Deck the Halls with these 4 Holiday Color Trends!

1. ALL-ORGANIC. Try using natural tones and materials. Light greens really pop on a white palette, while darker hues feel seriously cozy against earthy browns.

2. METALLIC TONES. These glamorous hues bring a classy (and classic) look to any tree, wreath or accent. Experiment with trendy combos like pink & gold or cobalt & silver.

3. BLACK & WHITE. This simple but impactful palette can range from low-key and sophisticated to bold and dramatic. Add some whimsy with penguins and plaid!

4. GREEN & RED. You really can’t go wrong with this classical seasonal color scheme. Make it yours with Wannemaker’s selection of more than 10,000 ornaments!

Find décor for these color trends and more at Chicagoland’s Holiday Headquarters!

Want to spruce things up? Wannemaker’s has you covered. At Chicagoland’s Holiday Headquarters, we carry a huge selection of live and life-like trees, garlands and wreaths. Continue reading…

Hardy, vibrant and bursting with color, mums are a favorite of fall gardeners and pollinators alike. They’re also the gift that keeps on giving; mums bloom for weeks at a time, so you can plant them in the late summer or early fall and enjoy them all season long.

Of course, picking the right mum matters, so let’s run through some of the basics you should know before exploring Wannemaker’s huge selection …

#1. Go green. While mums pair well with many fall plants, positioning them in a bed of grasses, kale or ornamental cabbage will really make them pop.

#2. Keep things light. Mums generally grow best in full or partial sun. For best results, try to keep yours away from the shade.

#3. Color-coordinate. When choosing your mums, think about the trees and other dominant plants in your yard. If the majority will turn bright colors in the fall, complement them with mums in shades of red, orange or yellow. If you have lots of evergreens, we recommend pink, lavender or pure white mums.

#4. Try downsizing. Running out of room? No problem. While most mums can stand up to three feet tall, dwarf forms grow just eight to 10 inches—the perfect plant for tighter spaces.

KEEP GROWING WITH BEAUTIFUL
PLANTS & BIG IDEAS FROM WANNEMAKER’S!

For Illinois gardeners, June is the perfect time to plant perennials. Wannemaker’s has you covered with a HUGE SELECTION of top perennial picks, from HOSTAS and DAYLILIES to CONEFLOWERS and SO MUCH MORE. We have all your summertime favorites, too: annuals, roses, trees, and shrubs, plus tasty vegetables and herbs.

Keep scrolling to check out our featured flower, along with some gardening tips and perennial picks!

FEATURED FLOWER
HOSTA

A perennial favorite, gardeners love hostas for their lush foliage and easy care.

Another reason to love hostas? Their endless variety! Native to Northeast Asia, hostas come in more than 2,500 varieties, with a huge range of leaf shapes, sizes, and textures. Come in to Wannemaker’s today and find a host that matches your one-of-a-kind style!

 
FRESH THINKING
WHAT MAKES LOCAL PLANTS BETTER? 

While some nurseries ship the majority of their plants from other locations, we like to grow most of ours locally. Why? Because, when you ship plants from other locations, you risk exposing them to big changes in temperature and climate, which can damage the plants.

Local plants are healthy plants—that’s why we grow 90% of ours right here in the Midwest. Find a plant by clicking here.

GROWING SKILLS
6 PRO-GARDENING TIPS 

How can you bring an eye-catching pop of personality to your garden? What do your plants need to grow, besides soil, sun and water? And how should you arrange the plants in your garden to make the most of your space?

Whether you’re a certified green thumb or are just digging in, here are a handful of helpful tips from Wannemaker’s knowledgeable staff! Click here to read the article.

Dive into birdbaths and other summertime favs at Wannemaker’s!

Looking to bring a pop of character to your lawn or garden? Head to Chicagoland’s outdoor living headquarters for high-quality birdbaths, fountains, garden statues and décor—plus so much more.

In the meantime, keep scrolling for birdbath tips and top picks!

Fresh Thinking

4 Tips for a Better Birdbath

Birdbaths are a win-win. For us humans, they help our gardens stay beautiful and healthy by attracting pollinators and providing some whimsical character. Meanwhile, they offer our feathery friends a dependable supply of clean water.

If you’re thinking about bringing a birdbath to your garden, try these 4 things for the best results!

#1: Go for the shade. Placing your birdbath in the shade will help the water stay cool and fresh.

#2: Create stone “seating.” Arrange a few stones along the base of your birdbath, and the birds will be able to stand on them and drink without getting too wet.

#3: Keep it shallow. The water in your bath should be no more than 2 inches deep. This will keep the birds safe, while replicating the natural environments where they typically bathe and drink water.

#4: Make it move! Birds love the sight and sound of running water. To add some movement, try using one of the pumps or fountains we offer at Wannemaker’s.

Top Picks

The Best Birdbath Brands

At Wannemaker’s, we offer a huge selection of high-quality birdbaths from premium brands. Here are a few of our favorites!

Massarelli’s 

Whimsical, upscale and timeless, Massarelli’s has been crafting some of the world’s best birdbaths since the 1970s.

Henri Studio

Extraordinarily detailed and made with the finest materials, Henri creates birdbaths that reflect and complement the natural world around them.

Burley Clay

A family business with nearly 100 years of history, Burley offers everything from simple, elegant birdbaths to intricate, hand-painted varieties.

 
#1: Plan your plants! Perennials usually bloom for 1-2 months; so, with careful planning, you can have something blooming in spring, summer, and fall.

#2: Shake things up. When selecting your plants, choose a variety of heights and textures to create a layered feel, with the tallest plants in the back and the shortest up front. More variety also means more pollinators!

#3: Always plant in odd numbers! When you have a relatively small group of plants, try to arrange them in odd-numbered groups: 3, 5, 7, or 9. Odd groupings are more appealing to the human eye.

#4: Give your plants room to grow (literally). People like having their own space, right? Well, so do plants! By giving your plants adequate room, their roots can spread, and they can get the nutrients, water, and sunlight they need.

#5: Add a pop of personality! When it comes to your garden, your plants are the stars of the show. But you can add some visual interest and create a sense of unified design with fountains, pottery, trellises, obelisks, and statues.

#6: Head to Wannemaker’s ASAP! Whether you’re a certified green thumb or are just digging in, Wannemaker’s fully stocked greenhouse and nursery has everything you need to get gardening. Take your pick from hundreds of traditional and unique annuals, perennials and nursery plants.

 
It’s the age-old question for grillers everywhere: Do you get a charcoal, gas, or pellet grill? Fortunately, there’s no wrong answer. It all depends on who you are and how you grill.

If you’re the patient type, and you’re willing to spend hours grilling ribs at low heat in pursuit of that fall-off-the-bone tenderness, go with charcoal. Sure, the setup takes a little longer, but it’s worth it for that smoky flavor.

If you plan to mostly grill quick-cooking foods – burgers, veggie kabobs, steaks, etc. – and don’t want to deal with a long setup, we recommend gas grills. With a gas grill, you can get home from work, light up the grill, and cook dinner in minutes.

Looking for a compromise? Pellet grills just might offer the best of both worlds. These grills run on electricity while burning hardwood pellets. You get the steady temperature and ease of a gas grill, plus the smoky flavor of charcoal.

…Then again, who said you can only have one grill?