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).

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.

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.

Coralburst® Crabapple (Malus 'Coralcole') is salt-tolerant, grows well in normal, sandy or clay soil and grows to be about 8-12' x 10-15'.

Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star', because it blooms later than other Magnolias, is less susceptible to frost issues. This native of Japan can grow to be 10-20' with a spread of 8-15'. 

We'll close out the show with the elegant, purple flowers of Roseum Elegans Rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense 'Roseum Elegans'). This fast-growing, evergreen shrub thrives in cooler regions like Michigan and is an option as a hedge or privacy screen.

Join us at Christensen's to see what's blooming.

The variety is staggering.

Christensen's Plant Center has added several new (or new to us) varieties of trees to the availability list this season.

Ivory Spear® (Malus 'JFS KW214MX') and Raspberry Spear® (Malus 'JFS KW213MX') Crabapples

Both of these trees will grow to be 18’ tall and 7’ wide. They are a very narrow and dense form of crab apples and highly disease resistant. The Ivory Spear® has pink buds that open to white flowers, dark green leaves and bright cherry red fruit. The Raspberry Spear® has magenta pink flowers, dark purple leaves, and deep red fruit. They both will thrive in full sun.

Cornus Stellar Pink® Dogwood (Cornus x 'Rutgan') 

The Stellar Pink® Dogwood will grow to be 20’ tall and wide. It has pink flowers that are just slightly lighter than the Rubra Dogwood, making it a great subtitle. Stellar Pink® has green foliage that changes to a bright red in the fall.  While Stellar Pink® isn't new to Christensen's, we will only have the clump variety this year, in an 8’-10’ range.

This is a small highlight of what's new at Christensen's this season. Stop by for a look at all on offer.

Tune in next week to see the selection of new shrubs.

Every year, Christensen's plant buyers make an effort to visit our vendor nurseries. We do this to see their material, hear how they are doing, and build relationships. In September and October, we add one more thing to the agenda: tagging trees for the fall and spring dig seasons!

Christensen's goal is to supply our customers with the best material possible. This means trees that are full, have good branching, and that are true to form for the species. The long hours we put into hand picking these trees is well worth it in the end. Because when the trees get to the plant center, we get to see our tags become your tags!

Who can be thinking about fall when temps remain in the 70s and 80s?  

Even with summer weather hanging on, there are plenty of signs of fall at Christensen's. Trees in the field and some plants in the shrub blocks have been putting on a show recently, turning on their fall colors. Soon, they’ll be dropping their leaves, and we’ll be selling you structure. 

Even while existing inventory is preparing for fall, fresh products are still arriving. We are excited for fall trees to start arriving in a few more weeks! They should have leaves when they arrive. We expect to ship:

• Amelanchier (service berry)
• Most Malus
• Linden (Little Leaf)
• Ginkgos
• Pear
• Maples such as Crimson King, Crimson Sunset and Autumn Blaze

Wishing you all a Happy Fall season!

Smarter Deliveries, Smoother Jobs

In landscaping, timing and coordination are everything. One late pallet can throw off your crew and cost you money. That’s why Christensen’s Plant and Hardscape Centers stocks plants, hardscape, drainage, and lighting—and can deliver them together!

Mixed loads save headaches:

• One ETA, one invoice, one vendor
• Less downtime waiting on material
• Allows more time for plant placement, leading to “upsell” opportunities.

Tips to help deliveries, and your jobsites, run smoothly

• Store plants in a water-accessible area, with shade if possible.
• Store adhesives and polymeric sand in a dry area, such as inside a truck or trailer.
• Stage materials in the order your crew will install them, moving items as few times as possible.

Your partner in sourcing premium materials

When a contractor designs projects mindful of the materials stocked at Christensen’s, it prevents delays and simplifies reorders. This, in turn, improves consistency and keeps projects moving. It also adds the potential of a single delivery.

At the end of the day, single-source purchasing isn’t just convenient, it’s strategic. Let Christensen’s Plant and Hardscape Centers manage the logistics, so your crew can focus on creating landscapes that impress.