New Web Site to Launch SOON!

Are you ready for the launch? The new web site, found at the same address ( http://www.designer-landscapes.com/ ) is designated to launch before June 1, 2012. The design is stunning, both in terms of looks and functionality.
Our catalog is on line and we have added the capability that allows you to create a wish list and share it with us. Our portfolio will be running soon; photos are being selected, edited, uploaded. We included a new, easy to use, custom contact form so you can tell us what you want and need. The phone still works too so you have a choice!
We hope you like what you see and use it often. There will be tips posted to encourage your gardening and landscaping spirit and imagination along with whatever "hits" us as interesting or important! There is a link to the blog (thank you) and you can sign up to get future newsletters by going to the aforementioned contact form.
Coming soon to your neighborhood.........our trucks, our staff, our website.......stop by!

Common Sense or Nonsense - Try These and Decide

If all else fails go with the garden lore, the wives’ tales, and the chatter around the farmers’ table at the town diner (aka coffee shop). Generations of well-meaning, oft eyebrow-raising advise has been passed down to favored gardening friends by those who claim the inside track to successful vegetable gardens and flower beds. Disputing them, especially during the busy season, seems nothing more than a waste of good time. Unable and unwilling to “beat them” we think it’s fun, interesting and perhaps useful to “join ‘em”.


Maybe you have some wise words you’ve learned from a favorite gardener. If so, post a comment at the end. Until then, enjoy what we dug up.

Hang your dirty shoes from fruit trees that don't bear. We could not come up with a substantial history for doing this but our hunt did yield lots of offers to sell us new, and we assume clean, shoes. We’ve also driven through many small towns where the trend seems to be to toss dirty gym shoes up on power lines and/or into street-side trees. This could be a victory celebration or it could be there are no fruit trees in town and the kids were told they couldn’t wear those shoes inside.

Having mentioned inside, how about planting a banana peel with your staghorn fern? Ours here has shared space in a hanging container with a spider plant for at least 4 years. This year the last fern leaf which dared to show its colors lasted only a short time. The argument for putting a banana peel in with it appears sensible and reasonable as the potassium in the peel displaces the sodium which is in most water. Research results suggest we re-pot the staghorn and sprinkle the dried pieces on top of the moss so the potassium leaches out whenever the plant is watered. Most probably we’ll be separating the two plants and giving this a try.

If you have some extra banana peels left, bury them just under the surface of your rose beds. We hear you. “Who knew?” you say. Well, we’re always looking for economic and green ways to use what we buy!

Back outdoors, if your soil has high alkaline content and we don’t receive generous rains, your acid-loving plants such as azaleas, camellias and roses may be frowning. Give ‘em some coffee grounds, just like Grannie said. The grounds act as a mulch and soil improver. In other words, the grounds can’t hurt. What’s good for those mentioned may well be good for other flowers also. We’ve gone through stages of saving the grounds and tossing them onto a flower bed. It helps justify making that second pot of coffee now and then. If you’re a fan of tea, the tea leaves can do the same job. Word has it that wisteria loves a good tea leaf.

There’ve been more than a few discussions about how to get hydrangeas to bloom a vivid blue. Often when you’re shopping you see the gorgeous range of blues and are swept away enough to take one home, maybe even two or three. Planted in a showy spot in your yard they stand out beautifully. Then one day you notice the new blooms aren’t quite so blue. Well, did you put nails in with them, or maybe an old razor, or even hair pins? That may be the problem. Must be the rusting iron that does encourages the blue to pop. If you can’t get it to happen then love what you have and consider adding an outrageously pinkish hydrangea to the mix. Or you can add aluminum sulfate to the soil. Spoiled sport…remember we’re talking gardening lore not swift and modern techniques.

You may find it necessary to discourage creepy crawlers or 4-legged trespassers from entering your yard although it does seem a bit unnatural to us. Try these unscientific methods: a plastic jug of water put out where you don’t want dogs to trod; beer, the non-alcoholic variety, for slugs and snails; moth balls for skunks (they’ll need refreshing after rain); soap bars for deer (again, you need more the more it rains); human hair, steel wool, chewing gum – one time each works on some gophers.

Once you’ve implemented a few of these tricks you should go out and talk to your plants. People around you may already have written you off once they see what’s going on so you have nothing further to lose. Strike up a cheerleading conversation to get the radishes rolling, the lettuce leading the race. Tell the marigolds and delphinium how splendid they look. If nothing else you’ll be taking notice of how glorious your garden and beds look and you’ll feel better for it!



(With some content thanks to an old LATimes article)

Clean Manure is not an oximoron. It Pays to get the right stuff.

The Scoop on Poop

This time of the year always finds us a little stir crazy and we begin to wonder what you’re thinking about in terms of your yards and gardens. We have it figured out for certain, finally, and we want to add a shovelful of our own knowledge to your thoughts or discussions.

Cabin fever does strange things to all of us during a normal year. Anymore who knows what “normal” really is; this year has been particularly strange in that the cold weather comes and goes. Day lilies are inching through; hyacinth has poked up in a place or two. Trees are budding. And, yet, clearly it is February. Snow is on the way. As Robert Frost puts it, “…to watch his woods fill up with snow…” It’s coming. Sit tight.

You may be tired of flipping through the plant/shrub/tree catalogs and are itching to go out and dig a hole then plop something in it. We imagine you sitting, looking out the window and wondering what to tackle. You’ve cleaned and sharpened your gardening tools. The mower is in the shop getting tuned up. Why not plant something?

Well, wait. It’s tempting but hold off. The ground has to be ready. Ready means not only warm but prepared. Prepared can mean, treated to, yes, MANURE. Let us share with you some of the finer points about this delicate topic.

Don’t use fresh manure on your planted areas. It will prove to be too acidic which will alter the balance we have strived to maintain for maximum plant performance and health. If you go out and gather plops of poop, say from your friendly area horses, cows, or sheep, then pile it high and deep in the way-back of your yard. Let it age. We call it decomposing. Put it out back by your compost pile if you have one. Come spring of 2013, or this fall you are lucky enough to get partially decomposed manure from last year, you can spread it around as much as far as it will go.

Having spent substantial time in open forum discussion about manure we defer to greater experts in dealing with it than we can ever claim to be, which is not to say that we don’t find ourselves deep in it occasionally. It is to say we respect the voices of experience and those voices tell us that sheep are the best providers of manure for gardening. Yes, the aforementioned horses and cows are fine and deliver quantities beyond compare, but sheep do it best.

Owners of livestock don’t always consider the needs of neighboring gardens or city folks out looking to pick up a little manure. It’s easier to care for the penned areas if there’s some straw on the ground. Manure may be mixed with sawdust or straw. Again, we face an acid problem but only if it is mixed with sawdust. Look for the critter who’s litter is in straw and you’re good to go. If you find sawdust, add lime.

When the time comes, if you are starting to create a garden spot then spread a layer of manure on top and till it in really well. Once you think you’ve done a complete job go over it one more time. You need to build your muscles for all the spring, summer, fall fun of planting, caring for, and harvesting! If you have existing plant beds to work over then the wisest advice is to use a pitch fork to deliver the manure but then rake it in so as not to disturb the plants and bulbs below.

Finally, as one of us said, ever so tactfully, “What goes in must come out”. You’re bound to find seeds sprinkled in your supply of free manure from Flicka, Bessie, or Baa-Baa. Even if you don’t find the seeds (and are you really going to look for them) you are likely to find the results – weeds growing amidst the tulips and petunias. Perhaps the safest option now is to order up some composted manure from us, a good 40 lb. bag runs you $3.50 (plus tax). We’ll take your call now. Then you can go make certain your snow boots are nearby, your mittens are ready, the chapstick is in supply and the shovel is by the door. The snow is coming and like our discussions and some places where there’s manure, it will be deep.

Wet, dry, wet, dry; you think it’s been a bad year for yards and yard work? You are right. There’s been a lot of stress on trees and grass. Somehow weeds seem to thrive no matter what the conditions.

So, in our ever-friendly way we’re going to offer you a couple of suggestions about what should come next. Around here, here being central and lower central Illinois, it’s a big late to re-seed a lawn. We’ve seen lots of plugs cast aside so we know there is a lot of aeration going on. Our suggestion is to schedule aeration for spring. It will do more good then as the next step will be to over-seed the yard. Get your appointment made and mark the calendar. You do know the 2012 calendars are on sale already don’t you.

If you truly are looking to do some fall yard work we commend you. It’s a great time to be outdoors and enjoying the crisp air. Raking leaves seems to be a thing of the past for many who have leaf blowers but what great exercise it is to get out and rustle the leaves into a pile. Do it! If you happen to see children around invite them to jump into the pile. Do it yourself if you can. Remember how it was “back in the day”?

People with trees appreciate them, even if there is some effort of tidying up in the fall. Many do not realize that this is a wonderful time to plant trees. They will get established nicely, develop a good root system and will be nourished by the snow through the winter. Likewise, let’s put in some fresh shrubs and some new perennials for they also will be going dormant soon and will draw their strength for spring growth from the winter moisture.

Here at the nursery, shop and office we are busily creating the wreaths, roping, and other greenery which will soon be taken to our shop in Virden, IL. There’s something about the whiff of evergreen in the air that sets the mood for the next set of holidays, beginning with Thanksgiving. Every year we’ve been in business has proven to be a year of gratitude and this is no exception. We all know there are ups and downs in every situation, in every phase of life. Join us in acknowledging how fortunate and blessed each of us truly is. Thanksgiving is an American holiday, a tradition formally established by President Lincoln in 1863 when he asked the nation to give thanks for the whole country. We all have much for which to give thanks, beginning with our American heritage.

Water - Part of Prairie View

Certainly tis true enough we have seen plenty of water on the prairie fields these past weeks. The rain interrupted other forces of nature. In turn we had a multitude of starts and stops, launching the gardening and landscaping season countless times! At last it appears to be in full swing; just look around you and see for yourself. Irises have been spectacular, lilacs were lush and if the flourish shown in the greenery of day lilies and hostas is any sign of what is to come we are going to enjoy a full palette of color for weeks to come. Get past the cicadas and the extra mowing and it's a beautiful world!

Still, we do live on the flatlands of the midwest and there truly is nothing plainer than the plains. It's up to us to take what is before us (front yards) or in some cases, behind us (back yards) and, well, dress it up a bit. Using imagination to enhance your yard really displays your appreciation for it.

One of our clients chose a natural and dramatic way of diluting the would-be monotony. They put in a pondless fountain. Well, actually, we put it in after they explained what they wanted and how it was to look. Of course it was to look fabulous!

Above you see a long shot, full view of the landscape after our work was finished. True, it was lovely before, with the arch and trees and plantings. And, true, we had a lovely area in which to place the fountain.

  At the end of the day our clients can relax and enjoy the view beyond the porch. There's an ever-flowing fountain creating a waterfall effect both visually and audibly. Here, look at the close up.

We're guessing you'll be able to imagine the sound of the water gently cascading downward. What you don't see is the inner workings which return the water back to the top. It's an easy to care for and easy to maintain system.

What remains is to add some plants which will make the transition from the yard to the fountain smoother and abundant. Then there's nothing left to do but sit back and work on the oooh! and ahhh! factors!

Maybe there's a room needing a view at your home or business. We'll love hearing what you want to do next!

Do You Know or Do You Care?

Back in the 70's (that's the 1970's) a local radio show was named "Do you know or do you care?" We thought it was a good idea then and still do. Here's some of what we came up with:

 It's a great time of the year to visit places such as Lincoln Memorial Gardens or the Botanical Gardens (Washington Park, Spfd, IL or St. Louis, MO).

The monetary award for designing Central Park (NYC) was $2000.

Without the rain we wouldn't have all that is lush and beautiful around us.

A typical 15th century farmhouse in Britain contained the wood of 330 oak trees.

We are animal people!

The "hall" was once not only the most important room in a home, it was the home!

Our nursery is chock full of great plants.

You can celebrate with gifts that grow each and every day.

In the 19th century up to 80% of all household expenditure was spent on food, and up to 80% of that went for bread.

 Every day you have much for which to be thankful.

Chicago is built on mud flats and most older buildings have settled at least a foot unless they are on a "raft".

The tallest brick building ever built is in Chicago: 16 stories with the street level walls being 6 feet thick.

Our lawn service program has begun but you can still sign up.

Thomas Jefferson had 23 different types of peas growing at Monticello and more than 250 kinds of fruits and other veggies.

 Baking soothes the soul. So does planting.

By the close of the 19th century J.D. Rockefeller's personal wealth was increasing by about $1 billion a year (today's money) and there was no income tax. No human being in modern times has been richer.

Raised gardens works!

Each of us needs less than 1 oz of vitamin B-1 to last a 70-80 year lifetime.

It is estimated by some that 60% of today's world's crops originated in the Americas.

Buy local.

We specialize in making ideas become realities.

In 1850 there was no tea being produced in India at all but 50 years later 140 million pounds were being produced.

Queen Caroline (wife of King George II) ordered the Serpentine, a pond which is the first manmade pond in the world designed not to look manmade.

Customer Service is our best product.

After the canal opened to connect NYC with the Great Lakes (via Lake Erie), the cost of shipping a ton of flour from Buffalo, NY to NYC fell from $120/ton to $6/ton and instead of taking 3 weeks to get there it took one.

We thought you'd enjoy some fun facts mixed in with our own business facts!

If you already receive the Constant Contact (which is far from "constant" in our case) then you know we gave some tips on cutting back the ornamental grasses and on splitting daylilies. If you aren't getting the emails then sign up by contacting hein535@hughes.net . We publish something every 4-5 weeks so it's not going to be an intrusion or fill your email box by any means!

We want to keep you focused on your yard so why not provide you with assigned duties? So we give you tips and suggestions and encouragement! After all, if you're investing time in your yard you will appreciate all its glory. Chances are there will be ideas growing as well as plants and trees and grass! That's what we like - you dreaming and figuring out what you want to do next. There's nothing like personalizing the look to match your home and your own style.

Well, we have a few more ideas about the grasses and the lilies and the blog is a great place for posting them.
1. Take a good look at the larger or older ornamental grasses you may have. If they look dead in the middle then it's time to dig them up. Split them and replant in areas where you've noticed there's a need for more "interest". It might be worth offering a portion to friends, neighbors, or family. Maybe one of them makes "to die for" pie and would show their appreciation. You never know.
2. Next, act quickly on the daylily splits. They are growing, well, like weeds. Yes, that fast. So you can tell how thick and clumpy they are going to be this year. Do not hesitate to take action and split them out. You easily will be able to return one part of the clump back in the original hole. Move the others to areas that can use some accent and color. Again, maybe you know people who will enjoy them as much as you do. And, these people may have you over for BBQ when they start up the grill. We're just sayin' - it happens! If you are the recipient of someone else's plant dividing exercise then do something nice for them.

On to even more chores, activities for you to tackle. If you intend to prevent or slow down the invasion of the japanese beetle this summer then now is the time to apply systemic soil drench. It's the only way to get a head start on them. By the way, you'll find we stock it here at the nursery. Talk to a friendly and helpful staffer.

Did we do your decorative concrete edging? We hope so! If you have any at all you should be putting a fresh coat of sealer on it and the best time to do that is when the weather is really great - not too cold, not too hot. Makes sense all the way around, mostly for you!

Oak trees need some attention this time of the year. They'll be leafing out soon and we suggest you prune now because they are still dormant. It won't be long though so grab the pruning shears. Stand back, get a good look at the tree, then tackle the job at hand.

Go out and look around. Enjoy the early and brave flowers that are already in bloom. Feel the joy and energy of a rested and renewed Earth.