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.

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!

My degree is in American history. I was particularly fascinated by the Civil War era as well as how immigrants/emigrants shaped the country.

However, learning lesser known historical facts is always fun for me, no matter the era. Admittedly, my recall abilities aren't very strong. So I'm not necessarily an asset on trivia night. But I love the learning!

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, I thought it would be fun to test your knowledge. Answers are below my byline.

No cheating!!

Sources

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-the-declaration-of-independence

https://www.annapolis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Little-Known-Facts-about-the-Declaration-of-Independence-copy1.pdf

https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/three-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-american-revolution/

https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-revolutionary-war/ten-facts-about-the-revolutionary-war

https://www.americanrevolution.org/fun-facts/

https://azpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/American-Revolution-Trivia-Questions.pdf

Answers