• Soy Candles that burn clean
• Homemade soap made in Wiscsonsin
• Custom Bows
• Ornaments
• Wreaths
• Poinsettias
• Greenleaf Landscaping & Gardens Gift Certificates
• And so much more!!!!

Double Balsam Fir Trees
8' to 13' sizes available.

Double Balsam Fir Wreath and Boughs  
20", 30", 36", 46" and Cross wreath sizes avaible.

• Move all garden chemicals to a safe location for winter. 
• Water garden as needed till ground freezes.  Pay special attention to watering evergreen shrubs and trees.  They will continue to absorb water until the ground is frozen. 
• After a week of consistent freezing temperatures, protect non-hardy roses.
• Clean up and dispose of leaves of plants that were diseased. 
• Prevent rodent damage to your shrubs by using this product Liquid Fence.  Or you can use these organic methods:  Shot Gun Repels All, (It's a Liquid spray and the main ingredients are blood and eggs.  Safe for pets.)  Or Milorganite. Or a fence around your shrubs!
• Purchase sand or de-icers for your driveway and walkways.  Follow directions carefully because excessive amounts can damage lawn and plants.   

Dear Dorene:  I noticed my evergreen losing some needles.  Is this a cause for concern?

Dear Green:  This is a common occurrence called "seasonal drop."  Evergreens shed some older needles every year.  You may see more of this normal event this year because of the drought conditions this summer. 

Be sure to water all of your evergreens before the ground freezes.  Evergreens take up moisture throughout the winter.  Watering before the ground freezes should prevent browning needles on the outer branches in spring.  Besides watering your evergreen, a product called Wilt Stop reduces moisture loss and will prevent browning needles.  

There are number of wintertime threats that affect evergreens, according to the University of Minnesota Extension Service.  The combination of sun, wind and severe cold can damage bark or injure and kill branches.  Heavy snow and ice accumulation can break branches or topple entire trees.  The salt used on driveways and sidewalks can damage or kill evergreens. 

If it is a severe winter, deer and rodents can feed on bark and twigs, occasionally killing a tree.  You can protect an evergreen from rodents by putting a cylinder of quarter-inch hardware cloth around the trunk of the tree and up to about two feet about the normal snowline.  The deer problem is tougher.  A repellent containing thiram can be effective as a deterrent but if the deer are starving, they will feed on a tree despite the presence of the repellent.  Liquid Fence is a product that will work great, or if you want an organic method you can try Shot Gun Repel All or Milorganite. 

Decorating the house with fresh greenery is one of the oldest winter holiday traditions. People have been decorating with greenery since the 1800s, with some homes elaborately decorated with garlands of holly, ivy, mountain laurel and mistletoe hung from the roof. Other homes went a simpler route, with greenery and boughs in the window frames and holly sprigs stuck to the glass with wax.

Today, decorating for the holidays with fresh greenery is more prevalent than ever. Greens such as cedar, ivy, pine, and holly add a fresh look and natural scent to our homes, and are good to use since they dry out slowly and hold their needles well. Hemlock, spruce, and most broadleaf evergreens can also be used, but will last longer if used outdoors.

In addition to using greenery in traditional methods such as wreathes, garlands and table centerpieces, you can also create beautiful arrangements in window boxes, pottery or vases. The key is to either immerse the cut ends in water before arranging or place them in an oasis inside the container, which you can keep moist.

Besides the more commonly used evergreens, consider using other plant parts such as acorns, berries, dried flowers, cones, seed pods and branches of dormant plants such as pussy willow or forsythia to give added color and texture interest. You can even incorporate fruits such as lemons, limes, apples, pears, kumquats and pineapple.

It’s important to decorate safely during the holidays. Dried evergreens can become flammable when in contact with a heat source such as a candle flame, space heaters, heater vents or sunny windows. If you use lights near your green arrangements, make sure that they stay cool, and if outside, that they are rated for exterior use.

Nothing can beat the look of real leafy greens scattered around the house and in arrangements. It’s hard to beat the aroma of real needle evergreens decorating your house in the winter months. You can find all kinds of fresh greenery here at Greenleaf Landscaping & Gardens, so come on in and join us in celebrating the holidays.

 If birds pass through your yard, but never seem to stay, it may because your yard doesn't provide a varied, long-term food supply.  Creating a place that welcomes songbirds and hummingbirds is pretty simple.  You just need to follow some basic guidelines.  Here are four elements you need to attract our feathered friends:  

1. Food: Consider placing a wide variety of bird feeders and around your backyard.  Consider different types of feeding stations, such as platform feeder for ground feeding birds, hanging feeders for perching birds and suet feeders for insect eating birds. 
   
   
2. Plant Food Sources: Plants bring in more and different birds than you'll see at bird feeders.  Here is a list of great bird attractors:  serviceberry, chokeberry, pagoda dogwood, American hazelnut, winterberry, and viburnums ('Autumn Jazz,' 'Blue Muffin,' Viburnum lentago, and 'Onondaga' are all great choices).  
   
   
3. Shelter: Wild birds feel safer if they have shelter to protect them from the elements and predators.  Trees and large shrubs, especially evergreen trees and shrubs, work wonderfully to provide shelter.  Think about providing some nesting boxes, too.   
   
   
4. Water: One of the most important elements to include in your backyard bird habitat is water--the noisier, the better.  The sound of moving water is magnetic to most wild birds.  The water will draw birds from great distances for a cool drink or bath.  A small pond, fountain, or birdbath is perfect.  Providing water for birds during the winter is as important as providing them food, and it is easy now that birdbath heaters are available. 

You can find all your bird-attracting necessities at Greenleaf Landscaping & Gardens.

 It is often hard to remember what not to prune in the fall.  Shrubs and trees that bloom in early spring are the plants that do not get pruned this fall. 

Early spring bloomers set their flower buds in the fall.  Pruning them in fall or early in the spring would mean losing blossoms.  However, there are exceptions.  It's often easier to prune when you can see the shape of the plant, before the branches are masked by leaves.  Trees and shrubs that are in need of a good shaping could sacrifice a few blooms to be invigorated with new growth by a fall or spring pruning. 

There are no hard and fast rules, but here is a list of commonly grown spring flowering trees and shrubs that should not be pruned in fall or early spring. 

These shrubs should be pruned in late spring or summer, after they are done blooming.