When you think of PA native trees, oaks, maples, and hemlocks usually take the spotlight. Here's 5 native trees you may not have known about! Oxydendrum arboreum - Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum, or Sourwood, is deer resistant and grows to be 20-50 feet tall at maturity. Did you know that they call this tree "Sourwood", because the leaves and branches contain oxalic acid which makes them actually sour! In mid to late summer when most other trees have finished blooming, sour

In our last vegetable installment, we talked about how to get started growing your own food at home. While a busy schedule (a very young, new child) prevented me from getting a blog out about getting started on spring vegetables, I’m sure many of you made your way to growing your own tomatoes at home. Growing spring veg is about the same as growing autumn veg, so I still hope to get that information out soon. Growing tomatoes at home is one of the first and primary vegetables

If you’re interested in understanding the subject of native plants, this book is for you. Bringing Nature Home gives the reader a solid foundation by explaining in depth what native plants are and why they’re directly important to us. I recommend this book not only because it’s one of my favorites, but also because of its relevance and readability to people of all interest and gardening skill levels. Tallamy, an entomologist and Pennsylvania resident, explains how fundamental

A long winter has come and gone, and things are looking on the bright side. The sun is out and the nighttime temperatures are still cool, but certainly warmer than they were. Garden plans for the new year are big and exciting. Last season you probably purchased some of your favorite shrubs or perennials, decided on just the right placement, and got everything in the ground. The grass is growing, daffodils and forsythia have come and gone…… and some of your plants aren’t do

Starting in 2024, Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), also known as “Bradford pear”, “ornamental pear” or just “flowering pear”, will no longer be available in Pennsylvania nurseries. This is because it’s being added to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Controlled Plant & Noxious Weed List. Though long relied on as a horticultural staple, I welcome this decision. We’ll get into why, but first, some backstory is helpful. Callery pears were introduced to the United Sta

In the previous post, I gave a brief synopsis on the popularization of Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), how it became invasive, and why the PA Department of Agriculture’s decision to ban it is appropriate. Remember that Callery pear is the name for the species that is more commonly referred to as “flowering pear”, “ornamental pear” or its first cultivar “Bradford pear.” Today, it’s most recognized by the cultivar ‘Cleveland Select’ (and to a lesser extent, ‘Aristocrat’ and ‘A

Getting Started You’ve decided this is the year you want to try your hand at growing vegetables. Prices are soaring on everything all over the place, people are spending more time at home, and growing your own food sounds like a good way to save some money. So how do you do this the right way? How expensive is this going to be to get started? In this space over the coming months, I’ll try to answer some of those questions to help guide you in the right direction. After

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve heard about the Spotted lanternfly. Since they arrived in Allegheny County last year, it’s possible you’ve seen them already. If you haven’t, you’ll likely see them within the next few years. Spotted lanternflies, which are not flies but actually leaf hoppers, have voracious appetites. Nymphs and adults suck the sap from many plant species, taking away the sugars they make for themselves via photosynthesis. To make matters worse, the

Book Recommendation: Pennsylvania Getting Started Garden Guide. Grow The Best Flowers, Shrubs, Trees, Vines & Groundcovers by George Weigel. 2014. If you’re looking for an easy read with substance and good photos, I think the “Pennsylvania: Getting Started Garden Guide” fits the bill. This book can be enjoyed by the casual gardener and experienced alike. Similarly, it provides foundational information for landscapers passionate about expanding their horticultural knowledge.

7 Spectacular & Underused Small Flowering Trees I think small flowering trees are the bread and butter of a well-balanced landscape. They impart aesthetic value that other plants can’t fully render by providing unique structure, form and color display. They provide practical value such as easing wind and heat pressures, especially when planted in groups or with larger shade trees. Flowering trees also supply ecological value, providing nectar and pollen for bees, and leaves f

I think vines are the most underutilized “category” plant in the landscape. I think it’s because most people’s encounter with vines are with misbehaved ones. And of course we have invasives like Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and if you’ve ever travelled south, the infamous kudzu (Pueraria montana) that can strangle everything in its path. But like all plants, picking the right one for the right spot is key. Vines are fantastic for three reasons. First, they bri

Pollinator gardens are a “buzz” word these days but they’re more than a trend or fad. Though they are a great way to beautify your landscape, they are ultimately geared at helping pollinators. Pollinators include bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and many other fascinating insects. They also invite birds into the landscape as 96 percent of songbirds feed their young exclusively insects. Ultimately, pollinator gardens are a great way to give back to the land we live on. Pollina

If there’s one group of plants we all adore at Plumline, it’s conifers! Conifers are a type of gymnosperm that bear cones to reproduce rather than flower. Most conifers that grow in our region (but not all) are evergreen, needle-bearing plants such as pine, spruce, and fir. Conifers are great additions to the landscape for several reasons. As most are evergreen, they bring color and structure to the landscape in winter – an important feature since our dormant season is a soli

Happy new year! Thank you for your business, and despite the challenges of COVID, for making 2020 a great year for gardening. We hope you’re satisfied with your plants and that we will see you again this spring. We have a lot of exciting plans in the works: a new greenhouse, expansion in our perennial and ornamental grass areas, more native plants, a revamped layout of the garden center, and more. Another subject we are expanding focus in are plants from the Proven Winners

Spring flowering trees, summer blooming perennials, and ornamental evergreens are all important features of a well-rounded landscape. But no landscape is complete without beautiful fall color. We live in the mid-Atlantic region, home of red and sugar maples – there’s no excuse for a boring fall landscape. For aeons, burning bush has been the iconic shrub for fall color. While it does have impressive fall color, I want to share some others that I actually think do it better.

Among the most frequent questions I get is: “Is now an okay time to plant?” We all get this question, from March through November. My answer is always an enthusiastic “yes!” Spring is a great time to plant because the weather is cool and the water needs of the establishing plant material isn’t high. Summer planting is fine too, you just have to keep an extra eye on plants’ water needs. Matter of fact, early to mid summer is the best time to be in the garden center because tha

Don’t overlook ornamental grasses when you plant. There are many reasons to utilize them in the landscape. They’re easy to grow, durable, and long-lived. They’re also among the most deer-resistant plants (I promise I’m not making that up). They come in many sizes, growth habits, and colors, and bring form and character to the garden that other plants don’t provide. If you don’t use ornamental grasses, I’d say you’re missing out on a key component of a well-balanced landscape.

Many gardeners focus on tree planting in the fall. Now is a great time to shop for trees because you can catch a glimpse of what trees will look like in your landscape during the fall. Right now, our maples, tupelos, and witchhazel are starting to turn a beautiful array of colors. Planting in fall also helps reduce the risk of transplant shock or forgetting to water in the heat of summer. Now is also a great time to shop for perennials. Many associate flowering perennials wit

Summer is in full force, and it seems all the griping about rain the past couple years has finally caught up with us. Although I have strong distaste for the heat, summer is my favorite season because it’s peak season for flowering perennials. Even on a miserably hot day, summer flowering perennials make it all worth it. While woody plants function as the backbone of the landscape, perennials ought to be the workhorses. They offer more abundance in color, texture, and form, w

I can be a garden critic so when I say that hydrangeas are one of my favorite shrubs for the landscape, I mean it. Hydrangeas offer a long flowering period, beginning in mid-summer and for most, finishing in fall. Depending on the species, flowers come in tones of pink, crimson, green, white, purple, and blue. Flower color can vary with soil conditions in two species while others change naturally as they age. The flowers eventually dry and remain on the plants, providing stru