It's hard to think about spring during fall planting. But some of Mother Nature's first, and arguably most beautiful, specimens require us to think ahead. Somewhere between fall cleanup and putting the blade on the snow truck, our focus turns to these tiny miracles: BULBS.

Where do you come in? So glad you asked! There are some tips, tricks and helpful products when it comes to installing bulbs and boosting your yield. But, without human hands and a mindful eye on timing, these little guys would wither in their boxes or rot underground before ever getting the chance to bloom. The planting window matters: get them in the ground once nighttime temps settle into the 40s, roughly six weeks before the soil freezes. Bulbs need a snooze called cold stratification to bloom in the spring. And some varieties like longer naps than others. Daffodils like to get a head start, so tuck them in first. Tulips prefer to bed down a bit later in the fall.

What's next? It may sound obvious, but picking the right spot is key. After you determine your area has enough sun and good drainage for the soil, you'll want to dig a hole about 3x as deep as the bulb is tall. If you are planting in mass, an automatic auger is a lifesaver. For the love of God, do not forget the Bulb-Tone®! Place the bulbs with the whiskers down and the point up. Cover with soil and pat down gently. After you water it well, simply let them nap until spring does its thing.

The supplies you need for planting bulbs are available at Christensen's

Now that you have the basics, let's talk pro tips.

• Plant in odd numbers or in clusters, rather than in rows. It will look more organic and impactful when they bloom.
• Add a layer of mulch after planting to help regulate the soil temps and deter squirrels from digging up the bulbs.
• If there is a known varmint issue, mix in a bit of chicken grit or gravel to keep them from digging without harming the plants. You can also grate Irish Spring soap or spray diluted Downy in the areas to keep critters from munching on the leaves.
• We want to keep that foliage long after it blooms, until it turns yellow and dies back naturally. That's how the bulb recharges for next year.
• Bigger bulbs generally mean bigger blooms, so they are worth a little more money.
• Label where you planted so they aren't accidentally dug up in the spring before the flowers emerge.

Where do we go from here? Straight to Christensens to pick out your bulbs, of course! Our knowledgeable staff can help you choose varieties and products to turn these tiny miracles into a full-on magic show come spring.

Planning Ahead: Christensen’s Early Order Program Is Expanding

Every year, the Bulb Early Order Program gives Christensen's customers an opportunity to save a little while helping us plan ahead for the season.

When orders are submitted by the early order deadline, customers receive a small discount, and we get a better idea of what we need to have on hand when the season arrives. It’s a simple approach that helps everyone plan with a little more confidence.

This year, we’re expanding that same idea beyond bulbs. We’re introducing an early order program for tree stakes and burlap, two products that many of our landscape contractor customers rely on toward the end of the year to protect their plantings through Michigan’s winter weather.

Orders are due by October 5th to receive the early order discount!

Why make the addition? Better planning benefits everyone. Obtaining an earlier, clearer picture of demand allows Christensen’s to plan inventory more accurately, resulting in in-stock products when customers need them. For contractors, placing orders early saves money and it’s one less thing to worry about as the season gets busy.

We appreciate everyone who participates in our early order programs. Your early commitments help us serve you better, and we hope this expanded program makes it a little easier—and more rewarding—to plan ahead.

Mid-September is almost upon us, and it is a busy time of year. Now until early November could almost be considered the best time to plant, allowing your plants to "root out" and get comfy before the first freeze.

The graphic below shows some quick statistics and typical weather behavior. 

So, can you plant after that November freeze? Yes, but...

Be a little more careful with your plant choices. The later in the season you plant, the shorter your list of options gets.

Perennials

Shrubs

Trees

Most are a yes. However, there are some trees that are considered a fall hazard for digging and planting. Oaks, Redbuds, Dogwood and Amelanchier are considered fall hazard. A full list of fall hazard trees is available on our website under the Resources tab. If a customer chooses one of these trees in the fall, Christensen's requires a waiver to be signed.

If you do plant...

When planting late in the fall to early winter, remember to mulch and use anti-desiccates (on all evergreens). Also keep watering – Shrubs and Trees will continue to take up water until full dormancy. If you plant something on the "no" list just know it is risky. But If you are careful with the plants and add a little help, they stand a good chance of winter survival.

Christensen's will be here for you well into November and the sales staff available to answer all of your fall planting questions. Stop in, give us a call (1-888-454-8733) or email (sales@christensensplantcenter.com).

As I write this, the current weather outside is 67°, sunny but breezy. It’s very fall-like. But as Michigan has taught us in recent years, summer isn’t over yet. It’s become increasingly common for us to experience highs in the 80s well into October. Even knowing that temps will soar again, today’s climate triggered a reflection on transition.

Seasons transition from one to the next. We’ll soon transition to fall and then winter. Because we work in the green industry, that requires an annual change to our business. Even if your company continues with snow removal, the amount of work available changes. Winter can provide an opportunity to recover and reset.

For many, the transition to fall means the return of one of America’s favorite past-times: football. High school football, college football and the NFL dominate television sets, schedules and fantasy leagues. Entire social circles develop around football as fans watch games together, tailgate together or cultivate friendly rivalries.

Transition is the bridge between the old and the new, the former and the latter. They can start with loss but don’t have to end that way. We decide what the other side of the bridge looks like.

One of our long-time sales people, David "Cinco" Krajniak has a passion for photography. At any given time, he has countless photos on his phone to show anyone that asks. And it's worth the ask!!

This week, he shares with us photos of summer blooms. These are all plants you can find at Christensen's Plant Center. Let Cinco, or one of the other sales staff, know what you'd like to add to your next project.

"Here comes the sun...doo-doo-doo." Can you hear the old Beatle's tune in your head when you look at this striking blanket flower? Gaillarida 'Arizona Sun' grows 8-12" tall and blooms early summer through to fall. Because they prefer well-drained soil and full sun, they are drought tolerant.

It's probably not nice to accuse a plant of being stuck-up. But with a name like 'All Eyes on Me', you have to wonder. This Summerific® perennial Hibiscus has reason to show off. Her 8" blooms emerge late summer on a 42" tall plant. They prefer full to partial sun and moist, well-drained soil.

Unlike some of the other mentions above, Sweetbay Magnolia tolerates poorly drained, swampy soils. Which makes sense since it's originally native to eastern coastal areas. However, it thrives in Zones 5-10. This beautiful, delicate, creamy flower has a light, lemony scent.

Another delicate flower can be found on the Pink Chiffon® Hibiscus. Rose of Sharon typically bloom mid-summer, attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Once established, these are the perfect low-maintenance, 8-12 ft tall deciduous shrubs.

Finishing out the Hibiscus highlights is Woodbridge. Maxing out at a similar size as Pink Chiffon®, this variety contrasts with it's deep pink flowers. 

Christensen's sells hundreds of Limelight Hydrangeas every year, for good reason. This panicle hydrangea is hardy enough for Michigan, growing 6-8' tall. Cinco did a beautiful job of capturing their cone-shaped flowers.

Little Lime Hydrangea, as you'd guess, is the dwarf version of the Limelight. Comparatively, this little guy's mature height is only 3-5' tall. But, it still blooms lime green transitioning to a creamy white that matures to deep pink and then to burgundy in the fall. 

Hydrangea arborescens Invincibelle® Spirit II not only provides these beautiful pink blooms, but for every plant sold, Proven Winners donates $1.00 to Breast Cancer research. At a mature size of 4' x 4', these hydrangea also rebloom from summer into fall.

Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm', similar to Limelights, are a standard at Christensen's. They are also a fall favorite for their golden color. While they smile brightest in full sun, they'll still grow for you in partial shade. Southeast Michigan is full of clay soil so these are also perfect for that!

Speaking of colors that evoke fall, the blood-orange color of this Sombrero® Adobe Orange Echinacea is gorgeous! Drought and deer resistant, pollinators love Coneflowers and as the weather gets cold, the seed cones are the perfect food for birds.

We'll finish this beautiful photo diary with Bubblegum Pink™ Garden Phlox. The Christensen's perennial lot pops with these bright blooms during the summer. Growing to 18-24" in height, they're another favorite of pollinators. Nothing says summer like bright colors that evoke memories of childhood, going to the park with your friends, everyone chewing on DubbleBubble.

Thank you to Dave "Cinco" Krajniak for sharing his talent and beautiful photos with us this week. Contact your Christensen's sales person to add any of these plants to your next project.

I tell people all of the time that I'm like an annoying toddler, asking "Why?". "Why? Why? Why?" 

Part of "adulting" is being gainfully employed. There are bills to pay, possibly a family to support. If we're lucky, we find a job we enjoy going to everyday (or at least most days). The ideal is to find an industry you can call home, whether or not you stay with the same employer. I was curious why my fellow Christensen's employees worked here and why they work in the industry. So I sent them all a short survey to ask "Why?"

Sometimes the "why" is as simple as Larry's "I needed a job". Other "whys" included expected answers. But there were also some unique stories. Can you relate to any of them?

Like many of you, some of Christensen's employees have been in the industry a long time. As expected, owner Eric has been around since the age of 12. But so has Matt (with a break in his 30s). Kim, Barry and Cinco provided similar answers with 40+ years, 40 years and 45 years respectively. Chris and Dave are close behind with around 30 years. Christensen's also has the relative newcomers like Jen who's in her second season with the company, but has been in the industry for seven.

When asked why they're in the landscaping/green industry, there was a common thread that many employees enjoy the outdoors. Barry agreed, adding "the industry is still fun. Problem solving and meeting some of the most interesting people" were reasons he's stayed.

The plants are, of course, an important element. Chris said "I like working with the plants and seeing all the new varieties that come out." 

One of the more unique stories was Jen's. She was laid off from a hospital during COVID and was hired at a neighborhood nursery. "I always liked plants, but truly came to love them. I look forward to the insanity that comes with spring time in a nursery. I take a lot of satisfaction in adding to the sustainability of our planet and helping people solve problems all while adding beauty around them."

According to a recent survey, 76% of employees with close friends at work are far more likely to stay with the organization. Another study reveals that most workers see friendships as a critical factor in their decision to remain at a company. In the fight to retain key talent, fostering meaningful relationships could be a game changer. (Leveraging Social Capital by Michael Arena)

"Relationships I've built over the years stand out the most" for Matt. He went on to say, "It's the people. We move thousands (even millions) of dollars in products around, yet most of us understand this industry is full of SNAFUs and unpredictability. Success comes from working as a team, staying ahead of problems, managing expectations, and celebrating the small wins along the way. At its core, this industry is about picking things up and putting them back down again. But it's how we work together to make that happen, while creating more beautiful spaces and providing for our families, that I reflect on."

As for me, I'm in this job because I needed a part-time position that would work around my kids' schedule and Christensen's needed part-time help for the buyers. But, after almost 7 seasons, I've come to enjoy learning about the plants, using the resources to alter my own landscaping and being surrounded by so much natural beauty.

It's Sunday morning and stores aren't open yet. You're still in your pajamas anyway. So you go online to shop for a new piece of furniture. But it's so difficult to visualize that new chair, couch or side table in your living room. Wait, there's a button that says "Show Me" or "Try It In Your Space". Suddenly, a picture of that sofa appears on your screen with the instructions to point your device where you want to "place" it. 

Augmented reality is a fun tool. It allows you to "try before you buy", saving money and hassle.

It's also an opportunity for you, as a business owner or project manager/sales person. But who has the resources to develop that kind of technology? The hardscape vendors you buy from through Christensen's have done the work for you. They've developed everything from project galleries to augmented reality. What have you used from this list?

Oaks Landscape Products provides several inspirational opportunities. The Oaks Landscape Project Gallery includes 5 pages of image projects. Their website also has an extensive list of technical information and guides in their Resource Center. You can find it on their website on the top ribbon. Find the Landscape Project Gallery and more under the Inspiration drop-down menu on the top ribbon.

High Format offers over a dozen Inspiration Galleries on their website, each with detailed pictures and specs of the products used in the project. Downloads are also available, providing project details as well as links to an Outcropping Layout App and Outcropping Height Guide Tool.

52 years of dreaming about seeing the tulips!

I'd heard of the gardens in the Netherlands most of my life: the colors, the amazing variety of flowers. I dreamed of being there!

Then I chose a seasonal, spring-dependent career and devoted many years to that beautiful business. Supporting my clients and my staff (that had become used to eating regularly) required time, toil, worry, and stress!  But how rewarding to know that Christensen’s had (indirectly) planted thousands upon thousands of perennials, shrubs and trees over the span of my work-life.

Then came the day I decided to exit Christensen’s. To this day, I struggle to say "retired". But, the nursery was well established, the staff very competent and experienced. It was time.

Retirement allows my wife, Penny, and I to thoroughly enjoy traveling. It was finally time to live my dream and travel to Amsterdam in April of this year. We chose a river cruise with day trips to different sights. One of our first visits was to Floralia Brussels. It is a spring flower show at a private estate, Castle of Groot-Bijgaarden, which opens during tulip time for visitors.  It features 14 hectares of daffodils, tulips and other minor bulbs planted in beds or in naturalized settings. There are one million bulbs planted annually with 500 different varieties.  We were stunned by the beauty of the estate and the dazzling colors.

The highlight of the trip was the Keukenhof Gardens!  We arrived by bus and the first thing we saw from the bus was the fields of production tulips, hyacinths, and minor bulbs planted in mass. Think acers of one color of tulips in full bloom! Reds! Yellows! Blue hyacinths! There had to be 150 acres of color!  Fantastic!

Keukenhof is a park like setting covering 70 acres. Walking paths lead you through bed after bed of color. There are ponds reflecting brilliant color. It is truly a horticultural park where they plant 7 million bulbs annually. There are over 800 varieties of bulbs! I was impressed with a display of blue grape hyacinths planted as a meandering stream of color. It was stunning! 

You've got to go and fill your eyes!

Hi! I am Molly and I have been with Christensen’s for 14 years. Many of you may remember me from my days on the perennial lot. These days, I am the perennial buyer, sadly working at a desk (not so sadly during a heat wave or rainstorm). My main goal is to source fresh, quality perennials that are landscape ready!

I wanted to give you a little peek behind the curtain, so that you can understand all that goes into offering the best customer care possible!

Let me start with the most important aspect of my job: timing. The plant buyers are always working one to two weeks out. For example, today is Monday July 13^th. By the end of this week, I will have trucks for the week of July 20th set in stone and am unable to make additions or changes.

You might be wondering, why do I need to know this?? As the contractor, it’s important to understand the lead time required to get your material to Christensen’s. Basically, the buyers need a week or two, sometimes more (depending on time of year) to get you exactly what you need. If you need something ASAP, let us know ASAP so your material arrives fresh and in a timely fashion.

If a project requires a large quantity of a plant, or something funky no one has ever heard of, please let us know, in advance! We want to help! But we order your plant material from all over the country, and with the logistics involved, it takes proper planning on our part.

There is another snake in the grass to be wary of. Say you give me the list of materials and deposit right on time, I order it for the following week, and all is good. Then the dreaded “bounce back” email arrives, notifying me that the plants are no longer available: crop loss, water issues, pruning issues, someone stole them for another order. Whatever the reason, your plants are not coming as planned.

As a buyer who prides herself on meeting deadlines, this is not an ideal situation for either of us. After follow-ups with your salesperson, who will then notify you of the snag, the plants are added to my “get it here now!” list and your arrival date is pushed back at least another week.

Why am I sharing this bit of information? It’s a gentle reminder that some things are out of our control and many issues can be mitigated with advance planning. For example, after receiving a “bounce back” email, there still might be a chance to meet your deadline because it’s several weeks away.

The moral of the story is that we, the buyers, are committed to providing you with quality material, in stock when you need it. That quality, however, requires regular turnover. Therefore, we may not have the quantity or item you’re looking for on any given day. Advance notice allows the buyers to work with you to source the material you need when you need it. When situations out of our control pop up, please know that we work hard to make it right.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your orders!

Christensen's offers a full selection of fertilizers for landscape professionals. With so many options available, choosing the right product can sometimes feel overwhelming. Here's a quick guide to help you match common landscape applications with the fertilizer best suited for the job.

Quick Fertilizer Guide

1. New planting Trees and Shrubs → Bio-Tone Starter Plus + Root Stimulator
2. Long-term feeding → Osmocote
3. Acid-loving shrubs → Holly-Tone
4. Established Trees and Shrubs → Plant-Tone
5. Flowers → Flower-Tone
6. Roses → Rose-Tone
7. Bulbs → Bulb-Tone
8. Turf → Milorganite

If you'd like a little more detail, here's a closer look at each fertilizer and where it fits best in the landscape.

Application Tips

• Bio-Tone: Mix into the backfill during planting.
• Root Stimulator: Water in at planting.
• Plant-Tone, Holly-Tone, Rose-Tone, and Flower-Tone: Mix into planting beds during installation or apply to the soil surface around established plants and water in.
• Osmocote: Apply to the soil surface under mulch or lightly incorporate into the root zone.
• Milorganite: Broadcast over turf and water in.

Christensen's prides itself on partnering with landscape professionals to help them install and maintain beautiful, successful landscapes.

While fertilizer can help plants establish and thrive, more is not always better. Fertilizer is most effective when plants are healthy and actively growing. Avoid fertilizing plants that are drought-stressed or experiencing significant transplant shock. Sites amended with quality compost may also require less fertilizer than expected. In most cases, proper watering, soil preparation, and planting practices will have a greater impact on long-term plant success than fertilizer alone.