Knupper Nursery & Landscape1801 N. Rand Rd. l Palatine, IL 60074847-359-1080 l www.KnupperNursery.com

March 2016

Let’s agree; we’re all tired of winter. I’m not a fan of the cold, I’m ready to be done with snow and I’m most certainly done with this extra ‘winter layer’ I’ve accumulated. However, one thing I am ready for is some color to offset this gray time of the season. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some awesome early spring-flowering trees that will start your year off with an explosion of color!

Eastern Redbud – Available in multi-stem or single stem form. Flowers are lavender and appear before the leaves. Native Midwest plant and is extremely hardy.

Spring Flurry Serviceberry – The best tree-form serviceberry available! Small white flowers appear before the leaves which turn an orange and red color in fall. Small fruit is not messy.

Magnolia – Pink, red, white or yellow flowers appear before the leaves in early spring. Some flowers look like tulip petals, others have a more wavy and lacy appearance. Gold fall color.

SpringCombinations

Spice up your pansy planters this year with spring-flowering bulbs, hardy annuals, and breathtaking branches. Pansies are a spring staple that add bright color to any container combination. They are ideal for bold swaths and edging pots and urns.

Spring bulbs such as tulips, hyacinths and daffodils are also great for spring combinations. They add height to pots of pansies and break up planters with different textures and colors. Use these bulbs in the center or towards

the back of pots while filling the front and side with pansies, violas, alyssum and snapdragons.

Want to have the edge when it comes to spring planters? Use branches of curly willow or pussy willow to add some dramatic height to your planters. Try artificial forsythia or apple blossom stems as well to add even more color to your combination. You’ll have the best looking pots on the block by mixing up your flowers, textures, and colors!

Color ExplosionMarch 2017

Spring arrives March 20th!

Love plants and love working outside? We are now accepting

• It’s time to clean out the evergreen boughs and plant your containers with spring flowers! Pansies are a great early season annual. They don’t mind the cold and can even take some snow. Full flats will be on sale at our Pansy Party March 10 - 12 for only $11.99!

• It’s time to prepare your vegetable garden soil for planting. The addition of Bumper Crop Soil Builder or Ecoscraps Organic Compost will add much-needed nutrients to your soil.

• Cut back tall ornamental grasses before new growth begins. For easy removal, tie all stems into a bundle and prune off with a sharp pair of loppers.

• Now is a great time to treat overwintering insects, such as scale. It is common on fruit trees, magnolias and euonymus. Spray Bonide All Seasons Oil on infected trees and shrubs. It’s available in Ready-to-Use, a hose-end sprayer and a concentrate.

• Late March is a great time to transplant trees and shrubs. Do so as soon as the soil is workable, but before the buds have swelled or opened. Apply Espoma Bio-Tone to help the roots get established.

March Garden Tips

Spring Flower Show

Celebrate the return of spring with Knupper’s at our annual Spring Flower Show on Saturday, March 18th, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Come and browse the many colors, shapes, and textures of flowers and shop from our delightful spring displays. Talk to our experts about your gardening plans and goals. Lots of vendors will be on hand to discuss their products with you. And, of course, the Flower Show offers a day of free gardening seminars on a variety of topics. All seminars are free; just get here early to secure a good seat!

9:00 Trees & Shrubs for Spring Color Kyle Aurit from Bailey Nurseries will be on hand to discuss beautiful and hardy trees and shrubs that will add spring color to your landscape.

10:00 Dueling Container Gardens Learn how to dramatically change the look of your container by the colors and plants you choose. Watch as our Greenhouse Managers create different looks for the same container and learn how you too can create unique planters every year.

11:00 Rhododendrons & Azaleas for the MidwestJoin Hugh Davis from Willoway Nurseries as he shares great information about gorgeous and resilient rhododendrons and azaleas for the Midwest landscape.

12:00 Hey, Perennials, What’s New? This popular seminar covers some of this year’s newest varieties of perennials as well reviewing some of the “tried and true” perennials that can be counted on to enhance your home landscape. Will your favorite make the list? Presented by Laurie McGhee from Mariani Plants

1:00 Color Your GardenLearn how to capture annual color all season long. This fun and informative seminar will give you great ideas on how to maximize the color in your yard from the chilly mornings of early spring to the changing of colors late into the fall. Presented by Brian Bartels from Bartels Plants.

2:00 Hello Hydrangea! Knupper’s own Scott Deike will talk about everything Hydrangea, from pruning and fertilizing to new and cool varieties.

Saturday, March 189:00 am to 3:00 pm

Saturday, March 4 10:00 amTerrarium Bar

See what’s on the menu for this terrarium workshop. Learn all about this gardening craze while making your own take-home terrarium. Pre-registration is required along with a $39.99 fee + Tax which includes 3 plants, soil, sand, moss, stone, glass terrarium and some light refreshments.

Friday, March 10 - Sunday, March 12 Pansy PartyGet your garden in gear with pansies and violas. These cool-season flowers are at their best price of the season for only $11.99 a flat. Brighten up your spring with these beautiful flowers!

Saturday, March 11 10:00amLandscape Design 101It's a new year so maybe it's time for a new landscape! This seminar is perfect for you DIY enthusiasts who want to touch up part of your yard and want to start tackling it yourselves. Our Landscape Designer will cover basic design principles, plant selection, site analysis and basic installation tips. Come learn how to design and implement your very own masterpiece!

Saturday, March 18 9:00 am - 3:00 pmSpring Flower ShowCome celebrate the start of what will be a great year for gardening! Meet exhibitors, attend free seminars, and register to win one of our many prizes. This all-day event is a wonderful way to start the season and see what’s new. See schedule on left for seminar details.

Saturday, March 25 10:00 am Spring Picket Fence Pansy Window Box WorkshopJump into spring with this fun pansy planter. Add color and fun to your home during this hands-on workshop. Pre-registration is required along with a fee of $39.99 which includes picket fence planter, soil, pansies, and violas.

Sunday, March 26 2:00 pm - 4:00 pmTool SharpeningJoe the Sharpener will be accepting tools from 2-4 pm and will get them sharpened on a first-come, first-serve basis. Each tool must be labeled with your name prior to services being rendered. All tools must be picked up by 5pm on Sunday, March 26. Cash and check only, please.

No, this is not an article about green beans. Yuck! This spring, Knupper’s will be carrying a widely popular variety of arborvitae called ‘Green Giant’. Unlike most arborvitaes on the market, Green Giant has one unique quality that sets it apart from the rest; it grows fast! That’s right; this versatile, upright arb will grow about 3’ a year once established. Just imagine the possibilities!

Green Giant provides a uniform, pyramidal shape that seldom needs pruning but does respond well to shearing when needed. This arborvitae resists wind burn and withstands the heavy snow and ice in winter making it an excellent choice for a natural wind break. This exceptional evergreen can be used as a screen, hedge or as a single specimen in the landscape as it gets 15’-20’ tall and 6’ - 10’ wide.

If you need to block that noisy street, cover that ugly fence or hide those nosy neighbors, take a look at the Green Giant Arborvitae.

applications for part-time seasonal positions.

Yo Ho HoGreen Giant!Saturday, March 4 10:00 am

Terrarium Bar See what’s on the menu for this terrarium workshop. Learn all about this gardening craze while making your own take-home terrarium. Pre-registration is required along with a $39.99 fee + Tax which includes 3 plants, soil, sand, moss, stone, glass terrarium and some light refreshments.

Friday, March 10 - Sunday, March 12 Pansy PartyGet your garden in gear with pansies and violas. These cool-season flowers are at their best price of the season for only $11.99 a flat. Brighten up your spring with these beautiful flowers!

Saturday, March 11 10:00amLandscape Design 101It's a new year so maybe it's time for a new landscape! This seminar is perfect for you DIY enthusiasts who want to touch up part of your yard and want to start tackling it yourselves. Our Landscape Designer will cover basic design principles, plant selection, site analysis and basic installation tips. Come learn how to design and implement your very own masterpiece!

Saturday, March 18 9:00 am - 3:00 pmSpring Flower ShowCome celebrate the start of what will be a great year for gardening! Meet exhibitors, attend free seminars, and register to win one of our many prizes. This all-day event is a wonderful way to start the season and see what’s new. See schedule on left for seminar details.

Saturday, March 25 10:00 am Spring Picket Fence Pansy Window Box WorkshopJump into spring with this fun pansy planter. Add color and fun to your home during this hands-on workshop. Pre-registration is required along with a fee of $39.99 which includes picket fence planter, soil, pansies, and violas.

Sunday, March 26 2:00 pm - 4:00 pmTool SharpeningJoe the Sharpener will be accepting tools from 2-4 pm and will get them sharpened on a first-come, first-serve basis. Each tool must be labeled with your name prior to services being rendered. All tools must be picked up by 5pm on Sunday, March 26. Cash and check only, please.

Calendar of Events

No, this is not an article about green beans. Yuck! This spring, Knupper’s will be carrying a widely popular variety of arborvitae called ‘Green Giant’. Unlike most arborvitaes on the market, Green Giant has one unique quality that sets it apart from the rest; it grows fast! That’s right; this versatile, upright arb will grow about 3’ a year once established. Just imagine the possibilities!

Green Giant provides a uniform, pyramidal shape that seldom needs pruning but does respond well to shearing when needed. This arborvitae resists wind burn and withstands the heavy snow and ice in winter making it an excellent choice for a natural wind break. This exceptional evergreen can be used as a screen, hedge or as a single specimen in the landscape as it gets 15’-20’ tall and 6’ - 10’ wide.

If you need to block that noisy street, cover that ugly fence or hide those nosy neighbors, take a look at the Green Giant Arborvitae.

Save the DateHydrangea

Pruning SeminarSaturday

April 19:00 am

Knupper Nursery & Landscape1801 N. Rand Rd. l Palatine, IL 60074847-359-1080 l www.KnupperNursery.com

Store Hours 3/1 - 3/31Mon-Fri 8:00 - 5:00Saturday 9:00 - 5:00Sunday 10:00 - 5:00

Can You Dig It?

A Colorful SummerBelieve it or not, summer planting time is here-summer bulb planting that is. It’s time to start your dahlias, canna, gladiolus, lilies and begonias inside for a head start on your colorful summer garden.

Dahlias, a garden staple, are one of the most versatile bulbs you can grow. From dwarf varieties to dinner plate-sized blooms, these flowers have it all. Try dahlia Emory Paul for a splash of pink in your summer garden. Its near 11” blooms are sure to be a show-stopper.

Speaking of garden statements, pick up some Alocasia odora, better known as elephant ear, to impress your neighbors. This upright variety can reach anywhere from 4-6 feet tall with waxy, green leaves that span up to 2 feet across! Plant in full sun for best results.

Most summer flowers love the sun but caladiums are partial to shade. These leafy tropical plants will add a splash of color to any shade garden. Ranging in reds, pink, and white with lots of variegation these gems are a must have for any garden.

Check out our Pinterest Page for Delicious Potato Recipes

Pulling up roots and discovering dozens of new potatoes is my favorite job in the garden. A good way to plant them is in containers. This gives easy access once they are ready to harvest. When choosing a container, keep in mind that more space for roots equals more spuds, so your container should be at least two feet deep. Use a peat-based soil when planting to make digging them up easier.

The key to getting a heavy crop of potatoes is to create lots of roots. Do this by filling containers a quarter full of soil before adding potato sets. As stems grow, add more soil until you have a full pot. All stems that are now buried will produce roots instead of shoots creating more potatoes. Harvest new potatoes 2-3 weeks after the plant has flowered or harvest your entire crop once vines have withered. Carefully dig out potatoes with a spade being mindful not to cut or bruise them. If the soil is light, I usually just dig in with my hands. Cook and eat potatoes immediately or store for future use. If you plan to store them don’t wash. Lightly brush off dirt and let them cure for a few weeks in a cool, humid area. Check out Knupper's on Pinterest for delicious potato recipes!