One of the things I look forward to each year is helping all the customers that are looking for assistance with landscape questions. I feel like it helps me keep my finger on the “pulse of the business” and I’m always enlightened when I hear what many homeowners and gardeners share with me. One of the things that I hear most often from our customers is that they think they're limited to planting trees and shrubs in the early spring. Very often I'm asked if it's "too late to plant?"
You're not limited to early spring
The most important thing to know is that there's no bad time to plant. I want to encourage everyone to plant whenever the mood or need strikes you. The only real limitation to “transplanting” is when the trees are removed from their homes. Woody plants can only be dug when the trees are dormant or coming out of dormancy. Once the trees start to push new growth, it’s too late to dig them and disrupt the root systems.
This is why we make sure to load the nursery yard early; and its our responsibility to have as diverse a selection of plants as possible. We make many efforts to ensure these plants are available for you to enjoy and perhaps use at your homes. Once they’ve been dug from the nurseries, “now” is the perfect time to plant them. When I say "now", I mean whenever you’re ready to plant them.
Decker’s Nursery installs trees 12 months out of the year without any concerns; except to make sure they’re irrigated and cared for properly. Once the trees have been delivered to us, there’s no limit to when they can be installed. Container plants are very similar except their roots aren’t being disrupted so they’re always available for planting. Whether you’re planting for aesthetics or function, flowers or screening, "now" is the time to start discussing your plans with us so we can help.
In the next couple weeks, many of my favorite flowering shrubs are going to start performing. Weigelia, Ninebark, Deutzia, Lilacs, Viburnums and many of these plants are available in dwarf sizes. These are unique plants that I use the same as perennial flowering plants. They provide an abundance of flowers for multiple weeks and they’re easy to care for. They're also relatively inexpensive and they're a way to add a lot of color to your landscape without much work or concerns.
Right now the Ericaceous plants, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Andromeda, Moutain Laurel and Leucothoe are in full bloom. Even if you’re not looking to plant trees and shrubs, I encourage you to come and enjoy the performance they’re providing. Incredible colors and flowers that are likely to inspire you to plant them.