We’re Going Organic…

We want to become one of the first northern Lake County Nurseries to do this for our environment and our food source. If you haven’t heard about the colony collapse disorder (CCD) of bees due to the environmental stress put on them by us, its time to realize that it is very real. The pollinators (bees) are responsible for at least one-third of the food on our plate’s everyday. Yes, we are distributing too many insecticides and chemicals in our atmosphere. Every spring I hear the small craft planes overhead releasing chemicals onto the crops, which we are eating. Also, some surrounding nurseries are putting horrible combinations of insecticides into the air for their trees. The surrounding bee keepers are losing their bees, our pollinators. It should be regulated better and we will be doing our part from this day forward. We are the only nursery that I know of that presently have bees on our nursery property. They are closely monitored and have produced award winning honey. When and if we need to spray, we only will use a product that has been tested “to not harm bees and have minimum impact on the environment”. This year we will be devoting 10 acres of the nursery as a “no spray” zone of any insecticide unless it’s organic. Feel free to contact us on organic products used.

A Bit More…

Presently we are growing over 75 different varieties of woodies in our fields. Oh, did I mention that we have forty acres of plants behind our garden center where our customers may personally tag all of their plants! Yes, it’s true, we also have our own nursery where our soils are compatible with the soils in your gardens, grown in the same climatic conditions, possibly even harsher, since we are not protected by a home, just grown in the wide open, and finally are professionally pruned and cared for so they will adapt easily to your gardens. We offer delivery as well as previously mentioned installation by our crews.

FIELD GROWN PLANTS AT
MILL CREEK NURSERY

What shade trees, ornamentals and perennials are we growing? Please feel free to visit our website at www.millcreeknursery.com for a list of plants, however, we are always adding more unusual plants to our fields and some are now big enough to harvest and be sold. I will use common names and it’s suggested that if you’d like to view certain plants, feel free to give us a call and we will escort you into our fields to personally view and tag you plants for your gardens. In the SHADE TREE category we have many varieties of Norway maples and they range from 2.5” caliper up to 5” caliper, which is a tree that presently has a canopy of 12’/15’ across and can be 20’ in height, depending on the variety. We have the ‘Deborah’, ‘Emerald Lustre’, ‘Royal Red’, ‘Superform’ and Columnar Norway Maples. These trees will provide beauty and form to any property with lots of shade as they mature. They generally have pleasant yellow fall foliage. For excellent fall coloring we have the ‘Red Sunset’ Red Maple, ‘Autumn Blaze’ Freemani Maple and the ‘Green Mountain’ Sugar Maple. These trees have a color range from bright yellows to orange to red and are especially showy each autumn. Also, we have the American Hornbeam in tree form and clump form, the Catalpa tree, “Briotti’ Red Horsechestnut, Katsuratree and one of our favorite character trees, the Kentucky Coffeetree. For oaks we are growing the Swamp White Oak, Bur, Red, Chinkapin and some Fastigiate English Oaks. For a more formal appearance in a tree we are growing the Redmond Linden, Greenspire and Sterling Silver Linden. With so many trees to choose from, where does one start? The importance of having experienced foresters and landscape architects and nurserymen on staff, we know the different requirements of each tree and will direct you in this matter. Site location of a tree is so important for its continued growth and overall health.

ORNAMENTALS

We are presently growing the popular Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry and have them as large as 10’/11’ in clump form. The Redbud is grown in both tree and clump form in our fields. The Pagoda Dogwoods are ready to be harvested. We have eleven different varieties of flowering crabs in both tree and clump forms that will be harvested from the fields. We have large callipered ‘Chanticleer’ Pears that always sell quickly each spring as well as the ‘Ivory Silk’ Lilac tree. Thornless Hawthorns and Magnolias are also wonderful ornamentals that grow in abundance in our landscapes. Oh and I cannot forget the River and ‘Whitespire’ Birch as well as the Grey Birch.

PLEASE NOTE...

All of the shade trees and ornamentals listed above will be harvested this spring and brought into our sales yard for your perusal. Sizes ranging from 2.5” caliper and up in the tree form plants to 6’ and up in the clump form plants will be available.

Depending on weather, we will open as quickly as possible in April and have these plants available for your home. We are tentatively going to open the garden center on April 1st, however, if you’d like to visit before this date, please call us at
847-838-0501 to set up an appointment.
 

FLOWERING SHRUBS & PERENNIALS

Our designers and landscape architects are always asking our growers to produce more seasonal interest plants, and these plants will be offered at the garden center. Some of the Flowering Shrubs that will be available this spring are: Cotoneaster x ‘Hessei’, Fothergilla g. ‘Mt. Airy’, Limelight Hydrangea, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Itea v. ‘Little Henry’ and Japanese Rose, fragrant Viburnums. Many of these mentioned plants have been around for a while, yet they offer so much to one’s garden, and if properly sited, will add years of interest and joy to one’s gardens. We also have another fifty varieties of shrubs to choose from and displayed at the garden center.

Perennials: Are you a looking for a plant that will grow in the shade? How about Huechera: ‘Obsidian’, ‘Christa’, or ‘Frosted Violet’. All grown in large one and two gallon pots where the plant is bulging over the edges of the pot. The variegated Forget-Me-Nots are always one of the garden center favorites and usually sold out by the end of May. With over 100 varieties of perennials to choose from, that are well cared for by professional personnel, there’s always something colorful and blooming at Mill Creek Garden Center. Kelly, Brenda, Nancy, Mike or Peter are there to help you with your perennial questions.