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Weekly Picks Newsletter           Friday, April 1, 2016
Magnolia Ann
Magnolia x Ann
Sterling and Little Leaf Lindens
Think ahead
Big Plans Need Big Trees!
 
Many landscape designs call for larger shade trees whether spec'd by the landscape architect or simply desired by the homeowner. It's important to know how to handle these big trees safely given that the rootballs can sometime weigh in excess of 2,000 lbs and measure 20' tall or more!
 
We have a fantastic selection of 5"+ shade and ornamental trees ready for your discerning clients - Here is just a teaser of what is currently in stock:
 
Others include Paperbark Maple, Pin Oak, New Harmony American Elm, Autumn Flowering Cherry and more. Stop by Newtown's sales yard or call with specific questions.  
Please check out our web article here for more information on the logistics of handling these big beauties: Four Points to Consider when Dealing with Large Trees
 
Specialty conifers in Watertown
News from Watertown
 
The sales yard is filling up with fresh stock every day. Container fruit trees, Japanese Maples, B&B flowering shrubs and the dwarf evergreens seen here are ready for your spring plantings. We have a good selection of Dwarf Blue Spruce and Hinoki Cypress cultivars like 'Kosteri', 'Nana' and 'Nana Lutea' for your conifer and rock gardens and foundation plantings.
Out in the fields Duane and his crew are continuing to dig deciduous trees including Pin Oaks, Sweet Gum, Little Leaf Linden and the beautiful Youngi Weeping Birch (Betula papyrifera) that you saw growing in the field in last week's newsletter. 
 
Stop in soon!
And they're off! 
Early Rising Perennials
 
Early rising perennials
l-r: Pink Pewter Lamium, Purple Rain Jacob's Ladder,  
Moonshine Yarrow and Tiny Rubies Maiden Pinks
Perennial gardens should have interest from the first Crocus to the last of the Ornamental Grasses! That interest comes early in the season from the fresh emerging growth - and the earlier the better! Seen here are a few tough perennials that have no problem pushing through matted leaves and mulch. The tight green buns of foliage forge the way for what's to come. 

The examples seen are just the beginning - others include Valentine Bleeding Heart (Dicentra x) with awesome with red-tinged foliage, Stonecrop (Sedum) colorful, chunky succulent-like leaves having close to 20 cultivars available, Coral Bells (Heuchera) and not just Palace Purple (!), and some really nice Foam Flower (Tiarella). They all come up early and help make the border look alive starting in March! So if there isn't much emerging by now in your perennial beds you may need some early risers!

Stop in and become inspired! 
Tip from Mark
Pre-Emergents for Ornamental Beds
Hairy Bittercress
Hairy Bitter Cress

Every spring we field questions about which pre-emergent to use in ornamental beds. The two most commonly used are Treflan 5G or Preen Plus. Usually I will ask if the area has been well maintained and was relatively clean from weeds the previous year. If so, I tell them to go ahead and use the more economical Treflan 5G (active ingredient: Trifluralin). It will likely do a good job especially if a fresh layer of mulch is going down before application. However, if the area was not clean and the 'weed pressure' is high, then you should consider a premium product like Preen Plus (Trifluralin plus Isoxaben).
Preen Plus has Trifluralin in it (the active ingredient in Treflan 5G) plus Isoxaben which is a very long lasting pre-emergent for BROADLEAF weed seed. This gives Preen Plus superior control in terms of the number of different weeds controlled. For example Treflan lists on its label about 30 weed species that it will control. The label on Preen Plus lists about 130 weeds controlled. That's right, I just said 30 vs. 130 weed species controlled! It's an easy decision to make when weed control is of the utmost importance on your job site.
  
Remember: Apply pre-emergent products on top of fresh mulch so they will provide control of weed seed that blows in afterwards.
NOW!
Incoming This Week: Michael Dodge Viburnum, Emerald Arrow Bosnian Pine, Grace Smokebush etc!
 
Incoming from our Tree Farms
Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' 1.75-2"Upright Japanese Maple
Liquidambar styraciflua 'Morraine' 2.5-3"Sweetgum
Quercus palustris 2-2.5", 3.5-4"Pin Oak
Quercus rubra 2-2.5", 2.5-3"Northern Red Oak
Tilia cordata 'Greenspire' 2-2.5"Little-leaf Linden
 
Spike Winterhazel
Spike Winterhazel 4/5' (Corylus spicata) came in last week - fragrant and impressive flowers on a multi-stemmed shrub
Deciduous Trees & Shrubs
Acer palmatum 'Beni Otake', 'Koto no ito', 'Orange Dream', 'Ukigumo'; A. pal. Disectum 'Tamukeyama'Upright & Cutleaf Japanese Maple
Acer shirasawanum 'Red Dawn'Fullmoon Maple
Aesculus x carnea 'Briotti' (red)Red Horsechestnut
Cornus alternifoliaPagoda Dogwood
Cotinus x 'Grace' 7/8'Smokebush
Forsythia 5/6'Forsythia
Ginkgo biloba 'Spring Grove', 'Troll'Maidenhair Tree
Gleditsia triacanthos 'Shade Master'Honey Locust
Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora', 'Limelight', 'Pink Diamond'PeeGee Hydrangea
Magnolia virginiana 'Green Shadow'Sweetbay Magnolia
Magnolia x 'Ann' (deep pink), 'Butterfly' (yellow)Saucer Magnolia
Nyssa sylvatica 'Green Gable'Black Gum
Styrax japonica 'Fragrant Fountain'Weeping Japanese Snowbell
Styrax obassiaFragrant Snowbell
Syringa patula 'Miss Kim'Miss Kim Lilac
Taxodium distichum 'Peve Minaret'Dwarf Bald Cypress
Tilia cordata 'Greenspire'Little-leaf Viburnum
Viburnum dilatatum 'Asian Beauty', 'Michael Dodge'Linden Viburnum
Inkberry and Japanese Holly
Inkberry (Ilex glabra 'Compacta') and Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata 'Schwoebel Compacta')
Broadleaf and Specialty Evergreens
Azalea 'Conversation Piece', 'Delaware Valley', 'Hino Crimson', 'Nancy', 'Tradition', 'Gumpo White'Assorted Azaleas
Buxus 'Green Gem' 3 ga.Boxwood
Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata'Upright Japanese Plum Yew
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis', 'Nana Lutea', 'Ridgid Dwarf', 'Verdoni'Dwarf Hinoki Cypress
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Gold Thread'Threadleaf Cypress
Ilex crenata ' Compacta', 'Cherokee', 'Chesapeake', 'Excelsa Schwoebel', 'Hoogendorn', 'Nigra', 'Steeds', 'Sky Pencil'Japanese Holly
Ilex glabra 'Shamrock'Inkberry
Ilex x meserveae 'China Girl'Hybrid Holly
Juniperus communis 'Compressa', 'Effusa'Common Juniper
Juniperus 'Fairview'Upright Juniper
Picea abies 'Acrocona', 'Clanbrassiliana', 'Cupressina', 'Elegans', 'Formanek', 'Pendula', 'Pusch', 'Tompa'Dwarf Norway Spruce
Picea glauca 'Conica', 'Pendula'Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Picea omorika 'Nana'Dwarf Siberian Spruce
Picea pungens 'Globosa', 'Montgomery', 'Pendula', 'Procumbens', 'Sester Dwarf', 'St. Mary's Broom'Dwarf Blue Spruce
Pinus leucodermis 'Emerald Arrow', 'Mint Truffle'Bosnian Pine
Pinus mugo 'Slowmound'Mugo Pine
Pinus strobus 'Blue Shag'Dwarf White Pine
Taxus 'Everlow', 'Green Wave'Spreading Yew
Thuja occidentalis 'Degroot's Spire'American Arborvitae
Liriope
Variegated and Big Blue Liriope
Groundcover
Hedera helixEnglish Ivy
Liriope 'Big Blue', 'Variegated'Lilyturf
Pachysandra terminalisJapanese Spurge
Evergreens
Screening Evergreens

Evergreen Screening
Picea abies 12/14'Norway Spruce
Picea pungens  5/6', 6/7', 7/8'Colorado Blue Spruce
Pinus strobus 5/6', 6/7', 7/8', 8/10'Eastern White Pine
Tsuga Canadensis 7/8', 8/10', 10/12', 14/16'Canadian Hemlock

Have a Great Weekend!
 
Stop in and see us tomorrow - We're open 7 am - 2 pm on Saturday!
Weekly Plant I.D.
 
Last Weeks ID

Last Week's ID

Sorbaria sorbifolia

False Spiraea

Plant ID
This Week's ID
False Spiraea is a tough, multi-stemmed shrub that was found originally in the Ural Mountains of Russia. It's tough because it tolerates pretty harsh conditions: thin soil, drought, cold and wind. It has ferny compound foliage that is tinged pink as it emerges. It can get big and rather unruly at 5-10' HxW but doesn't mind being pruned hard late winter. It's also hard to pass up the white Astilbe-like flower spikes in June - so worth it.  It will spread by suckering which makes it great for larger areas and controlling erosion, but not so great for the small garden. 
Black PC logo Planters' Choice LLC
 
New England's Premier Grower and Re-Wholesaler of Quality Nursery Stock

 
Newtown Office tel. 203-426-4037 Fax 203-426-8057 Sales: 203-304-6020
 140 Huntingtown Road Newtown, CT 06470
 
Watertown Office tel. 860-945-6588 Fax 860-945-9282 Sales 860-631-5145
496 Bunker Hill Road Watertown, CT 06795
 
General Questions: [email protected]

        Hours in Newtown 
March 28-June 25, Mon - Fri 7 am - 5:30 pm & Sat 7 am - 2 pm (starting April 2nd);
June 27-Nov 19, Mon - Fri 7 am-4:30 pm & Sat 7 am - 1 pm;
Nov 21 - mid March, Mon - Fri 8 am -4:30 pm

Hours in Watertown
March 28-June 25, Mon - Fri 7 am - 4:30 pm & Sat 7 am - 2 pm (starting April 2nd);
June 27-Nov 19, Mon - Fri 7 am-4:30 pm & Sat 7 am - 1 pm;
Nov 21 - mid March, Mon - Fri 8 am -4:30 pm
 
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