Chinkapin oak grows naturally throughout much of the eastern and midwestern United States, ending in the

southeastern corner of Nebraska. Along the Missouri bluffs it grows on dry wooded hillsides, low slopes and even

limestone outcroppings. As a shade tree it is a sturdy, well-formed oak and a reliable grower, even in the poorest

of sites. The handsome leathery leaves offer a unique texture to any landscape; they’re shiny on top with “sawtoothed” serrated edges. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow before falling, revealing its picturesque branching

structure and ashy-gray bark. The small, chestnut brown acorns are relished by a v

For gardeners who think about spring planting all year long, there are a few chores that can be

done in any season. You may never have done (and may not want to undertake) a soil test, and

you may see it as beyond your scope—especially if you’ve looked at laboratory soil test results,

which tend to be quite complex. But if areas of your landscape are continually struggling, it might

be worth a rudimentary check.

Nature restores. Taking a walk outdoors after too much time on our many screens—phones, computers,

televisions—can go a long ways toward clearing our minds and changing our moods. Last spring when

we first experienced the isolation and other constraints of covid, we were heading into spring and were

able to get out more. We had things to do in our yards and could be outdoors safely and comfortably

alone or distanced with friends.

At the 2020 NNLA Annual Meeting it

was announced the Nebraska Certified

Nurseryman (NCN) program would have an

updated name and logo starting January 1, 2021. In an effort to better reflect the work and expertise of individuals, the certification

program will be updated to the Nebraska Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional (NCNLP).

Jason Kuehl received the Nebraska Certified Nurseryman Distinguished Professional Award. His nomination included the following – Jason Kuehl plays a vital role in the horticulture industry, not only in the Omaha Metro area, but across the Midwest states. Jason begam his passion for the industry at a young age but made it official upon completion of his degree in Agronomy with an emphasis in Crop Production at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 1992. One of his first hobs outside of college included serving as an Agriculture Inspection Specialist for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Jason then moved on to become a successful Field and Operations Manager at Mulhall’s Nursery. With over seventeen years in operations management and administration, Jason has a proven track record of leading successful tams in nursery production. According to Dan Mulhall, since joining the Mulhall’s team in 1996, Jason had been pivotal to the success of the tree operation. “His work as our tree grower and buyer guided us through demanding times.” Ann Wickenhauser, current landscape designer with Mulhall’s and colleague of Jason’s for several years said, “I have always call Jason ‘The Tree God’. His (tree) knowledge is second to none. He has grown, bought, and sold trees and has experience that few will ever possess. His true gifts, however, are his people skills – he makes you feel like family the instant you meet him. He answers even the most mundane questions with sincerity.

Sitting in the office has definitely been a warmer option than being outside lately. With near record cold and a decent spell of it, we look forward to getting back to spring soon. Time to think about plants, greenhouses, gardening and taking care of customers. It won’t come soon enough.

Hopefully everyone had a very good season in 2020. We had our doubts in March as we came to grips with the pandemic and what it could do to our businesses. Cancel or push back deliveries? Will we even have customers?

Coralberry is a dense, multi-stemmed shrub that can be planted as a groundcover, border shrub or

under-story plant. Although it performs well in full sun, it is important to place this plant in a location

where it won’t bake during the summer. It does best in part shade or shade. This sprawling shrub is

useful for erosion control and will attract valuable wildlife to the garden, especially pollinating insects.

In the summer tiny white flowers with pink accents bloom in clusters over a long period on the outer

tips of the plant. Though they’re small, they attract a myriad of bees, flies and especially the common

thread-waisted wasps, like the black and yellow mud dauber. Caterpillars of the clearwing moths feed

on its foliage and the dense growth habit provides great winter cover for birds and other small animals.

Brett Schroer

General Manager at Urban Roots Nursery was elected Vice President.

Brett studied Horticulture/Landscape Design at the University of Nebraska Lincoln and has worked in the nursery

industry for over 25 years. Throughout his career he has worked in different regions of the United States and in

many areas of horticulture including retail, production, design, and installation. Brett is very passionate about our

local industry and the challenges we face as we move into the future.

He believes the NNLA is entering a period of evolution as we embrace the challenges and opportunities of an

ecommerce/post COVID world. Brett would like to offer his help in stewarding the association through these

challenging times so that it remains relevant for the future.

During the holidays, fresh cut greenery and artificial greens and florals are widely used to

decorate homes and businesses across the state. While very beautiful, both live and artificial

plant material can be a pathway by which plant pests can be spread.

In recent years, a number of incidents involving holiday decorations harboring plant pests

have occurred nationwide