Summer 2012 has been a dramatic reminder that fall planting is often better than spring. The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum recommends fall planting and has plants available now.
Gardeners can come in for plants almost any time if they schedule it ahead, but the greenhouse also will be open for sales every Friday through Oct. 26. These smaller sales will run from noon to 5 p.m. except for Sept. 15 and 22, when they run from 9 a.m. to noon.
"Plants are less stressed by the heat, more likely to develop a strong root system and gardeners will be way ahead of the game next spring," said Bob Henrickson, horticulture program coordinator.
Henrickson said many of the trees available are "collector trees, rare and hard-to-find." There's Chinese wingnut, Katsuratree and Kobus magnolia collected from Morton Arboretum in Chicago. The arboretum also has the rare Erman's birch, a medium-size tree with luminescent, pink-tinged bark and a fine web of slate-black branches.
There are rare finds in every plant category. Goat's rue is an eye-catcher when it blooms for almost a full month in June. The flowers are pea-like, a mix of pale yellow upper petals and deep, rosy pink petals below. The foliage is silvery gray and delicate, similar to leadplant and able to withstand tough prairie environments.
Another native wildflower is false lupine or golden pea. It's a long-bloomer with beautiful yellow, pea-like flower spikes reminiscent of lupines, but "much easier to grow." It blooms in early to mid-spring, followed by velvety pods useful for dried arrangements. Henrickson recommends planting it with Baptisia for a beautiful yellow and blue flower show, and it's a great cut flower too.
'Skyracer' purple moor grass will turn some heads too, Henrickson said. It develops delicate plum-colored seedheads up to 7 feet high. The grasses remain narrower at the base and very upright, so it's effective in small spaces and turns yellow-gold in fall.
For shrubs, there's possomhaw, New Jersey tea and silky dogwood. If you've never heard of possomhaw, Henrickson said, "you're not alone." But this holly-like Texas native can withstand extreme heat and becomes a blaze of color in fall and winter with bright yellow to red to orange fruits. It grows 8-12 feet tall and is adaptable to a wide range of soils and exposures.
Proceeds from plant sales sustain the arboretum's mission and fund critical programs and services. More information available at: http://arboretum.unl.edu/plantsales.html. Call 402-310-9937 for more information on the plants.
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/0ee