Forsythia For All

The snow is retreating and I can finally see the ground! This has been an unusually cold and snowy winter in Omaha and although I love winter I am glad to see it go. I rejoice in the knowledge that Spring is just around the corner. Just this past weekend the Robins arrived and a flock of Canadian geese made their return known yesterday. Among my favorite signs of spring is the bloom of the forsythia, nothing is better than the golden yellow blooms bursting open against the drab brown of the surrounding landscape. However, I will have to be a little more patient as the forsythia are still a few weeks from blooming. If your forsythia doesn't seem to bloom cosistently you may have a variety that is not hardy enough for your zone. Forsythia flower buds may get frozen off by cold winter temps. Among my other early spring favorites are Eastern Redbuds and Rhododendrons.



This forsythia balloon is just about ready to fly! Personally I enjoy the wild unkempt look, but to each their own.


Top Image by: Mr. T in DC
Bottom Image by: Scriptingnews

Spring is Around the Corner

This has definitely been one of the snowiest winters I can remember, but take heart fellow gardeners, spring is just around the corner! Now is a great time to be planning for spring. It's also a great time to consider a landscape design. Designers are less hurried and often offer winter discounts. Then you'll be ready, when the ground is warm once again, to start digging! I'll be ready to trade in my snow shovel for a trowel that's for sure!

Bubble Wrapped Deer

We thought this was kinda funny. We ordered this decorative deer for one of our clients recently. It's not everyday you receive a giant, bubble wrapped deer with a fragile sticker on it's behind! It was waiting for us just like that when we got home. We got a laugh and wondered what the neighbors thought.

Winter Pots

Okay, admittedly, these photos are a little late for the season! It's always good to plan for next year though right? This is a pot we decorated for some clients. We kept the look natural with a grapevine wreath shaped into a ball as the focal point. We then wrapped it with white lights. The rest is so simple, but classic: fresh mixed greens, some gold twigs, chocolate brown ornaments and a chocolate brown bow (which is hard to see in these photos). We love doing holiday decor here at Olive Branch! We offer container planting and decorating year round, as well as consulting, services and products for larger holiday decor projects (commercial or residential).

More Fall Faves

This "pig squeak" or Bergenia cordifolia is a great addition to any garden. Not only does it provide great interest throughout the growing season but it is also one of my favorite perennials for fall and winter. The leaves persist long into fall turning from green to a deep red. They provide a great contrast against the brown and grey of the fall landscape. These almost tropical looking perennials will slowly multiply and become a great mass. I especially like them amongst granite boulders.

A Favorite Fall Plant

We may have lost some blooms to the early October snow, but we still have some plants blooming and it's almost Thanksgiving. This one is Lamium which we've seen bloom late into the season multiple times. I also like how it fills in around the boulders. I would recommend adding this plant to your rock gardens, shade gardens or they would be nice as a border plant.

A Beautiful Fall

My apologies for the lack of blogging lately. We have had a surprisingly beautiful fall here in Omaha, which has allowed me to be out working on fall landscape clean up for my clients. I thought, with the early snow, that this fall might be pretty rough, but it has been really nice!

We also have moved our business back into our home this fall. We are very excited about the future of Olive Branch and reorganizing the business in order to better serve our clients and be able to focus on designs and projects without the distraction of the retail side of our business. We are still available to special order outdoor furniture, sculptures and pottery for anyone interested. We really enjoyed having our studio in Rockbrook Village and will miss the community there, but my wife and I are looking forward to the opportunity to work from home.