Wimberg Landscaping Blog



March in the Pollinator Garden

Mar
03

I’m sure you, like myself on warmer March days, can be found hunched over in the garden looking for signs of spring, like emerging plants. I do have quite a few early arrivals in the gardens, which only amplifies my enthusiasm for the new season. As we know, we don’t want to get too eager cutting plants down: those hollow stems are the winter homes for beneficial insects. And while we had a patch of warmer days as of late, the forecast calls for snow showers and colder nights. To take advantage of these warmer days, I shift gears a bit. We have new gardens going in and the entire space has yet to be planted. I use this time to further amend the soil. The better your soil, the more successful and enjoyable the new garden will be. I don’t walk about the garden, though, when it’s wet. The last thing I want to do is compact that loose soil. 

I will begin tidying up the garden, especially along the walks, and where I see a flush of new foliage emerging. Before you shout, “It’s too early!” take note. I’m not taking a mower to the garden and chopping everything into tiny bits: old plant material and insects alike.  I take inspiration from the experts at the Lurie Gardens in Chicago who share, “During the growing season, many insects use standing, spent plant stems as nesting sites, particularly the bottom 15-inches of the stem. According to insect expert, Heather Holm, “Cavity nesting insects which include most cavity-nesting bees and some solitary wasps use the hollow stems… A few bee species, including small carpenter bees and mason bees, construct their nests in pith-filled plant stems, chewing the pithy material from the center of the stem to create a nesting cavity.”
 


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Feb
25
Time to Rid These From the Landscape

There are a few plants that we strongly encourage you to eliminate from your landscape. Not only are they invasive or too aggressive, but...  
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Feb
14
The Viburnum Garden at Ault Park

Ault Park has always been a focus of Wimberg’s charitable contributions, be it materials or labor for nearly 20 years. Recently we...  
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Feb
8
Public Gardening

For close to 20 years Wimberg Landscaping has been gardening in public spaces: most specifically, the Adopt-a-Plot Focal Garden at Ault P...  
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Feb
7
Winter Aconite: One for the Bees

If you’ve been to the gardens lately you may have seen this beauty in bloom in a sunny spot: Winter Aconite (Eranthis ...  
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Feb
5
An Easy Climb

Work continues on the steps along the Tree Trial at Ault Park. The worn and haphazard steps have been replaced with well-fitted treads of...  
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Jan
23
Lighting, Safety First

Exterior lighting is more than a design perk, it’s a necessity. There is no reason why anyone should have to arrive home at night,...  
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Jan
23
Your Landscape’s Best Features

In the day, when we view a landscape, our eye naturally rests on the focal points: a stone bench, specimen tree, urn or garden vignette....  
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Jan
23
Improving the View

The garden can be a beautiful sight at night. Some flowers bloom in the evening. Walks within formal knot or English boxwood gardens are...  
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Jan
23
Gardens, January and What To Do

The rains have arrived and temperatures are a bit warmer than the recent arctic blast. The snow is melting and gardeners are thinking it&...  
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Jan
21
Stepping Up

One of the benefits of living in the Hyde Park area is easy access to Ault Park with its events, gardens, play areas and hiking trails. I...  
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Jan
15
Plants of Note: Hamamelis virginiana

Hamamelis virginiana, also known as common witch hazel, is an underutilized, native, deciduous tree. Witch ha...  
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Jan
14
Notes From the Garden

Today’s Notes From the Garden comes from time spent at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Norwood, Oh...  
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Jan
7
It Is So Tempting

It would appear Mother Nature is playing a joke on gardeners. The weather today, near 60 degrees, in January! We’ve been taking adv...  
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Dec
19
Five Garden Resolutions for 2019

Eat fewer cookies, drink more water and log more miles on the walking track. We have our traditional New Year’s Resolutions, but wh...  
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Dec
19
Three ‘Red’ Reasons to Ditch Your Honeysuckle

Looking out in the landscape, things can be a bit dreary. It’s winter in Cincinnati and gray seems to be the dominant color most da...  
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Dec
18
Winter Watering

We may have cleared your irrigation lines, but that doesn't mean our watering is on hold until spring. While many perennials and gras...  
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Dec
12
Leave Them Be

This may sound strange coming from a member of our maintenance team, but if you can, leave those plants up for a while yet. We can always...  
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Dec
5
Hellebore Love

It’s cold, the ground is frozen and snow is still resting in shaded nooks in the garden. Yet, with all Mother Nature has sent our w...  
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Nov
6
Wimberg Landscaping Receives Consumers’ Choice Award for Fifth Year in a Row

Wimberg Landscaping
November 6, 2018
5401 Hetzell Ave
Cincinnati, Ohio 45227

 

The results of the 2018 Co...  
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Nov
2
Fall Color

Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons in the gardens. Between berries, deciduous trees transitioning to their fall colors, perennials...  
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Nov
1
Rainy Day Garden Tasks

Trowel-in-hand gardening is off the table today, but there are still garden tasks to distract us on this rather rainy day.

...
 
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Oct
22
Why Late Fall is a Great Time to Meet your Landscape Designer

See What’s Missing
“‘But nothing is blooming. How can we plan the new garden now?’ that is...  
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Oct
22
November Tree & Shrub Care

Don’t put those garden tools away just yet. There’s still much to do in the landscape when it comes to tree and shrub care.  
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Oct
11
Perfect Pairings

“Once you get past the notion that plants have to be spaced several inches apart with rings of mulch around them, the possibility f...  
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Oct
4
Five Late Season Showstoppers

There are some plants that arrive a little late to the garden party. They go unnoticed during the spring awakening and the summer show of...  
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Sep
24
Ten Plants That Have to Go!

Selecting only ten plants to remove from the home landscape is no small task. There are some plants that are invasive and should be remov...  
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Sep
24
Rather Than Knock Outs Plant These

The Knock Out rose shot to fame and it’s star continued to shine for many years. It seems like there is not a commercial property o...  
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Sep
20
Planting Walls

“When I walk by those awkward, little slopes along a home’s sidewalk I can't help but think about how wonderful it would...  
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Sep
6
Potted To Perfection

If your container gardens are showing the strain of the summer, worry not. We have tips for breathing new life into your potted gardens.<...  
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Sep
6
Flawed Opportunity

It’s often difficult to see beyond our landscape’s flaws and obstacles. And, if you are not a seasoned gardener or landscape...  
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Sep
4
On the Move: Prepping Your Landscape for Curb Appeal

When clients call us saying they are putting their home on the market, we switch gears a bit and look at the landscape from the perspecti...  
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Aug
15
Oh Deer, the Struggle is Real

All gardeners have one struggle in common- foraging deer. I was on a sidestreet around the corner from Mount Lookout Square when I came a...  
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Aug
9
Small Change, Big Impact

The entrance to this front door is a walkway between the home and extended garage, a common design feature of homes in our area. While th...  
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Aug
1
Creating a Blissful Summer Garden

Summer doesn't have to be a time of toil and struggle in the garden. It all comes down to careful planning. We share seven tips to cr...  
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Aug
1
Reading the Mulch

After a hard rain, or several days of storms like we recently experienced, I like to examine the mulch to see what needs to be done in th...  
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Aug
1
Garden Delegation

I’ve been gardening for around 20 years doing it all myself. I’ve dug ponds, mowed, edged, built raised beds; you name it, I&...  
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Jun
25
Being Smart About Water-Wise Plants

 I love it when I hear gardeners say they are introducing new plants in their gardens. There are simply too many fantastic plants no...  
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Jun
25
Three Hardscape Elements to Add Now

The addition of a stone element to your landscape is one of the best ways to add value, a permanent design feature and update your yard....  
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Jun
18
Wait? I still have to water?

It must be summer because I’m writing about watering, yet again. We’ve had some nice rain showers the past week or so and the...  
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Jun
9
The Same, But Yet Very Different

When we renovated the focal garden at Ault Park the four segments that make up the outer circle were designed using the same plants and i...  
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May
30
Surefire Ways to Kill Your Tree It’s amazing how many ways people have found to kill their trees or, in the least, put them under a great deal of undue stress. Trees don’t...  
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Apr
24
YOUR SPRING COLOR GUIDE

In no time at all, gardeners will be flocking to nurseries to buy annuals for their gardens. It’s exciting to be able to dig i...
 
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Apr
24
THREE THINGS YOUR DESIGNER CAN'T WAIT TO LEARN

“There are dozens of ways to design a property, but typically I start with just listening to how the client wants to use their...
 
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Apr
2
PLANNING BULBS FOR FALL PLANTING, NOW! Your garden designer would love to talk to you about bulbs for fall planting, now. Yes, we know it’s early spring and we are still waiting f...  
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Mar
26
WHY PLANTS FAIL… It’s a common practice to tour the neighborhood and look at others’ gardens to gleam ideas for your own landscape. You’re all in the same US...  
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Mar
21
WHAT WE CAN DO NOW, IN THE APRIL GARDEN Confession, I have been visiting my gardens several times a week. The signs of spring are here, some are subtle, but they are here. Spring i...  
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Mar
19
IT’S NOT CHEATING, IT’S SMART I had an interesting conversation with an avid, life-long gardener the other day. She wants a new garden, one inspired by Piet Oudolf. I tho...  
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Mar
12
IT'S NOT INVASIVE, IT'S A BULLY There are plants we know never to use in the garden again. Some were introduced by well-meaning plant explorers and nurserymen and others w...  
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Mar
5
LET'S START PLANTING! Yes!

The rule of thumb about waiting for Mother's Day is excellent advice for annuals, especially those more susceptible t...
 
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Mar
3
SPRING IS IN THE AIR! We made it! We survived another winter in Cincinnati, and that can only mean one thing, it’s time for spring clean-ups.

Even...
 
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Feb
26
LIGHTING THE WAY Perhaps one of the most underutilized design elements and one of the most impactful is lighting. “What I love about lighting is its flexibil...  
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Feb
19
THREE TREES FOR THE WINTER LANDSCAPE In the winter garden annuals have left the stage and perennials have taken a few steps back. What remains is the patterns of our garden beds...  
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Feb
17
SATURATED AND THEN SOME Oh my, it’s warm out! I think I saw the sun! Are those flowers coming up?

Spring is making an appearance, and with spring comes...
 
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Feb
15
WHY YOUR DESIGNER WANTS TO MEET WITH YOU NOW The ground is soaked with late winter rains and the wind is howling outside our windows. This can only mean one thing: it’s the perfect time...  
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Feb
12
MIXED, MASSED OR INTERMINGLED? One of the main objectives of landscape and garden designers is to decipher what a client envisions when they say they want a mixed, massed...  
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Feb
8
GRASSES IN THE WINTER GARDEN The grasses in the Wimberg Landscaping Focal Garden at Ault Park look fabulous with a thin coating of ice. They beautifully illustrate why w...  
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Feb
5
DESIGNING WITH STONES IN THE SMALL GARDEN “My garden is too small to do all of this.” I have heard this said time and time again, usually when I am at Bettman or touring another publ...  
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Jan
29
5 REASONS TO GARDEN PUBLIC LAND If you read my Q&A in the recent newsletter, (link here) you learned that after returning to Cincinnati I became what I call a landless...  
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Jan
29
UNDER THE RADAR: THREE PLANTS THAT SHOULD BE ON YOUR MUST-HAVE LIST Three must-have plants sounded like a good idea for a column, but how can I possibly pick just three? That’s like saying you can only have t...  
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Jan
29
ONE-ON-ONE WITH JENNIFER SMITH A little garden chat with Jennifer Smith, Horticulturist, client services and garden writer and photographer for Wimberg Landscaping.
 
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Jan
25
LESSER CELANDINE Take a walk around a park, nature preserve, or your neighborhood and you are apt to see a plant that was introduced with good intentions tha...  
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Jan
24
WHY DESIGNERS SEE THE FUTURE “When we look at a landscape, we see how it could be this year as well as what it will become three, five even 10 years out,” shares Peter W...  
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Jan
22
WHEN STONES PREVAIL We mentioned before how design plans are mere snapshots in the landscape’s evolution. We show clients what the gardens will look like in a y...  
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Jan
17
NO NEED TO PANIC I don't want to set off alarm bells, but Sunday, before this most recent snowfall, I saw bulbs emerging in the gardens. No worries, all...  
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Jan
15
FIVE GRASSES WE ADORE Grasses are a staple design element for any garden theme from prairie to conifer garden. Grasses add movement, they are soft and structural...  
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Jan
9
THE LANDLESS GARDENER RETURNS! Wimberg Landscaping is pleased to share that our very own Jennifer Smith is once again penning her popular blog, Adventures of a Landless Ga...  
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Jan
8
NATURAL STONE IN THE GARDEN A popular and quite versatile design element for the garden is natural stone. When you think of stonework you’re apt to envision stone walls...  
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Jan
5
WHY ANNUALS Savvy gardeners and professional garden designers are already in the throes of designing their spring gardens. They know that without a plan...  
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Jan
2
BEFORE YOU KNOCK THAT SNOW OFF, READ THIS! Snow accumulation on your trees and shrubs may not be an issue. It all depends on the type of snow that’s blanketing the branches. It’s diff...  
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Dec
28
NOTES FROM THE GARDEN - BETTMAN This may be the first day I am not tempted to work at Bettman. It’s well below freezing and even I don't find that appealing. But up unt...  
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Dec
26
THREE WHITE PLANTS FOR THE SHADE Think back on your shade garden. Better, yet, if you have photos pull them up. Is your eye drawn to the back of the garden, to the far corne...  
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Dec
20
ONE-ON-ONE WITH TIM GRUBBS Tim Grubbs - Operations Manager

Tim Grubbs
Tim is a member of our team that walks the line between behind the scenes and...
 
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Dec
20
WHEN TREES STAND ALONE We often talk about incorporating trees in the home’s landscape and we are, for the most part, looking at the tree as part of a cohesive gar...  
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Dec
14
NOTES FROM THE GARDENS - BETTMAN There is still a lot of activity at Bettman. New trees and shrubs are being planted, leaf removal is underway and tree and shrub pruning is...  
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Dec
7
FALLING INTO WINTER AT THE GARDENS When the Muhly grass was in full color earlier this summer, the gardens were glowing pink and I thought to myself, It won't get much bet...  
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Dec
6
4 REASONS WHY WE LOVE WINTER TREE PLANTING Planting trees now, in the late fall and into winter, is a wonderful idea. The timing is perfect and a new tree adds value and visual intere...  
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Dec
4
ONE-ON-ONE - CONNIE BRASINGTON Connie Brasington - Office Manager
Connie has been part of our team since 1996. She started as a part time employee answering phones a...
 
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Nov
29
IN THE WINTER GARDEN Most of us, when we are looking for plants to add to our gardens, consider a plant's leaves, flowers and texture. Then we determine if i...  
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Nov
24
ONE-ON-ONE WITH JOHN WIMBERG Tell us about how you came to work with Wimberg Landscaping and your ongoing career with the company.


I started working...
 
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Nov
16
CHORES IN THE WINTER GARDEN - COVER-UP Cover-Up

Get a jump on spring with a pinefine amendments and pine straw mulching. “There is a bit of a science to mulching,” ex...
 
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Nov
16
CHORES IN THE WINTER GARDEN - ORNAMENTAL TREE CARE Ornamental Tree Care

An ornamental tree in the landscape can be a great value or a liability, depending on how well it is cared...
 
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Nov
16
CHORES IN THE WINTER GARDEN - DEATH TO HONEYSUCKLE!! Death to Honeysuckle!

If there was ever a poster plant for invasive, thuggish, regrettable plants introduced into the landscape...
 
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Nov
14
NOTES FROM THE GARDEN - BETTMAN With my wheelbarrow rehabilitated, I was moving pinefine amendments with ease Sunday morning. The colors in the gardens were gorgeous- golds...  
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Nov
9
THREE THINGS PROFESSIONAL GARDENERS ALWAYS NOTICE Garden professionals such as the Wimberg Landscaping maintenance teams, see the landscape differently. They have the ability to assess the c...  
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Nov
8
3 SHADE GARDEN DESIGN INSIGHTS Oftentimes, extra effort is taken in the design of a shade garden, especially one that is a bit removed from the house, to draw visitors in....  
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Nov
7
THE VERY WET GARDEN Take caution before you dig. With all the rain we had last night and Sunday the gardens may be exceptionally wet and a bit dangerous should...  
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Nov
6
NOTES FROM THE GARDENS - PETE'S GARDEN We are shifting gears quickly at the shop. We are still managing new landscape and hardscape installations, but we are also closing up garde...  
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Oct
30
LEAF REMOVAL It’s that time of year again! Fall has arrived and so have the colorful leaves covering every inch of our yards. Save yourself the energy, b...  
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Oct
30
WHY MAINTENANCE MATTERS Wimberg Landscaping has four maintenance teams, each led by a seasoned professional whose years of experience makes them ideally suited to c...  
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Oct
25
2 UNEXPECTED AND INVALUABLE GARDEN TOOLS Every gardener has a garden tool, or two, she can’t live without. Mine is my CobraHead and Felco Pruners. But this time of the year, as the...  
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Oct
23
3 KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL LANDSCAPE A successful landscape, meaning one that is healthy and attractive, comes down to three simple elements. No matter where you are gardening,...  
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Oct
20
NOTES FROM THE GARDENS - 5 WINNING PLANTS FROM BETTMAN Bettman has been an interesting place to garden these past three years. I head to the garden as often as I can, admittedly far more often at...  
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Oct
18
3 TIPS FOR DIVIDING PERENNIALS This time of year many gardeners are asking: Do I need to divide my perennials? How do I divide my perennials? And the most honest question...  
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Oct
16
PLANTS OF NOTE - MUHLY GRASS The first time I planted Muhlenbergia capillaris, AKA Muhly Grass was in the Adopt-a-Plot Focal Garden in Ault Park. I was already smitten w...  
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Oct
13
ARE YOU WATERING ENOUGH? Walks around the neighborhood and trips to my gardens have proven one thing, you are not watering enough. Is she talking about watering agai...  
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Oct
11
NOTES FROM THE GARDENS- YUCCAS!! There are not many times you will hear gardeners say they love yuccas. Unless, perhaps it's a variety like Yucca filamentosa 'Color...  
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Oct
9
CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE There are garden trends and then there are garden movements. Trends are hot for a moment then slip out of the spotlight when something new c...  
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Oct
6
PLANTS OF NOTE: CALLICARPA AMERICANA Every year gardeners stand with hands on hips wondering to themselves, "Why did I add this shrub to the garden?"
It's a...
 
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Oct
6
TO DEADHEAD OR NOT, THAT IS THE QUESTION I was at the gardens the other day with someone who wanted to cut back all the spent coneflowers. Some stems were a bit ratty and spent, but...  
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Oct
3
THREE THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU MEET YOUR LANDSCAPE DESIGNER Hiring a landscape designer is an exciting step. You are ready to bring your landscape to its full potential and you have an expert to guide...  
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Sep
28
PLANTS OF NOTE- PYRACANTHA, FIRETHORN BUSH Put on your toughest gloves and long sleeves, today we are taking a closer look at Pyracantha, also known as Firethorn Bush. What do we all...  
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Sep
27
NOTES FROM THE GARDENS From time-to-time we will share notes from our personal gardens such as plants we are finding to be invaluable, tips for helping the garden...  
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Sep
25
THREE SIGNS IT'S TIME TO CALL THE PROFESSIONALS There comes a time in many dedicated gardeners' lives when we realize it's time to call in the professionals. We may have a wealth o...  
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Sep
22
QUICK TIP- CLEANING DAYLILIES Here's a quick and easy way to keep your daylilies looking clean and healthy this fall.

Daylilies are a favorite amongst g...
 
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Sep
20
PLANTS OF NOTE - PRUNUS LAUROCERASUS, CHERRY LAUREL This plant of note is often called Cherry Laurel in Cincinnati, and is also referred to as English Laurel. Call it what you may, this shrub...  
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Sep
18
FIVE RULES FOR MULCH Mulch is a valuable asset to the garden. When used correctly, it suppresses weeds, helps to keep the soil cool and promotes water retention....  
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Sep
15
THREE THINGS TO DO NOW The ushering in of autumn does not translate to fewer landscape chores. If anything, there's more to do in the gardens. We see a sharp u...  
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Sep
12
PLANTS OF NOTE: EPIMEDIUM

This ground cover has it all!

I admit I wasn't always a fan of this plant. When I saw it in the stores it was a bit more e...  
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Sep
11
KEEP THAT WATER FLOWING We know it's temping to stop watering this time of year. It's been a long summer of hauling hoses, sprinklers and heavy watering can...  
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Aug
23
PLANTS OF NOTE - LITTLE SPIRE RUSSIAN SAGE Russian Sage has been a garden staple for years, and for good reason. Give it sharp soil and full sun and it will perform without fail. It&#...  
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Aug
23
PLANTS OF NOTE - RODGERSIA Several years back, Jennifer, our Horticulturalist, had this to say about Rodgersia in a post for Horticulture:

"My shade...
 
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Aug
22
DESIGNED FOR ENTERTAINING Clients come to us for design inspiration and expertise for a variety of reasons. Quite often the question at hand is- How can I make my out...  
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Aug
21
THE WIMBERG FOCAL GARDEN AT AULT PARK

<p>Sometimes, a garden has served its purpose. I will admit, it's not always easy to look at a familiar old garden and say, tim...  
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Wimberg Landscaping           Serving Greater Cincinnati Since 1980           513-271-2332