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FEATURED QUOTE :
"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything." ~William Shakespeare
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Did you know that there is an easy way to mulch your garden and give your
soil a boost at the same time? Most gardeners know that the secret to success
starts with the earth that surrounds a plant’s roots. Whether you have clay, sand
or reasonably good soil, there is no garden that will not benefit from adding more
organic content.
Schönheit’s shredded leaf mulch literally feeds the soil, providing essential
plant nutrients and creating a home for the microorganisms and worms that
nurture your garden. Beneficial microorganisms perform many tasks, including
destroying pathogens and delivering nitrogen to the plants. Worms, of course,
further enrich the soil with their castings. Why buy worms or worm castings
when you can create your own by using leaf mulch?
The secret to good leaf mulch lies in the composting and shredding process. At Schönheit Gardens we gather the leaves each fall and allow them to compost over the winter in enormous piles. Then we double shred them, guaranteeing that they will form a fine layer of mulch that inhibits weeds and breaks down slowly to improve the soil.
An added benefit to our leaf mulch is that, like bark mulch, it retains soil
moisture. You will water less when you use leaf mulch! Unlike bark mulch,
however, leaf mulch builds better soil. In fact, many gardeners find that leaf
mulch is the only fertilizer their garden ever needs. Use it around flowers and
vegetables as well as trees and shrubs.
Schönheit Gardens is committed to a cleaner environment. In keeping with
this mission, we sell our leaf mulch in sturdy woven bags that we encourage
customers to return. Customers receive a one dollar credit for each returned bag,
which can then be used to pay for purchases in our nursery.
Shredded leaf mulch sells for $6.95 per 3 cubic foot bag.
Bulk mulch is available for delivery and pickup, by appointment, for $35/yard. |
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Perhaps nothing heralds the coming of spring like the magnificent saucer-like flowers of the tulip magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana), also known as saucer magnolia or Chinese magnolia. These small deciduous trees are one of the most popular trees in the home landscape, and for the month they bloom, they are truly extraordinary.
There are many cultivars of this hybrid species with the 4-5" blossoms ranging in color from pure white to shades of pink and purple--and now even shades of yellow. The winter floral buds are large and fuzzy, giving rise to "candles" as they expand and open. In warmer climates, this can be as early as January and February, but for most of the country, the flowers reveal themselves in late March and early April, before the foliage emerges. The flowers can be damaged by late frosts, so we plant the late-blooming varieties here.
Most of these varieties have an upright oval growth habit in youth, becoming rounded, spreading, and mounding with age. They make great small trees, with some varieties growing up to 30' high. But most varieties can be maintained at 10-15' with yearly pruning. The 6" medium-to-dark green leaves hold their color right through the end of fall, before they drop for winter.
The star magnolia is a slow growing shrub or small tree native to Japan with large showy white or pink flowers in early spring before the appearance of the leaves. This tree grows 15 to 20 feet in height, and displays upright oval growth in youth, and spreads and mounds with age. We have many gorgeous blooming
star magnolias in stock now!
We have Star Magnolias on sale right now for $38.00, for April only (normally $47.95)!
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If you have waited to plant hydrangeas in your yard, perhaps now is the time. Never have there been so many choices for the northern gardener. No longer are you confined to the white globular blooms of 'Annabelle, 'the best-known of the smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens), or 'PeeGee,' a popular panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) with conical white blooms. Both of these old standbys now have many new cousins that offer greater choice as to bloom color and size of plant, as well as stronger stems to support those gorgeous but heavy flowers.
This year Schönheit Gardens will be carrying three varieties of smooth hydrangea that have great promise for the garden. 'Incrediball 'has basketball-size white blooms supported by strong stems. A second variety, Bounty, is similar to Annabelle but has tighter blooms and stems that will not bend under the weight of the flowers, even in a storm. Finally, 'Invincibelle Spirit' is the first pink-flowered form of 'Annabelle,' blooming from midsummer until frost. All three of these hydrangeas bloom on new wood and are extremely hardy.
Schönheit Gardens will also be carrying a good selection of panicle hydrangeas, which are known for their sun tolerance and ease of growth. Because these also flower on new wood, they are reliable bloomers, even in zone 3 (northern WI!). 'Limelight,' which has been on the market for several years and is known for its unique green-tinged blooms, is joined this year by 'Little Lime', a shorter form perfect for smaller yards. We will also offer the very unique First Editions® 'Great Star'™ which, unlike most panicle hydrangeas, has star-shaped flowers that are cream colored. 'Pinky Winky' joins the cast again this year, having become a standout with spectacular blooms that emerge white and then, as the weather cools, turn pink at the base of the flower. Each conical, two-tone bloom can reach 15" or more in size!
Changes in the world of hydrangeas first began with the introduction of 'Endless Summer,' a form of bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). In the past, these mophead hydrangeas were unreliable here because they set buds on the previous season's wood--buds that often died during our cold winters. 'Endless Summer®,' blooms on the current season's wood, making it a more reliable bloomer.
Schönheit will, of course, carry Endless Summer®' The Original, but there are new members of the series that you should look for as well. 'Bella Anna,' the newest addition to the 'Endless Summer' Collection, is a pink to magenta-flowered form of Annabelle. Twist-n-Shout, which has periwinkle blue to pink flowers, is the first reblooming lacecap hydrangea, a form of H. macrophylla known for its flattened blooms which have a large central section of tiny fertile blooms surrounded by a narrow circle of larger flowers. Rounding out the collection is Blushing Bride, a pure white macrophylla hydrangea that blooms on old and new wood.
Schönheit's hydrangea selection continues with the uniquely variegated Light- o-Day, which has creamy-margined green leaves and pink blooms (blue if you adjust the soil acidity). The nursery will also offer 'Let's Dance Starlight, 'a lacecap that blooms in vibrant pink on old and new wood. In addition, there is 'Cityline® Mars,' a bigleaf hydrangea with magenta and white blooms on a diminutive plant.
Last but not least, the nursery will carry two older but indispensible hydrangeas: the lovely oakleaf hydrangea (H. querquefolia), with its large white flowers, unique leaves and splendid red, orange, yellow and burgundy fall color; and the beautiful climbing hydrangea vine (H. petiolaris), with its lovely white lacecap flowers and tolerance for shade.
"We hardly design any jobs WITHOUT hydrangeas these days, with so many wonderful selections available," says Heidi Kuhman, owner at Schönheit Gardens, and head of the landscape design division of the company. "Hydrangeas are so versatile, tough, and long-blooming and we love using them," she says.
Come out and check out our beautiful plants today!
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Amsonia hubrichtii grows 36 inches tall and 36 inches wide in a mounded form. This hardy perennial grows in hardiness zones 4 through 9 and is a versatile North American native.
Amsonia offers a variety of features throughout the seasons. From late spring to early summer, two- to three-inch wide clusters of small, light blue, star-shaped flowers are borne above the ferny foliage. The alternate-arranged leaves are bright green in spring and summer, but turn a bright yellow-golden color in fall.
We have extra large 3-gallon sized plants
as well as 1-gallon sized plants in stock now!
For more information about this plant, please click here: http://www.perennialplant.org/
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Well-designed and properly planted shade gardens are the most refreshing parts of any landscape, but you can't plant them properly unless you understand the characteristics of shade. Many homeowners start out with mostly full sun, but then either plant too many trees or let volunteers grow wherever they plant themselves. After a few years on this course a sunny garden can become a shady or even gloomy one.
It takes real courage to cut down mature trees, but sometimes this is the only way to reclaim the sun. In some cases you can lace trees out to let adequate light through. The best shade is that which you create yourself, either by building a shade structure or by planting an appropriate number of well-chosen trees in the right places. The most difficult shade is that which you can't control — solid shadows of buildings or walls, sometimes alternating with an hour or two of burning hot sun.
Shadows don't stand still; every day they move from west to east as the sun moves across the sky from east to west. They also lengthen northward as the sun moves south during fall and winter, and then they gradually shorten again as the sun moves north in winter and spring. These factors make gardening in the shade a lot trickier than gardening in full sun. So if you're interested in shade gardening, begin by observing and understanding the shadows in your own garden; notice where they occur, how dense they are, and their duration.
Not all semi-shade or even dense shade is alike. It differs widely according to what causes it and its exposure (the direction it faces). It's important to learn how to distinguish among these various degrees and exposures of shade and to learn which plants are most likely to succeed in each of them. Shade plants vary greatly in shade tolerance. Most shade plants, particularly flowering ones, need semi-shade, which, by definition, means partial sun. Only a small number of plants will grow with no sun at all, but many gardeners have created beautiful gardens even in dense shade.
One of our specialties is shade gardening and we can help choose
appropriate plants for any shady situation, so come on in and visit us soon!
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The Hosta (also known as Plantain Lily) is one of the most unique, useful, and colorful shade plants used in the landscape today. This deciduous perennial can add a splash of foliar color and bloom where many other plants cannot survive or perform well. Not only do hostas have attractive foliage, but they also send out long upright plumes of flowers in shades of lavender, pink and white every summer.
Native to northeast Asia, hostas have come a long way in foliage varieties in the last 20 years, thanks to a rabid interest among hybridizers to create and introduce new varieties. Today, hostas can be found in a multitude of color variations to please even the most discriminating gardener's palette.
Most hostas are broken down into three distinct color categories that include shades of blue, green and variegated. Some varieties have puckered leaf surfaces that add interest to the overall plant, while the variegated forms can be striped with shades of white and gold. There are also varieties that feature a mixture of both blue and green leaf shades on the same leaf.
Hostas range in size from mini (4-6 inches tall) through small, medium, large and even giant varieties that can grow over 3 ft. tall and 5 ft. wide. The flowers generally stand above the foliage another 12-18 inches and last 4-8 weeks, depending on the variety.
Although there are some gold or chartreuse varieties that can tolerate full sun, most hostas are happiest in a morning sun-afternoon shade or full shade location. Blue varieties need to be grown in full shade to maintain the best blue color. Hostas do best in moist, rich, well-draining soil with a layer of cocoa shells, shredded bark or leaf mulch added for moisture retention.
You can also grow hostas in containers, but they do have an extensive root system, so use a larger pot than you would normally use (a 12" pot for a medium-size hosta should do). Make sure to use a good, well-draining potting soil and water regularly.
When hostas go dormant in winter, they completely disappear. The foliage will take on a melting appearance after the first couple of frosts; at that time simply tear the foliage off above the soil. Your hosta will go to sleep and then re-appear the following year when the last frosts of spring are done.
We have MANY in stock in one-gallon, two-gallon
and three-gallon hostas to choose from now!
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| What You'll Need:
- 3 8 oz. bottles of clam juice
- 1 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 3 slices of bacon, finely chopped
- 2 cups onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 1/4 cup celery, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 10 oz. cans of whole baby clams or minced clams
- 1 1/4 cups half and half
- 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Step by Step:
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot.
- Add bacon and cook until it begins to brown.
- Add onions, garlic and celery, bay leaf. Sauté until vegetables are soft, about 6 mins.
- Stir in flour and cook 2 mins. (don't let flour brown).
- Gradually whisk in the bottles of clam juice.
- Add potatoes, clams with the juice, half and half and hot pepper sauce.
- Simmer chowder for 5 mins. to blend flavors, stirring frequently.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serves 6
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Sun Prairie Weather Forecast

SCHÖNHEIT GARDENS
NURSERY & GARDEN CENTER
Address:
3577 Bailey Rd.
Sun Prairie, WI 53590
Telephone:
(608) 441-9832
Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday & Monday
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Have a Look Around Our Website:
NURSERY CONTAINER
RECYCLING
 Bring your used nursery containers (any size) in to Schönheit Gardens for recycling from 8-6 daily!
BAGGED LEAF MULCH
Available in
Recycled Bags and bulk for pick-up (by appointment) and delivery for $35/yard.
$6.95 per 3 cu. ft. bag
$1 credit given with return of bag
Be a Guest Gardener:
Gardeners love to learn from other gardeners "over the fence." We would love to include a tour and/or an article from one of our readers! Click to send us your story.
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