Oak trees are known around the world for their impressive strength, longevity, and significant ecological roles. These trees can live for hundreds of years, growing into massive, sprawling structures with thick trunks and wide canopies. Their deep roots anchor them firmly into the ground, making them incredibly resilient to strong winds and storms. The “mighty” oak has earned its reputation and is a great shade tree for any landscape.

The strong wood of the oak tree is dense and hard, historically prized for building ships, furniture, and structures that needed to withstand time and the elements. Oak trees also support vast networks of life. A single mature oak can host hundreds of species of insects, birds, fungi, and mammals, acting as a cornerstone of woodland ecosystems. Their combination of physical strength and ecological importance has led to cultural reverence as well.

There are many varieties of oak making it a versatile tree that can be used in different ways in your landscape:

The Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is a large, broad-canopied tree that can reach heights of 70–100 feet, with a massive trunk and thick, deeply furrowed bark. Its leaves are large and have a somewhat irregular shape. They are highly adaptable, drought-resistant, and tolerant of poor soils and extreme temperatures, making it suitable for more arid and open areas. Its broad canopy also offers excellent shade.

The Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) is more pyramidal in shape, typically growing 60–70 feet tall with a straighter trunk and a more symmetrical form. Its leaves are smaller and more sharply lobed, with deep sinuses and pointed tips. The branches of pin oak are characteristically horizontal to drooping on lower limbs, contributing to its distinctive silhouette. Pin oak is a popular ornamental tree due to its symmetrical form and rapid growth.

The Columnar English Oak (Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’), is a cultivated variety of the native English oak, prized for its narrow, vertical growth habit. Unlike the broad, spreading canopy of the standard English oak, this cultivar exhibits a tightly upright form, making it ideal for landscapes where space is limited or where a strong vertical element is desired. Typically reaching 50 to 60 feet in height with a spread of only 10 to 15 feet, the Columnar English Oak is well-suited to urban settings, avenues, or formal gardens. This tree is hardy and adaptable, thriving in full sun and tolerating a range of soil conditions. However, like other oaks, it can be susceptible to powdery mildew in damp conditions.

The “Mighty Oak” has been a vital tree culturally, ecologically, and in landscaping for hundreds, even thousands of years and it will be for years to come.

Christensen’s has all these varieties of oak available. Contact your salesperson, or stop through the yard to pick the one that’s right for your project.

You may have heard of the rise in popularity of native perennials, making you wonder, “Why should I plant them?”. Well, there are many reasons! 

Native plants are beneficial to our environment. Not only do they provide habitats and food for insects and animals, but they create a healthier place for us and our communities. Native perennials are excellent pollinators and will fill your garden with beautiful flowers, attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and more! They are also beneficial because they help reduce noise and carbon pollution! Finally, natives require less water due to being adapted to their native environment, saving you money and time!

One of my favorite Michigan natives is Asclepias tuberosa (Butterflyweed). This plant is beautiful in all seasons. The star of the show is its stunning orange flowers that bloom mid-summer. Fall interest continues with unique seed pods! Not only is this plant beautiful, but it is also food for Monarch Caterpillars. By planting Asclepias Tuberosa, you can rest easy, knowing that you are helping preserve one of the most beautiful, and vulnerable, butterflies in North America. Stop by the perennial lot and check out our Asclepias tuberosa. Look closely and you might see the stunning Monarch caterpillar yourself!

Last, but not least, are the Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower). This plant is native to prairies, meadows and woods, making it a very diverse and easy to grow Coneflower. Its bushy foliage and purple flowers provide interest all summer long. Once the flowers are spent, if not dead headed, they will last well into winter, allowing Finches and other birds to munch on their seeds. Fun Fact: Echinacea comes from the Greek word ‘Echinos’, meaning Hedgehog or sea urchin, describing the flowers’ spiky look. Can you see the similarity to the hedgehog in your email?

(Note: Although we do carry many Michigan native plants at Christensen’s there are many more that can be special ordered! Don’t hesitate to inquire about natives and we will do our best to get you what you need!)

Choosing a spreading Juniper can be a daunting task. There are so many to choose from and so many factors to consider. Height, width, color, and overall look varies between each variety. There are several varieties that are considered spreading but can end up being taller than some upright evergreen shrubs! So, how do you choose the right spreading Juniper for your customer’s landscape? While that task can be easier said than done, here are a few tips that may help point you in the right direction!

Juniperus conferta ‘Blue Pacific’

Blue Pacific Juniper is a great option when you are looking for something similar to a ground cover. It stays very low to the ground, only getting to be about 1 foot tall, and will spread to be about 6 feet wide. It enjoys full sun, making it a perfect option for open hillsides and sun gardens. Blue Pacific Juniper has blue-green foliage that will surely add interest to any landscape. Or, if you are looking for a similar plant, but in yellow, take a look at Golden Pacific Juniper. It grows the same, but has bright yellow-green foliage instead.

Juniperus virginiana ‘Grey Owl’

Grey Owl Juniper is another great option to consider when deciding between varieties. It will get a little bit taller, growing to be about 3 feet tall and 6 feet wide. It has a unique gray-green color to its foliage. Because it can withstand full sun, it’s a great option for landscapes with minimal shade.

Juniperus chinensis ‘Sea Green’

Sea Green Juniper is known for its vibrant green color all year long. At full maturity, Sea Greens can reach up to 6’ tall and 8’ wide, making it taller than most spreading junipers. Like the others, it enjoys full sun. Because Sea Greens tend to grow faster than other junipers, they are a perfect choice if you want the new landscape to fill in quickly!

Those are just a few of the options to consider.  If those aren’t quite the Juniper you were looking for, visit the Christensen’s plant yard to view what we have in stock.  Your sales person can also advise you on what can be ordered.

Why Tarping Bulk Material Matters

Keeping your load secure isn't just about safety.

It's the law! (MCL - Section 257.720)

A long time ago, I would have said, “Ugh!” to shrubs. However, over the last few years, I have grown fond of a few. I thought I would showcase my favorites.

We’ll start with my second favorite.

Fothergilla

Really? Fothergilla Kim?!?!  You bet. I agree that in the summer, there isn’t much to talk about when it comes to Fothergilla. During the summer it sits in the landscape as a perfectly well-behaved, quiet, little shrub. (Maybe not so little as Fothergilla gardenii gets to be 3-4’ and Fothergilla ‘Mt Airy’ comes in at 4-5’.) But spring brings the WOW effect of flowers! Even with their “dirty white” color, the little “bottle brushes” are adorable! Flowers appear from April until May. Green leaves don’t appear until after the flowers, making the flowers more fab!

Fall brings vibrant purple, maroon, burgundy, red, yellow, orange and gold to Fothergilla gardenii. (Did I miss a color from the rainbow?) Fothergilla x ‘Mt Airy’ tends to stay in the yellows and oranges.

One more thing about Fothergilla gardenii and ‘Mt Airy’. Ready for it?? They do it all in part shade or full sun. I have Fothergilla gardenii planted in nearly full shade at home and they are just as fabulous as those in full sun. 

Now my favorite.

Hamamelis – “Witch-hazel”

Some of you may say, “Kim this is a tree, not a shrub”. I agree that it’s not really a shrub, but instead a small multi-stemmed tree. Hamamelis virginiana is the bigger of the two at 15-20’, while Hamamelis vernalis is much shorter at around 6-8’. Both are native to Michigan and bird magnets.

Hamamelis vernalis flowers January-March and Hamamelis virginiana flowers October-November. Both have yellow flowers that get tinges of red and flower without the leaves. However, Hamamelis vernalis flowers before leaves while “Virgin Witches” flower after leaf drop.

Christensen’s will have a few other Hamamelis varieties this year. I am looking forward to seeing the ‘Grape Fizz’, spring-blooming, Hamamelis. The flowers are a deep shade of purple-red and can reach 4-5’ tall.

‘Carmine Red’ Hamamelis, flowering in … red. These can reach 10-12’.

Hamamelis ‘Diane’ has an amber-orange flower and grows to 8-12’.

And of course, customers will find Hamamelis ‘Arnolds Promise’, with its yellow flowers.

All of these varieties bloom in early spring and are officially Hamamelis x intermedia hybrids.

And finally, my third favorite shrubbery is…

Pieris

I know it doesn’t do all that great for us and needs a proper location to thrive. But it is worth it! Pieris are ericaceous broadleaf evergreen shrubs, like a Rhododendron. Pieris may need winter help, so it doesn’t desiccate (dry out). The white flowers are born in early spring.

Pieris ‘Mt. Fire’ has huge clusters of flowers, but the show comes from its foliage. New foliage is red but ages to green. Because new foliage emerges all year, there is always some red streaked in. Remember it needs a proper, shady and well-drained, location!

Contact your Sales Rep to add one or more of my favorites to your next project.  

Happy Spring!  k

Can you really have too much of a good thing? Of course!  I can think of many times I’ve eaten myself sick on foods that I rarely get a chance to eat. (Most notably, crawfish in New Orleans… It just tastes better in the French Quarter)

But too many flowers?  Nah, never!  Many years ago, when I heard gardeners complaining about Reblooming Lilacs, the arguments sounded like a kitten growling at an elephant. Why would you bemoan a beloved plant blooming long past its season? A direct quote from one article is “But who wants a lilac up the nose when they’d otherwise be carving pumpkins?” The short answer is, “A lot of people!”

If your customers would love to experience lilacs all season, plant Bloomerang® Syringa.

To maximize the flourish, follow this specific pruning schedule.

• Do not prune them before the first flush in the spring.  Since they flower on old wood, they set their first buds on the previous year’s growth.
• After the spring bloom, there’s a window of about 6 weeks before the next flush.  This is the optimal time to cut back a Bloomerang bush. The trim will encourage new growth and this is where the strong re-flush comes from.

However, be sure to manage expectations.  Yes, they re-bloom, but they never reach the full spring flush.  The second flush is enhanced by pruning. But afterwards, the flowers are best described as sporadic.

What about a plant that obscures all the foliage with flowers making it look fake?

Bobo® Hydrangea…I’ve seen the marketing pictures of this plant, but I’ve also experienced it in real life. And, let me tell you, the pictures don’t show how full of color the plant is in the garden. The best description I can come up with is…Unreal. The plant looks like a vase jammed full of mophead, clean-white flowers.  Do you need to have foliage to make a plant look nice?  I know flower shop employees that create arrangements would staunchly say that adding greenery is important.

I disagree.  There’s no such thing as too many flowers.

Adding these stunners to your designs ensures that your customers feel the ‘Wow!’ factor without a lot of work or taking up a lot of space (it’s a dwarf panicle hydrangea).

Pruning Bobo® Hydrangea also encourages new blooms. Consider giving your customers’ Bobos a trim during dormancy (Late fall-winter).  I say trim because taking just 1/3 off the top and shaping up the plant is optimal.  You can prune them to the ground (like some roses) and they will come back nicely. But it is certainly not necessary, especially with such a compact plant.

As I wrote this article, the song “Too Much Fun” by Daryle Singletary kept running through my mind.  I think ole Daryle said it best with the lyrics, “Too much fun, what’s that mean? It’s like too much money, there’s no such thing… …No matter what they say, I’ve done, but I ain’t never had too much fun.” Now, replace “fun” with “bloom”.

Spring is here, and with it comes a fresh start to another busy season of designing and building beautiful outdoor spaces. As the ground thaws and job sites come back to life, let’s get back to the basics—the foundation of every great paver patio.

That foundation begins with limestone aggregate.

Limestone has been a fundamental building material for centuries, prized for its durability and versatility. The limestone we use today took hundreds of millions of years to form. Once part of an ancient tropical sea, limestone is composed largely of calcium carbonate from marine organisms like corals and shellfish. Over time, layers of these skeletal remains compacted into the dense, sedimentary rock we rely on today.

Remarkably, many limestone aggregates still bear the imprints of their ancient origins—fossilized remnants of prehistoric marine life are frequently visible within the stone, offering tangible connections to Earth's distant past long before humans first learned to craft with stone.

Thornton Quarry: A Massive Source of Limestone

Thornton Quarry, located just south of Chicago, is one of the largest limestone quarries in the world. Spanning 1.5 miles long, a half-mile wide, and reaching depths of 450 feet. The site has been in operation since the 1800s. It supplies crushed limestone for road construction, concrete production, and hardscape base material. The quarry is also notable for its role in flood control, as part of the Chicago Deep Tunnel project. The northern section of the quarry has been repurposed as a reservoir capable of holding nearly 8 billion gallons of stormwater, helping prevent urban flooding. With its vast limestone reserves and dual role in infrastructure and environmental management, Thornton Quarry is both an industrial powerhouse and a critical component of regional water management.

From Quarry to Job Site: The Journey of Limestone Aggregate

The extraction and processing of limestone is a monumental industrial endeavor that combines raw power with precision engineering. Modern quarrying operations employ specialized excavators and blasting techniques to dislodge massive sections of limestone from exposed bedrock formations. These colossal fragments—sometimes weighing several tons each—are transported via heavy-duty articulated dump trucks capable of hauling 100-400 tons per load to primary crushing facilities.

The transformation from raw stone to construction-grade aggregate involves a sophisticated multi-stage crushing process. Initial jaw crushers reduce limestone boulders to manageable sizes, followed by cone or impact crushers that further refine the material. A complex network of vibrating screens—some spanning hundreds of feet across processing facilities—carefully sorts the crushed stone into precisely-calibrated size gradations. Quality control measures throughout this meticulous journey ensure the final product has consistent compaction rates, optimal angularity for interlocking strength, and appropriate levels of limestone fines for each specific application.

Christensen’s stocks a variety of limestone aggregates tailored for hardscape applications, including:

• 21AA Limestone – A mix of fines and larger crushed stone, designed for high compaction. Ideal for structural base layers beneath pavers, driveways, and retaining walls, ensuring long-term stability and load-bearing strength.
• 6A Limestone – A clean, angular stone ideal for drainage applications, backfill behind retaining walls, and permeable base layers. Its uniform size reduces compaction, allowing for efficient water movement and preventing hydrostatic pressure buildup.
• #8 Limestone – A smaller-sized aggregate often used as a bedding layer for pavers and slabs, providing excellent leveling properties and enhanced interlock to keep installations secure. Like 6A, #8 is washed clean, and suitable for permeable applications

The Science Behind the Perfect Base

Every professional in the hardscape industry knows that a patio or retaining wall is only as good as its foundation. Compaction is key—without proper density in the base layer, settling, heaving, and shifting will occur over time, leading to costly repairs and dissatisfied clients.

When compacted correctly, 21AA limestone forms a dense, load-bearing surface capable of withstanding repeated freeze-thaw cycles and heavy use. For applications requiring superior drainage, 6A limestone prevents water from becoming trapped behind walls or under slabs, reducing the risk of erosion or frost heave. Using the right combination of materials not only extends the life of an installation but also improves overall performance, making projects more resilient to the elements.

Limestone in the Bigger Picture

Limestone isn’t just vital to hardscaping—it plays a role in nearly every aspect of construction and infrastructure. It’s a key ingredient in concrete, asphalt, and even soil stabilization. Some forms of crushed limestone are used in agricultural applications to balance soil pH, while others serve as filtration media in water treatment plants. The same stone that forms the base of your patios and walkways is also helping to build highways, airports, and bridges across the country.

As we kick off another season, let’s start from the ground up—literally!
Investing time in selecting the right base material and ensuring proper installation techniques will pay off in the long run. If you have questions about which limestone aggregate is best for your next project, stop by and let’s talk stone.

Here’s to a successful season, built on a solid foundation!

For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

                - Song of Solomon as quoted by Ernie Harwell

The older I get, the more I love this quote.  Not only for the sentiment about spring, but also the memory it sparks about my youth.

I spent every spring in my youth listening to Ernie Harwell and Al Kaline covering the Detroit Tigers baseball games on WJR.  I often fell asleep with a pair of headphones on because the game was on the west coast and went farther into the night than I could.  Those happy memories always started every spring with Ernie reciting these words.

For me it marked so many starts.  The start of the baseball season, and being able to listen to Ernie and Al call the games.  The “start” to the end of the school year, and the beginning of summer vacation.  And the start of the nursery season.  Which meant my father would be leaving early, getting home late, working weekends, all the things that we all know and live.

2025 marks my 30^th official year at Christensen’s.  And while numerous things have changed over the last 30 years, it always is so striking at how many things remain the same. (Like my quoting of Song of Solomon… bonus points if you noticed that I’ve quoted it before!)  Winter ends. The snow melts. And semi load after semi load of freshly dug shade and ornamental trees start arriving for the next landscaping season in Michigan.  Shortly after that, my friends, all of you start coming back to visit us at Christensen’s.

Welcome back my friends.  Welcome back.