Choosing trees for your lot – Red Oak

Native to North America, the Red Oak is a stunning shade tree suitable for larger lots and rural settings.

Red Oak or Quercus ‘Rubra’ will reach mature height of 75’ tall and width of 40’-60 wide with a life expectancy of 150 to 500 years.

Leaves are a deep glossy green in the summer and change to a beautiful red in the fall.

These trees are great for encouraging wildlife; its acorns are an important winter food source for squirrels, deer, wild turkeys, and several songbirds.

The Red Oak prefers a soil that has moderate moisture and is well drained.

Browse online and then come into Carp Garden Centre to choose the tree or trees best suited to where you live.

Choosing trees for your lot – Youngii Weeping Birch

Prized for its graceful weeping profile in the landscape, Youngii Weeping Birch makes a stunning focal piece.

Youngii Weeping Birch will have a mature height and spread of about 15 feet, making it ideal for smaller spaces and gardens.

The pointy leaves are a gorgeous deep green which transform to yellow in the fall.

Its bark is the characteristic birch white with black fissures, providing four-season interest.

This tree prefers moderately moist soil and may require supplemental watering during dry spells.

Browse our tree stock online, or just come in. You’ll want to see your tree choices in person and talk to our knowledgeable staff.

Choosing trees for your lot – Katsura

The Katsura is a mid-sized, deciduous tree with attractive heart-shaped leaves.

This tree requires partial to full sun and is a great choice for a smaller, urban lot.

Leaves emerge in the spring reddish-purple in colour and change over time to a bluish green during the summer. Fall colour can range from yellow to apricot to crimson.

Fun fact: The Katsura tree emits a wonderful caramel, cotton candy-like scent in the fall.

This tree prefers moderately moist soil and should not be planted in drier areas. A wonderful specimen tree!

Browse our tree stock online, or just come in. You’ll want to see your tree choices in person and talk to our knowledgeable staff.

The Hardy Daylily in the Spotlight

The daylilies are starting to shine at the garden centre this week.

Daylilies are a super-tough, drought resistant, and low maintenance perennial that comes in many colours.

Daylilies are great for beginner and experienced gardeners alike! These beauties are not to be confused with the wild orange lilies that thrive in our ditches in Eastern Ontario and spread easily. These cultivated daylilies are much better behaved, staying in one tidy clump.

Come check out some of the gorgeous daylilies we have in bloom at Carp Garden Centre!

Panicle Hydrangeas for Endless Flowering

July is the time of year the panicle hydrangeas begin their stunning display and they just keep on flowering!

Panicle hydrangeas are the easiest hydrangea to grow and offer a hardy, reliable option for the Ottawa area that you can count on to flower every year.

No other flowering shrub offers such a spectacular display of blooms for the length of time that panicle hydrangeas do. You’ll be enjoying the blooms from July until fall.

There are many varieties to choose from, including dwarf options perfect for smaller gardens such as the ‘Bobo’ variety. Other varieties can grow quite large, even topping out at 8 feet tall like the ‘Limelight’ can do.

All panicle hydrangea flowers will start out white and turn either pink or red.

Placing Your Panicle Hydrangeas

In our climate they prefer full sun, a minimum of 6 hours a day for maximum blooming. They can tolerate partial sun, as little as 4 to 6 hours per day, however the lower light levels can affect how vigorously they bloom.

Caring for Panicle Hydrangeas

Maintenance is easy: a quick prune of one-third of the plant in the spring or fall is all it takes. Be careful not to prune in early to mid summer as panicle hydrangeas bloom on ‘new wood’ and you’ll cut off that year’s blooms. 

Come check out all the gorgeous varieties we have in stock, or let one of our horticulturists help you pick the best variety for your garden!