Flowering Shrub

easy shrubs

Written on June 15, 2011 at 3:18 pm , by Denny Schrock

Are you looking for a spring-blooming shrub other than forsythia, spirea, or lilac? There’s nothing wrong with these standbys, but as a plant geek, I like more variety in my landscape.

Consider pearl-bush (left), a relatively uncommon shrub that’s been around a long time. However, it’s recently been updated. This mid-spring bloomer begins with creamy white pearl-like buds which open to a spectacular show of pure white blooms. In addition to Snow Day Blizzard, which grows to 5 or 6 feet tall, Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs also offers ‘Niagara’ Snow Day Surprise, which tops out at 3 to 4 feet tall, making it an excellent choice for smaller yards. Both grow in full sun to part shade in Zones 4-8. The shrubs that Proven Winners sent me to trial have performed beautifully. The flowering display that you see in the photo is after just one year in the ground.

Red-veined enkianthus (below) is more subtle in the spring landscape. Its pink bell-shape blooms sport red veins and hang in clusters. The shrub more than makes up for subdued spring color with fiery orange, red, and yellow fall foliage. Grow enkianthus in part shade to full sun in moist, well-drained, acidic soil. It is hardy in Zones 5-7. This shrub, which I received from Bailey Nurseries, is also in its first year.

Hungry for Hydrangeas?

Written on April 18, 2011 at 6:00 am , by Justin W. Hancock

Has the hydrangea become America’s favorite flower? I’m starting to wonder if it’s knocked roses right off the throne.

Growing hydrangeas is one of the most common topics in Garden Doctor, our free question-and-answer service.

And I’ve been seeing more and more dried hydrangea flowers in crafting projects (especially at Christmas; I saw one tree decorated with gorgeous dried hydrangea blooms), and there are more new, innovative hydrangea varieties released every year. Two standouts this year are ‘Bombshell’, which only gets 3-4 feet tall and wide, and ‘Little Lime’, a dwarf version of the incredibly popular ‘Limelight’.

It seems like I’m also seeing some garden centers cutting back on roses and adding more hydrangeas to their lineups.

And, hydrangeas don’t have thorns — making them so much easier to work around in the garden.

So what do you think? Are you hungry for more information/pictures/projects with hydrangeas from Better Homes and Gardens?

colorful camellias

Written on March 25, 2011 at 10:05 am , by Denny Schrock

Last week I was in Southern California surrounded by hundreds of blooming camellias at Descanso Gardens and the Huntington Botanical Gardens. Here are just a dozen of them. Which is your favorite?

Indoor Pleasures

Written on December 21, 2010 at 6:48 am , by Justin W. Hancock

It’s no secret that I’m kind of a fanatic about plants. Take me on a garden tour and I can do it all day…then get up and happily, go see more. At horticultural trade shows, I’ve been known to skip breakfast, lunch, and even dinner so I’d have time to see more of the plants and displays. And you can tell from the number of plants in my home.

A cool one is my camellia — an evergreen shrub with gorgeous pink flowers. It always blooms around the holidays for me. Other than giving it water and occasionally fertilizing it, that’s all the care it requires.

It’s a great example that if you want to have houseplants, you don’t need to be limited to everyday varieties like English ivy, pothos, or philodendron (not that there’s anything wrong with them; I grow those, as well!).

As long as you have a bright window or fluorescent lights and don’t mind watering your plants regularly, there’s a wealth of cool plants you can try, including a lot of things we don’t usually think of as indoor plants. Growing them may be easier than you think!

I’ve met a lot of gardeners who are afraid of growing plants inside, but really, you have nothing to lose. And if you live in a cold-winter climate like I do, there’s a lot to gain — both from the psychological effect of having something green and living when everything outside is cold and dormant and the physical health benefits (plants absorb harmful toxins from the air and also add welcome moisture to dry indoor air).

So give it a try! I’d love to hear what houseplants you grow!

The Wide World of Shrubs

Written on August 28, 2010 at 8:48 am , by Justin W. Hancock

You’ve probably never heard of Spring Meadow Nursery, a great company in beautiful Western Michigan, but I bet you’ve heard of some of their plants: ‘Limelight’ hydrangea, Sugar Tip rose of Sharon, Pinky Winky hydrangea, Blue Chiffon rose of Sharon (shown here), Incrediball hydrangea, Bloomerang lilac, Quick Fire hydrangea, and Summer Wine ninebark are a few of the shrubby garden superstars they’re responsible for introducing.

I went on a tour of their nursery over the weekend and I’ve come home even more excited about using flowering shrubs in the garden. Want more color in your landscape? These plants make it easy! Try growing a sun-loving Limelight hydrangea as a small tree next to your deck, creating a hedge of rose of Sharon for privacy, or including a flowering quince in your cutting garden.

Incorporate compact shrubs in your perennial beds so you have winter structure and an extra season of interest. Amethyst coral berry (Symphoricarpos), for example offers pinky-purple fruits in fall; Arctic Sun redtwig dogwood bears bold reddish stems in winter; and Snow Day Surprise pearlbush (Exochorda) bursts into bloom in early spring. All dwarf (5 feet tall or less) so they’ll fit right in among purple coneflower, Joe Pye weed, and hollyhock.

I know a lot of garders who like to separate their plants — perennials go in this bed, shrubs over there, and the like. But don’t be afraid to mix and match to create wonderful combinations!

BTW: If you have a great perennial/shrub combo, I’d love to see it! Post it here!

Don’t Forget Flowering Shrubs

Written on July 6, 2010 at 7:51 am , by Justin W. Hancock

When we think about planting flowers in the garden, most gardeners gravitate toward annuals (the ones you plant every year) and perennials (the ones that come back on their own). But there’s another group of great plants that are often overlooked: flowering shrubs.

And that’s a shame, because there are many wonderful, easy-care shrubs that have attractive blooms. Take rose of Sharon, for example. The variety Blue Chiffon is shown here; it offers 3.5-inch-wide flowers from July to September here in Iowa. The shrub itself can get 12 feet tall, but you can keep it smaller by cutting it back in early spring. Its size makes it a good backdrop plant or even a delightful flowering hedge or spring/summer privacy.

Do a little research and you can find a plethora of flowering shrubs for just about any season, in sun or shade. Smaller varieties, such as caryopteris and dwarf weigela, are compact enough you can even plant them in among your low-growing perennials.

Here’s a quick calendar-type list of some of the flowering shrubs I use in my landscape to show how you can enjoy spring-to-fall color in your own yard.

May

Beautybush (Kolkwitzia)

Deutzia

Lilac (Syringa)

Rhododendron

June

Mock orange (Philadelphus)

Hydrangea (Endless Summer types)

Mountain laurel (Kalmia)

July

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)

Hydrangea (Endless Summer types)

Hydrangea (oakleaf types)

Hydrangea (paniculata types)

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus)

Summersweet (Clethra)

August

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)

Caryopteris

Hydrangea (Endless Summer types)

Hydrangea (paniculata types)

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus)

September

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)

Hydrangea (paniculata types)

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus)

Witch hazel (Hamamelis)