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Friends are the flowers in the garden of life. |
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FLOWERING SHRUBS |
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Flowering shrubs serve as breaks against your background greens and if you choose wisely you can insure attractive spring flowers and lovely autumn foliage as well. Study the growth habits of the ones you like. Does it sprawl or is it compact? Does it need sun or shade? Checking before you plant could save you heartache as well as backache in the long run. |
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Althea, or Rose of Sharon is a slender deciduous shrub with flowers ranging in color from white to mauve depending on the variety. Reaching fifteen feet, the foliage is incidental to the flowers which bloom over a long period of summer and fall. The double bloom vaieties are prettier. The Althea demands no care at all, is fast growing and stands clipping very well.
Angel's Trumpet remains evergreen unless hard freezes occur. Growing fifteen feet, the white trumpet shaped flowers of double and triple varieties are beautiful and bloom several times a year. This member of the Nightshade Family is considered a perenial in the South. Prune after flowering in the spring. But beware, both the leaves and seeds are poisonous.
Bridal Wreath, Spiraea is an ornamental, informal and deciduous, noted for its profusion of flowers in the spring. Spiraeas like moisture and are subject to root rot, for which there is no remedy so keep them happy with the average soaking. Do not flood them. I have both a white and pink one. The pink is especially pretty. Prune immediately after flowering. This shrub thrives well all over the South, but blossoms are more beautiful in colder sections because the flower buds have more a chance to mature in longer, colder winters.
Butterfly Bush, Buddleia is a semi-evergreen shrub that needs lots of sun, good drainage and rich loamy soil. Flowers are borne in racemes that droop at the top, in colors ranging from white to lavender. Beware of red spider and other troublesome sucking pests which seem to love the Butterfly Bush as much as the gardener.
Flowering Almond and Flowering Quince are both worth mentioning. The Flowering Almond with its delicate pink blossoms and the Flowering Quince with bring red blossoms both bloom on bare or semi-bare limbs.
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TIPS
Prune flowering shrubs either when they're in full bloom or immediately after blooming, never prune them beforehand, or you'll end up with no blooms.
Don't use nitrogen rich fertilizer late in the season because it stimulates leafy growth, which makes plants more susceptible to frost and cold weather damage. |
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Buying pruning shears? Whether you choose an anvil or bypass type, find one that opens only as far as your hand can comfortably stretch. Look for shock absorbers; these minimize discomfort during long jobs. Choose pruners with long-lasting stainless or forged-steel blades that you can easily remove, realign, and sharpen or replace. Also, be sure your pruners lock for safe storage. One final note - always try before you buy. |
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If overgrown shrubs are taking over your yard and foundation, don't despair! The following shrubs can handle drastic rejuvenative pruning: glossy abelia, orange-eye butterfly bush, deutzias, forsythias, hibiscus, lilacs, privets, red-osier dogwood, and spireas. To rejuvenate, in late winter cut all stems down to within 3 to 6 inches of the ground. Use this extreme measure only as a last resort, however, as it may take a year or more for some flowering shrubs to bloom again after this treatment. |
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Dwarf evergreens add interest to your yard all year. And in spite of the name, many aren't green at all. Blue conifers include 3-foot-tall "Compacta" white fir. Golden thread false cypress, which grows 6 to 8 feet tall, is a yellow conifer. "Rainbow's End" white spruce has pale yellow young growth that turns green as it gets older; it reaches 9 feet tall in 15 years. Some conifers, like 5-foot-tall "Ericoides" white cedar, turn a beautiful bronze in winter. |
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Late winter and early spring are the best times to prune your summer-blooming shrubs. These include abelias, beautyberries, butterfly bush, summersweet clethra, crape myrtles, heavenly bamboo (nandina), sumacs, hibiscus, and most hydrangeas. You can also prune junipers, arborvitae, euonymus, hawthorns, and re-osier dogwood at this time. |
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Coming Soon:
Camellias, Azaleas and Cape Jasmine |
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E-MAIL |
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Home ~ About Me ~ Welcome ~ My Home ~ Friends ~ Gardening ~ Holidays ~ MDA ~
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