This weeks True North Landscaping Blog letter is D.? Let?s get in the mood for Spring, shall we?

D ? is for Dianthus.?

There?s a lot of great varieties of this beautiful ground cover perennial.? A couple beautiful ones are ?Cheddar Pink? & ?Firewitch?.? Used as accents in mass plantings in your landscape or to edge a bed, Dianthus is a beautiful little Perennial!? Full sun, & not TOO much water please!

D ? is for Flowering Dogwood!?

What says Indiana more than a Flowering Dogwood in full bloom?? Well, maybe a Redbud, but that?s for later.? Of the White Flowering varieties, it?s hard to beat a Korean or more commonly called, the Kousa Dogwood.? If there?s only one best overall variety to plant in Indiana, the Kousa Dogwood is king.? ?Milky Way? is a beautiful, heavy flowering cultivar of the Kousa, & another great white flowering variety is the Cherokee Princess.? There are many other varieties in Red & Pink as well.? They can be a little finicky to get established, especially when you get away from the white flowering varieties, but they can & will make it in Indiana with proper care & the right conditions.? Dogwoods tend to like some shelter & are a great ?understory? plant (between 2 houses, anchoring the corner of a bed near a wall or foundation).? That being said, I?ve seen them thrive in the middle of wide open front yards.?

Dig a good hole (nice & wide), say a prayer, & be diligent with watering until established.? Remember the rule of thumb that a great gardening Client shared with me years ago? ?Sleep (1^st season), Creep (2^nd season), & Leap (3^rd season).? Come see us in May to get your Dianthus & Dogwoods at the True North Landscaping Garden Center, or call sooner to come pick something out or have us deliver & install for you.? Until next week, Cheers!