We bring the nursery to you: a huge selection of "fresh off the farm truck" plants delivered at nearly wholesale prices!
Thanks for supporting the Plant Club!
June 22 - June 25
The best plants for your yard match multiple criteria: shade-tolerant AND deer-resistant perennials... natives which like wet sites... or trailing annuals with flowers just that exact shade of pink for the perfect patio pot. We hope our new search will help you more easily home in on the perfect plants for your situation. We'll probably never finish trying to make it better, but please put our new search through its paces and let us know what you think!
Our plant buyers' club will help you get the plants you want -- from the same sources the pros use -- at almost wholesale prices, without spending hours going from store to store!
Several times a month during the spring and summer, we'll provide access to all types and sizes of plants and prices from a rotating list of hand-selected nurseries... Look at the photos and information on our easy to use website and if you want something, let us know. We'll order everything from the grower(s), get the plants and bring them to your home by the following weekend. That's it!
You can pick the plants up from us or -- if you bought more than you can carry home -- we'll deliver any number of plants we can bring you without special equipment to addresses in Deerfield for $15. Whichever you prefer! Our prices are just a bit over our costs -- in comparison to the 100%+ mark-up over wholesale typical at most area nurseries -- so you don't need to feel bad about ordering as much as you want, trying something new, giving extras to friends -- whatever makes you happy!
We've got everything you might need for your yard: annuals or perennials; small plants in flats or mature plants in big containers; Hanging baskets or patio pots for your porch. Long-time stand-bys, Illinois Natives, current favorites, and new introductions; plants for solving those problem areas in your yard, or helping you achieve goals for your yard. Even deliveries of mulch, compost or dirt. We're also always trying to find new plants we haven't had before... Here's what's new this week!
In Chicagoland, it's common to use annuals to jump-start spring color, either in beds or planters. The perennials which have survived the cold winter in your yard can take awhile to get going... But annuals, coming from warm greenhouses are already full of color. And there are so many kinds to experiment with!
If you're interested in creating your own planters or hanging baskets, here's a list of some cool "recipes" you can work from using plants which are available from the Plant Club right now. Want even more container inspiration? Check out our library of photos of hanging baskets and planters. Or, if you want something to show up on your porch or patio that's already in one piece, we have a growing list of hanging baskets and patio pots available for purchase.
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BegoniaBegonias are a profusely-flowering, low maintenance option for the garden or containers that require very little care and pack a huge punch. Keep begonias’ soil moist but not soaked, check on your variety’s light preferences (depending on the variety, begonias will produce spectacular blooms in full shade all the way to full sun), and watch out for botrytis blight, a fungal leaf infection that plagues these plants in the garden. Begonias will bloom from spring to your first frost without any deadheading needed, but you can always pinch off old blooms or do some light pruning of the stems to promote a more incredible show. Some (tuberous) varieties can be dug up in the fall, stored, and replanted the following spring, which makes them a great investment, and all can be potted and brought inside to spend their winters as houseplants if you just can’t live without them between gardening seasons. Begonias are members of a genus (Begonia!) containing about 1400 different subtropical and tropical perennial flowering plants often grown seasonally in cooler climates. Those include fibrous-rooted begonias like the wax begonias; cane stem types (angelwing begonias), characterized by their tall stems; and hairy begonias, which have felt-like leaves. Rhizomatous begonias include the rex begonias, grown for their brightly coloured and patterned leaves. Rieger begonias, tuberous begonias, and whopper begonias are also popular in nurseries. Pros
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Rex BegoniasYou’ve probably seen Begonia rex as a houseplant, but did you know they can be stunners in the garden, too? Even though these plants do flower, they’re really prized for their strikingly colored and patterned foliage. Rex begonias love humid conditions, but don’t like to get their feet wet . . . overwatering this plant will result in a soft, wilted mess. You can also over-fertilize this one, which will result in discolored, burned leaves and a lingering feeling that no good deed goes unpunished. Long story short, give this beauty some space and she’ll give you a season’s worth of fabulous foliage. Pros
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Wax BegoniasOften called “Wax Begonias,” for their shiny, waxy leaves, Begonia semperflorens are a bit “vertically challenged” which makes them a beautiful choice for borders and the outside edge of mixed containers. These plants will tolerate partial shade to full sun, depending on how hot and humid their growing environment is: they’ll grow taller but bloom less in shady areas, and will be shorter but have more blooms in sun, but are prone to burning in full-sun, dry, very hot conditions. Pros
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Whopper BegoniasShowy and fabulous in gardens and containers, Begonia benariensis grows to a respectable 2 feet tall and likes to be the star of the show. Her shiny, waxy dark green leaves and rose-hued blooms are romantic, sure, but don’t let that fool you - this girl is tough as nails. If your version of "gardening" is to pop something in a pot in April and forget about it until the Fourth of July, Begonia benariensis might be just the boss babe you’ve been searching for. Her tour du force? She’s happy in both sun and shade, making her a truly versatile star. Pros
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Rieger BegoniasBegonia x hiemalis is kind of the best of two worlds. This plant is a hybrid of a tuberous begonia and a wax begonia, a match made in low-maintenance heaven. These little gems are super easy to grow and have one parents’ lovely, waxy leaves, and the other parent's tubers, making it easy to dig them up, overwinter them in a cool dry place, and pop them back in the ground come spring. Pros
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Tuberous BegoniasNeed a pop of color for that shady corner of your garden? Look no further than Begonia x tuberhybrida! Commonly known as “tuberous begonias,” these little lovelies pack a powerful punch and are pretty unfussy, as a general rule. Their Achilles Heel is powdery mildew, so don’t plant too densely to allow for air circulation between each plant, which will help fight off this unsightly affliction. Pros
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CalibrachoaCalibrachoa are also called million bells or trailing petunia because of their prolific, bell-shaped flowers and their resemblance to petunias (but typically with smaller flowers). They are a fairly new ornamental, introduced in the 1990s, and rapidly gained popularity with the gardening world. Their trailing habit make them very suitable for hanging baskets and other places you might want Petunias. |
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CaladiumsCaladiums (Elephant Ear) are in the arum (Araceae) family and native to Central and South America. They are hardy only to USDA zone 9 or 10; therefore, caladiums should be used as annuals in Chicago gardens. These tropical foliage plants are grown for their decorative, multicolored foliage. Caladium leaves are combinations of red, pink, green, and/or white, with colored midribs and contrasting backgrounds and borders. The varied leaf colors and patterns create many uses for caladiums in the landscape. The leaves do not have stems, but instead originate on long petioles emerging directly from the tuber. They may produce a greenish-white spathe flower. Caladiums are grown for their beautiful foliage; therefore, remove the flower as it takes food away from the leaf production and reduces the tuber size. Since Caladiums prefer heat and humidity and do not tolerate cold, soggy soils, for most gardeners who live in the north will have best results in containers, as the soil in pots or planters warms up faster and has better drainage so plants will not become soggy. Remember for best growth always keep the temperatures above 65 F. |
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New Guinea ImpatiensCommonly known as “New Guinea Impatiens,” Impatiens hawkeri are quite similar to Common Impatiens, with a plot twist: they can be grown in full sun. Their blooms are also slightly larger than their cousins’, which makes for some awkward Impatiens Family dinner conversation. Pros
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Common ImpatiensOften simply called Common Impatiens, or, our favorite, "Busy Lizzy," (how cute is that!) Impatiens walleriana is one of the most grown annuals in the world. This "mounding" (read: well-behaved, full and lush) annual thrives in hanging baskets, pots, or in the ground along walkways and borders. Its true allure lies in its light requirements: this plant is one of very few shade-tolerators who offers up dense, spectacular, vibrant, long-lasting carpets of blooms from spring to early fall. Because of that, it's a popular annual bedding plant with a wide variety of colors and does best in part shade to full shade. This plant tolerates full sun, but is a water guzzler and tends to look wilted when heat loads are high and water is less plentiful. Over watering, however, can cause rot. Flowers may be bicolored or double. This plant has low drought tolerance and is hardy in zones 10-11. This plant performs best when soil is moist, well-drained, and supplemented with organic material. Pros
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PetuniasWould spring even happen without a gorgeous hanging basket of petunias on every front porch? These planter favorites are easy to care for and give much more than they take. Petunias love the sun but can tolerate partial shade. They grow best in well-drained soil (planting with a handful or two of peat moss can help with this) but should be kept moist when potted, so plan on watering these beauties every few days or daily during hot weather if you have them in a planter. Petunias are HUNGRY and should be fertilized often to promote the most blooms! Pros
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What's Popular in Spring?
In Chicagoland, it's common to use annuals to jump-start spring color, either in beds or planters. The perennials which have survived the cold winter in your yard can take awhile to get going... But annuals, coming from warm greenhouses are already full of color. And there are so many kinds to experiment with! Pansies -- colorful, easy and frost-resistant -- are one of the most popular families of early spring annuals. Snapdragons, English & African daisies, pot marigolds, lobelias, sweet alyssum, forget-me-nots, nemesia, stocks, primroses, and sweet peas can also be planted in early May after being gradually hardened off.
After that, there are lots of choices in the annual palette: Impatiens, Geraniums, Pentunias, and much more.
Browse a list of Proven Winner's annual best-sellers, or search for what you're looking for in the menus above.
If you're interested in creating your own planters or hanging baskets, here's a list of some cool "recipes" you can work from using plants which are available from the Plant Club right now. Want even more container inspiration? Check out our library of photos of hanging baskets and planters. Or, if you want something to show up on your porch or patio that's already in one piece, we have a growing list of hanging baskets and patio pots available for purchase. |
Every week should be Pollinator Week in our gardens, because birds, bees, butterflies, beetles, moths and flies are critical to our ecosystem. We're celebrating them because they make such important contributions to our ecosystem and sustainable food supply. And they are beautiful!
Native plants are key to providing a wildlife friendly garden. Native plants, shrubs, and trees provide nectar and pollen to native bees and other insects that are in severe decline. And they offer food, protection, and housing not only for insects, but also for spiders, birds, amphibians, reptiles, small and large mammals.
By adding these pollinator-friendly plants to your garden, you could help create a "pollinator corridor" which is series of yards, open spaces and communities with native plants that connects different areas of habitat. This provides nutrition and homes for pollinators. A common example is milkweed, which is necessary for monarch butterflies as they migrate. Milkweed used to be found commonly along roads and open areas but has been greatly reduced or eliminated over the years.
Here are some of our favorite natives:
Grasses will take your garden to the next level. These plants are among our favorite items for four-season intrigue, and can take the place of other more expensive and typical evergreens in many cases.
Look in any garden design book or go to a botanic garden and you’re sure to see beautiful grasses, in a multitude of heights and colors. It doesn’t matter what season you visit – there’s always ornamental grasses, plumes of grey, taupe, green and even red and purple, setting off the flowers and other greens around them.
If you choose the right type of groundcover for your garden, it will grow and grow and not require a lot of maintenance. Not many other things in a garden can deliver such a big punch without major effort. But a good groundcover is even better than that! It won't complain if you put it in the shade (where many other plants won't thrive), and it will keep unwanted plants out of the way while giving you a beautiful living carpet where you would otherwise have bare ground.
There are lots of groundcovers to consider, but the classics include: Ajuga reptans (Bugleweed), Pachysandra terminalis, Vinca minor, and Euonymus fortunei.
It's always a good time to add mulch and soil to your garden beds. Mulch is great for your plants. It adds nutrients to the soil, helps it retain moisture (so you don't have to water as often), prevents soil compaction, insulates the soil from hot or cold conditions and suppresses weed growth. It even looks good!
Book a delivery now and our partner, the Mulch Center, will deliver your order to you. Take advantage of our negotiated cubic yard and delivery rates for Club members. Shoot us a note at mulch@northshoreplantclub.com and we can help you place an order.
Join the club (it's free), and let us help you get the plants you want -- fresh from the nursery -- without all the hassle and expense of retail!
If you need extra help, shoot us a note at help@northshoreplantclub.com and we'll work through situations by email or phone, or share the names of some great teammates who can efficiently and affordably help you plan a new area in your garden, or coach you on how to care for what you have -- a great option for a new homeowner who inherited a garden but isn't quite sure what to do with it, how to expand on it, or how to care for it!
About Me
Hi! My name is Linda Lopata, and I'm the coordinator of the Deerfield Plant Club.
After a career in IT consulting, and raising two kids, I got involved in plants and gardening from my mother-in-law and taking classes at the Botanic Garden, where I also have volunteered in the fruit and vegetable garden for 15 years. I have a passion for growing vegetables and used the 1st winter of the pandemic to learn how to grow my own seeds and to winter sow. I grew 1200 seedlings in my basement during the first pandemic winter. This pandemic winter, I've been focusing on learning how to grow native plants with winter sowing and redesign parts of my garden for them.
Come say hello when you pick up your plants. And if I can help you with anything, shoot me an email at deerfield@northshoreplantclub.com!
May 2023 Plant Club Top 25
Plant May April Buxus 'Green Velvet' 1 NR Buxus 'Glencoe' 2 NR Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' 3 1 Buxus 'Green Mountain' 4 NR Pachysandra terminalis 'Green Carpet' 5 NR Begonia 'Bada Bing Rose' 6 NR Impatiens x hybrida 'Sunpatiens Compact White' 7 NR Begonia 'Bada Bing White' 8 NR Geranium maculatum 9 NR Impatiens x hybrida 'SunPatiens Compact Hot Pink' 10 NR Hydrangea paniculata 'Quick Fire' 11 NR Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer' ENDLESS SUMMER 12 NR Vinca minor 'Bowles' 13 17 Rhododendron 'PJM' 14 NR Phlox subulata 'Scarlet Flame' 15 NR Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' 16 NR Rhododendron 'Karens' 17 NR Sporobolus heterolepis 18 NR Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris 19 NR Lobelia cardinalis 20 NR Begonia 'Bepared' DRAGON WING RED 21 NR Allium 'Millennium' 22 NR Browallia 'Endless Flirtation' 23 NR Hydrangea arborescens 'Abetwo' INCREDIBALL 24 NR Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' 25 NR
NR: No Ranking
Testimonials
Deerfield is our newest plant club location... but we've been helping people get affordable access to great plants on the North Shore since 2018.
Here's what they say about the Plant Club:
The hostas you delivered last week are amazing. Can't imagine anything better from any of the retail shops around here!
You saved me nearly $1000 on my new boxwood hedge compared with what I would have spent at [redacted]!
Remember that Fire & Ice Hosta you got me for $5.75? I was up at one of my regular places this weekend and the same plant was almost $25!
The impatiens that I ordered from you were absolutely gorgeous! And the rose bushes are doing beautifully.
We've loved participating the last few years! We terraced our back yard this week & have planting spaces to fill. We are so excited to be a part of the club again this year!
Buy a gift certificate
A Plant Club Gift Certificate is the perfect gift for a birthday, Mother's Day, or any day!
Want to create a great garden in a specific color scheme?
Use the Plant Club Color Wheel of Plants to find plants in every color you can imagine, allowing you to combine color shades, textures and growing patterns to create the garden of your dreams.
Useful Articles About Plants & Gardening
We're always collecting useful gardening articles to support new and experienced gardeners. We now have assembled nearly 800 of them, arranged in an easy to use way. Please share any interesting gardening articles you come across to readingroom@northshoreplantclub.com and we will add them to our site!
Where to see plants!
Chicago's official motto is Urbs in horto (meaning "City in a Garden"). Here are some of the best places to see gardens in and around the city!
Educational Plant Photography
If you can't get out to an arboretum or botanic garden, never fear -- we have tons of education and inspiration for you! If you're looking to design your own planters, check out our container, planters and hanging basket photo gallery. The plants in our interactive landscapes are tagged, so you can explore them at your leisure -- asking "What's that plant?" -- no matter how cold it is outside.
Want to help us make the world a better place?
Share your knowledge, skills (or even your enthusiastic lack of these)... Email us to help the Plant Club help others become better in the garden. Or share photos of your yard or from your trips to other gardens near or far!
We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!
Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.
Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.
Want a better way to get great plants and make your yard look awesome? Create your account below and get:
Membership is free, but — since we rely on delivery and local pick-up — you have to live near one of our hubs (or be willing to drive to a site to pick them up). If you live farther away, and would like to help us bring the club to your neighbors, please email helpusgrow@northshoreplantclub.com.
To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.
Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!