Tips & tricks

As a general rule of thumb, the most beneficial time to fertilize trees, shrubs and perennials is in the spring after the last frost. This provides them with plenty of nutrients to use during the growing season!

Many plants benefit from a late winter to early spring pruning, but use caution: some plants set the next year's buds during the growing season, and pruning at the wrong time will cut off next year’s flowers. Notable plants that set next year’s buds during the growing season are certain hydrangeas, lilac, rhododendron, azalea and others.

Planting can generally be done as long as the ground is not frozen, with varying levels of care needed and potential transplant shock caused. Spring and fall usually induce the least amount of transplant shock, and the cooler temperatures usually reduce the amount of watering needed after planting. Planting can be done in the hotter months of summer, but will likely result in more stress on the plants and more supplemental watering is often needed.

Water the base of the plant, not the foliage- times are based on average garden hose flow with no spray nozzle. Check watering every 3-5 days depending on the season and temperatures.
1 gallon perennial: approximately 15-30 seconds of water
3 gallon shrub: approximately 30-45 seconds of water
15 gallon or 2” caliper tree: approximately 60-90 seconds

The southern half of Indiana (including Bloomington) is in zone 6a, while the Northern portion is in zone 5b. Zone 6a means that, on average, the lowest winter temperatures we typically experience are between -10 and -5.

Full sun: 6+ hours of unfiltered, direct sun
Part sun: 4-6 hours of direct sun, including afternoon sun
Part shade: 4-6 hours of direct sun, receiving this light in the morning/before midday
Full shade: less than 4 hours of direct sun a day, often with dappled light through a tree canopy. Morning sun preferred to avoid sunscorch 
Dense shade: no direct sun at all; very few plants will thrive here

Typically, if you have planted plants that are hardy to our zone (6a), then you have little to worry about and don’t need to do much extra for them. A 3” thick layer of mulch around the roots provides plenty of insulation. If we are predicted to reach temperatures outside of our hardiness zone, an extra thick layer of mulch around the base of the plant is a good step, and covering the plants with a sheet, frost blanket or tarp until temperatures rise back to at least -10 degrees may prevent damage.

If you bring a plant home and realize it doesn't work for your space, you are welcome to return the plant and exchange it for a better suited one of equal value, or we will issue a store credit to be used at a later date.

Currently, we only provide a warranty on our plants if they are installed by us or Mother Nature Landscaping. This warranty does not cover damage from weather, animals or poor plant care.