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LANDSCAPING NEWS AND IDEAS FROM THE VAN ZELST TEAM.
It's All About the Flowers
The bulbs have burst into a spectacular show of color. But that's just the first act—soon summer annuals and perennials will take center stage, making us forget all about the blizzard that had our attention just a few months ago.
At Van Zelst, we plant perennials whenever possible. Instead of purchasing new plants every summer, perennials return fuller and more mature with each new year. We round out the garden with annuals in specific areas, including:
- Containers, which can be replanted every month or two to complement holidays or showcase seasonal colors
- Shady areas, where impatiens can provide a pop or pink, red and white
- Bedding areas, for long-blooming color
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When selecting perennials, consider:
- A mix of colors, heights and textures in the blooms and foliage, matched to soil and light conditions
- Flowers that bloom in the early, mid and late season, for constant color in the garden
- Native plants and wildflowers that do their best in our climate and soils. While your local garden center may carry a variety of exotic and invasive plants, they're not well suited to our region. They may either require greater attention, water and chemicals or grow so vigorously they'll crowd out other healthy plants.
At Van Zelst, we pride ourselves on offering a wide range of native plants—most cultivated in our own greenhouses—to ensure a vigorous, vibrant landscape year after year.
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An Environmentally Friendlier Landscape
It almost seems redundant to talk about a "green" landscape. Yet many gardening practices are focused on the immediate aesthetic payoff, without much regard for their longer-term environmental impact. Overwatering. Using too many chemicals. Planting invasive species. Sending organic matter to landfills instead of the compost heap...the list goes on and on.
Interestingly, a responsible approach to the landscape offers great benefits beyond minimizing its environmental footprint. For example:
- Native, non-invasive plants, matched to your soil, space and light conditions, require less maintenance, water and chemicals. They're also more resistant to disease, so you're less likely to need to replace them.
- Overwatering doesn't just waste water—it can increase the risk of disease, cut off oxygen flow to the plants' roots and erode the soil. Watering appropriately gives plants just what they need to be healthy and strong without creating new issues to be addressed.
- Recycling yard waste reduces the strain on landfills and minimizes the need for commercial fertilizers and supplements.
- Using pesticides and other chemicals as a last resort lessens health risks to children, pets, wildlife and the water supply. You'll be glad to know that Van Zelst offers custom organic fertilizers and deer control treatments to ensure the greatest health for your landscape, and for your family.
But that's not all—each of these advantages also saves another kind of greenery. Money. To find out more about making a positive impact on the environment, talk to the Van Zelst team today.
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For answers to all your landscaping questions,
or to work with Van Zelst to create the perfect
environment for your family, drop us an
e-mail or give us a call at 847.623.3580.
All the best,
Dave Van Zelst
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© 2011 Van Zelst, Inc. All rights reserved. Our photographs are reproduced with the permission of Linda Oyama Bryan.
Van Zelst, Inc., 39400 N. Highway 41, Wadsworth, IL 60083
847-623-3580 | www.vanzelst.com
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