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March 7, 2023
At first glance, Wisconsin in late winter might seem like a world frozen in time, hibernating under a white blanket, but there is more than meets the eye! Slowly, but surely, nature is starting to make moves. The following are some plants that will help carry wildlife through late winter, just before spring has finally sprung.
March 7, 2023
There are many spring ephemerals native to Wisconsin. Spring ephemerals are like limited edition perennials; they’re only viewable for a short time. A fitting motto for these types of flowers is “live fast, die young,” as they grow and reproduce quickly, maximizing their limited time and taking advantage of optimal conditions such as temperature, moisture levels, and sunlight.
February 20, 2023
Wisconsin has many excellent native plants that can be used as groundcover while also benefiting pollinators and wildlife. Using a combination of groundcovers adds biodiversity, color, and texture to your garden, so don’t feel limited to just one type! Groundcovers are an excellent option to include in any garden to add texture, suppress weeds, reduce erosion, and maintain moisture levels.
February 15, 2023
New plants for 2023 are here. Find these 12 exciting new plants, including Phlox ‘Luminary Backlight’, Bunchberry, and American Filbert.
December 14, 2022
The top-selling plants of 2022 include a list of those most used plants by our customers including municipalities, land managers, and private homeowners. This is a fun insight into the most planted trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials, and fruit trees in 2022.An amazing realization is that people are choosing Wisconsin native […]
December 14, 2022
2023 Color of the Year & Your Plants It’s that time of year again when the world eagerly awaits the announcement of the 2023 Color of the Year by Pantone. This is a great place to find inspiration for interior design, fashion, beauty, graphic design, and most important to us […]
December 1, 2021
Native Plant Sale Available for on-site shopping only.June is Wisconsin native plant appreciation month at Johnson\’s Nursery. We team up with our friends at Wild Ones to offer native plant enthusiasts an opportunity to save big. All active Wild Ones members receive 40% off Wisconsin native plants in containers at […]
November 30, 2021
Understanding Nursery Stock Sizes Understanding Nursery Stock Sizes Most commonly, growers use caliper, container size, and height (inches or feet) for units of measurement for nursery stock. Why do we need multiple units? Because all plants are uniquely different and grow differently. In any of those 3 size units, it’s […]
November 30, 2021
How to Attract Monarch Butterflies to Your Yard With the addition of the Monarch butterfly to the Red List of Threatened Species and categorized as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), many people have asked us how they can help this beloved creature. While they face […]
November 30, 2021
How to Build a Bird Garden in Wisconsin Build a Bird Garden in Wisconsinno-repeat;center top;;auto0px Watching backyard birds is relaxing, entertaining, and educational. Seeing a bright red cardinal in the middle of winter is uplifting. A visit from a ruby-throated hummingbird outside the breakfast nook can be a great way […]
December 29, 2017
Leaf Lore: Yarrow Leaf Lore: Yarrow The 1986 edition of the Old Farmer’s Almanac featured the article “How to Find the Perfect Mate”. They listed several superstitious acts to perform if you want your true love to appear, beginning the list with “Pluck a stalk of yarrow and stick it […]
December 29, 2017
Plant Size & Investments There is an old grower\’s adage about plant size — \”If it\’s not growing, it\’s dead\”. Aware of this truism, Johnson\’s Nursery provides a range of mature heights and spreads for shrubs, trees, and evergreens. A plant’s mature size and how well it performs commonly depends […]
November 13, 2017
Wisconsin Natives At Johnson’s Nursery, we love our native plants. They fill unique roles in our landscapes, are adapted to our soils and climate, and have co-evolved with our other Wisconsin native species to create the mosaic of diversity that is Wisconsin. In addition to their special use by wildlife, […]
November 13, 2017
Urban Approved The goal of the Urban Approved standard is to be the starting point when selecting plants for difficult sites in built-up areas. Decisions regarding the Urban Approved title are made conservatively, and we will not grant the title to a plant that has not been adequately tested. What […]
October 2, 2017
Naughty Natives – Part 3: Perennials If you remember from Part 1: Trees and Part 2: Shrubs, we\’re highlighting Wisconsin native plants that have a bad reputation as \”weed plants\” or that they are aggressive. Sometimes the aggressive nature, or undesirable traits, can be an asset rather than a nuisance […]
October 2, 2017
Native Pollinators Did you know the phrase “the bee’s knees” originally described something tiny and insignificant? Since then it has evolved to mean something outstanding. And in August, I find nothing more outstanding than the sight of native pollinators in the landscape. One of the basics of plant life is […]
July 2, 2017
Rabbit Resistant Perennials and Shrubs Recently, my husband and I were babysitting my cousin\’s kids, so we dusted off my husband\’s complete set of Looney Tunes DVD\’s and put it on to watch. I learned two things from this. 1) Kids today don\’t have an appreciation for the sophisticated comic […]
May 16, 2017
2017 Spring Plant Draft Picks We’re excite to announce the 2017 spring plant draft picks. Tulip blooms dotting the landscape aren’t the only sign that spring has arrived. Football fans eagerly watch to see who their favorite teams will acquire to create a winning line up in fall. These players […]
April 9, 2017
Deer Resistant Plants, Buck Rub & Protection Deer resistant plants is a very common topic in Wisconsin, especially in fall. It\’s often an initial question on new landscape projects of all sizes. Deer resistant, repellent, deterrent, and deer proof can all be used synonymously with the topic. Ultimately, fencing is […]
November 9, 2016
Sporty Specimens Sporty Specimens In the T.V. special \”It\’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown\”, Linus sagely muses, \”There are three things I have learned to never discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin\”. I think we could add sports team allegiances to that list. In my family, the […]
August 10, 2016
Fine Vines Fine Vines We spend so much time assisting others with their landscape plants that we frequently neglect our own. Like a fine chef in an up-scale restaurant who orders pizza on a day off, it can be difficult to find the motivation after work to to baby and […]
June 8, 2016
Gnarly Natives Gnarly: “difficult, dangerous or challenging.” Slang: difficult, hairy, bad, nasty, cool, good. I don’t even really know what that word means, how can something be good and bad all at once? All I can imagine is surfing…some guy saying “Gnarly!” when a big bad wave comes along and […]
June 25, 2015
Salivating for Salvias Salivating for Salvias I’m sure many of you are thinking, “What kind of drool is going to come out of his month?” Well it’s saliva, ladies and gentlemen,–not drool. And I’m salivating over Salvias. So let your tongues wag, and get your handkerchiefs ready while I tell […]
January 10, 2014
Peony Revolution The founding of the United States of America, the crumbling of the Berlin wall, and last year’s Arab spring, were all revolutionary upheavals in the world that led to changes of monumental importance. A similar revolution has been occurring in the Peony world for the past 25 years. […]
December 11, 2012
Understanding Cold Hardiness The hardiness of Wisconsinites is seldom matched. We can take whatever nature throws at us and revel in it. We bask in our cold, snowy winters. Heck, some of us even take off our shirts in freezing temperatures at Packer games in Lambeau Field in January. We […]
August 1, 2012
Big Perennials for Big Kids Big Perennials for Big Kids I like cute little plants like ‘Firewitch’ Dianthus and ‘Lucerne’ Blue-Eyed Grass. I also like plants that have an airy texture like Prairie Dropseed or Switch Grass. I just love the subtle beauty of Musclewood flowers, these tiny jewels of […]
July 31, 2012
Ornamental Onion Comparison Genus: Allium The ornamental onion (Allium) family includes a selection European varieties and a Wisconsin native! They\’re noted for their grass-like foliage and round or drooping flower blossoms during summer. You may recognize its round, golf-ball size (globe shape) flowers. The flower colors range from white to […]
July 29, 2012
Clematis Comparison Genus: Clematis The Clematis family includes 380+ species with various native origins on nearly every continent. Here in Wisconsin, several cultivars perform well and are reliably hardy. Mature sizes vary, but in general, as a climbing vine, they grow upward and typically on trellises or fences. Mature heights […]
June 22, 2012
Grass & Sedge Comparison Chart The Grass & Sedge Comparison Chart is a list of common ornamental grass and sedge perennials grown at Johnson\’s Nursery. Easy to grow, easy to care for, easy on the eyes! Ornamental grasses have so many positives it’s hard to not incorporate them into the […]
June 22, 2012
Hosta Comparison Chart Hosta Comparison Chart The Hosta Comparison Chart is a list of common perennial hostas found at Johnson\’s Nursery. Hostas are one of the most commonly grown part-shade to full shade perennials. They have a distinct foliage, long-stalk flowering habits, and summer bloom times. They can vary slightly […]
May 1, 2012
Coralbells Comparison Coralbells Comparison The Heuchera genus includes over 30 recognized species, all native to much of North America. They are found on a wide variety of sites, from rocky outcroppings to wooded meadows, with a variety of different growth habits. Although useful for many landscape applications, Coralbells were not […]
April 5, 2012
Daylilies Comparison Daylilies Comparison Genus: Hemerocallis Johnson’s Nursery is proud to grow and stock many of the Midwest\’s most popular daylily cultivars. The botanical name for daylily is Hemerocallis which is formed from two Greek words meaning “beauty” and “day”. Aptly named, since each flower will only last one day, […]
April 4, 2000
Leaf Lore: Daylily Leaf Lore: Daylily “Day O! Day O! Daylily bloom and me wanna take home!” Let’s sing it loud and proud for daylilies! Some people may say they are ordinary, but daylilies are one of those great perennials that are easy to grow for beginners because they handle […]