It Has To Happen

So it has to happen. Fortunately snow in March, April and yes sometimes May isn't long lasting and actually helps water the new bulbs. The calendar doesn't lie though and the phones are ringing. It's a busy time of year. Time to plan your spring projects.

OK Folks Don't Panic

March, April and sometimes May snow is the norm here. Wisconsin plants, especially those grown at McKay Nusery are perfectly adapted to this sort of temporary fluffy rain. From what I'm seeing bulbs are just starting to poke up and buds are starting to swell. Temporary snow and cold winds won't have much of an effect on things. We can even handle a cold snap. No worries.

Focus On Nature

I'm very excited to announce my first gallery show. I'll be showing along with Kristen Westlake www.kristenwestlake.com at Light Ideas Gallery in Milwaukee www.lightideasgallery.com .


EXHIBITION/ARTIST PROFILE

"Focus on Nature"

Photographers:
Kristen Westlake
Jerry Cahak

Exhibition Opening:
Friday, April 17th and Saturday, April 18th, 2009
Ongoing thru May 18th.

Exhibition Times:
Artists Reception 6 pm to 9 pm (04/17), 12 pm to 3 pm (04/18)
Noon to 5:00 pm Thursday - Saturday and by Appointment
Please call 414-238-6888

Exhibition Review:
Nature simply does exactly what Nature is. In today's fast paced world our own Human Nature often gets lost in the shuffle, the hustle and the bustle of the things that we call life. The deadlines we "have to" make, the meetings we "have to" take, and the dates we dare not break are not the focus of life. If we take a look inside ourselves and focus we will find that we really are not simply what we do. I invite you and challenge you to take a few steps to the side each day. Step out of the "linear" trap. The linear path takes you from Point A to Point B but it never permits you to see beyond its blinders. Step out of the box and into a circle and you will focus differently. Instead of destinations you will see journeys. Instead of expectations you will see possibilities. Explore the places that these journeys and possibilities intersect. This intersection is your intrinsic nature - this is your life's purpose. When we focus on Nature we observe that Nature simply does what Nature is. Are you picturing clearly who you are?

3-21-09

Spring has sprung. I see things pushing up through the ground. This morning I was awoken by Robins and Woodpeckers....and my dog barking at the paper delivery. I've been busy preparing people for planting and there are a couple of things I'm seeing.

You should have all of your perennials cut down now. Sedum are already starting to pop up. Cutting off the old growth makes them look better but also gets more sunlight to the plant and helps them along. Some Iris are starting to emerge also. A few more warm sunny days and you may start to see bulbs coming up. Get the dead leaves out of the beds and maybe even rake up the lawn.

Leave the Lilac, Forsythia, Rhodendron and other early flowering shrubs alone. Soon the buds will pop open and you'll be seeing flowers.

Cut back summer flowering shrubs like Spirea and Potentilla. Leave Spirea Snowmound alone though. They flower earlier and cutting them now will remove flowers. You can also neaten up the Yews if you didn't do it in the fall. After the new growth comes you will be cutting them again.

Landscape maintenance is like laundry. You can wait till you have nothing to wear and spend a weekend washing clothes or you can do a load every now and then. You can wait till the yard looks awful and spend a weekend working in the yard or you can do a little here and there. I recommend people taking a walk around with a pair of pruners before you cut the lawn. 15 minutes here and there will make a big difference in the overall look of the yard and save you lots of trouble down the road.

Here's my disclaimer......These are my opinions. I believe I'm right. This is based on 20 plus years in the field doing it and learning something new every day. Take it all with a grain of salt.

Questions? Drop me a line at jerry@wisconsinseasons.com or call me at 414-778-0104. I'm out in the neighborhoods every day but Sunday. I can stop by.

First Day Of Spring

It's finally here! It's really spring. The temps are cooler than we would like but the calendar doesn't lie. Lots of planning going on. The phones are ringing. If you started planning last fall or put things off let's meet next week and finalize things. In a few short weeks construction begins.

Later this spring look for video links here. I'm planning on doing short videos on planting, pruning and whatever else comes up. This is a new site and it's evolving every week. If you like photography check out my other blog at http://www.wisconsinseasons.blogspot.com/ .

April computer screen calendar is done. If you would like me to e-mail you the file drop me a line.

Sorry for all of the end of week random thoughts.

Wasn't it nice to see dry dirt instead of mud?

Now is a good time to get out and do your spring clean ups and prune potentilla and spirea.

Questions? Drop me a line at jerry@wisconsinseasons.com or call me at 414-778-0104 I'm out in the neighborhoods every day but Sunday. I can stop by.

Time To Prune

I'm seeing signs of spring everywhere. The Maples are breaking bud, the Robins are singing and the bulbs are popping in warmer areas. It's cold but that's not going to last long.

This weekend get out and start cleaning up the yard and getting ready. Get the pruners out and cut back any perennials you left up over winter like Sedum. Cut ornamental grasses down to as low as you can. Clean up the dead growth from last year on Hosta, Daylily, Iris and anything else you were too lazy to cut down in October when you should have. Cut summer flowering Spirea and Potentilla down to about 6 inches in height. Yes 6 inches. Those plants flower on new growth so the more you cut the better they flower and they won't get too woody if you cut them hard now. Don't trim early flowering shrubs like Lilac, Forsythia, Viburnum, ect. If you cut them now you are cutting flowers off. Trim them when they finish flowering.

Questions? Need more info? Drop me a line and I can stop by.

Could Be Snowing

There is some good that comes with this cruddy weather. It's not a foot of snow and the rain actually melts the frost that's in the ground. If it were dry out the frost would have an insulating layer of dry ground to keep it from melting. Why is that important? Bulbs are pushing out, the Maples are starting to push out small red flowers. My bulbs are starting to poke up.

Hang in there. I'm busy designing, the season is moving closer and in a couple of weeks we'll be planting.

Now is a great time to prune too.

Ready? If not get in touch with me.

This Is Spring

And just like that the mood has changed. Can you feel it? From here on out snow is a temporary inconvenience. I have vowed to not shovel snow anymore this year. I'm on the road almost everyday now getting people ready for spring by completing plans and going over pruning techniques.

Now is the time.

In about 5 weeks we start hardscapes and a week or so later plants will start going out with the delivery trucks.

Are you ready?

Setting The Stage For Spring by Tim Flood

This is an article written by Tim Flood our plant guy at the nursery. Lots of great info.

Although it may seem like winter at the beginning of the month, by the end of this month, you could be planting! It’s almost impossible to give you any absolute dates or schedules because of the changeable weather that happens during the month of March, but here are some things to keep you busy this month:
Planning your new landscape, existing landscape re-do, or addition of an outdoor room or water feature, a must! Call me so we can get things started.
Pruning of some shade trees can be done now, as long as you are able to see the structure of the plants, as they are still dormant. Oak trees can be pruned only until the end of March, then stop pruning Oaks after that. (Birch, Maple, and Walnut trees should NOT be pruned in March or even April, --you should wait until May to prune them. Pruning of fruit trees and grapes should be done now before new growth begins.
Pruning of some shrubs can be done now too. McKay Nursery has prepared an excellent DVD showing how and what to prune when. Call and get your copy today! Or Buy ONLINE! It will show you the different pruning methods, including renewal pruning (where you remove the largest, oldest stems of a shrub like a Viburnum or Dogwood down the ground, and allow the new young stems to sprout from the base, and let the plant take on its most natural form). Remember that some plants should not be pruned until AFTER they flower (like Lilacs, Forsythia and Mockorange). I can also stop by and go through it with you.
Dormant oils sprays can be applied just before buds begin to open to control insect pests that overwinter on fruit trees and other plants. Be sure to spray dormant oils when the temperatures are above 40 degrees, and follow label directions carefully. We sell Gordon's Dormant Spray.
A great time to apply soil sulphur to the root zones of plants that require a lower soil pH like Rhodendrons, Clethra, Fothergilla, and macrophylla Hydrangeas (like Endless Summer). March is not typically a good month to fertilize just yet, April will be better. Purchase yours today at our store!
Later in the month, as the temperatures warm, you may be able to pull some of the mulch away from your roses. Be sure to wait to prune roses until they just start to grow, which may not be until early April. Weather will be the deciding factor as to when you can prune them. Be patient and don’t rush it.
Ornamental grasses (and the perennials that remained up over the winter months) should be trimmed back to just a few inches very late in the month – just before they would start to grow. Cool season grasses will begin growing first, and the warm season grasses may not start to grow until late May or even early June, so be patient (especially with the warm season grasses). Purchase professional shears from our fine selection.
Be careful about working up the soil in your gardens when they are too wet, as you can damage the soil structure for the rest of the season, but as soon as the soil has dried out enough – you can start to plant cool season flowers (pansies and violas), and vegetables (lettuces and cabbage family plants).
The official color of the year is HOPE. Pantone (Pantone 14-0845) calls it Mimosa Yellow, but whatever you call it, yellow is the color of hope, warmth, positive energy and radiant optimism. Be sure and include Hope into your new landscape.
Check your landscape for rodent or rabbit damage. Any stems that have had the bark eaten off all around the stems will kill that stem above the damage done. You can trim those stems out and most plants will sprout from beneath where the damage was done. If the bark was eaten all around the base of a tree, that tree will not survive. If the rabbits or deer shortened up your Spiraea plants, it just leaves less for you to prune.