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W E L C O M E T O 2 0 0
8 !
S P R I N G H A S A R R I V E D ! ! !
OUR
DESIGN/CONTRACTING OFFICE
Sitting here in my design studio and gazing out my window at the
Malus ‘Red Jewel’ (Red Jewel
Flowering Crab) it delights my visual sense with its dark, red
berries hanging onto the branches; I’m slightly daydreaming about
spring. I’m quickly pulled out of this daydream by the ringing of my
office phone, and even though it’s late January, we begin to talk
about gardens. After the conversation ends, I get back to my design
yet I’m pulled once again to the garden outside my office. The
Gymnocladus dioicus (Kentucky
Coffeetree) which looks quite barren yet stout with dark brown and
rough appearance in its bark and an ascending branching seems to be
showing off and saying “this -12º below does not bother me”, and the
low branched Fagus sylvatica
(European Beech) with its twisted branching and grey colored bark
still holding onto its now dark brown leaves is a nice backdrop to
the Coffeetree. My eyes gaze across this garden to a majestic,
slender Picea pungens (Colorado
Spruce) cradling the snow on its limbs and once again I’m pulled
back into reality by my associate asking a question.
Many of the books say good design must start with function and
then move from this idea. I would agree, however, great design to me
means combining plants together to form a companionship if you will,
which in turn emits emotions in oneself. The garden makes or takes
you away to gentle, warm and caring thoughts in your mind. It’s an
escape from our world’s hectic pace. It’s the stress-free zone! I’m
still amazed after 33 years in the business, that I can still be so
enthused about creating and implementing gardens for our customers.
I feel very lucky.
We continue to perform on-site analysis for our customers. How
does it work? We will set up an appointment, and have our landscape
architect meet with you. He will design on site for you while
listening to your ideas and walking around your property. All
designs and ideas are left with you. This service is an investment
of one hundred and fifty dollars for one hour. We can also do a full
master plan for your property and feel free to inquire on this. We
have found that this on-site service has been a wonderful tool to
help our customers in ideas on soil amendments, plant selections,
hardscape ideas, irrigation and drainage ideas, while keeping in
mind the surrounding landscape and plantings.
Please feel free to call 847-838-0501
for an appointment. Our experienced crews will also implement your
landscape if desired; however, it’s not a requirement that you use
our crews. This valuable service is to help you pull together ideas;
leave you with a plan that maybe implemented at your leisure. We
realize that every home and everyone’s lifestyle are different and
landscaping is more than just a garden. Good design starts with
function then moves forward. Metaphorically speaking it can be like
that one wandering pathway which pulls you onward in wonderment,
seeking the next curve which is ever more inviting.
Respectfully,
Mike Greco, R.L.A. #157-000394
SOME NEW & EXCITING THINGS AT THE GARDEN CENTER FOR 2008!
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.
COUPON & APRIL/MAY DAILY SALES SPECIALS
20% off COUPON
TOTAL PURCHASE OF ALL
FLOWERING SHRUBS
Note: Coupon expires May 31, 2008 and may not be used in conjunction
with daily specials.
Bring in the newsletter coupon and receive
20% off your purchase of
Flowering Shrubs only. Coupon expires May 31, 2008 and maybe
redeemed only one time and not in conjunction with daily specials.
Our daily specials for April and May
are as
follows and are for newsletter members
& web-site guests only:
Daily Specials
for April:
Must present
newsletter to receive specials.
Note:
Specials do not permit the usage
of
newsletter coupon.
-
Monday & Tuesday:
$20.00 off all Flowering Crab Trees, $50.00 off all Shade Trees 3” caliper and larger.
-
Wednesday & Thursday:
20% off all marked Flowering Shrubs. Note: We will have at least 10 varieties of shrubs to choose from. All Upright Evergreens will be $20.00 off.
-
Friday & Saturday: ALL perennials are 10% of marked price or $60.00 off any total plant combination of $500.00 or more.
-
Sunday: SPIN the Garden Wheel
for your deal!!!!! Anyone who makes a purchase may spin the wheel to
get their deal. One spin per customer.
Daily Specials
for May:
Must present
newsletter to receive specials.
Note:
Specials do not permit the usage
of
newsletter coupon.
-
Monday & Tuesday:
$10.00 off perennial purchase of $75.00 or more. 20% off all Fragrant Lilacs, Viburnums, and Shrub Roses in sales yard.
-
Wednesday & Thursday:
$25.00 off all Birch, $20.00 off all Flowering Crab Trees.
-
Friday & Saturday: $15.00 off any upright Arborvitae, $20.00 off all Spruce Trees.
-
Sunday: SPIN the Garden Wheel
for your deal!!!!! Anyone who makes a purchase may spin the wheel to
get their deal. One spin per customer.
WEEKLY SEMINARS ON PERENNIALS:
Every Wednesday at 9:00 to 10:00ish starting April 16th through the
end of May.
April 16th: “Everything starts from the ground up”; Lecture
on soil amendments.
April 23rd: “Where should I plant It”; Placement of plants in
the garden.
April 30th: “Let’s talk About Shade”; Plants that will work in the shade.
May 7th. “The layering and massing effect”; How perennials
can pull together a garden.
May 14th: “Companion Plants”; Types of plants that work well
together.
May 21st “Our designer’s favorites”; Perennials used in
our designs.
May 28th “Don’t forget us”; Using ornamental grasses in
the perennial garden.
Includes coffee, tea and a treat each week. Also, to thank those attending, we will
give a discount of 10% on any perennial purchase the day of the
seminar.
One Last Note...
We would all like to thank you for your
continued support in 2007 and are looking forward to serving
your landscape design, installation and plant needs for this year.
We are here to help you create your “Dream Outdoor Spaces”.
Mill Creek Nursery and Garden Center, Inc.
847-838-0501
E-mail: millcreek1@aol.com
Mike Greco Landscaping, Inc.
847-855-0590

If you should have any questions regarding any of these topics, please feel
free to stop in at Mill Creek Nursery and
ask any of the Sales staff - theyll be more than happy to help you. Also, please
take a moment and stop by our Growing Tips page for more
helpful information on plants & gardening.

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