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.

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.

In my time off from Christensen’s I love going to different zoos and gardens to shoot photos. I’ve been into photography for about 35 years and now my oldest daughter is into it as well. I’m a self-taught photographer and became more interested in photography when a Lowland Silverback Gorilla threw a clump of grass at me that came within inches of my head. I wish I had been able to capture that shot!

 I shoot with a Canon EOS 800D and a Tamron 18-400mm zoom lens, and this kit gives me a lot of flexibility for shooting both landscapes and wildlife.

My favorite place to go is the Detroit Zoo. Within the past two years the zoo has opened two new exhibits that feature plant material from Christensen’s Plant Center. The new exhibits are the Holtzman Wildlife Foundation Red Panda Forest and the Devereaux Tiger Forest.

Christensen’s has supplied massive amounts of plant material over the past two years for the new exhibits. The red panda exhibit has a suspended bridge over two display areas that are fully landscaped. The pathway to the end of the tiger exhibit is spectacular, it goes on forever it seems, featuring trees, shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses. The tiger area has tripled in size from the old display area and the tigers really seem to enjoy their new habitat.

In addition, over the past five years we have supplied plants for the river otter and giraffe exhibits, and many of the display berms and gardens throughout the entire zoo. Next time you are visiting the Detroit Zoo, look at the plant displays as well as the animal habitats, you might get some great inspiration for your landscaping designs. We know where you can get the plants!

Spring is here, now is the time for weed prevention, and Christensen’s has a few ways to prevent weeds and up-sell products to your customers for increased profit. Today I want to talk about Treflan and landscape fabric.

Treflan is a pre-emergent herbicide for annual grasses and broadleaf weeds. Treflan can be used in new landscape beds, around trees, groundcover, and in established landscape beds. Now is the time to apply - before you see weeds emerging. Treflan creates a chemical barrier to germinating weeds. If there are root fragments in the bed, Treflan can’t stop them from coming up, so bed prep is important for good results. Be sure to follow the directions on the bag for coverage and how to apply. Also note the part of the directions about how the product must be watered in. This is an easy step that is key to your success when using this product.

Applying Treflan is a good plan when installing mulch. It’s a value-added service resulting in great-looking beds and happy customers. And make sure that you check out Jermi’s mulch video from last week to get the best practices for installing mulch and making you more money.