Fern Valley Landscaping

04/06/2015

Examples of attention to detail when it comes to our high quality maintenance service. Give us a call and we can talk about how your yard can look this good!

04/12/2013

Eastern Redbuds - Cercis Canadensis - is truly one of the most spectacular flowering trees that you will see in the urban landscape and in its natural habitat. As a native species, its beauty lasts long after the blooms have faded. With its nice even growth habit, and its compact size it is an ideal specimen tree for any garden. This tree comes in a wide variety of sub-species that add different characteristics into the landscape such as different heights, colours and growth habits. The standard species is a beautiful, bright, glossy green with large heart-shaped leaves with an open spreading, but rounded growth habit. Sub-species such as 'Forest Pansy' have scarlet red foliage or 'Hearts of Gold' which has a lime green appearance can add colour and contrast to any garden. There is also a variety with variegated leaves. The differences don't stop there either, as there are weeping varieties as well as one that has white blooms called ‘Royal White’. Redbuds are fairly fast growing and adapt quickly to new surroundings. They are also easy to maintain requiring pruning in confined areas or to control size. Redbuds are also known to add nice colour in the fall. This is truly one of the best small trees available in our climate and should be a consideration for any garden. Check them out this spring in your neighbourhoods, at the RBG or at your local nursery. Check out the Eastern Redbud photo album for some pictures.

04/01/2013

Now that spring has arrived, we are now awaiting its beauty. Most people look for Forsythia as the first shrub to produce colour in the spring but actually the Cornelian Cherry Dogwood - Cornus mas flowers first. While Forsythias are widely known, this Dogwood is much less known and used in the urban landscape and that is unfortunate. It is one of the earliest shrubs to flower, often in late March. Its vibrant yellow flowers show before the shrub leafs out. It also produces edible, although tart, cherry fruit in August which birds love. This Dogwood has a nice rounded growth habit that is easy to maintain with pruning once a year. It tolerates a wide variety of soil conditions and can be used in a variety of purposes in the landscape such as a hedge or as a specimen plant. Of course there are sub-species of the standard Cornus mas which have yellow leaves or variegated leaves which can enhance its value as a specimen plant. This Dogwood does come most commonly in shrub form but can also be found in tree form. It should be noted that this Dogwood can grow to be about 20 feet tall but as I mentioned earlier it is also easy to maintain and can be kept at a smaller size for many years.

03/28/2013

It is our hope we can provide you with useful & helpful information on topics that are relevant to your properties and gardens. We will be posting information regularly about annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees that we believe are interesting and valuable to the urban landscape. If you have any favourites that you would like to share please feel free to reply and share with others. We will do our best to provide answers to questions you may have regarding issues you may be having as well.

03/19/2013