Tag Archives: annual flowers

Unexpected Beauty: Managing Your Property’s Premature Awakening With Confidence

Spring has an elegant way of ushering in a season of renewal and awakening, often bursting with color and the sounds of new life.

A tale as old as time and as true as it ever was: “The early bird catches the worm.” However, this year, Mother Nature seems to have added a little pep to her step.

Perhaps lately you’ve found yourself saying, “Wow, my property is unseasonably colorful.”

Or maybe even “Look at how many trees and flowers have already bloomed, it’s like looking at a Bob Ross painting!”

As we take a moment and marvel at the beauty unfolding around us, the different scents and flavors dancing in the breeze, ILT Vignocchi wants to remind our fellow community members to be aware of the implications of “premature blossoming.” 

The early warm-up followed by the late frosts ahead poses unique challenges for property owners, so let’s dive in!

THE FASHIONABLY “LATE FROST”

A unique obstacle, commonly known as a “late frost,” occurs when temperatures drop below freezing after the growing season has already begun. This phenomenon happens during the transitional period, when plants start to emerge from dormancy and new growth has begun. “Late frosts” cause ground temperatures to plummet when cold air masses settle into the area as the heat radiates away from the ground. 

 

EARLY BULB VULNERABILITY

Rest assured that early-blooming bulbs are more robust than they appear. Tulips, daffodils, and other spring blooms are hardier than we give them credit for. Despite the threat of frost, these resilient plants are unlikely to suffer permanent damage. However, a layer of mulch or covering can provide added protection during sudden cold snaps, ensuring your foliage remains intact.

 

BROWNING TIPS, IS IT DYING?

While we’re on the topic of hardiness, frost may cause a slight browning of foliage tips, but it’s nothing to fret over. This natural process, known as “frost damage,” is temporary and poses no significant harm to the plants. So, if you wake up to a frost-covered garden, take a deep breath and trust in nature’s resilience.

 

SOME PLANTS WEAR ARMOR

The dance between winter and spring is epitomized by the magnolia tree. Its fuzzy flower bud covering acts as a protective shield, guarding the delicate petals. However, once this “blanket” falls away, the flowers on the magnolia tree become vulnerable to sudden changes in temperature. While some petals may be lost to a late frost, the magnolia as a whole endures.

 

COMPETITION IS THICK

Early warming temperatures can accelerate weed growth, competing with desirable plants for nutrients and space. Implementing weed control measures can suppress weed growth and preserve the aesthetic appeal of your property.

 

NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES

Early-blooming plants may exhibit signs of nutrient deficiencies due to imbalanced soil conditions or inadequate fertilization. This occurs because of the constant change in rapid heating and cooling of soil temperatures, which causes water to expand and contract. A targeted fertilization program can correct nutrient deficiencies and promote healthy plant growth.

 

While the early bloom may present challenges, we hope you feel assured about what lies ahead. 

If you are a current landscaping maintenance client, you already know that your team here at ILT Vignocchi is staying on top of this and will be implementing the measures necessary to safeguard your property.

And as you navigate the ebbs and flows of Mother Nature, remember that ILT Vignocchi is here to help guide and support you every step of the way. Our expertise in landscaping design, build, and maintenance ensures that your outdoor spaces remain vibrant and aesthetic year-round. 

You can embrace the early bloom and trust in the beauty of nature’s timing, knowing ILT Vignocchi is just a call away.

If you’re ready to uplevel your outdoor space or hand off the maintenance to a trusted industry expert, call us at 847.487.5200 (ext: 2220) for a consultation, or send a message our way to get started!

Balanced Spaces

Design can be all about balance:

 Balance the amount stone.

 Balance the amount the greenery.

 Balance the amount of wood. 

 Balance the amount of color.

 When everything is in the correct balance what you are left with is a very enjoyable space to relax in and enjoy with family and friends.

endless summer

Inspiration Everywhere

A mix of various shades if pinks and purples can produce a striking arrangement. Even more so when you consider what texture can bring to the table.

 So simple. So elegant.  #MackinawIsland

endless summer

What is Scilla?

What is Scilla?

We have probably all marveled at the beautiful fields of blue that pop up around this time of year.  Customers ask me all the time in wonderment, “What is that?!”

Scilla is a member of the lily family.  Most varieties bloom in spring whereas a few are fall bloomers.  It is coveted for it naturalizing tendencies.  So year after year they will slowly multiply to form that lovely blanket of blue.  I always warn that they aren’t for the faint of heart.  These are a true gardeners plant.  As seen below, if they love their home they can take over.

 

A mass of ScillaThey like full sun locations with well drained soil.  Plant them en masse for the best show.  you can even pair them with a Tete e Tete daffodil, which is a lovely dwarf variety in a creamy yellow.  Once they are done blooming, they are similar to other bulbs and do best if you let the leaves wilt.  Other plants like ferns and hosta can be used to help mask the withering leaves as they come up as the scilla is nearing the end of its season.

See how tiny the Scilla bulbs are?Once the Scilla have put on their show they disappear completely, back into dormancy for their next display the following year.  If you have never noticed this unique plant, take the time to look around…you won’t forget it once you see it.

March in to Spring with the Crocus

When diving into the history of different plants it more often than not more interesting than the actual biological development of the plant. If you delve deeply enough it is about how the plant has moved throughout the world and it fits into history.

The crocus is no different. It was first cultivated and grown for a very precious commodity. Saffron. Crocus sativus is a fall blooming crocus that has been grown for over 3,500 years
starting in the Mediterranean, as seen in a fresco in Crete. In fact, according to legend the Greek Gods Zeus & Hura loved each other so passionately that the land where they lived burst open with crocuses.

The crocus first made its trek to the Netherlands from Constantinople via the Holy Roman Empire’s Ambassador in the 1560’s where it continued it’s cultivation throughout Europe. So coveted were they that they even made an appearance in one of Shakespeare’s sonnets.

There are approximately 80 varieties of Crocus, 40 of which that are cultivated. Each variety takes on the appearance of its ancestors where they were first grown. The alpine species, C. vernus, is the chief ancestor of the common garden crocus. Dutch yellow crocus (C. flavus), from stony slopes in southeastern Europe, is another popular spring species, as is C. biflorus,tinged purple and with yellow throat, sometimes striped, from the Mediterranean.

As winter slowly recedes and spring creeps to occupy its space these lovely darlings make their debut. A little wink at what bursts of life and color are yet to come. So keep a look out for natures promise for spring.

Tulip Trivia

As I sit on this blisteringly cold January day my mind drifts to our lovely friend, the tulip.

You see my mother loves tulips.  Even though we lived in Riverwoods and had to contend with deer feasting on them she would plant them.  Not en masse but in charming little bundles that would cheerfully pop up in spring.  She would sometimes even pair them with Allium, in order to deter our beautiful yet hungry friends.

Her love affair continues today, although now she must battle chipmunks and squirrels who enjoy digging them up and moving them around.  This year I finally convinced her to even try my favorite tulip blend created by a most trusted vendor.  It’s called French Blend.  Wow, wait until she sees her spring display!

French Blend Tulip

The French Tulip Blend

It’s difficult to think of spring on such a snow covered day, but it will come.  My contemplating of the tulip has led me to some poking around.  I’ve found some interesting tidbits that I thought I’d share…

  1. Origin Story:  Thought that tulips originated in Holland?  They did not.  It is widely believed that they were first cultivated in a corridor along the 40° latitude between Northern China and Southern Europe.
  2. Tulips travel to Turkey:  When the tulip first made its way to Turkey it was revered by the Sultan and was cultivated solely for his pleasure and that of his entourage.  He forbid tulips to bought or sold outside of the capital.  The punishment?  Exile.
  3. A Status Symbol:  Tulips were cultivated to be curated.  They became a symbol of status and power for both Royalty and the very wealthy.  Mirrors were placed around arrangements and in gardens to create the appearance that the owner could afford more than they actually could.
  4. A Bricklayer’s Wage for 15 years:  At the height of what is called “Tulip Mania” once they had reached Holland, a single bulb would go for the price of a homepurchased in Amsterdam, or… a bricklayer’s wage for 15 years.
  5. There is an actual Tulip Museum…Outside:  Keukenhof is worth the visit in May each year.  I have been and I will never forget it.  It is display garden after garden that is painstakingly designed and installed annually.

And that my friends, is just some of the fun facts around out delightful spring friend.

Donna Vignocchi Zych

Perfect Pansies

I have a deep love of pansies.  I adore that they come in every color of the rainbow, which is unusual for an annual flower.  It is wonderful that they can be pure, or blotched or multicolored all on the same plant.  Have you ever looked at pansies when it is about to storm?  Try it, they absolutely glow.

Pansy Delta Premium Pure Lemon

What really sets them apart though is how charming cheerful they are.

Pansy Matrix Clear Mix

What can be seen as a drawback?  They are a cool season plant and in the Midwest we only get to enjoy them in spring and fall.  Oh I’ve done the experiments…transplanting them to the coolest shadiest parts of my yard to no avail.  They just peter out.  I actually like that they only shine twice a year.  It makes them all the more special.

It is thought that pansies are a close cousins to the viola, which has roots in Greece in the 4th century B.C.  However, they believe the first pansies were first found in France, because the word pansy is traced back to the French word pensee, meaning thought or remembrance.

Pansy Delta Lavender Blue

In the early 1800’s an inquisitive Lord Gambier and his gardener William Thompson began experimenting with crossing different varieties of pansies.  It is William Thompson who is accredited with removing long lines and created large blocks of color on the lower petals, created what is now known as “the face.”

Today popularity booms and most innovations are being made in Germany, Japan and the United States.

Pansy Matrix Midnight Glow

What is interesting is the amount of passion to innovate in this area.  It isn’t to create a drought free plant, or even one that is resistant to diseases or animals (which they are NOT).  The innovation, is to take something that was beautiful to begin with and make it even more so.

I for one am glad they are.

Donna Vignocchi Zych

President

Maintenance – frequently asked questions

We receive so many questions about our maintenance program, especially from people who are hiring a professional service for the first time.  What follows is a detailed account of what it is we do as well as some tips about those extra items that are beneficial to consider.  What is included in your maintenance program? Regular weekly maintenance includes:

  • Spring cleanup
    • Fall cleanup
    • Mowing and Line Trimming
    • Weeding and debris removal
    • Turf Fertilization, Pre and Post Emergent Weed Control Applications
    • In-season pruning
    • Perennial bed management and rose care

Available services:

  • Annual Flower Design and Installation
  • Watering
  • Core aeration
  • Seed and Sod Installation
  • Mulch and Compost Installation
  • Buckthorn Removal
  • Transplanting
  • Small garden design and installation
  • Native restoration

Will I receive service each week? You will receive a weekly site visit except during our spring (April) and fall clean up (November) operations.   Who is my contact person for Maintenance questions? An Account Manager is assigned to each customer.  They are there to answer any questions you may have, solve problems and address issues on your property as they arise.  They can also assist in any new ideas for improving the property.  Who can I talk to when there is a crew working on my site? Your crew has a crew leader who assures all operations are completed weekly.  You may speak with the crew leader or call your account manager should you have questions.  Do you collect grass clippings after each mowing? No.  Clippings contain water and elements that are desirable for soil and turf.  Your soil contains microbes and fungi that break down the clippings to a form usable by the plants. As the clippings decompose, they return organic matter to your soil, helping create tiny spaces (macropores and micropores) for water and air, improving percolation and fighting compaction. What are your pruning practices? Most landscape plants require some form of pruning, whether to preserve a loose, natural form, or to create tight, compact shapes. Each individual tree or shrub has its own, unique pruning needs, depending on variety, exposure and desired result. Unless you have formal hedges or topiaries, our pruning philosophy is to encourage the natural form of the plant.   What if it rains on my scheduled maintenance day? In the event of a rain day, we determine if our operations will be harmful to your landscape (i.e. create ruts, tracking of mud, etc.).  If we decide we may cause harm then we will not perform maintenance that day and schedule you the following day.  Make certain you are signed up for our e-newsletter.  We will send out notifications of rain delay.  When do you install seasonal color? We offer four possible rotations of annual flowers (or seasonal color): spring, summer, fall and winter.  The timing of each installation depends solely on the weather.  A rough time line follows: Spring: bulbs late October / early November, spring plantings Late March-Early April Summer: before Memorial Day Fall: September Winter greens: before Thanksgiving Should I core aerate my lawn? Because every lawn is different, that is a question to ask your account manager.  Aeration punches deep holes through thatch, turf, and compacted clay soil. Core aerators then deposit these plugs on top of the turf, where they eventually decompose. Over time, this process will de-compact soil, allowing for greater percolation. It also increases the surface area of the turf, encouraging beneficial aerobic bacterial and fungal growth.  Why do I need to mulch my beds? Mulch is an organic covering applied to tree and shrub beds. Mulch beautifies your property. Mulch reduces weeds. Mulch retains ground moisture.  Mulch protects roots from heat damage. Mulch enriches the soil as it decomposes.

Some of my favorite Bulbs for next Spring

I am a bulb junkie.  I think it may come from my mother’s love affair with tulips, hence her nickname for me actually being tulip.  I tend to stick to daffodils in my perennial beds and tulips in stand alone annual beds (something mom doesn’t agree with), however some of these beauties might have me changing my mind about planting them throughout my garden!

There really isn’t anything that complements the blooms of Crabapples, Serviceberries and Red Buds that herald Spring in with a flash of color like tulips.  But beware…if you have deer or bunnies, stick with Daffodils!

 

(Clockwise starting with the upper left: Best Pink, Hi Hat, Heart (for those Indiana Hoosier fans), Pink Cloud, Strike me Pink)

1505_BestPink_CGC6570 1431_HiHat_CGC2171w 1416_Heart_CWH1527 1467_pinkcloud 1405_StrikeMePink_CGC5797

For one of the most astonishing bulb displays that I personally have had the pleasure of visiting, check out Keukenhof Gardens in Holland.  It is a wonder to behold.