Shrub Appeal

03/15/2026

Updates/Results in comments!

Temps could drop as low as 14°F Monday night. This will damage tender flowers, foliage, and buds. CAUTION: these temps are so low even steps to protect plants might not work. It will depend on the cold tolerance of the plant and how “awake” they are.
👇 What to expect + what you can do👇

🌱 1. Leafed Out Perennials
• To try to prevent damage you can cover entirely with a *thick* layer of mulch
• Especially important for HOSTAS poking up!!! If the spires of hostas freeze now their foliage may look tattered all season.
• If perennials do get damaged don’t worry, plants will most certainly survive, damage will be aesthetic. Most perennials will push a second flush of growth.

🏡2. Budding Woody Shrubs that bloom on NEW wood
• To try and prevent damage you can cover with a blanket/insulated sheet
• If left uncovered, don’t worry! Plants will most certainly survive and will push a second flush of growth.
• They may bloom a few weeks later, but are expected to bloom.

🏡3. Budding Woody Shrubs that bloom on OLD wood
• To try and prevent damage you can cover with a blanket/insulated sheet with Christmas lights (not LEDs) under the blanket for a touch of warmth.
• If uncovered, plants will survive but may not bloom this year 😢Looking at you Big Leaf Hydrangeas (pink/blue kind)!
• The buds that have started to break on these shrubs contain the baby flowers for this year. If that tissue freezes the flowers for this year perish.

🪻4. Flowering Bulbs
• To try to prevent damage you can cover with a blanket/sheet.
• Open flowers will fade but foliage may survive.

🌳 5. Flowering Trees
• Because these can’t be feasibly covered, there’s really nothing you can do to protect these blooms. Blooms will fade.
• The trees will survive without much impact to their health.

✅ Final Tips!
• Moist soil acts as an excellent insulator and holds heat much better than dry soil.
• Secure sheets and blankets well as strong gusts of winds are also expected.
• Fertilize with a slow release all purpose fertilizer when all threats of freeze have passed in late spring to feed plants that used lots of energy to put on a second flush of growth.

Stay warm, gardeners! Questions? Drop them in the comments below! 👇

03/07/2026

It’s official, Spring has Sprung!

02/10/2026

We've updated our gallery with a selection of 2025 projects.
https://www.shrubappeal.com/gallery
Last season was fun and productive and I'd like to thank our clients and my crew for making it all possible!💚

Note: Sometimes we forget to take photos so not every project is featured on our website.

03/12/2025

PSA: Oak Wilt

Oak Wilt is a serious fungal pathogen that is present across the Midwest. It will kill a red oak tree in a year and a white oak tree in one to five years. There is no cure.

Oaks are a keystone species in IL and are valuable landscape trees. Because there is no cure, we need to help protect our trees through prevention. The Oak Wilt fungus is spread by insects that feed on the tree sap that leaks out of tree wounds. To protect your tree, do not prune it when leaves are on the tree and the sap is flowing. If you must make a cut during the growing season, for instance to fix storm damage, the Extension Office now recommends you apply wound paint to seal the cuts. Wound paint is normally not recommended because it isn’t great for the tree but Oak Wilt is even worse.

Oak Wilt can also spread through root to root connections between trees. If you get Oak Wilt, you need to take *immediate action* to prevent root to root transmission. Call the Extension Office to learn about your next steps.

To learn more about Oak Wilt check out this fact sheet at this link:https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/pc_factsheet_on_oak_wilt.pdf

Please inform your family, friends, and neighbors with oaks so they can protect their trees.

If you have questions, please call your local Extension Office. The Extension Office is a great community resource. The Crawford County Extension Office can be reached at (618) 546-1549.

We 💚 Oak Trees!

03/05/2025

Mid March is the perfect time for spring clean up.

- To reduce your w**d load all season long apply mulch and a pre-emergent before April.
- Wait until mid march before cleaning up stems and leaf debris as beneficial insects need this habitat/cover until spring.
- It's a good time to prune shrubs that bloom on new wood and most evergreens

01/22/2025

For more information and to apply go to: https://www.shrubappeal.com/pro-bono-application-for-non-profits

Crawford County is a supportive and thriving community. Non-Profit organizations of all shapes and sizes have a significant and meaningful impact in the area. Shrub Appeal aims to give back to the community and honor this culture. We have decided to use our specific landscaping talents to support the Non-Profits that work tirelessly to serve the needs of the people.

Often times, the employees and volunteers behind Non-Profit organizations rightfully put all of their energy into the organization's mission. They may not have the time or manpower to invest in curb appeal. Still, the external appearance of a building sends a message to visitors, investors, and the public. By providing Pro Bono landscaping services to Non-Profits in need, Shrub Appeal will help organizations reflect their internal hope and strength on the external face of their building. Moreover, the organization can devote more time, funds, and energy to their mission: helping the community.

This is our first year running this program. At this time, we anticipate that we will primarily provide maintenance/clean up services and minimal new install/planting services through this program. Our goal is to help approximately two to four Non-Profits during the 2025 gardening season, and are open to helping more if we have the resources to do so.

Please follow Shrub Appeal on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ShrubAppealLLC for updates.

12/13/2024

A selection of 2024 Before and Afters has been added to our online gallery!
https://www.shrubappeal.com/gallery

Thank you, Crawford County, for making 2024 great!

Design

10/15/2024

Be safe and disconnect your hoses before the cold weather tonight 💚 Water your plants before you do to help them in the cold.

09/18/2024

Crawford County is in a moderate drought.

Even established landscape plants and trees will need supplemental watering to reduce stress levels and prepare for winter. 💚 Aim for 1 inch of additional water per week.

During National Farm Safety and Health Week, another important reminder is how current conditions influence and increase risk. For example, drought can increase the chance of field and grass fires.

Although this past July was recorded as one of the wettest in Illinois, now the state is back in drought conditions on the brink of harvest season.

According to Trent Ford, state climatologist at Illinois State Water Survey, persistently dry conditions and summer-like temperatures have pushed parts of the state into moderate to severe drought.

Drought impacts and condition reports are critical as drought conditions evolve in the coming weeks.

🔗 What next? Everyone can help track what conditions look like in specific locations using the CMOR system at droughtimpacts.unl.edu/Tools/ConditionMonitoringObservations.aspx

🔗 View maps and more at stateclimatologist.web.illinois.edu/2024/09/12/drought-is-back-in-illinois/

Prairie Research Institute

07/26/2024

If you are looking for DIY landscaping/gardening educational info I highly recommend this page. Her advice is on point and highly practical. She’s got a lot of great content that goes way beyond the “trendy” things you see online.

She does operate in the New England area so keep in mind her zone is different than ours. Still, most of her advice and content will be applicable to us.

Jess, The Garden Coach🌺. Virtual and in-person consultations. See website for info.