Free Admission Saturday Spring Affair Free Parking Lancaster Event Center
Preview Party Meal and Live Music 6-8, Plant Sale 6-9 p.m. April 21 2017 PLANT SALE 9-2 p.m. Saturday, April 22
plantnebraska.org [email protected] 402-472-2971
Celebrate Plants All Year Long Preview Party Friday, April 21 Spring Affair is an annual event but a Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Sit-down meal and Live Music 6-8 membership keeps you in a gardening frame of mind all year long. And Plant sale 6-9 p.m. a $45 membership gives you a *10 percent discount on Spring Affair and Arboretum plants. Sign up now and save on Preview Party tickets as well. The 30th annual Spring Affair opens with the Preview Party and plant sale on Friday, April 21. plantnebraska.org/join-us Entrance doors open at 6 p.m. and the plant sale runs from 6-9 but the sit-down meal will be served ONLY *For Spring Affair plant discount, show member card at checkout. from 6-8 p.m. Meal includes barbecue pork and chicken sandwiches, green bean almondine, loaded baked potatoes, garden salad and brownies or peach cobbler, with a vegetarian option available upon request. During the 6-8 p.m. meal, you can enjoy live music It’s all about plants INSIDE from Osage, a unique acoustic trio that uses violin, Gardeners can choose from more than 700 plant Plant Talk Schedule 2 varieties, plus all the last minute Plant Surprises. Some of our favorites from the Backyard Farmer garden are Garden Vendors 2 being offered for the first time this year. Just a few: Spring Beauties 3 O Bottle gentian, Gentiana andrewsii, is a wildflower with deep blue balloon-like flowers late summer Perennials to Beat the Heat 3 into fall that never open. Bumblebees are the only pollinators strong enough to open the tight petals Planting Nebraska 4 (see video at plantnebraska.org ?????). PART SUN O Calamint, Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta, is a Better Together 5 fragrant but not aggressive member of the mint Landscapes in Transition 6 family with tiny lilac to white flowers from June into September. Leaves can be dried for sachets. PLANT LISTS guitar and bass for a wide range of music—southern FULL SUN Full Sun 7 rock, classic rock, 90s, country and contemporary—as O Kalimeris incisa ‘Blue Star’ (no common name) is Part Shade 8 well as some of their own. another long-bloomer with daisy-like blue flowers You can browse tables of perennials, shrubs, trees, similar to aster and boltonia. PART SUN Shade, Grasses, Herbs, Ferns 9 grasses, vines and annuals to find just the right plant O Scarlet milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, blooms Succulents, Temperennials 9 with the help of plant experts. much longer than perennial milkweeds. Red-orange This annual event serves as an educational tool flowers with yellow hoods can bloom summer into Trees & Shrubs 10 early autumn. Great for hummingbirds, bees and and a fundraising event for the ongoing growth of the butterflies, which also depend on it as a larval food Plants for the Long Haul 11 Arboretum’s programs and affiliate gardens. source. The delicate, narrow 3-4” seed pods have silky-tailed seeds. TEMPERENNIALS Backyard Farmer Garden 12 O Greek columnar basil, Ocimum basilicum ‘Greek Columnar’, is upright and goes to seed less rapidly A Tale of Two Landscapes 13 than other varieties, making it a great choice for the Purchase tickets online Bloom Box Pollinator Plants 14 kitchen garden. HERBS BEFORE April 17 LOOK FOR BLUEBIRD’S SURPRISES Plants with a Purpose 15 marked with “Surprise” signs at the plant sale Calendar & Tips 16 plantnebraska.org or send in this order form... VENDORS with garden items
A VOLUNTEER EFFORT Preview Party Order Form The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum wants to ��� Tickets @ $46 each for non-members (join now thank the 100+ volunteers whose time, knowledge and purchase tickets at the member price below) and energy make this sale possible. ��� Tickets @ $35 each for NSA Members ��� One year membership @ $45 in the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum ��� I would like to make a donation to benefit the Arboretum’s programs and affiliate sites. Enclosed is my check for $______UNL PAID Name______U.S. Postage Nonprofit Org.
Address______
City, State, Zip______Bring friends, boxes and maybe Telephone ______a wagon to put your plants in! Email ______
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Make checks payable to NSA and send with this form to: is a nonprofit that works toward Nebraska Statewide Arboretum sustainable home and community Spring Affair Preview Party landscapes through initiatives in P. O. Box 830964 education, public gardens and the Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0964 environment. 402-472-2971 [email protected] Phone: 402/472-2971 arboretum.unl.edu P.O. Box 830964 P.O. University of Nebraska Lincoln, NE 68583-0964 Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Nebraska Statewide 2 Spring Affair Plant Talk Schedule THANK YOU! Plant talks below will be held at the west end of Pavilion I.
The following half hour presentations will be followed by a “walk-about” through the plant sale to highlight recommended plants:
10-10:30 “Tough Plants,” by Mark Canney, Park Planner and Urban Designer for Lincoln Parks and Recreation 11-11:30 “Gardening 101: I’ve got my plants, now what?” by Justin Evertson, Green Infrastructure Coordinator for the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum 12-12:30 “Brighten the Corners of Your Landscape with Container Gardening” by Terri James, University of Nebraska-Lincoln for your generous support of Spring Affair 2013! Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, Nebraska Extension Educator
Plant Prices Garden Vendors 3” pot $3.50 plantnebraska.org/spring-affair-vendor-list
4” pot $6.50 EYES OF THE WORLD IMPORTS Lutheran Church 1015 Lancaster NEBRASKA STATEWIDE ARBORETUM Lincoln’s premier spot for hand Lane, Lincoln NE. The Lincoln Iris GREENHOUSE 6” pot $10 picked, high quality, sterling silver Society is an Affiliate of the American Specializes in plants for low jewelry and unique gifts. Our garden Iris Society (AIS)and is located within water use gardens, sustainable Round gallon pot $12 sec tion has grown to include garden Region 21 of the AIS. landscaping practices, edible and Some prices may be slightly metal structure, statues, chimes, pots, native plants. Plants are unique, and fencing. You’ll also find all kinds MERISTEN FARM & NURSERY hard-to-find selections, ideal for plant higher due to limited availability of beautiful one-of-a-kind home Meristen Farm & Nursery is a collectors or for gardeners wanting or higher production costs, but decor items and Lincoln’s freshest certified organic farm offering the unique plants. Visit online at www. these will be clearly marked. and most affordable incense. You’ll experience of a charming 1900s nsaplants.org or call 402-472-2971. find us in Lincoln at 1501 South farmstead within the metropolitan Street, 402-438-0005. Omaha area. Our primary emphasis RETREE NEBRASKA is on the sale of aronia berry plants ReTree Nebraska is a 10-year Follow Nebraska GARDEN GALLERY and value-added products, along with cooperative initiative to raise public The Garden Gallery is a unique native perennials, bedding plants, awareness of the value of trees, Statewide boutique filled with unusual annuals, succulents, nursery stock, and fresh reverse the decline of Nebraska’s perennials and art! Special events produce. community tree and forest Arboretum on are happening year round in the resources and improve the health greenhouses and gallery. At Spring NEBRASKA EXTENSION MASTER and sustainability of community Instagram Affair 2017, we will be bringing GARDENERS OF DOUGLAS-SARPY trees and forests across our state for nebraskastatewidearboretum a variety of uncommon annuals, COUNTIES future generations. The primary goal perennials and fantastic tropicals. Our group is made up of Nebraska is to foster the proper planting and Our hanging baskets are amazing. Certified Master Gardeners of maintenance of a million new trees by One-of-a-kind art created by local Douglas-Sarpy Counties. Nebraska 2017. artists will be another highlight at Extension Master Gardeners are our booth. You can find The Garden volunteers who promote science- URBAN TRAIL GARDENS Gallery on Facebook and follow the based gardening practices of the Colorful hanging baskets, blog: the-garden-gallery.blogspot.com University of Nebraska-Lincoln. exotic annuals and tropicals, many We have two major programs that new-release perennials, succulent JONI’S DANCE-IN-THE-WIND IRIS make money. The first is the Master rock planters, fairy gardens, trough GARDEN Gardener Raffle .Raffle proceeds gardens, and collector begonias and Don’t let the name fool you as there benefit the Friends of Extension succulents. is much more available besides iris and 4-H in Douglas/Sarpy County plants. Also offered are daylilies, Foundation to support local Extension WADDELL & REED FINANCIAL peonies, tree peonies, hostas and and Master Gardener educational ADVISORS other perennials that will grow well projects. The second program is Founded in 1937, Waddell & in your Midwest garden. I try to our marketing and sales committee. Reed is one of the most enduring offer the new and unusual. The Under this committee we sell the financial services firms in the U.S. Pinterest last couple years, I have imported following items: 2017 Master Providing proven, professional tree peonies from China to obtain Gardener Calendars, Master Gardener investment management and www.pinterest.com/nearboretum financial planning services to different varieties that you would Cookbooks, Master Gardener T-shirts, individuals and institutional not usually see in the United States. Master Gardener Buttons and Plant investors, we operate through I grow over 1,000 iris varieties, Labels/Magnets. All the products are Financial Advisors; Ivy Funds 500 hosta cultivars, and about 400 created by our Master Gardeners. Wholesale Distribution; and different daylilies. My garden is Institutional Management. Many of state inspected annually and all NEBRASKA FOREST SERVICE our investment strategies are offered plants offered have grown well in This mission of the Nebraska to defined benefit plans, pension my zone 4 garden. I have growing Forest Service is “To enrich lives of plans and endowments. We also instructions available for anyone who Nebraska’s citizens by protecting, provide sub-advisory services to is just getting started. If you have any restoring and utilizing Nebraska’s tree other investment companies. questions please feel free to stop by and forest resources.” my booth at Spring Affair 2017. Facebook NEBRASKA STATEWIDE ARBORETUM www.facebook.com/NeArb LINCOLN IRIS SOCIETY This nonprofit organization has The Lincoln Iris Society is a offered more than three decades of group of friendly, enthusiastic people service with landscape information, who love and grow irises. They share new plants, publications and iris knowledge and information at inspiration to gardeners all across the monthly meetings and hold an the Great Plains. It has helped make annual iris show and sale to further homes and communities more inform the public about the beauty attractive, healthy and vital places to and pleasure of growing irises. See live, work and visit. The Arboretum our ad in this publication for date/ depends on memberships and location information for the show donations to carry out all of its efforts. and sale. Our meetings are held in arboretum.unl.edu the evenings on the last Monday of each month except for May and December. The Lincoln Iris Society currently meets at St. Andrews Spring Affair 3 Gardening through the Seasons
Spring Beauties Perennials to Beat the Heat
Karma Larsen, Spring Affair News Editor Bob Henricksonson, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Horticulture Program Coordinator After a long, gray winter, there’s nothing more welcome than the first Many plants have adapted to grow in harsh climates with extreme conditions spring blossoms. Once that first tight bud opens, a whole range of slow, subtle and thin soils. But it takes a special plant to bloom during the worst of summer’s transformations will occur. Even a daily walk-through isn’t frequent enough to catch heat. For that we have tended to rely on a fairly narrow palette of plants like Russian all the drama going on in the garden. sage, black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower, sedum, coreopsis, daylilies, hostas and Prairie ecologist J. E. Weaver’s “look closely, look often,” is sage advice. the striking hardy hibiscus. They’re excellent choices for the hot summer perennial Emerging, awakening, unfurling, flowering, fruiting—plants reward anyone who takes garden, providing beauty without much care. Thankfully, there are many more summer the time to pay attention. Everyone has their own favorites, but here’s a list of beauties bloomers to choose from that are starting to gain the just starting to make their appearance now, and with much more to offer as the growing attention they deserve. season progresses. If you want to beat the heat in late summer, here are Early-flowering Perennials some plants to consider: Variegated Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum multiflorum ‘Variegatum’. Emerging Valerian or Jupiter’s beard, Centranthus ‘Pretty leaves are striped ivory-white along arching stems. Delicate, vase-shaped white flowers Betsy’. This age-old Mediterranean perennial is second to hang from stems in May. In fall blue-black fruits hang from the stems and leaves turn none for long, showy summer bloom. It forms a handsome, a nice yellow. Prefers shade and rich, organic soils. Once established, tolerates dry bushy clump of blue-green leaves, topping out at 2’ with shade and form full patches with stems all arranged in the same fragrant, carmine red flowers in early summer. Easy-to-grow direction. Combines well with spring bulbs or groundcovers. and long-lived. Virginia bluebells, Mertensia virginica. Wonderful Rocky Mountain penstemon, Penstemon strictus. woodland flower with beautiful blue blossoms in April and May. An upright perennial with glossy green leaves that sports May take awhile to establish but will colonize and spread readily showy spikes of intense blue-purple blooms in late spring. once established. Tends to go dormant in summer months. It is one of the longest-lived, most easily grown of all the Creeping Jacob’s ladder or Greek valerian, Polemonium penstemons; a real show stopper. Flowering spikes can be caeruleum. A Missouri wildflower with bell-shaped light blue cut after bloom; leave a few if reseeding is desirable. It is flowers in late spring (name refers to the way leaves are arranged exceptionally drought and heat tolerant. like rungs of a ladder). Sweet black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia subtomentosa. Columbine, Aquilegia canadense. Red and yellow bell- A tough, beautiful native that can handle clay. While shaped flowers are held high above the foliage in spring. Prefers other plants fold in the heat of summer, this one retains fertile, well-drained soil and some shade. May rebloom if cut back its luxuriant deep green foliage and butter-yellow blooms after first bloom. with shimmering red-brown centers. Give it clay, or any Dwarf spiderwort, Tradescantia tharpii. This native wildflower emerges early reasonably rich soil and it will reward you with years of as a clump of narrow, hairy, leaves. In late April the pastel hued flowers, from blue to beautiful flowers. purple to rose to pink, cover the plants. Fremont’s primrose, Oenothera macrocarpa ssp. Crested iris, Iris cristata. This easy-to-grow iris is a valuable addition to any part- Fremontii. This compact native beauty is oblivious to heat shade woodland garden. Its 5-6” sword-like leaves arise from impressive colonies and and drought. It grows into a 12” mound of narrow, pewter- by mid-spring they are adorned with beautiful pale to deep violet flowers. gray foliage and blooms in late spring with 3” lemon-yellow Barren Strawberry, Waldsteinia ternata. A shade-loving groundcover or edging flowers, often reblooming during the summer months. plant that spreads steadily to form a dense mat of shiny green leaves that resemble Purple prairie clover, Dalea purpurea. An exceptionally those of a strawberry. In early spring, small yellow saucer-shaped attractive, fine-textured wildflower that can survive drought flowers appear. It combines well with spring beauties like bleeding and other extremes. The stiff, upright stems emerge in spring, heart, woodland phlox and Virginia bluebells. growing into a bushy, knee-high plant with fine cut, sweetly- Prairie smoke, Geum triflorum. Reddish pink, nodding scented leaves. In summer, bright red-violet flowers top the flowers are blooming right now, but the silvery pink seedheads that plant, shooting up like pop bottle rockets on the 4th of July. really draw our attention, and that gave this plant its common name. It’s at its showiest combined with prairie natives. Pasque flower, Pulsatilla. Drought-tolerant prairie native with Leadwort, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides. This attractive delicate lavender, cup-shaped flowers in early spring followed by plant produces dense growth of glossy green foliage, making silky seedheads. it a fine groundcover for sun or shade. The intense, gentian Creeping Veronica. A fast- blue flowers will start appearing in late July and last through growing groundcover that can the heat of August. The foliage can turn a bronzy red in fall, take tough conditions. Glossy contrasting nicely with the flowers. It emerges late in spring, evergreen leaves create a nice carpet. Beautiful so don’t forget where it was planted. sky blue flowers may rebloom later in the season. Dotted Gayfeather, Liatris punctata. Dotted gayfeather Shell-leaf penstemon, Penstemon is the most drought-tolerant of the gayfeathers, with roots grandiflora. Waxy foliage is gray and glossy. extending deep in the soil. In late summer the stiff flowering Flowers are wonderful shades of lavendar and spikes are covered with feathery clusters of purplish-pink pink in May and June. Prefers well-drained soil, flowers with microscopic dots on the undersides of leaves. full sun and light, sandy soil. Each plant has a corm that can live for decades and give rise to dozens of flower stalks each year. Plants from top: Solomon’s seal and prairie coneflower at top; Virginia bluebells; prairie smoke; and Waterperry Blue Veronica. Photos from top: valerian; Fremont’s evening primrose; Rocky Mountain penstemon; dotted gayfeather.
Native Spring Garden Seminar The Magic of Pollinating Plants for Plants Featuring Bob Henrickson, NE Statewide Arboretum Native Hosted by Nebraska Extension Master Gardeners of Douglas-Sarpy Counties When: April 8, 2017 Pollinators Time: 10:00-12:00 noon Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. Engineered by nature Where: Nebraska Extension Office Rooted in Nebraska 8015 West Center Rd., Omaha, NE 68124 Admission: Non-perishable food or cash donation to Food Bank for the Heartland Photo courtesy of Lyle Karre
Coming to the Seminar? Present this ad and receive a free $5 ticket for the Prairie consulting 2017 Master Gardener Raffle Prairie patches and “A Garden Oasis” 402-310-8167 Pollinator gardens www.friendsofextension.org prairielegacyinc.com Custom seed mixes One free raffle ticket to the first 20 registrants. 4 Spring Affair Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Sale Day Planting Nebraska with Spring Affair and Much More Reminders NOTE: Saturday sale runs 9-2 Christina Hoyt, NSA Executive Director (not until 4 p.m. as in some previous years) Nebraska Statewide Arboretum has been a Spring Affair sponsor since Please remember that before you its beginning about 40 years ago. The get to a cashier, a ticket writer needs to original intent was to offer a more record your plants on a check-out sheet. diverse, more sustainable and more Grouping your plants by size and price regionally appropriate plant palette. helps speed up the process. The need is even stronger and more The sale can be very busy and you may compelling today as we learn more and have to wait in line to check out. This year more about the interconnectedness and there will be an express lane for Nebraska Clarkson—another longstanding Nebras- interdependence of people, soil, plants, Statewide members. ka tradition that has been going strong for insects and other wildlife. Plants can be held for you, either since 1958—Spring Affair is one way we Over the last decades of work we before or after you pay for them, by work toward more sustainable landscapes. have come to understand that trees and leaving them with a plant sitter on the There are other ways as well: landscapes have a dramatic impact north side of Pavilion 1. NSA’s public garden and arboreta on quality of life—they renew our You must show paid receipts for network is unique in the nation. There environment, improve our health, increase plants and vendor purchases to the are now 104 affiliated arboretums in social interactions, deepen our sense door attendant as you exit Pavilion 1. 59 communities, each reflecting the of place and provide opportunities for Volunteers will be available to help you geographic and ecological diversity of learning. Landscapes open up possibilities carry out your plants. their local community. for on-the-ground transformation and You can pay for your plants with cash, More than 250 towns have been purposeful beauty. Ultimately it is MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American impacted by our community landscape peoples’ lives that are changed… vibrant Express or checks payable to Nebraska program: more trees, more shade, more business districts, neighborly connections, Statewide Arboretum (NSA). native plants, more wildlife and more confidence in moving forward and a To receive an NSA member discount, beauty. commitment to long-term stewardship. member identification is required at the We have helped implement over Our work is made possible by checkout. 1,300 projects ranging from schools to committed plant enthusiasts and downtowns to parks and given over $9.7 community advocates across Nebraska— million in funding through our partnership whether that’s at a local arboretum, a large municipal project or a home landscape. We’re working to get native and underutilized plants into our We’ll be in the garden... landscapes that support insects and come join us! wildlife and offer essentials like shade and clean water. Our work focuses on Take part in free arboretum tours in spring, with the Nebraska Environmental Trust. plants, but it’s really about giving people GARDENS IN JULY mid-summer NSA is both local and global, doing the tools they need to improve their and arboretum tours again in fall. outreach through workshops, social homes and communities. Or join us for free first Thursday media, websites and publications. Thanks to the wonderful plants Bring Boxes & Carts! brown-bags in UNL Keim 150. NSA’s horticultural program works supplied by Bluebird Nursery, Inc. in Full calendar on back cover. to get native and underutilized plants into We strongly recommend bringing the nursery industry and into private and your own cart or wagon to carry your public landscapes. plants. If you bring a wagon, please label NSA is a non-profit that relies on it so it doesn’t get confused with someone memberships, donations and grants to else’s; and don’t leave your wagon Please help us thank these fund our programs. unattended. If you’re interested in getting more We also encourage you to bring Spring Affair Sponsors involved, you can: your own flats or trays to save on waste, Join us at events although box flats will be available. for making this event possible Buy plants online or at plant sales *Sponsorship opportunities are still Volunteer at our greenhouse, at plant available at plantnebraska.org sales, in the office or at event booths Become a member Web Resources Donate—from $25 to an estate gift, plantnebraska.org our donors make a difference retreenebraska.unl.edu Visit us at plantnebraska.org nfs.unl.edu We’re using “plantnebraska” as agronomy.unl.edu our web name because plant is a verb byf.unl.edu (Backyard Farmer) that branches into all the things we drought.unl.edu recommend: plant native, sustainably, entomology.unl.edu waterwise. You’ll find lots of resources ianrpubs.unl.edu (publications) online—native and recommended trees mastergardener.unl.edu and plants, seasonal information, gardens water.unl.edu to visit, tips, events and beautiful photos. www.bluebirdnursery.com
Barcel Landscape Products, Inc. CABG Patch Arboretum Ron & Wanda Kelly Papio Valley Nursery, Inc. Union Bank & Trust Countryside Bank Vlcek Gardens Spring Affair 5 Better Together Good Plant Combinations Make Gardens Easier to Manage Rachel Anderson, MLA, Community sedge thrive in part shade, and grassy Landscape Specialist for the Nebraska Forest plants like fern and liriope would work Service & Nebraska Statewide Arboretum well, too. Try out these pairings for landscape For a healthy landscape, it is often a combinations that span the seasons. good idea to imitate nature. In the natural And remember that letting these plants world, a plant does not exist in a vacuum. reseed is a good thing, not only because It grows as part of a population that it will eliminate bare spots and choke out shifts and renews itself in a never-ending weeds, but because a self-perpetuating search for ecological balance. Luckily population is much more sustainable in for the gardener, interweaving different the long run and serves as prime habitat plants together makes for some stunning for wildlife. combinations. In the garden, prairie plants Dry to Average Soil in Sun especially benefit from companions. . Butterfly milkweed, sideoats grama, When planted alone, these beauties can leadplant, purple poppy mallow and get floppy. This is because many of them torch lily create a beautiful mix of evolved with so much competition that summer oranges and violets. they did not need the “stay upright” gene, . Sand lovegrass, pale purple so to speak. These plants rely on each coneflower, hummingbird mint, other to hold them up, so bringing this artemisia and Autumn Joy sedum offer principle into the garden comes in handy. winter texture and color. There is no need to fear goldenrod or . Little bluestem, rattlesnake master, pitcher sage when they are intermixed gayfeather, yarrow and dwarf false with a “prop” plant like switchgrass. blue indigo provide color and winter Additionally, some plants (like seedpods. beardtongue and larkspur), may not have . In western Nebraska, consider pairing the substance to hold their own visually prairie zinnia, prairie dropseed, year-round and are more attractive among rabbitbrush, pineleaf penstemon and grasses and other plants. blue flax for year-long textural contrast When selecting plants to use together, and bold, long-lasting blooms. the ideal combination is one in which Average to Moist Soil in Sun the plants make each other look better . Goldenrod, switchgrass, pitcher sage, all year long. This may seem hard to balloonflower and aromatic or New do, since many plants make a fantastic England aster have great autumn color. pairing in bloom or in autumn but might . Pasqueflower, shortbeak sedge, look disheveled the rest of the year. The dwarf spiderwort, prairie smoke and secret cure-all solution to this issue is junegrass green-up and bloom in early Helenium simple: put a grass in there. Grasses (and spring. grass-like plants) provide the texture Article and design drawings by Rachel and structure necessary to polish off Wet Soil in Sun or Part Sun Anderson. any combo. And if the area in question . Mountain mint, fox sedge, daylily, is shaded, no problem—many types of beebalm and Riddell’s goldenrod make for bold summer color. Moist soil in Shade or Part Shade . Sweet woodruff, wild ginger, Plant it Forward variegated solomon’s seal, wild columbine and woodland phlox create retreenebraska.org attractive spring groundcovers. Tree Planting for Success
Remove containers, wire, string, rope and tags. If staking is nec- essary, use two opposing belt-like straps.
Place top of root mass at or slightly Use plastic guard above existing to protect grade (2” max) first from rabbit or lateral roots 1-2” mower damage. below soil surface.
For more plant combinations: http://pinterest. Mulch 2-4” deep to Dry Shade to Part Shade dripline or beyond. . Bricknell’s sedge, bloody cranesbill, com/nearboretum/plant-combinations-sun/ Root flare should Keep mulch off be visible at base yellow corydalis, foam flower and trunk. of trunk. epimedium offer beautiful summer color and texture. NOTE: Thanks to Greg Simmons and Kim Todd of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Woody Combinations Todd Faller of Faller Landscape & Nursery, . Prairie Gold quaking aspen and Gro- Christina Hoyt of the Nebraska Statewide Low sumac provide excellent fall color Arboretum and Amy Seiler of the Nebraska in sunny areas. Forest Service for their time and ideas. . Black Hills spruce and Isanti redtwig dogwood create winter interest. . Apache plume and curl-leaf mountain Dig hole 2-3x diameter of root mass
© Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, Inc. © Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, mahogany have strong textural contrast (No Scale) and can withstand dry conditions (good choices for western Nebraska). . Serviceberry, arum and plumbago for ReTreeReTree Week Week—Sept. - Sept. 24-30, 18-24, 2017 2016 spring and fall “wow” in shade. . Deam’s viburnum and blue flag in wet areas for spring blooms, summer For Future Generations! texture, fall color and winter berries. 6 Spring Affair Landscapes in Transition Christina Hoyt, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Executive Director To manage landscapes well, whether we’re overseeing the green infrastructure for an entire community or just our own backyard, we have to embrace that these landscapes are living systems and, as such, change is inevitable. In The American Woodland Garden, Rick Darke writes, “The regimented aesthetic of traditional formal gardens is usually in conflict with This woodland the necessary plasticity of native forests. A (top) and prairie garden that seeks to capture the spirit of the garden were forest must welcome change as an inevitable designed to or even desirable part of the aesthetic, as an NSA WEBSITE OR DI- encourage essential element in ecological stewardship, VERSITY CAMPAIGN naturalization and as an endearing part of the story of the STUFF ON THIS PAGE? and allow for woodland landscape.” continual change. In all of our natural ecosystems, whether they’re forests, prairies or wetlands, change is constant. Fire, floods and drought are catastrophic events that have long- lasting consequences. Smaller changes— like fallen trees, changes in shade patterns, variation in microclimate and seed dispersal patterns—occur constantly, though more subtly. At the edge of any wooded area, plant things that tend to move around a originally planted in groupings, they are there is a constnat give-and-take between little. Our job, then, is simply to edit as designed and managed in a way that allows woody and herbacesous materials depending needed. My mother’s shade garden is a great for continual change. on light, moisture, soil and disturbance. example of this: trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, Conclusion The diversity and flexibility of a natural sweet woodruff and ferns move around The idea of allowing a landscape to landscape is essential to its perpetuation. (unlike many gardeners, she “weeds” hosta take on a life of its own may seem daunting. Perhaps, as Darke said, we need to and trillium out of her woodland site). For However, as we push for beneficial and begin to see change “as an essential element the most part, managing this area simply sustainable landscapes we need to look hard in ecological stewardship.” How does this involves adding or moving plants a little bit at how we design and manage landscapes to play out practically as we manage our here and there. support, and even encourage, change. Done landscapes? Another great example of flexibility is correctly, these dynamic, living and ever- some of the rain gardens we’ve installed in Sun to Shade changing landscapes will be with us long Lincoln. They are made up of mostly native In design class those big tree circles into the future. on the page with shade plants underneath prairie species, and are far from static. While seemed like such a great idea—until you realize that the small trees that are planted may not cast shade to their outlying edges for another 10 to 20 years. In the meantime, it would be more appropriate to plant sun- loving grasses, perennials or shrubs nearby. I’ve learned to adjust plant selections to accommodate change; now when I plan those areas I don’t assume every plant will survive for the next 10 years and I purposely include plants that are adaptable and can take sun to part-shade as the trees grow. Shade to Sun This is harder to plan for because often this happens rapidly with the loss of a tree, and shade-loving plants can easily get fried by the sun. In this case, the best thing you can do is plan for the future right from the beginning by planting multi-generations of trees and being willing to move and transplant things that aren’t thriving. Some sun-loving plants can take more shade than we give them credit for and vice versa, so experiment with different plants. Diversity The need for diversity was made clear decades ago when large American elms, which graced many of our city streets for decades, succumbed to Dutch elm disease. Many beautiful windbreaks have similarly been lost due to monoculture and disease. And emerald ash borer poses the same risk of dramatic loss in coming years. If our cities and windbreaks had been planted with a mixture of species these losses would be far less dramatic and costly. Large expanses of the same species may be beautiful but that simply does not make sense long-term. A diverse landscape is more resilient to pests, diseases and other environmental factors. Naturalization There is something in us that equates gardening and management with keeping things in their place. But if we relax a little, we can let nature do much of the adjusting after the initial planting and allow plants to battle it out for where they are happiest. We can allow plants to reseed and purposely Spring Affair 7 8 Spring Affair Spring Affair 9 10 Spring Affair
PAGE 9 IS BLACK ONLY Spring Affair 11 Plants for the Long Haul Bob Henricksonson, Nebraska Statewide Ozark bluestar, Amsonia hubrichtii. Arboretum Horticulture Program Coordinator A dependable plant worthy of any garden. Upright stems emerge in early spring and Perennial plants can make a gardener’s rapidly extend to their mature size. The fine, life much easier. Beds don’t have to be thread-like dark green leaves unfold along replanted, much of the structure of the the stems to form a fine-textured mound of garden remains throughout the year and foliage. Plants are topped with starry, pale plants don’t have to be purchased annually. blue flowers in May and June. In autumn, By definition, a perennial is a plant that the foliage turns a lovely golden yellow. lives for more than two or three years. But Grows into a 3 x 3’ mound of foliage and just how perennial is that perennial you just has been known to live for decades. planted? Prairie dropseed, Sporobolus Many wonderful perennials survive heterolepis. A native bunchgrass with only two or three years. Still, we plant them ribbon-like leaves that form 2’ mounds; happily and hope they will continue on by delicate seedheads appear in late summer reseeding themselves. Examples include: and are especially attractive when backlit. baby's breath, blanket flower, delphinium, The strongly fragrant seedheads are scented hybrid tulips, penstemon and scabiosa. and foliage can turn orange to copper. It Other perennials are old reliables we takes a few years to grow into maturity, but can trust to carry on year after year. For likes it dry and never needs dividing. This shade, hostas and ferns are dependable is one of the best grasses for large scale Have plants will travel, says NSA Executive Director Christina Hoyt. The Arboretum’s goal comebacks. groundcovers. is to promote plants that will survive far into the future. Not surprisingly, many of the longest- Beebalm, Monarda ‘Raspberry Wine’. lived perennials for sun are deep-rooted The buds on this beebalm really do resemble grasses and prairie plants. They may not July-August. Native to open woods and More long-lived perennials raspberries! This 4’ tall, mildew resistant look like much in garden centers early in moist meadows, it prefers moist, well- (*asterisk denotes shade) selection is topped with wine-red flowers spring, maybe not even the first year or two drained soil in full sun or light shade. from June through August. Cherished by Aster they’re in the ground, but they’ll pay off in Queen of the meadow, Filipendula butterflies and hummingbirds, but loathed *Astilbe the long-term. If you’re thinking years or ulmaria, has fragrant, creamy white astilbe- by deer. Also makes an excellent pollinator *Balloon flower, Platycodon even decades into the future, here’s some to like flowers that bloom from early summer plant and cut flower. Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia consider: into fall. Full to part sun. Rattlesnake master, Eryngium *Bleeding heart, Dicentra Dwarf blue indigo, Baptisia minor, is a Dwarf blue indigo, Baptisia minor, yuccafolium. This unique wildflower has *Campanula sun-loving, drought-tolerant wildflower that has beautiful blue flowers in spring and rich handsome, gray-green leaves that look like Catmint, Nepeta forms a dense, rounded “shrub” of blue- brown seed pods that are great for dried a yucca, and unique golf ball-like flowers. Daylily, Hemerocallis green leaves to 2’ high. In spring, indigo arrangements. This 3’ upright plant makes an excellent Evening primrose, Oenothera blue spikes of pea-like flowers rise above New Jersey tea, Ceanothus focal point in the garden and combines *Ferns (p. 9) the emerging foliage, followed by seedpods americanus, is a native shrub with clusters well with other summer bloomers whether *Geranium sanguineum that turn charcoal black in fall. It will take of white flowers. planted individually or in groups. *Hosta at least three seasons to reach maturity, but Pale purple coneflower, Echinacea Culver’s root, Veronicastrum Iris will outlive most other perennials in your pallida, is a sweet-scented coneflower with virginicum, is a very erect perennial with Joe pye weed, Eupatorium garden. spidery petals that blooms June-July. Also a spikes of small, white tubular flowers in *Lady’s mantle, Alchemilla long-lasting cut flower. Leadplant, Amorpha *Lenten roses, Hellebore Peony *Sedum Yarrow, Achillea
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Backyard Farmer Garden Top 25 What plants get the most “Oohs and Ahhs” in the Backyard Farmer Garden in Lincoln? Here’s the top 25, and many of these will be available in the plant sale: 1. Heptacodium miconiodes, seven-sons shrub 2. Rudbeckia nitida `Herbstonne’ 3. Amsonia hubrichtii, bluestar 4. Aster oblongifolius `Raydon’s Favorite’ 5. Juncus inflexus, blue rush 6. Liatris ligustylis, gayfeather 7. Echinacea `Cheyenne Spirit’ 8. Filipendula rubra `Venusta’ 9. Agastache cana, hummingbird mint 10. Asclepias curassavica, rose milkweed 11. Gentiana andrewsii, blue gentian 12. Cephlanthus occidentalis `Sugar Shack’, buttonbush 13. Penstemon `Dark Towers’ 14. Solidago flexicaulis, zig zag goldenrod 15. Schizachrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’, little bluestem 16. Prunus maackii, Manchurian cherry 17. Tricyrtis hirta ‘Gilt Edge’, toad lily 18. Antennaria neglecta, pussytoes 19. Ipheion `Wisley Blue’, spring star flower 20. Salix humilis, prairie willow 21. Chelone, turtlehead 22. Iris spuria Fontanelle
Plans grow and change, just like you Nebraska Statewide Arboretum My mission is to help you at all stages and through the Executive Board 2017 changes that life may bring. Contact me to discuss your personal financial plan. The staff and member of NSA want to thank the Executive Board for their time, effort and generosity in supporting the grassroot nonprofit to continally grow its efforts to Plant Nebraska. OFFICERS President M.J. Hart Secretary Nance Harris Deanna Sporhase Treasurer Jeff Shimek MBA Financial Advisor MEMBERS 209 East E Street Bob Brandt Elmwood, NE 68349 Annie Folck office 402-994-2233 Wanda Kelly [email protected] Bryan Lubeck James F. Nissen Mardy Redman Jo Seiler Rocky Steinbrink Member SIPC Lori Weiler Alan Weiss Dr. Scott Josiah, Nebraska Forest Supporting the Nebraska Statewide Service Ex-officio member Dr. Ronald E. Yoder, University of Arboretum for more than 10 years! Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Your source for high quality, affordable, Ex-officio Representative Nebraska-grown trees, shrubs, grasses,AT2-FP001/30994 perennials and sustainable, low-maintenance landscape design and construction.
EAGLE NURSERY, LLC Need some tree work done? 910 So. 214th St ( Highway 43) Hire an NAA Certified Arborist! Eagle, Nebraska 68347 402-781-9337 Visit www.nearborists.org to find one near you!
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2015 NSA Ad.indd 1 12/31/2014 1:37:30 PM Spring Affair 13 A Tale of Two Landscapes Justin Evertson, Green Infrastructure Coordinator for the Nebraska Forest Service and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Compare these two home landscapes and think about which is more beneficial. Both landscapes include about 6,000 square feet of green space on a typical suburban lot.
Landscape A Landscape B Traditional turf-dominated landscape developed by a homeowner who doesn’t know Reflects a homeowner who values biodiversity and is striving for better sustainability. much about landscaping and desires mostly to blend into the neighborhood. A primary goal is the reduction of lawn maintenance.
O Area of lawn (tall fescue): 5,700 sq. ft. kept lush and weed-free O Other landscaping: one shade tree, two ornamental trees and a few foundation O Area of lawn (tall fescue and clover mix): 1,750 sq. ft. – not fussed over, but shrubs mostly green O Automatic irrigation system covers most of the lawn O Other landscaping: 15 large-maturing trees, several understory trees, numerous O Estimated annual hours of lawn care including mowing (using a riding mower fruiting/ornamental shrubs, native prairie border, shade gardens, perennial and push mower), string trimming, weed spraying, fertilizing, aerating, raking: gardens, rain gardens at downspouts 160 O No automatic irrigation system O Estimated annual hours of other landscape care including watering, tree/shrub O Estimated annual hours of lawn care including mowing (push mower), fall care, mulching, herbaceous plant cleanup, deadheading, weed control: 15 fertilizer (Milorganite), some weed digging, overseeding, fall leaf raking/ O Estimated annual cost of landscape care including amortized cost of mowing and chopping: 30 irrigation equipment, other equipment, fertilizer, pesticides, refuse collection, O Estimated annual hours of other landscape care including watering, weed pulling/ 4-step-lawn-care: $1,150 spraying, tree/shrub care, mulching, herbaceous plant cleanup, deadheading, O Estimated municipal water used for irrigation: 30,000 gallons - $1,250/yr vegetable gardening: 215 O Stormwater capture: None. Two downspouts drain directly to pavement and street O Estimated annual cost of landscape care including mowing and other equipment, gutter tree trimming, landscape/vegetable plants/seed, mulch, fertilizer: $550 O Other benefits: barefoot-friendly grass and lots of open space to play sports and O Estimated municipal water used for irrigation: 8,000 gallons - $350/yr host parties O Stormwater capture: all downspouts connected to rain barrels and rain gardens O Other benefits: year-round interest and color; lots of birds, butterflies, bees, snakes, toads and other beneficials; soil is highly organic, full of life and easy to dig; shade trees reduce utility costs; less smog and CO2 from gas-powered equipment; no refuse costs (all plant materials recycled via mulching and composting)
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Nebraska has 400+ nursery and tree growers and 900+ nursery dealers and landscape contractors Find a Nebraska-Certified Nursery Professional (NCN) for your next landscaping project 14 Spring Affair BLOOM BOX Creates a Pollinator-friendly Yard
Rachel Anderson, Bloom Box Coordinator delivered to your door in May, along with gardening tips and tricks. Then fill out The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and return a survey with pictures of your is making it easy to support bees and new garden by June 15th for a 50 percent butterflies at home, work or school with savings. a new BLOOM BOX program. These are They contain up to 26 different handpicked collections of garden plants species of regionally native flowers for pollinators that are half-price after and grasses that provide continual rebate. blooms from early spring to autumn. Each BLOOM BOX is professionally Once planted, BLOOM BOX provides curated to help create a pollinator- optimal habitat for bees, flies, moths, friendly garden anywhere in Nebraska, butterflies, beetles and other pollinator with a bounty of prairie and woodland insects indigenous to the Great Plains species tailored to thrive in almost any that are critical to our food supply and environment. ecosystems. Sign up online by April 15th to BLOOM BOX is funded by the Blue flax, Linum share your garden profile with a personal Nebraska Environmental Trust, a horticulturist and get 25-100 plants beneficiary of the Nebraska Lottery. Recommended Pollinator Plants for Sun Agastache Allium Amorpha, leadplant Amsonia, bluestar Artemisia Asclepias, milkweed (opposite) Aurinia, basket-of-gold Baptisia, false indigo Boltonia Calamintha Callirhoe, poppy mallow Ceanothus americanus, New Jersey tea Centranthus, red valerian Coreopsis Dalea purpurea, purple prairie clover Echinacea pallida, pale purple coneflower Eryngium yuccifolium, rattlesnake master Eupatorium, joe-pye plant Filipendula Geranium Geum triflorum, Prairie smoke Helenium amarum, Helen’s Flower Heliopsis,oxeye sunflower Ipomopsis aggregata, scarlet gilia Liatris, gayfeather Linum, flax (top, far right) Monarda, beebalm Oenothera, evening primrose Penstemon Phlox Pulsatilla patens, pasque flower Pycnanthemum, mountain mint Ratibida, prairie coneflower Salvia azurea, pitcher sage Tree-killing pests, like the emerald ash borer, Scutellaria, skullcap Sedum hitchhike on firewood and spread insects and diseases Senna hebecarpa, wild senna Silphium integrifolium, rosinweed that destroy our trees. Keep your backyard, campgrounds Solidago, goldenrod Symphyotrichum azureus, sky blue aster and favorite places safe from these pests. Valeriana officinalis, common valerian Vernonia, ironweed Zizia aurea, Golden alexander PREVENTION IS KEY: Recommended Pollinator Plants for Shade • Buy locally-harvested firewood. Alchemilla mollis, lady’s mantle Aquilegia, columbine • Ask a park ranger or campground host about where to get local Chelone, turtlehead Lobelia firewood when you travel. Parthenium, wild quinine Physostegia virginiana, obedient plant • If you brought firewood in from another area, BURN IT! Don’t leave Polemonium, creeping Jacob’s ladder Tradescantia, prairie spiderwort it, don’t take it with you.
To report potential emerald ash borer, contact the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 402-471-2351.
NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANIMAL & PLANT HEALTH PROTECTION Spring Affair 15 Plants with a Purpose Plants for Dry Groundcovers for Shade Name Your Challenge Living Mulch Native plants can handle some of the most challenging landscape problems: One of the challenges of gardening One of the best ways to avoid weed- can be dealing with shade, particularly Low spots or wet spots. Deep-rooted native or prairie plants can usually withstand extremes of wet to dry moisture better than most landscape plants. ing is to crowd them out with groundcov- dry shade under the canopy of trees ers. *Asterisk denotes very aggressive. where rainwater is deflected away and Dry spots surrounded by hardscape. Native plants need a minimum of watering and maintenance. plants need to compete for moisture, root LOW GROUNDCOVERS FOR SUN space, nutrients, even airflow. Narrow Dry shade under trees. Root competition can be troublesome under trees, but there are plants that can take it. Cerastium tomentosum, snow-in-summer spaces between buildings or under north- Euphorbia, cushion spurge facing eaves offer the same challenge. Geranium sanguineum, cranesbill Below is a list of plants that can Juniperus, spreading juniper thrive in shade or part shade in areas Stachys, lambs ear* with minimal moisture. But keep in mind Curbside Rain Gardens Symphoricarpos, coralberry that, like any plant, they need to be well- For many homeowners, curbside Grasses: Indiangrass, big bluestem, Thymus, thyme watered the first several years until their strips of soil surrounded by hardscape or switchgrass, feather reed grass, Veronica prostata, speedwell roots are well-established. buildings are the toughest spot to work cordgrass, rush and sedges. with. They’re difficult to mow, difficult Perennials: Iris, sweetflag, nodding GROUNDCOVERS 6-8” Ajuga pink onion, swamp milkweed, flat-topped to water without runoff, sometimes Achillea, yarrow Baneberry, Actaea rubra and New England aster, turtlehead, Barren strawberry, Waldsteinia they’re shaded part of the day and purple and prairie coneflower, Joe-Pye Aurinia saxatilis, basket-of-gold Bear’s breeches, Acanthus exposed to harsh sunlight later on. Often plant, Filipendula, gayfeather, obedient Nepeta, catmint Bergenia they have to withstand foot traffic, pet plant, Rudbeckia, bottle gentian, culver’s Salvia Bleeding heart, Dicentra refuse and salt from snow removal. root, meadow rue, hibiscus. Sedum, stonecrop Brunnera Prairie plants meet many of the Columbine, Aquilegia requirements for tough spots since GRASSES FOR SUNNY AREAS Lily of the valley, Convollaria they’re deep-rooted to withstand drought, Give them Time Bouteloua curtipendula, side oats grama heat and exposure, are adaptable to Bouteloua dactyloides, bufflograss Coral bells, Heuchera The first plants to sell at any plant difficult soils and need very little care. Bouteloua gracilis, blue grama Corydalis (opposite) sale tend to be ones that are blooming, Here are some other plants worth trying. Carex brevior, C. bicknellii, sedge Daylily, Hemerocallis but most perennials put their energy into For groundcovers: wild strawberry; Muehlenbergii cuspidata, plains muhly Euphorbia roots and, as a result, are far less likely to prairie smoke; ajuga; snow-in-summer; Schizachyrium scoparium, little bluestem FERNS (see page 9) bloom in spring nursery pots. Below are plumbago; lamb’s ears; bloody Foam flower, Tiarella some plants that might not draw your eye cranesbill; and Corydalis. For salt- GROUNDCOVERS FOR PART SHADE Foxglove, Digitalis this spring, but will reward you this fall tolerance, good groundcovers include: Aegopodium podagraria, bishop’s weed Geranium (perennial) when bright summer beauties may have candytuft; sedum; coral bells; hosta; and Ajuga, bugleweed Hosta faded. *Asterisk for shade or part shade. Artemisia. Alchemilla mollis, lady’s mantle Jack-in-the-pulpit, Asarum Agastache Low-maintenance grasses like blue Bergenia cordifolia, heartleaf bergenia Lady’s mantle, Alchemilla Anemone and sideoats grama, buffalograss and Brunnera macrophylla (Jack Frost is a Lamb’s ear, Stachys Aster ‘October Skies’ switchgrass can be used to replace turf. variegated cultivar) Lamium Blazing star, Liatris scariosa For spring color, they can be interplanted Carex plantaginea, plantain sedge Lenten rose, Helleborus Chrysanthemum with bulbs that will be showy until Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, plumbago Liriope Joe pye weed, Eupatorium grasses fill in and cover the dead foliage Convallaria majalis, lily-of-the-valley Meadow rue, Thalictrum Goldenrod, Solidago of short tulips, squill, tiny irises or other Epimedium, barrenwort Pachysandra *Monkshood, Aconitum bulbs planted among the grasses. Euonymus fortunei, wintercreeper* Periwinkle, Vinca minor Rudbeckia Low perennials for hot, dry areas Fragaria virginiana, barren strawberry Sedum Sedum include: evening primrose; daylily; Galium odoratum, sweet woodruff Snow-in-summer, Cerastium Sneezeweed, Helenium feverfew; yarrow; basket-of-gold; purple Geranium sanguineum, cranesbill Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum Sunflowers, Heliopsis, Helianthus poppy mallow; prairie phlox; pasque Hedera helix, English ivy* Wild ginger, Asarum canadense *Toad lily, Tricyrtis flower; coneflower; butterfly milkweed; Lamium maculatum, spotted dead nettle *Turtlehead, Chelone curly or prairie onion; and aromatic aster. (shown below in December) Lysimachia nummularia, moneywort Pachysandra terminalis, Japanese spurge Tall Plants for the Back Border Vinca minor, periwinkle* Plants can vary greatly in height due Ipomopsis aggregata, 4’ NATIVE PLANTS FOR SHADE to site, soil, exposure and other factors, Iris sibirica & spuria, 2-3’ Asarum canadense, wild ginger but the plants listed below are likely to Kniphofia caulescens, 3’ Carex species grow higher than 3 feet. Descriptions can Lespedeza, 3’ Heuchera richardsonii, coralbells be found in the lists noted at top. Liatris, 3-5’ Packera aurea, golden ragwort Lychnis, 2-3’ GRASSES Polemonium reptans, creeping Jacob’s ladder Paeonia, 2-3 Polygonatum biflorum, Solomon’s seal Andropogon, 5’ Papaver orientale, 2-3’ Calamagrostis, 3-5’ Penstemon, 2-3’ Cyperus papyrus, 7’ Persicaria, 2-4’ Eragrostis trichodes, 3’ Philadelphus microphyllus, 2-3’ Miscanthus, 3-4’ Phlox, 2-3’ Panicum, 4-5’ Ratibida, 4’ Schizachyrium scoparium, 2-4’ Rudbeckia fulgida, 3-4’ Sorghastrum nutans, 3-4’ Salvia azurea, 4’ Spodiopogon sibiricus, 3-4’ Senna hebecarpa, 2-3’ (shown below in Sporobolis wrightii, 3-4’ summer and fall) HERBS Silene regia, 3-4’ Artemisia annua, 4-5’ Solidago, 3-4’ Coriandrum sativum, 3’ Foeniculum vulgare ‘Dulce’, 5” PERENNIALS, part shade Laurus nobilis, 3-8’ Aconitum, 2-5’ Rosmarinus, 2-3’ Callicarpa dichotoma, 3-5’ Salvia elegans, 3-4’ Chelone glabra ‘Black Ace’, 3-6’ Stevia rebaudiana, 3’ Clematis vines 6+ ft. Delphineum, 3-5’ PERENNIALS, full sun Filipendula, 3-5’ Acanthus, 3-4’ Heptacodium miconioides, 15’ Achillea, 3-4’ Ligularia, 4-5’ Alcea rosea, 3-6’ Lobelia, 3-4’ Amorpha canescens, 4’ Lonicera, 8’ Asclepias 2-4’ Lysimachia, 2-3’ Aster, 3-4’ Monarda, 3-4’ Baptisia lactea, 36-48” Thalictrum, 2-5’ Boltonia, 3’4’ Weigela, 6’ Buddleja, 3-7’ Wisteria, 15’ Caryopteris, 3’ Above: photos of wild senna or Senna Centranthus ruber, 2-3’ PERENNIALS, shade hebecarpa in winter and mid-summer. Echinacea, 3-4’ Actaea, 36-60” Opposite: Corydalis and Lamium. Eupatorium dubium, 3-4’ Hosta, 3-4’ Fallopia aubertii, 12’ Tricyrtis, 24-36” Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’, 4-5’ Hibiscus, 3-5’ 16 Spring Affair plantnebraska.org Save this Even More Plant Information We’ve been working toward this for quite some time, but it’s finally here. Nebras- Calendar ka Statewide Arboretum’s updated website has even more resources for gardeners. Whether you’re a budding or seasoned of Spring gardener, a community activist or someone who wants to do the right things in their home landscape, there’s a wealth of infor- mation about purposeful, sustainable and beautiful landscapes with a sense of place Garden Events that fits in with, and is beneficial to the larger environment. From “My Yard” to tips for waterwise, resilient and biodiverse land- April 22-23 SPRING AFFAIR, Lancaster Event Center scapes, we invite you to plantnebraska.org. Top 4 Tips for April 23 Tree Climb, Omaha’s Elmwood Park, 10-3 There’s more coming every month, so keep checking back Weed Management PLANT SALES at NSA Shadehouse, 38th & Leighton, unless noted O Relax more about weeds. Except for O April 29—Arbor Day plant sale noon to 5pm noxious weeds, there is no law that Top 4 Tips for requires weeds to be killed or controlled. O May 5—Member Plant Sale & Ice Cream 4-7pm Mulching Some plants commonly considered O May 6—Spring Plant Sale 9am to 1pm weeds are actually very beneficial. O For long-term soil improvement, use O Be a good neighbor. Don’t ignore weeds O organic mulches like wood chips, May 13—Plant Sale at Fontenelle Forest in Omaha or embrace a weedy style that is grossly leaves, decayed grass clippings or O May 19, 26—Plant sale noon to 5pm out of step with the neighborhood. compost. O Conversely, don’t hesitate to enlighten June 16, 23—Plant sale noon to 5pm O Apply mulch only 2-3” deep; deep your neighbors about the benefits of a enough to reduce weeds but not limit more relaxed weed outlook. transfer of soil and water. FREE BROWN-BAGS at UNL Keim 150 O Embrace weed-pulling. When trying to O If weeds have already begun to take control weeds, think mechanical control O April 6—Sneak Peek at Spring Affair Plants over, it’s best to get rid of them before first: hoeing, digging, mowing and mulching. Large weedy areas can be O May 4—Container Pots pulling. Herbicide spraying should be covered with clear plastic for several seen as a last resort. O weeks to eliminate existing weeds and June 1—Wild Wonders O Think about our trees. If herbicide seeds. Smaller patches can be hand- spraying is deemed necessary to control weeded or hoed. *DATES, EVENTS and topics may change... lawn weeds, plan to spray in the fall. Check for calendar updates at plantnebraska.org O Mulches more quickly enrich the soil Fall spraying typically kills weeds better if they are partially decomposed or than in the spring and there is much less shredded, and wetting them down will potential harm to trees and other non- further encourage decomposition. target plants.
A SPRING AFFAIR WITH A DIFFERENT FLAIR
This spring, take time to surround yourself in acres of nature’s beautiful work. Take home inspiration for your great landscapes.
OPEN YEAR-ROUND • 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Off Interstate 80 at 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha | (402) 346-4002 • www.lauritzengardens.org