Even as events unfold around us and the world becomes uncertain, green shoots still push through soil and buds still emerge on branches. Spring is as unstoppable as it is inspirational.

As America isolates at home, an interesting and heartening thing is happening: Interest in gardening and landscaping is surging. A recent Associated Press news article reports that “The itch to get outside has turned backyard gardens into a getaway for the mind in chaotic times.”

Being outside in beautiful surroundings is also a getaway for the senses. Colors, textures, shapes and fragrances of spring and early summer blooms elevate the experience of being outside, particularly in our personal spaces. At Loma Vista Nursery, we prepare most of every year for that experience, always with our customers and their clients in mind.

We identify exciting new varieties. We carefully maintain containerized plant material at a consistent temperature throughout the winter months. We cautiously time the removal of venting in our mini houses as plants start to grow, then take off poly coverings after continuously checking the moisture levels of all materials. We space out plants in our hoop houses to create air flow and help prevent disease. Before plants leave our nursery, they are nourished with a coated fertilizer that lasts up to six months.

Now, our team is transitioning from tending to plants, shrubs and trees to sending them around the country to garden centers and other retailers. The consumers who are working on their honing their green thumbs welcome these signs of spring. Homeowners and gardeners, especially ones who are just starting out or starting back, can benefit from tips from the pros as they get started on the season.

Here are a few of our perennially applicable pointers:

Trim or prune perennials and grasses, if you didn’t get to that last fall.
Rake beds or use a leaf blower to remove debris like leaves and dead twigs.
Assess shrubs for dead or injured branches and remove those areas carefully. All evergreen hedges and plants that flower on new wood, like butterfly bushes, can be trimmed, but avoid trimming spring-blooming plants that flower on old wood, such as lilacs or azaleas.
For established plants, apply a low-rate fertilizer to give them a head start. Check labels before applying pre-emergent pesticides to make sure they are best for your plant varieties.
Established trees can be fertilized, at a low rate and with a time-releasing fertilizer. For newly planted trees, apply a root stimulator and establish adequate staking.
With a clean landscape bed, apply fresh mulch and top dress with a pre-emergent weed preventer.
Depending on the recent rainfall in your area, water as needed.

With new seasons come interesting new varieties. We are excited about some of our new plants this year, including Hydrangea serrata Tiny Tuff Stuff, a Mountain Hydrangea with blue/pink flowers, and Soft Serve Gold False Cypress with colorful gold evergreen foliage, among others. Browse our catalog to see these and other favorites, and get a peek at what’s coming up in later seasons this year.

This spring is like none in recent memory, and we are grateful for your support. It’s truly rejuvenating to see people working together – to provide and grow what they love at a time when it’s truly needed and appreciated.

Learn More About Plants From Us!

We may be a wholesale grower, but our staff are experts in the field. What’s more, is we love helping people learn more and understand more about plants. We grow healthy plants, and we want our plants (and any plants really) to be successful in the landscapes they are planted in. Feel free to email us at sales@lomavistanursery.com or call us at (785) 229-7200 if you ever have plant-related questions.