Huntree Nursery May 2026

HAPPY MAY DAY!     Take a bouquet  of flowers to your special person.

It’s spring!  (I think!)    Patience!   We must have patience.   Things are greening up and the birds are singing up a storm.

So, lets get out in the garden.  A smart thing to do first is pull garlic mustard.  It’s blooming which means you still have time before the seeds start to form.  Don’t let them go to seed or you will have double trouble next year.    There’s nothing wrong with smothering other little tiny weeds with bark mulch right now, which will save you a lot of time weeding.    If you have blanket weed (bed straw) it’s important to get it gone while it’s small before it totally covers all its neighboring plants.   Looks like maple seedlings may be a problem.  I have lots sprouting up in my garden bed.  Ugh.

Now, on to something much more pleasant.  Here are some spring blooming Michigan natives:

Woodland Phlox         Canadian Ginger         Virginia Bluebells        Lindera (American Spicebush)

Eastern Redbud          Serviceberry                American Dogwood    Blackhaw Viburnum

Mayapple

Some woody shrubs are leafing out slowly, so be patient before you decide to rip them out.  Here are a few that I have noticed:

Clethra, Butterfly Bush, Rose of Sharon, Buttonbush, some Hydrangeas.

Plants in the shade are a lot slower to leaf out than ones in the sun.  So put those pruners back in your pocket.

The next couple nights may bring us some frost.  Protect your precious ones by throwing a sheet over them.  Please do not use plastic.  The cold goes right through plastic and will not provide protection.    Lilacs are particularly vulnerable right now.

It’s time to fertilize your tulips, daffodils and other bulbs to give them extra energy.  They will be building up energy to set flower buds for next year.   It does make a difference.

All you organic gardeners need to know about two of our local lady-owned businesses who are producing amazing products:

Jill Woods is producing beautiful worm castings.  These bags of treasures are loaded with living good bacteria and fungi which will build your soil and grow strong roots… and also provide resistance to insects and diseases.

Write this on your calendar:

ALL ABOUT VERMICOMPOSTIING      (Making your own Worm Castings!)

JUNE  27      11:00 am     at     Huntree Nursery  (in Jan’s backyard)     1 hour

You will discover the ease and joy of making your own and recycling your vegetable waste at the same time.

Norma’s company is producing great compost right here locally!  Her products are ‘Naturally Better’.  Add some to your raised beds, or around your perennials and shrubs, use to top dress the bare spots in your lawn before reseeding, etc., etc.    Pamper your roots and you will see the difference.

Our Monarch Lady, Janice, wants you to be excited about Monarchs and all Butterflies.  She will be sponsoring a Butterfly Art Contest throughout the month of June for area public school elementary and middle school children.   There will be cash prizes!    More details to come later.

I say this every spring and I’ll say it again:  No mulch volcanos around your tree trunks, please!!!!     This leads to wet decaying bark, a place for insects to feed.

Trucks have been arriving with great trees, shrubs and perennials.  Check out our lovely new Japanese Maple arrivals.   We have two new fun varieties:  Pixie and Mikaawa Yatsubusa.  They’re cool!   Need a tall and skinny evergreen?   We have Cupressina Spruce, Wellspire Spruce, and Austrian Pine Green Tower.

We are eager to help you with your gardening projects.

Have a great May!

Jan and the Huntree Gang

Categorised in: Newsletter

This post was written by MHarrison9