Tips & Tricks | Piala's Nursery & Garden Shop

Backyard Escapes / Plants / Tips & Tricks

| March 20, 2026

Trees Native to North America: Common Hackberry

Common Hackberry – Celtis occidentalis With its corky bark, broad canopy, and nutritious berries the Common Hackberry is another high-quality native tree that often doesn’t receive as much credit as it deserves. These tough shade trees tolerate rocky soils, high pH, road salt exposure, drought, and short term flooding. Hackberries are also an acceptable partner for properties […]

Backyard Escapes / Plants / Tips & Tricks

| March 11, 2026

Trees Native to North America: Northern Catalpa

Northern Catalpa – Catalpa speciosa The Fisherman’s Tree. The Green Bean Tree. The Cigar Tree. This rugged tree of a thousand nicknames is a big friendly giant that steps straight out of our childhood memories. The list of Catalpa’s great qualities is as long as it is tall. (Some alive today are nearly 100′ tall!) From its flowers […]

Tips & Tricks

| October 10, 2023

Fall Perennial Garden Cleanup

It’s that time of year when our perennial gardens are ready to be nestled all snug in their beds for a long winters nap (so would a lot of us)! However, not all plants have the same idea about what naptime means, so when bedding down perennials there are a few rules that are best […]

Tips & Tricks

| August 15, 2023

pH Matters!

What is soil pH? The soil pH value is a measure of soil acidity or alkalinity. Soil pH directly affects nutrient availability. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 as neutral. Numbers less than 7 indicate acidity while numbers greater than 7 indicate alkalinity. The ‘little variances” in readings represent a huge […]

Tips & Tricks

| August 10, 2023

Planting with Pets in Mind

Many of us look forward to spending our free time outside, and work hard to fill our yards with eye-catching, lush plantings. While gardens and yards are lovely for relaxing, we do need to exercise caution when designing for homeowners with pets. When shopping at the nursery or if you use a landscaper for your […]

Tips & Tricks

| July 6, 2023

Deadly – Planting Too Deep, Don’t Do It!

There is an old expression in the green industry that, while over-simplified, still has value: “Plant too high, plant won’t die. Plant too low, plant won’t grow!”Both planting too shallow and planting too deep can be problematic. This post will address the issue of planting too deep, which contributes to the decline and failure of […]

Tips & Tricks

| July 1, 2023

Attract Birds and Butterflies; Feed the Babies!

While it can be concerning to notice leaves eaten by caterpillars, there are many reasons to value caterpillars in your gardens. They are both the precursors to butterflies and a leading source of nutrition for baby birds. Today, I would like to focus on the young – how do we create environments conducive to them […]

Tips & Tricks

| February 14, 2023

Dormant Pruning

It may not be spring yet, but there is still work that can be done outdoors if you don’t mind the cold! Our Garden Center Manager and resident expert, Mike, sat down with me to discuss dormant pruning. Mike has been with Piala’s for over 10 years and received his Bachelor of Science degree in […]

Plants / Tips & Tricks

| January 31, 2023

So What WON’T Waukesha Deer Eat?

Deer pressure in Waukesha county has increased considerably in the last 10-15 years. Some areas, including parts of Pewaukee and Elm Grove, have severe deer pressure. If deer are hungry enough, they’ll try almost anything. There are many articles & reference books on this topic, but opinions and results vary drastically based on region. It’s not uncommon to […]

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