Heartwood loves to plant trees, so getting top quality nursery stock is always important. In a typical year we order shade trees, evergreens, shrubs, and fruit trees from a variety of locations. We prefer to order from nurseries within Wisconsin, its keep the shipping costs down and the product is usually straight from the field. Below are the three that we are using this year to make up the spring plant sale offering.
Meacham Nursery in Green Bay has been a favorite since the beginning. Brent worked at this nursery decades ago and has maintained a strong relationship with Jeff over the years. Meacham has always grown an excellent tree, with structure and branch spacing second to none. When you buy a Meacham shade tree the branches are spaced along a tall central leader or trunk, which is crucial for proper long-term development.
We buy shade trees, decorative trees, and evergreens from Meacham. Most of our larger bare root stock comes the 100-acre nursery located in Green Bay.
Aerial shot of McKay Nursery in Waterloo, WI.
Since the beginning of the spring plant sale we have offered fruit trees from McKay Nursery in Waterloo. They are a pretty big operation, with a cooler about the size of a football field to store bare root stock at approximately 36 degrees F after digging. We have had excellent transplant success with their fruit trees and shrubs. We love having a nursery only 45 minutes away because it allows us to grab trees exactly when we are ready for them.
Recently, McKay took over Winterland Nursery at the end of Fish Hatchery Rd near Oregon. If you want to get an look in-person at a great variety of trees and shrubs, this is a great destination. They also sell their tree stock retail and in the past have loaned out a trailer to transport home some of the bigger trees their customers have purchased.
Winterland Nursery in Oregon, WI from above.
Johnson’s Nursery in Menomonee Falls is one of the most well-known operations in Wisconsin. We have been planting their stock for years and have had great success with their b&b and container material. Over the years we have increased the amount of container trees and shrubs we plant that is a result of working with Johnsons. Their stock is second to none and variety of plants allows us to expand our offerings each year. Johnson’s also collaborates with us on our annual Arbor Day planting event held at Devils Lake State park each April.
Pete checking out rows of Fire Bird Crab Tree during a tour of Johnson’s Nursery.
Leaves Inspired Nursery is located on top of the Niagra Escarpment just outside Chilton overlooking Lake Winnebago. They specialize in bare root trees and shrubs which makes their stock a mainstay in our store. Finding good nurseries to supply bare root stock is not an easy task. Everyone wants to ship us their soil and trees! We just want the trees.
Loading a bundle of 60 bare root trees onto a flatbed trailer. Bare root trees are very small, light and compact. 60 B&B trees would fill a semi truck trailer!
We offer a spring plant sale each year on our website. Pricing is usually discounted 20% because if we can bunch up the orders, the stock pick-up, and the plantings, we can plant trees for less and pass the efficiencies to our customers. Plant more trees for less than less trees for more. The plant sale also works well because the trees are fresh dug from the nursery which helps minimize the shock of losing a good portion of their root system. Check out our store to see what we are offering. Sales only available to Dane County residents.
