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Filling up the greenhouses

  • Apr. 3rd, 2008 at 7:18 PM
Nick
Our second order of perennials arrived today and we started transplanting them all. Everything is starting to green up and Spring is really close now. The temperature will be a warm 50+ degrees this weekend and hopefully will help things dry out some so we can get out and start some landscape jobs.

Later.

2 signs of Spring

  • Mar. 13th, 2008 at 4:14 PM
Nick
You know how we can tell Spring is right around the corner here at Earthworks?

1. The annual greenhouse is full with new plugs and seedlings.

2. The ditch out front of the Nursery is flowing again.


Happy Spring!!!

Later.
~Nick

Oh and one more from when I got home today.

2008

  • Feb. 11th, 2008 at 5:44 PM
Nick
I intend to keep updating this blog...Sorry we neglected to post anything since July. In the meantime, check out our new gallery on the website at www.earthworkslandscaping.com/gallery.html

Think Spring!

Later.
~Nick
  • Current Mood: cold

Concrete Statuary

  • Jul. 12th, 2007 at 3:02 PM
Kelsey3

We recently received an order of unique stone statuary from one of our retailers, Massarelli's (Makers of Fine Stone Garden Accents). Most of the stone art is Chinese, and all are embodied with rich history and tradition. Stop out at the nursery and check out our catalogs - there are hundreds of other fountains and accents that we can order for your garden. Below is some interesting information on our new pieces.

Chinese Foo Dogs
Foo Dogs are the ancient sacred dogs of Asia who guard Buddhist temples, and can be traced as early as the Han Dynasty.  Their first appearance was in Chinese art, which dates back to approximately 208 BC to about 221 AD. The Foo Dog was the protector of sacred buildings and a defender of law.  The dogs were commonly placed at business institutions, temple gates, home entrances, and estates.  It was also not uncommon to see these sacred dogs guarding tombs or placed in front of government buildings to scare evil spirits. Through out the ages, Foo Dogs were frequently given as gifts to the Emperor.  They would be presented in sculptures or in the form of artwork. The creature is usually presented holding a spear in its paw.  This was the representation of the peace and serenity the animal would maintain for the sanctuary it was guarding; thus discouraging any wrong doers and demon spirits from entering the place of tranquility.  The Foo Dog comes in many shapes, sizes, different materials, and colors.  Their faces have a mischievous and almost devilish look about them; and their eyes are normally wide open with a tiny speck in the middle.  This threatening appearance is what gives the idea that they guard against evil spirits.  It is important to point out that the Foo Dog is also known as the Celestial Dog, and the Happiness Dog.  The animal is a symbol of energy and value, and is often displayed in a male/female pair.  The male plays with a ball that symbolizes the Earth, while the female holds a cub.

Budai, or Hotei: (Laughing Buddha)
Budai is almost always represented as carrying a cloth or linen sack, which never empties, and is filled with many precious items, including rice plants (indicating wealth), sweets for children, food, small mammals, and the woes of the world. Sometimes it can be filled with children, as they are seen as some of those precious items of this world. His duty is patron of the weak, the poor and children. In Chinese Buddhist temples of the Chán sect, Budai's statue is traditionally placed in the front part of the entrance hall. He is depicted in the familiar likeness of the above described Laughing Buddha; a stout, smiling or laughing shaved man in robes with a largely exposed pot belly stomach symbolic for happiness, good luck, and plenitude. The stomach is also considered the seat of the soul in Chinese mythology and so the large stomach can be taken as an allegory for Budai's open heartedness. Some sculptures have small children at his feet. Another item that is usually seen with the Budai figure, is a begging bowl; to represent his Buddhist nature. All of these images display Budai as a wandering monk who goes around and takes the sadness from people of this world. Because he represents prosperity and happiness, statuettes are often found in homes and businesses in China and Japan.

Lanterns, Gargoyles, and Fountains

We also purchased several Pagoda lanterns, tall lanterns (that are constructed to have the option of light installation), two gargoyles and a beautiful 9-foot tall fountain. We decided to place the fountain in the midst of our dwarf conifers. It is a relaxing and interesting piece of art - all of this combined is definitely worth a drive out to Earthworks!! :)



Stop by and rub the Buddha's belly - it's good luck! - Kelsey
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  • Current Mood: cheerful
  • Music:Xavier Rudd - Food In The Belly

$250 Shopping Spree

  • Jun. 20th, 2007 at 7:21 AM
Nick

We recently held our drawing for the $250 shopping spree available to E-Club members only. The drawing was held on Friday June 15, 2007 and the lucky recipient was Nell Henry of River Falls, WI. We have had great success with the E-Club thus far, having 400+ new members join since we started this Spring. We will keep you informed about upcoming events and sales. 

We are stocking some very enchanting chimes from Music of the Spheres. 


The scientifically designed wind chimes maximize tonal purity and resonance, and are precision tuned to A-440 (available in 3 octaves in many scales). Their corrosion protected aluminum alloy tubing is custom-manufactured to exacting specifications, rings are stainless steel. Their high density polyethylene or finished hardwood clappers will last indefinitely outdoors, withstanding sunlight, rain, and mildew.

Also, we have some great interesting concrete statuary on order and will have some pictures as it comes available.


Thanks,
Nick

Our tomatoes are HUGE!!!

  • May. 30th, 2007 at 2:44 PM
Nick
The tomato plants are ready to go into your gardens. We have a ton and they all look amazing. Come in and check out the tomatoes and peppers before it is too late.

All tomatoes on sale: $2/ea. get them while supplies last.


So long for now,
Nick

Iseli Evergreens Delivered

  • May. 14th, 2007 at 2:11 PM
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Our Iseli Nurseries evergreen shipment arrived this morning in a spectacular array of colors and textures. Here are just a few of the dwarf conifers that we think are interesting. Also, I have attached some pictures that we took this morning.

 
Pinus strobus 'Macopin' -- Exuberant cone production even when young distinguishes this specimen from other white pine cultivars. 'Macopin' attains open, irregular habit, broadly branching, with soft blue green foliage.
 
Abies koreana 'Starker's Dwarf' -- This cultivar of the Korean fir is a dwarf nest form when young, developing into a mounding shape with age. Its wide and blunt tipped needles present a striking texture. Protect from hot direct sun.
 
Picea abies 'Pumila' -- Short, dark green foliage on a uniformly branched plant. Globose habit when young, spreading with age. Differs from the flatter nest types in its round habit, with all shoots uniformly pointed out or up. New growth appears later on 'Pumila' than other nest type spruce.
 
Picea glauca 'Northstar' -- This sturdy, compact white spruce is densely branched with a classic pyramidal shape and a moderate growth rate. Medium green needles clothe this Iseli introduction. Selected for its resilience to harsh winter conditions.
 

Come on out to the nursery and check out the rest of the evergreens in stock now!!

Thanks for choosing Earthworks River Farm Nursery

Spring Roses Arrive

  • May. 2nd, 2007 at 11:10 PM
Talia
Our Spring rose shipment arrived today in an explosion of color. All are easy to care for shrub roses. Here's just a few that we think are standouts.
 
Morden Sunrise: Creamy orange-yellow buds open to fragrant flowers with wavy petals and orange stamens. A continuos bloomer, and 2'-3' high.
 
Pink Pearls: A blooming machine that looks as if it were strewn with multitudes of tiny pink pearls. Equally attractive in the front of a mixed border, or in a decorative pot. 1'-3' tall.
 
Fiesta: This rose will be the life of the party as each bloom explodes in array of dark pink and white stripes with just a touch of yellow near the centers. It's 2'-3' tall.
 
William Baffin: An impressive 8 ft. climber - not only for its strawberry ice cream, semi-double flowers that repeat bloom through the season, but also for its vigorous and healthy growth habit.
 
Bring in your E-Club card (or pick yours up) and take 10% off these great roses. Don't forget that Mother's Day is just around the corner!!!

                                    Morden Sunrise                                                               Fiesta                                                  



Balled and Burlapped Trees Ready!!

  • Apr. 25th, 2007 at 6:32 AM
Nick
Yesterday Nick and Dave dug 60 trees from the nursery. There are a bunch of beauties including: Autumn Blaze Maple, Autumn Spire Maple, Sienna Glen Maple, Swamp White Oak, River Birch, and Whitespire Birch. Most of the maple trees are 2"-2 1/2" caliper and are really nice. The birch trees are awesome as well. Come on out to the nursery and check them out. B&B trees are great if you don't want to wait as long for a potted tree to grow, as most of them have been in the ground for 6-7 years already.

See ya later.
~Nick

Earthworks E-Club

  • Apr. 21st, 2007 at 7:07 AM
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Just to clarify, the E-club sign-up form is ready to go on our website at earthworkslandscaping.com Go to the home page and locate the E-CLUB MEMBERS SIGN-UP in large capital red letters. Use the link: "Sign up here today" in the paragraph below to access the sign-up form. Put in your name and email address, press submit and you will be put on the list. Thanks for participating, we are very excited about our 'Fellowship of the Trowel' !!!

Nursery Unpacked

  • Apr. 17th, 2007 at 7:06 AM
Nick
Yesterday we got our Bailey's order in and the nursery began to fill up again for the season. I think we have about 10 new shrubs that all seem like they will be pretty cool. We also got all of our potted trees in from Bailey's, and uncovered the ones that were overwintering. Everything looks great so far here at the nursery. Now we just need to hope for some rain before it gets too dry!!!
  • Current Mood:busy

A Perennial Excitement

  • Apr. 4th, 2007 at 5:29 PM
Kate

What a great day we had today! Our second shipment of perennial plugs and pots arrived on a semi as soon as we walked out the door this morning. Unloading and inspecting the plants always gets us excited. Seeing all the new varieties and our old favorites - talking about all the great combination possibilities - it gives us the feeling - well, here we go again - another wonderful season ahead. I love this time of year! We transplanted and potted and moved plants all day. I think we have one of our best ever perennial soil mixes this year - stays moist and well-drained - which is what almost all the perennials love. The annual house is a jungle - WOW - the warmth and smell in there on these cold days puts a smile on anyone’s face! Stop by if you need a boost that only spring can give you.

 

Annual Succulents

  • Apr. 3rd, 2007 at 4:01 PM
Kelsey_2

We're always trying a few new and interesting things each year, and adopting a trial-by-error approach to growing unique plants. For 2007 our 'new and hot' list includes annual succulents - among others. We bought an eclectic mixture of different sized/shaped/colored varieties, and we're going to attempt to make an array of eye-popping stone and iron planters, along with insanely cool vertical gardens - all coupled with dazzling color combinations. Here at Earthworks we're extremely excited about the new venture, and we hope you'll share the same feelings - let us know what you think! Here are a few photos of some recently planted cast iron succulent planters:


Photos taken April 3rd, 2007 - We'll keep you updated on the changes that take place throughout the season!
  • Location:Home
  • Current Mood:busy

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Lighting up your life...

  • Mar. 26th, 2007 at 7:55 PM
Nick
Chad and I went to a Unique Lighting seminar today in South St. Paul. It was pretty interesting to see all of the cool stuff that you can do with outdoor lighting by using the principles of design and arrangement that we learned. I am excited to start using the lights in some of my designs, I think that it adds more to your existing landscape because you can enjoy it for more than the 8-10 hours of daylight, and you can accent certain areas at night that might not otherwise have enough lighting (pathways, entrances, trees, etc.) Not to mention it is aesthetically pleasing from the street to see your house lit up in the right way. It is an easy addition to your new landscape design or it can really enhance a project that is already established. So, talk to Denny or I about lighting up your home today, we can even set up your home to have a "demo" for a few days so you can see what it feels like, free of charge!!!
  • Location:Home
  • Current Mood: optimistic

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Plant Focus

  • Mar. 26th, 2007 at 6:10 PM
Kelsey_2
Three long years ago we purchased a few Dicentra spectabilis 'Goldheart'  from Shady Oaks Nursery (and a few was all they had!) Since then, our unique Bleeding Heart has caputured the eyes of all that see it. We definitely get a lot of questions; 'What is it?, Where can I get it?, and, Do you have any for sale?', to name a few. Planted in our front garden, it is visible as you come in our driveway, and stands out no matter the season. As you can see from the photograph, it definitely can stand alone as a medium-sized specimen perennial in any situation. We've tried for 3 looong years to find 'Goldheart' from any of our retailers - and this year we've finally got them for sale - so be sure to be in early, because these babies are going to go fast!
'Goldheart'
Plant Information:
dye-SEN-tra ... A wonderful glowing addition to the spring time garden. Arching sprays of pink bleeding hearts above shocking gold foliage. Best in light shade and moist soil. 24-32” tall.
• Plant in partially shaded spot with a moist humusy soil, and space about 2 ft apart.
• Combination Plants: Dicentra, Lamium, Asarum, Polygonatum, Astilbe, Polemonium.
  • Location:Home
  • Current Mood: excited

Are you thinking Spring?

  • Mar. 21st, 2007 at 11:57 AM
Kelsey_2
Although I spend a huge portion of my winter designing plant information cards, the newsletter, and many other things, getting into the annual house in March is a fabulous feeling - just the smell of dirt, earth, and plants is enough to fuel a great energy! Our plants look amazing this year, and as Talia said - should be bigger and better than ever. It's going to be an interesting year for us as 'designers' - we have so many different choices for great color combinations, coupled with cool foliage, interesting succulents, and endless ideas for baskets and planters.

As I said earlier - I don't get much time out in the greenhouses right now, but while working I did take a few photos - these are from early March, right smack in the middle of transplanting:

         

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First Day of Spring

  • Mar. 20th, 2007 at 9:23 AM
Nick
Talia and I started seeding the prarie plants yesterday, including Downy Sunflower, Echinacea, Verbena, Cup plant, Little Blue Stem, and a few others. We also started Denny's experimental Giant Sequoiaseeds, these should be interesting to watch grow. I am wondering if we can keep them alive for more than a year here in Wisconsin as they are a USDA  Zone 7-11, I believe. The basil seeds that we started last week are already starting to sprout, and we should have fresh basil to cook with in the next couple of weeks. It is Spring today, and the greenhouse is in full swing.
  • Location:Home
  • Current Mood: chipper

Spring is right around the corner.

  • Mar. 15th, 2007 at 10:51 AM
Talia
We finally got our annual orders in last week and have been transplanting the plug trays into new larger pots. I think the annuals are going to be even bigger and better this year because they have more room to spread out their roots, not to mention healthier. It is so nice to get back to work after a long winter break. I love being able to work with my husband, Nick and the rest of the Earthworks family. We have a bunch of exciting new varieties of annuals this year, which I am sure will "knock your socks off". I will post some pictures of the greenhouse right now, and you can come in this Spring and see all of the progress!!! Happy gardening.
  • Location:home
  • Current Mood: ecstatic

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New Gallery of Job Photos!!!

  • Feb. 27th, 2007 at 4:02 PM
Denny


To see the new gallery of photos, click on the profile link above our logo,  then click on the pictures link in the screen that pops up. (it's below our bio) From there, click on the "Jobs" file to view the gallery.

Plant Focus

  • Feb. 27th, 2007 at 3:33 PM
Nick


Pinus contorta 'Taylor's Sunburst'

This baby is a show stopper. The emerging new growth on Taylor's Sunburst is an outrageous brilliant yellow set against the deep green older foliage. We have one in our front garden that's like a big magnet - pulling people in to get a closer look. They've been hard to get from our supplier because of hard demand. It gets about 12' high and 8' wide. Grows in Full Sun and tolerates a variety of soils, but probably won't like wet soils.