Fall Color, All Grown Up
Some of our largest trees are 50% off!
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Have you ever taken a trip up Grandview Drive in Peoria at peak fall color? Some of those trees are a hundred years old or more, and absolutely stunning. You might look at them and get inspired, but then feel discouraged when you think about how long it would take to plant a tree of your own, wait for it to look established, cast real shade and show real color.
Most of the time, you have to plant the tree and be patient. But at Hoerr Nursery, we grow almost all of the trees that we sell, which allows us to offer a shortcut: the tree spade.
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Mark (pictured left) has been training with veteran driver Ken (pictured right) to operate the tree spade.
What's a tree spade?
A tree spade is a machine with four large steel blades. They encircle a tree and lift it from the ground with a large mass of soil attached, keeping the root ball intact. The machine digs a bigger hole than we could practically make by hand, so it can move trees large enough to look established on the day that they’re planted.
We root prune these trees ahead of time, keeping the roots focused on filling in the space around the trunk. Regular root pruning keeps the root ball compact without harming the tree. Bonsai growers use the same technique, creating specimens that can live a hundred years or more in a relatively small container.
Because we plan ahead, our field-grown trees settle in after their move with little transplant shock, the dense root ball giving them the energy they need to re-establish themselves in their new home.
When we plant a tree spade tree, we’ll visit you twice. On the first trip, we dig the planting hole with the tree spade and haul the soil away. On the second, we come back with the tree and plant it. It’s well worth coming outside to watch, because it’s a fascinating process. To prevent any damage to your yard, we’ll put down plywood tracks, distributing the weight of the machine over the ground.
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Because we plan ahead, our field-grown trees settle in after their move with little transplant shock, the dense root ball giving them the energy they need to re-establish themselves in their new home.
When we plant a tree spade tree, we’ll visit you twice. To prevent any damage to your yard, we’ll put down plywood tracks first, distributing the weight of the machine over the ground.
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On the first trip, we dig the planting hole with the tree spade and haul the soil away. On the second, we come back with the tree and plant it. It’s a fascinating process, well worth coming outside to watch.
Ernie (pictured above) tried operating a tree spade for the first time with his father Dale, who retired as our tree spade driver around 40 years ago.
Taking a tree home
If an instantly established tree at your house sounds good to you, we've got great news. Right now, we're offering four tree spade trees at 50% off. If you’d like to come and see them, we’d be glad to arrange a tour of our tree field. Text or call Bryon at (309) 208-6076. He handles our big tree tours, and he’ll be happy to help you pick the right one.
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The same front yard before and after, with photos taken an hour apart.
Aside from the four featured trees listed below, we have some individuals discounted as well, including baldcypress, burr oak, and linden. Feel free to ask Bryon about what's available in the field. The prices listed here include the discounted tree, plus local delivery and planting.
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Swamp white oak ($1,001.37) is one of our Tried and True Trees, which means that it's earned a permanent place in our lineup, performing well both in our own trials, and in local plantings. It also just might be our best-performing oak, both adaptable and relatively fast-growing. Oaks are essential to the local food web, supporting over 500 other species of wildlife.
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Brandywine maple ($1,001.37) is the most dramatic tree on the list. It's a type of red maple with burgundy leaves in October. If fall color is what you want most, this is the one.
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Honeylocust, ‘Skyline’ or ‘Imperial’ ($894.12) feature lacy leaflets that go golden yellow in fall. When they drop, they disappear into the lawn, leaving you with very little cleanup. Both of these native tree selections are thornless and seedless, but ‘Skyline’ is upright, while ‘Imperial’ (pictured) is shorter and more spreading.
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Colonial spirit elm ($686.87) is a cultivar of the classic American street tree, bred to resist the Dutch elm disease that wiped almost all of them out during the last century. These native trees are a pleasure to look at with their their vibrant green canopy and fan-shaped form, with clear yellow fall color.
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The tree spade sale lasts through Thanksgiving, or until we sell out. If you’re not sure what might work best in your yard, bring a few photos of the spot, and we’ll help you find the best options.
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Look Good in Black All Season
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Give your garden a mysterious makeover! Dark-leaved shrubs are having a moment, and this week we're featuring seven stunning options. But before we get to the shrubs themselves, here are some reasons you might consider adding one to your landscape:
- Foliage outlasts flowers. Most perennials have a flowering season, but leaves last from spring through fall. Foliage and texture are the anchors of your garden, and dark-leaved shrubs do it really well.
- Dark-leaved shrubs make everything else around them look better. Bright flowers, cool greens, chartreuse, silver, and pastels all stand out against a dark backdrop. It’s the easiest way to make your other plants pop.
- They're better than before. Decades of breeding work have paid off in the intense color we see in plants today. The newer disease-free ninebarks, colorful weigelas, and compact smoke bush are relatively recent.
- Dramatic palettes are popular right now in home design, and garden trends are no exception. Plus, black foliage photographs well, which helps to show off your garden on social media.
- These shrubs are less work. They look good from leaf-out to frost, with no deadheading. What's not to love?
Check out our list of featured picks below for bold blacks and burgundies. Summer wine black ninebark is our horticultural manager Jennifer's favorite, for it's deep, dark color and arching habit, but every plant here offers something different. Click their names to learn more.
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Top left: Stay Classy Sand Cherry (New!)
Top middle: Summer Wine Black Ninebark
Top right: Spilled Wine Weigela
Center: Eclipse Bigleaf Hydrangea
Bottom left: Ruby Falls Weeping Redbud
Bottom center: Pearl Glam Beautybush
Bottom right: Kodiak Jet Black Diervilla
Can you plant them now? Yes! As long as you can dig a hole, you can keep planting trees and shrubs.
A few tips for success:
- Water as long as the ground isn't frozen. The roots will keep growing even after the leaves drop, and they need moisture to take up.
- Make a "doughnut" of mulch around the shrub 2 to 3 inches deep, which helps keep the soil temperature even through freezes and thaws.
- Hold off on fertilizing until spring, except for root stimulator.
- For most of these shrubs (with the exception of eclipse hydrangea, which wants morning sun only), pick a sunny spot. Most of these shrubs show their best color with six or more hours of direct sunlight.
Here's another tool for success: visit hoerrnursery.com and click on the advanced search at our Plant Finder. You can sort by size, color, and even deer resistance, so you can find a plant you’ll love for years to come.
Whichever black beauty you bring home, it'll be handpicked for Central Illinois, and backed by our one-year warranty on perennials, trees, and shrubs.
🎃Happy Halloween, and happy gardening!
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Every Season is Special
Make the Holidays Your Own
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Every season is special in its own way. For many of us, one of the best things about the holidays is the DIY decor and the scent of fresh pine.
That’s the idea behind this season’s workshops at Hoerr Nursery. When you make something yourself, from real greens or real soil, with your own two hands, you make it your own. In a world of off-the-shelf everything and endless screens, it’s real.
We hope that you'll join us for one or more of our workshops. Don't worry if you've never created anything like these items before. We'll supply everything you need, plus everything you need to know. Bring a few friends, or just come for yourself, and enjoy.
Here's a look at our full lineup:
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This Japanese planting style involves growing a houseplant in a ball of soil and moss—no pot required. Display your finished kokedama on a dish, set it in a decorative bowl, or hang it up like a living ornament. They're easy to care for, and we'll make sure you know how.
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- Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m.
- $45, all materials included
Join us to customize a grapevine wreath featuring natural textures like acorns, antlers, and birch bark bows, and take home a beautiful decoration for the fall and winter season.
Single crafters and groups are both welcome, and all supplies are included.
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- Saturday, November 21st, 10am and 1pm
- Saturday, November 28th, 10am and 1pm
- Cost: $65.99, all supplies included
Add a signature touch to your home this holiday season with your very own custom porch pot. These pots are filled with a selection of evergreen boughs that we grow and harvest here at Hoerr Nursery. Our expert instructors will guide you through the process of decorating your own!
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Holiday Centerpiece Class
- Saturday, December 5th, 10am and 1pm
- Cost: $45.00, all supplies included
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Join our talented designers, Lisa & Lauren, to create a one-of-a-kind holiday centerpiece using fresh-cut greens and natural accents. They’ll guide you through the process, from building a layered base to adding the eye-catching accents that make the design your own. No two centerpieces will look alike! You'll leave with a beautiful, fresh arrangement for your table or mantel that you've crafted yourself.
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Gardens have always grounded people in a special way, and our holiday workshops are one way to stay connected to the natural world after it's gone to sleep for the season. Come make something with us, and you'll see what we mean. Details and sign-up are at hoerrnursery.com/workshops.
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