
1. Fitchburg Farms, just off Highway 14 between Madison & Oregon, Fitchburg Farms is already bursting with color to add to your garden and front porch. My favorite spot for pre-filled flower pots for your front porch, driveway or deck. They have large and small pots already stocked and designed with the 'thrillers, spillers and fillers' that will bloom all summer long. They also have amazing hanging planters in all colors for shade or sun, and even have a great selection of indoor plants if your curb appeal is the window of your condo!
2. K & A Greenhouse, also in Fitchburg, is another great spot to get plants and trees for your outdoor garden. They have a beautiful selection of flowering and ornamental trees to add height to your landscape without creating more shade than you want. The Japanese and Korean maples are a personal favorite - delicate leaves in bright purples and reds and a canopy that maxes out around 15'. Last year I found a lemon tree inside the greenhouse, which decorated my patio in the summer and has been hibernating in my office all winter!
3. West Star Organics in Cottage Grove is where you'll find all the starter plants for your vegetable and herb gardens. You'll see them at the Dane County Farmer's Market as well. They have a huge variety of certified organic plants including many species of tomatoes and peppers you've probably never heard of. A pretty way to fit your vegetable and herb gardens into your curb appeal is in a decorative container on a patio or tucked into a flower bed. There are some beautiful metal containers on the market that patina with time and the elements. Rectangles and ovals are great shapes for your container garden!
4. A sure way to blow your (my) paycheck on plants is to head to Kopke's Greenhouse in Oregon (in the best way possible). They have amazing perennials and annuals in their greenhouses, container plants and hanging plants as well as vegetables. It can be your one stop shop if you want it to be! I love their selection of butterfly-attracting native plants and interesting shade ferns that you don't often see elsewhere. You really can't go wrong at Kopke's, and don't forget to head back in the fall for gourds, mums and hay bales for your fall display!
5. Not quite the greenthumb or super busy and need a bit of professional help in your curb appeal? I highly recommend Avant Gardening & Landscaping for professional landscape design and installation. They have licensed landscape architects and horticulturists on staff and will come to your house to design a landscaping plan for your needs and environment - from rock walls to rain gardens to patios and outdoor living spaces. I worked with Tim Stenzel, their landscape architect to design the finished grading, rock walls and garden beds at the house we built two years ago. He incorporated a lot of native plants with some of my 'must-have' favorite non-native species (peonies and hydrangeas) into a beautiful garden plan. If you want to improve your curb appeal without lifting a spade, Avant is the way to go!
Posted by Solveig Schroerlucke
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