Check For Rabbit Damage

With the deep snow and cold temps the rabbits and mice are starting to feed on some landscape plants. It's a good time to go out and have a look around. Pay extra attention to burning bushes and young trees. Keep your eyes open for tracks and droppings as a clue and check the base of the plants for signs that they are eating the bark. One thing you can do to prevent damage or limit future feeding is to wrap the trunk with aluminum foil until the snow recedes and gives them something else to feed on.

The snow is good and bad. It insulates the ground and keeps your plants safe from the cold temperatures we have been experiencing. The bad part is that there are also voles who live under the snow safe from owls and hawks feeding on the lawn. We'll deal with that later.

Don't worry too much about roses. The tops will die back and those will be pruned off later.

Thought For The Day

I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark would burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled out by dry rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.

Robert Frost

News Release

Waterloo, WI-McKay Nursery Company recently recognized Jerry Cahak of Wauwatosa, WI at a special profit sharing weekend at The Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

According to McKay Vice President Tom Bergan, "Jerry is distinguished for his exceptional sales by being one of our top 10 sales representatives this year." In addition to this formal recognition he was also recognized as having achieved nursery stock sales of greater than 3 million dollars during his career with McKay. Cahak has been representing McKay Nursery since 1985.

McKay Nursery Company, a Waterloo, Wisconsin based firm since 1897, markets high-quality, northern-grown plant material and provides comprehensive landscape design assistance to clients throughout the upper Midwest.

It's Warming Up

With the warm up over the next few days there are things you can do in the yard.....other than clean up dog mess. It seems I missed a few before the last snow. It's not a bad time to prune a large shrub or two. Some of the bigger woody plants like Viburnum and Lilac can be thinned out. The best way to encourage new growth from the base is to cut the largest branches off at ground level. If the snow is too deep yet wait till you can get to the ground with the saw or pruners. Cutting large branches off higher just creates those nice leg scratchers and eye pokers we run into when cutting the grass.

It's also a good time to thin and shape over grown flowering crabs and other medium sized trees. Large trees may need a professional to get up there to safely remove oversized or diseased limbs. Always be safe. It's better than being laid up for a while healing up after a fall.

I am out and about all the time now so if you have any questions or want me to stop by and have a look at anything give me a shout.

Believe it or not in 12 weeks we start plant deliveries and construction starts before that.

Now Is The Time

It's mid-January so what's there to think about regarding landscaping you may ask. Now is the time to plan ahead. As you may or may not remember spring is a hectic, rush rush time when it comes to all contractors. Planning ahead saves you from a lot of the headaches but having a game plan and getting on the schedule early. Whether you are starting from bare ground or just adding to an existing plan it's not too early.

Graders and concrete contractors are already looking at schedules. We at McKay Nursery are gearing up for the spring season and looking at installation and delivery schedules. There is more time to look at ideas and finalize plans. Planning ahead saves you time and money.

It's also a good time to start thinking about pruning larger trees and shrubs. It's easy to see the structure of the plant with the leaves gone and with the plants being dormant it minimizes stress.

Give me a call or e-mail me to set up a short, no obligation meeting.