FALL BLOOMING PERENNIALS

What's Blooming 8.8.19

What’s Blooming 8.8.19

It’s hard to believe it’s been 2 months since the last post about What’s Blooming at Natural Plus Nursery.

I love these posts, because who doesn’t love to look at photos of beautiful blooms?!

I also love to use these posts to help me plan my landscape to ensure blooms in my yard all season long. Just simply look back on the previous months to help you decide what to plant to get blooms in May and June.

Many varieties of daylilies available at Natural Plus Nursery

CINDERELLA MILKWEED: A favorite of butterflies

CONEFLOWERS

BLACK EYED SUSAN or RUDBECKIA

Read about more Prairie Plants favorites HERE

AUTUMN JOY SEDUM: A butterfly and bee favorite

GLOBE THISTLE

Previous What’s Blooming Posts:

6.20.19

5.22.19

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HYDRANGEAS

HYDRANGEAS

Hydrangeas bloom in July and August and many varieties will continue to give beauty clear in to fall. There are many hydrangeas to choose from and they are easy to grow.  Here are some of our favorites.

Tree Hydrangeas :  Tree hydrangeas offer a small tree for those spots where you need something smaller in size. Most grow 8-12 feet tall and 6-12 feet wide. Some common varieties include Limelight (mint green blooms), Pee Gee (white/pink), and Strawberry Sundae (white/pink). Most require part to full sun.

An annabelle hydrangea bloom

Bush Hydrangeas:

·      Annabelles – Annabelles are a favorite because they grow in sun or shade. They have prolific large round white blooms and are easy to grow.  They grow 4-5’ tall. (SEE ABOVE PHOTO)

An endless summer hydrangea bloom

·      Endless Summer Varieties: These hydrangeas have beautiful large powder blue blooms. Most varieties grow 3-4 feet. They prefer part shade. Fertilize with a miracid fertilizer to keep blooms blue. If you forget to fertilize they will still bloom but blooms will be pink in color instead of blue.

Hydrangea bloom

·      Other bush hydrangeas: There are many varieties to choose from. Some include PeeGee, Strawberry Sundae, Angels Blush, and Quick Fire. These hydrangeas grow from app. 5-8 feet tall and bloom with large blooms that usually open white and fade to light pink or deep pink/red as they mature. Most prefer full sun. Blooms can be dried for fall arrangements.

·      Dwarf Hydrangeas: Many of the older larger varieties of hydrangea now come in dwarf sizes of 3-5 feet. Some varieties include Baby Lace, Bar Harbor, Bobo, and Hamptons. If you are short on space or need a smaller plant these are a good choice. Most prefer full or part sun.

Hydrangeas can add dramatic beautiful color to your landscaping. After planting they are low maintenance. Trim in the spring to shape them and trim in the fall to remove spent blooms. Be sure to choose the right size and variety for your spot. At Natural Plus we can advise you which varieties will work best for your spot or get started HERE.

Enjoy your summer garden