• South Wilmington Elementary School Mon, April 23 10:15am
• Gardner Elementary School Mon, April 23 11:40am
• Dwight Grade School Mon, April 23 3:10pm
• Mazon-Verona-Kinsman Elementary School Fri, April 27 10:30pm
• Immaculate Conception Elementary School Fri, April 27 12:30pm
• Seneca Elementary School Fri, April 27 2:00pm
• Braceville Elementary School Mon, April 30 10:00am
• Coal City Elementary School Mon, April 30 11:45am
• Saratoga Elementary School Mon, April 30 1:30pm

There has never been a better time to plant a tree. We invite you to celebrate with us this spring!!!

Despite the weather challenges to get trees dug & out of the ground before breaking dormancy, our digging crews have kept up well in the field.  We have already shipped many of our field direct trees & by the end of next week, they will all be out & to our customers.  Due to the early warm-up, we moved up our Field Direct Special deadline to 4-15-12.  By then, everything will be settled nicely into our holding yard for supply throughout the rest of the season.

Our holding yard is filling up quickly with fresh dug trees fron the field.  On top of quickly getting our customer orders dug, we have been able to dig an ample supply of additional trees to supply projects for the rest of the season.  We only have about another week or two depending on weather & species to dig any additional deciduous trees.  Our window of digging evergreens will be probably through the rest of April.  If you are still waiting to place your spring order, now is the time to insure we will still have what you need!

On another note, it's also time to PLANT TREES! We have a terrific selection of new trees that are waiting to be planted.  We will be getting those in the ground over the next week, and we can't wait to start work on shaping your trees for the future!  If you have ever wanted to see how the planting or digging process works, this is a great time to visit the nursery.  Please stop by this spring & join in the fun - just a warning we will probably put you to work though!

"Grower's Choice" Shade Trees & "Utility Friendly" Trees

At Spring Grove Nursery, we are committed to the health of urban forests in our local communities.  Planting a diverse selection of trees can reduce the threat of pests & diseases that target specific tree species, such as the Emerald Ash Borer beetle which kills Ash trees. We recently created a document  to help customers select good shade tree alternatives to Ash in the landscape.  We promote planting a diverse selection of trees in any project & this resource can be helpful in the decision process.

Shade Tree Alternatives to Ash PDF File 

Another recently published article in American Nurseryman magazine addressed this same issue.  The article titled "Ash Alternatives" was written by Jeff Iles from Iowa State.  We are proud to be growing many of the trees on his list.  "Ash Alternatives" Article in American Nurseryman

For a complete list of the diversity we grow at our nursery, check out our SGN Species Diversity List which can always be found on our Availability page of our website.   We are also proud to be digging several new tree varities this spring.  Check out the complete list in our Website Availability.

Another great way to try out some new trees this spring is with our exclusive SGN Tree Diversity Special.  Call us for more info on some terrific ideas & savings! 

Please call us anytime with questions on selecting the best trees for your projects.  We are happy to help! If new tree planting projects use a diverse palatte of trees, the landscape will thrive & flourish for many years to come!

Our new liners will also be arriving next week.  We are planting a full crop this spring into the field for future production.  As many nurseries have cut back on their planting plans, we are proud to be able to continue lining out new stock each spring. We will once again be planting great trees from J. Frank Schmidt Nursery, Carlton Plants, John Holmlund Nursery, and new this year Kuenzi Turf & Nursery - all from Oregon.

Throughout the season we spend quite a bit of time taking pictures of our trees. We recently updated our Photo Gallery on our website with more photos.  We also added some terrific Tree Fact Sheets on several of the trees we grow.  Thanks to J. Frank Schmidt Nursery, our supplier of those trees, on helping us put together those sheets.  Click here to see our new & improved Photo Gallery!

Spring is a great time to visit the nursery! Please stop by anytime to watch planting, digging, or tag your trees in the field.  We encourage you to get spring orders in early this season.  We have already begun to sell out of several vareities & sizes, and we anticipate a busy spring season. Thanks for your time & we look forward to working with you this spring!

We also have some terrific savings opportunities as well. Our SGN Tree Diversity Special offers a unique opportunity to try out some great trees at a great price. We also have some great Field Direct Specials too.  Here is a complete list of trees on sale this spring:

Field Direct Specials

• 12' Autumn Blaze Maple
• 3" State Street Maple
• 2", 2.5", 3" Royal Red Norway Maple
• 3" & 3.5" Red Maples
• 14' River Birch
• 3" & 3.5" Elms
• 2.5" Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn
• 2", 2.5", 3" Lindens - Redmond, Greenspire, & Silver
• 2"-3.5" Skyline Honeylocust
• 6' Black Hill & Colorado Spruce
• 8' Austrian Pine

SGN Exclusive Tree Diversity Special

• 2" Pacific Sunset Maple
• 2" Moraine Sweetgum
• 2" Dawn Redwood
• 2" New Horizon Elm
• 2" Kentucky Coffeetree
• 2" Regal Prince Oak
• 2" Bald Cypress
• 2" State Street Maple
• 2" Pyramidal European Hornbeam

Please call or email if you have any questions. We look forward to working with you this spring!

As Jamie finishes up counts in the field, he is happy to report a great looking crop ready to dig this spring.  Our early spring sales are starting out strong this season so we are hopeful for a great season ahead!  We are already seeing certain varieties begin to sell out, and we encourage you to let us know what you need for spring projects as soon as you can.  Early orders help us keep things running smoothly in the spring as we prepare our dig lists.

In our FEBRUARY VIDEO, we highlight why winter is a great time to come out to the nursery.  Right now while the trees are dormant, you can get a great look at their structure.  In our video, Jamie highlights some trees that have terrific structure like New Horizon Elm, State Street Maple, Swamp White Oak, & Skyline Honeylocust.

February is a great time to come out & visit the nursery - we welcome you anytime.  We hope you enjoy the rest of your winter. Stay warm & think spring!

• Marmo Maple
• Redpointe Red Maple
• Commemoration Sugar Maple
• Allegheny Serviceberry
• American Hornbeam
• Perkins Pink Yellowwood
• Espresso Kentucky Coffeetree
• Royal Raindrops Flowering Crabapple
• Golden Raindrops Flowering Crabapple
• Wildfire Black Tupelo
• Exclamation!  London Planetree
• Trinity Ornamental Pear
• Chinkapin Oak
• White Oak
• Shingle Oak
• New Horizon Elm
• Emerald Sunshine Elm
• Green Vase Zelkova

We are proud to be able to contribute to a more diverse landscape by offering a wide palette of tree species to choose from. Our new Spring Specials this season highlight a few of these new species as well as the popular trees you are familiar with.  Please contact us for the lastest pricing & availability on all specials.

You will also notice on our new Spring 2012 Availability that we show some container trees ranging in size from #3 to #20. We have sourced them this year from a quality specialty grower that does a great job growing a fibrous root system. These trees are a good alternative for projects that lend themselves to a smaller tree.

As we head into spring, please let us know what we can do to get you the trees you need for your projects!

ADDITIONAL GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR 2012!

The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus announced another round of federal grant money is available to municipalities to fight the devastating effects of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Two different grants are available to communities, a Restoration Grant to assist in tree replanting, and a Technical Assistance Grant, to assist in preparing a tree inventory & management plan.

We have reviewed the grant documents, and this looks like a terrific opportunity for communities within the IL Dept. of Ag quarantine zone, as well as the landscape contractors, nurseries, & tree care companies that partner with these communities.  We are well positioned to help our customers get these federal dollars at work in our communities.

Here are some important links to find out more about the program:

Restoration Grant:

http://www.cleanaircounts.org/documents/Reforest11172011.pdf

Technical Assistance Grant:

http://www.cleanaircounts.org/documents/TechAssistance11182011.pdf

Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Link:

http://www.mayorscaucus.org/pages/Home/Opportunities.html

Spring Grove Nursery can help communities meet the requirements of this grant program.  We offer a diverse selection of species as outlined in the grant. The grant also requires all new trees to come from an IL Dept of Ag certified nursery, and we hold that certification.  In addition, we also hold an EAB Compliance Agreement.  All grants must first be reviewed & approved by an ISA Certified Arborist. Jamie Thomas is certified, and he can assist small communities that do not have their own Certified Arborist on staff.

The deadline for all grant applications is Jan 20, 2012. Please call us if you would like assistance in preparing your grant application.