John's shrub picks for 2008 Lite O Day Hydrangea is a vigorous grower to 4 feet with handsome variegated foliage. If it were 18 inches tall it would be an award winning hosta. It is tough to get really great foliage and texture in a garden bed. Plant these in a part shade or shade spot and you will not regret your choice. I planted the last scruffy plants in the nursery 2 years ago and last spring they got froze off at ground level when the were first emerging. It made no difference. They bushed out and grew beautifully. We also have one planted in a full sun bed in the front of the store. Unfortunately I forgot about it a couple of times and sprayed it with roundup. It continues to come back and look good in spite of all my abuse. It gets pretty much full sun in that bed but does get some afternoon shade from the purple leaf ninebark planted next to it.  Spirea Gold Mound is an old plant, but is still one of the best gold foliaged spireas. It can be brutally pruned about anytime of the year and it will come right back. Cut them all the way to the ground in the spring and you will not be disappointed. It grows 4 feet by 4 feet if left unpruned so use it on the back side of a crimson barberry spirea border and you will enjoy great color all summer. Fertilize it after pruning  Ninebark Summerwine has great crimson red foliage and is a vigorous grower. The plant grows 5-6 feet tall and gives a strong color statement. Pinkish white button like flowers adorn the plant in the spring. Use as a hedge or specimen accent plant.  Juniper Saybrook has that great gold look all year. Some junipers fade with the summer, but this one keeps its great color all year. Saybrook grows 3 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet across. Another great golden ground hugger is a plant named Mother Lode Juniper. It hugs the ground and makes bold statement in any landscape.  Cheyenne Privet is the best screening hedge I have found. It is a vigorous grower to 15 feet and spreads 4 to 5 feet. If you want a nice tight hedge that can be pruned to 4 or 5 feet or left alone, then plant Cheyenne. It was developed in Wyoming so you know it is hardy here. A pretty white fragrant flower develops in the summer.  Gro-low Sumac is growing in mass quantities in my shade garden. The deer do not like it and I love the aromatic foliage. It grows to 3 feet tall and spreads out nicely. There are no flowers on this plant but it is easily accented with hostas or impatiens. It just makes a nice eye appealing mass planting in the sun or shade garden.  Viburnum Korean Spice has a spring flower fragrance all its own. This shrub has handsome foliage and tends to be a slow grower. Korean spice was not sold for a long time because it was so difficult to propagate, but the nursery industry has a handle on the plant and it is a sure winner. It grows 5 feet tall with dark green leathery foliage and has excellent fall color with red fruit turning to black.  Hydrangea Blushing Bride has flowers that are 6 inches across with light pink blushing flowers. You will fall in love with this nice reblooming hydrangea that makes for great summer bouquets. . The shrub grows 3 to 6 feet tall. © Copyright 2008 Sherbondys, All rights reserved.
|
Evergreen Shrubs Pricing
