Chris’ Blog

Of Trees of Heaven and Lanternflies   If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve heard or read about the Spotted lanternfly. Since they arrived in Allegheny County last year, it’s possible you’ve seen them already. If you haven’t, it’s likely you’ll see them within the next couple years. More than just a pest, spotted lanternfly is capital “I” invasive. Invasive

Vines: The Secret Ingredient for a Classy Landscape   I think vines are the most underutilized “category” plant in the landscape. I think it’s because most people’s encounter with vines are with misbehaved ones. And of course we have invasives like Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and if you’ve ever travelled south, the infamous kudzu (Pueraria montana) that can strangle everything in

Winter Interest Beyond Evergreen Foliage!   Brr….Pennsylvania can be cold! And it’s cold for a good 4 months! Because that’s 1/3 of an entire year, most people recognize that having some color during the winter months is desirable in the landscape. Evergreens such as boxwood and mountain laurel bring green foliage during these months as do conifers like pine and

Bring Curb Appeal With Conifers!   If there’s one group of plants we all adore at Plumline, it’s conifers! Conifers are a type of gymnosperm that bear cones to reproduce rather than flower. Most conifers that grow in our region (but not all) are evergreen, needle-bearing plants such as pine, spruce, and fir. Conifers are great additions to the landscape

6 Ingredients for a Superb Pollinator Garden Want a pollinator garden but not know where to start? This post is for you! Pollinator gardens are a great way to beautify your landscape, make it more interesting, and of course, to help pollinators! Pollinators include bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and many more fascinating insects. They also invite birds into the landscape as

10 Shrubs for Stunning Fall Color (Better than Burning Bush!)   Spring blooming trees, summer blooming perennials, and evergreen specimens are all important features of a well-rounded landscape. But no American landscape is complete without beautiful fall color! We live in the mid-Atlantic region, home of red and sugar maples. You have no excuse for a boring fall landscape! For

What’s Great About Proven Winners Plants? Happy new year, readers!  Thank you for your business and, despite the challenges of COVID, for making 2020 a great year for us. We hope you’re satisfied with your plants and that we will see you again this spring! We have a lot of exciting plans in the works: a new greenhouse, expansion in

Go Plant A Tree! All year long, I’m perpetually asked “Is now an okay time to plant?” We all get this question, from March through November. My answer is always “yes!” Spring is a great time to plant because the weather is cool and the water needs of the establishing plant material isn’t high. Summer planting is fine too, you

My Favorite Autumn Blooming Perennials!   Autumn is synonymous with tree planting season, and we still have lots to choose from! Now is a great time to shop trees because you get to see a glimpse of what they look like in fall. Right now, many of our maples, black gums, and witchhazels are starting to turn beautiful colors! But

Let’s Talk Ornamental Grasses! Let’s talk about grasses. Not your lawn though (you can get rid of that). I’m talking ornamental grasses! There are so many perks to utilizing them in the landscape! They’re easy to grow, long-lived, and super hardy.  They’re also very resistant to hungry herbivores, namely deer and rabbits. Talk about low-maintenance and worry-free! They come in