Salix exigua – Woolly Willow flower

There’s a beauty to early morning light that makes wildflowers even more stunning.

Bloodroot – Sanginea canadensis

These flowers come out early in the spring before the leaves show up on the trees.

Trillium grandiflorum – white trillium

Trillium grandiflorum – white trillium detail

The flowers come from a variety of habitats, including wetland species.

Caltha palustris – Marsh Marigolds

Some flowers aren’t all that colourful, but the diversity of greens in the natural environment is also beautiful.

Arisaema triphyllum – Jack-in-the-Pulpit with ferns and Solomon’s Seal on the forest floor

It’s a pleasure to enjoy these beautiful creatures, wherever they are. And you can have them too by planting them in your backyard.

This is about three weeks worth of images taken during the day. There is a fair bit of variation in light levels, but it definitely shows you the growth of the red oak from an acorn to a small seedling.

A cluster of Virginia Bluebell flowers (photo by John Verbinnen)

One of the first flowers to come out in the greenhouse this year is the Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica). Native to eastern North America, it is a spring ephemeral, meaning that it makes its appearance in the spring for a few weeks before the trees show their leaves. It then goes back into dormancy for the rest of the season.

The flowers are a stunning. They buds are a soft pink, but as they open, they turn blue. If you stumble upon a patch in bloom you will be presented with a magnificent sight as a sea of blue stretches out before you under the forest canopy.

Detail of Virginian Bluebell flowers showing the change from pink to blue (photo by John Verbinnen)

Because the flowers are some of the first to open, they are an important source of early spring nectar for butterflies and other nectar feeders.

A macro view of Virginian Bluebell flowers, showing the stamens covered in pollen (photo by John Verbinnen)

Virginiana Bluebell are considered vulnerable in Ontario because they have particular habitat requirements. They sensitive to disturbance, but thankfully, the Niagara Escarpment, with its relative abundance of deciduous forests, low slopes and moist environments creates ideal habitats for these spring beauties.

We are happy to have a small supply of these beauties this spring. If you are interested in making these an addition to your native plants designs or gardens, please let us know!

We wish all our customers, suppliers, and friends a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) fruit on a frosty morning. (John Verbinnen)

It’s a beautiful time of year. Frosty mornings are followed by sunny, crisp days. Colours pop out and are highlighted by ice crystals.

Beautifully red ed oak (Quercus rubra) leaves lined with frost. (John Verbinnen)

As the trees shut down for the winter, the green pigments disappear and some of the underlying colours in the leaves come into view.

Showy Mountain Ash (Sorbus decora) fruit lined with ice crystals. (John Verbinnen)

Many trees and shrubs are loaded with fruit this time of year. Birds will depend on these fruit throughout the winter. If you include these trees and shrubs in your landscape, you will enjoy the beauty of the plants as well as the presence of the birds that depend on them.

Enjoy!

Peter Scholtens – Sales and Service, Verbinnen’s Nursery

Aromatic sumac (Rhus aromatica) showing off its beautiful fall colour.

A bumblebee enjoys the Sky-blue Aster (Aster oolentangiensis).

Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis) has wonderfully showy seed heads that look great in a residential garden.

Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) with its feather-like plumes makes a striking statement.

Enjoy!

Peter Scholtens – Sales and Service, Verbinnen’s Nursery

Viburnum dentatum in 3 gallon pot

Viburnum dentatum is native shrub that has a lot of potential in restoration and in residential and commercial landscapes. It grows to 2 -3 metres in southern Ontario.

The Arrowwood Viburnum is a multi-stemmed, dense shrub with dark green leaves that turn yellow to reddish-purple in the fall. Flowers appear in early June, and are white clusters with yellow stamens, which creates a creamy look. It carries small oval fruit in the fall that birds appreciate during migration.

Viburnum dentatum flower with a visitor

Viburnum dentatum has a variety of potential uses. It is good in hedges, groupings, and in masses. It is adaptable to a variety of climates and soil types. It has few diseases or insect pests. We encourage you to try it in your landscape!

Check it out all the details here!

Check it out all the details here!