Pink Flowering Dogwood

A reader recently asked me about the best time to plant hydrangeas and dogwoods, which got me thinking…. especially after the winter we just had, it will be great to enjoy some beautiful flowering trees. A pink dogwood is nice for New England because it blooms early in the season (April) and is native to the area.

Thanks to Peggy for the question – and feel free to ask your question here, on Facebook or Twitter.

If you’re tempted to take advantage of whatever not-frigid weather we have left by pruning your trees, DON’T!!! I recommend you wait until late-February or March, as this will expose any fresh cuts to less of the harsh cold. Here’s some tips on how to prune trees yourself and when to call an expert. http://bit.ly/PruningTrees

Here are some great ideas for eco-friendly gifts.

Fire Truck Made from Recycled Materials

Green comes in many forms, from reducing energy usage, to buying things that have minimal packaging, to composting – to planting new trees, vegetable gardens, and using organic fertilizers. This article gives some great ideas of things I never knew could be eco-friendly, such as TOYS!

And remember the work done by my friends at the CT Urban Forest Council, they provide lots of great tips and fun events for increasing your greenness little by little, and getting kids interested and involved. The added benefit is many green activities can save you money while you are helping the environment!

Lastly, see my previous post on enjoying a LIVE Christmas tree that you can plant outside afterwards!

1.  Acclimate it – if it’s been outside at the store, then leave it in your garage for a few days before bringing it inside.

2.  Choose its permanent home – at some point while the tree is in the garage or inside, choose where you want to plant it outside and dig a hole there (twice the size of the container).  Leave the soil to the side. Cover the hole and soil with mulch or straw.

3.  Keep it inside for the right amount of time – do not leave the tree in the house for more than 10 days or it will go into shock once you do plant it outside. Keep it away from heating vents, out of the sun. Some experts recommend 4 days max kept inside.

4.  Water it - Do not fertilize it at all but water it daily.

5.  Plant it outside at the right time – On the 4^th to the 10^th day of it being inside, bring it back to the garage for 2-3 days, then bring it outside and plant it immediately, or you can wait a day or two.

6.  Plant it properly – Fill the hole around the tree with dirt and use organic root stabilizing fertilizer if desired. Water if the ground is not completely frozen. Watering often is not imperative because winter ground has moisture.

7. Watch it grow for years to come! Maybe you’ll decorate it next year!

Pine Tree

Spruce Tree

Fir Tree

Those green lush whatchamacallits that look like a mix between a tree and a shrub are called Arborvitaes and they’re quite popular in residential and commercial landscaping for some solid reasons: they’re dense, low maintenance, and grow together to make a lovely ‘green wall’ for privacy or hiding mechanics.  Here’s an overview on which varieties suit what needs:

Arborvitaes make a beautiful green wall for privacy around yards and pool areas.

• For a large, fast-growing Arborvitae, choose the Green Giant variety (grows 2 ft/yr once established, up to 50’ tall x 20’ wide). Green Giant is DEER RESISTANT and SHADE TOLERANT.
• For tighter areas, Emerald Green reaches 18’ and keeps a narrow, columnar shape.  Not deer resistant.
• For areas with sun and/or where deer are not an issue, Dark American is a great choice.

PS: For the record, Arborvitaes are a tree. Let me know if you have any questions.