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Health & Fitness

Gail's Garden: Picks of the Week

Each week I will provide you with my pick of plants, trees or shrubs that I find interesting, beautiful or new to the market. Stay tuned each week for my suggestions, recommendations and thoughts.

In this week’s blog I wanted to focus on the Heritage River Birch tree or Betula nigra "Heritage" because it is such a great tree to plant in a garden. When choosing a tree to plant on your property take into consideration “all" of its attributes and the mature sizes of the plants installed underneath, or around it.  This tree is usually in clump form with attractive peeling bark in many different colors shades from creams and browns to greys and salmon tones. Why would anyone want to hide this?  So many times I see 6’ tall shrubs planted in front of this beautiful tree!


Another suggestion that goes well with this group is the Deutzia gracillis  or "Nikko" Dwarf Slender Deutzia.  This is a dwarf plant with arching low branches, its maximum height is approximately 2 feet.  It has masses of white fragrant flowers now through June, small medium green leaves and beautiful fall color.  The size and habit of this plant would complement the birch, not detract from it!


I have planted in mass, with great success, the Veronica "Waterperry Blue" Speedwell as a perennial groundcover in mass, with its lovely lavender blue flowers, with many different plant combinations.  It is blooming now and it will have some repeat bloom through the summer and maybe into the fall.  I think the combination with Deutzia and the River Birch is a winner!

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Gail Tunis is a Garden Designer and Garden Care Specialist/Manager at Borst Landscape & Design, located in Allendale, NJ.  Gail has completed certificate programs at Rutgers in Landscape Design and Tree and Shrub Identification, takes courses at New York botanical gardens, voraciously reads online gardening articles, and subscribes to at least six industry magazines in order to remain knowledgeable on new plant materials and new garden maintenance practices. Borst Landscape & Design is an award-winning, full-service landscape design/build firm specializing in large-scale residential and commercial projects throughout northern New Jersey. Founded in 1989, the company has received recognition from numerous national and industry organizations including the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association, the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) and Landscape Management magazine. Borst Landscape & Design is also the Grand Award winner of 40th Annual Environmental Improvement Awards from PLANET (Professional Landcare Network). The landscaping firm based in Allendale, New Jersey, focuses solely on "green" practices with Borst Organic®. This private-label line of organic products for lawn, tree and shrub care avoids synthetic fertilization and harsh chemicals. The holistic approach promotes optimum growing conditions and natural resistance to pests and diseases. 

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email Gail at info@borstlandscape.comor phone at 201-785-9400.

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