Sage Advice Landscaping

Home
United States
Palo, IA
Sage Advice Landscaping

Sage Advice is a full service company offering:
• Hardscaping
• Tree Plantings
• Plantscaping
• Do-It-Yourself Consultation
• Annual Planting

Price is based on specific project. Please feel free to reach out with questions.

10/25/2026

I call this style "controlled chaos." Its one of my favorites and how I garden at home! Imagine taking an armful of plants and throwing them in the air. Where they land, they are planted.

Of course, I had to put a little extra "Sage Advice" into it and did some planning to be sure all the babies were able to thrive and be seen.

Some tips:
1. Repetition is key when designing with this style.
2. Watch your bloom times so your space doesn't look garish.
3. If the view of the space is 360 degrees, walk around to be sure their is interest from all sides.

I also adored their request for more texture than bloom power.

While the large concrete blocks preset the height we could max out at, our limestone wall addition did help pull the eye up at the end of the house + will help the mulch stay put down the slope.

Thanks to our pals out in Preston, IA. We hope you are loving the finished product.

10/24/2026

Toadlily, with her orchid like blooms, is yet another fall stunner.

It grows best in moist organic rich soil. Cold hardy and should be given ample space to reach its full potential of 36" x 36"

Another great reason to appreciate this unique plant is the pollinators appreciate the late season snack after most other blooms have finished for the year.

10/23/2026

Stand out annual! Add this spiller vine to your 2027 annual wish list.

Plectranthus oertendahlii ‘Lime Light’

I had it in both hanging baskets and my larger annual containers. This textured vine thrived in the unusual summer weather we had. Neither the large amounts of rain or days of high UV slowed this beauty down.

When the wind blows the underside of the leaves have a burgundy tone making it a fun combo with sweet potato vine, Cordyline 'Red sensation,' and many others.

10/22/2026

We took a summer day trip to see the Clinton area trolls.

We had a blast exploring. Be sure to find the secret troll (not pictured here) to add fourth fun fella to the picture roll.

Use this gorgeous fall weather while we have it. 🚙

10/20/2026

A fun little tid bit for your apple orchard dreams.

Be sure to check your chill hours before purchasing a new tree! 🍏🍎

In our area we have around 1290 chill hours per year.
A chill hour is an hour between the temperatures of 32 degrees and 45 degrees.

Food forest nursery explains a chill hour as "an internal winter checklist" for the flower buds. Once the hours are ticked from their list, they are ready to give their best fruiting once conditions are right in the spring.

Only certain varieties are suited for our amount of chill hours.
Cortland, Ambrosia, Gala, Freedom, and Jonathon Apples are just a few that do well in our area.

https://www.foodforestnursery.com/maps/chill-hours-map/

Use our chill hour map to estimate your winter chill hours by ZIP code, understand chill hours for fruit trees, and choose varieties matched to your area.

10/19/2026

We have one final spot in our garden showing off.

Monkshood always waits to WOW.

💙 Prefers an area with even moisture
💙 Part shade keeps the plant most happy in our summer heat
💙 Cold hardy to zone 3 (-40 degrees making it a great choice for north side of homes)

All parts of this plants are poisonous to our furry friends and humans.

10/16/2026

Have you been noticing Lilacs re-blooming?

Extreme defoliation from fungus (mine) and even periods of high heat and UV then followed by cool snaps can cause this.

When a plant blooms more than once in a season, it’s called "remontant."

While there may be fewer blooms in the spring, the plants overall health should be fine.

Pro-tip: stop the fungus! In the spring, spray your shrub when temperatures have risen and are staying in the 60s. This will prevent the overwintered fungus spores from creating problems again.

Set a phone alarm for the beginning of May or write it on your calendar for 2027.

10/16/2026

Heads up! Freeze warning ‼️

If you want to protect your blooms, it’s time to take cover.

Even your mum will want a blanket or to be brought inside to stay her prettiest.

Plants in the ground will survive but if you are trying to keep any remaining blooms fresh, you will want to cover. Their root system will be fine.

10/16/2026

No need to panic!

Many evergreens naturally yellow in the center of the shrub or tree in the fall. It’s natural shedding process and won’t cause any real problems down the line.

Pines and Arborvitae are usually the worst cases.

Yellowing starting on the new (or outer growth) is not normal and should be looked in to 👀.

10/02/2026

Short ones, tall ones, native ones, and not…. I found plenty of ornamental grasses to keep your garden going well into the fall.

Fleming Nursery is fully stocked and looking prime!

Tips:
Don’t cut back your grasses until we are warm and the fluctuation in temperatures has stopped. They enjoy the protection of their tops.

Don’t want them to re-seed? Look for sterile options or apply a pre-emergent to help. Corn Gluten Meal for our organic friends and Preen for the rest.

If we are warm and dry in the spring, pop out and give them a good drink to help wake them up.

Don’t give up on them too soon! The roots love a nice warm soil and that can take time in the spring. Don’t pull them out too soon.

Address

Palo, IA

Website

http://sageadvicelandscaping.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Sage Advice Landscaping posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.