June 15, 2015 at 2:48 pm (A Plant-a-Day(ish))
Tags: clay soil, deciduous, flower, Shrub, simple leaf
I’m excited about this new plant I purchased at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum’s annual plant sale last month. As described by the great Dr. Michael Dirr, it’s “an enigmatic shrub with an element of mystery and beauty.” How could I resist? In the case of my challenging front yard, the mystery will be whether or not it flowers next winter.
June 14, 2015 at 2:17 pm (Plants to remember to try)
Tags: bulb, perennial
May 20, 2015 at 10:56 am (Plants to remember to try)
Tags: drought tolerant, flower, native, perennial
So much more interesting than my reliable old P. ‘Husker Red’.
November 25, 2014 at 2:54 pm (Plants to remember to try)
Tags: Dream on, part-shade
Alas, I’ve recently learned that this hard-to-find beauty might not be hardy in my zone.
December 31, 2012 at 1:13 pm (Plants to remember to try)
Tags: shade tolerant, Shrub, simple leaf, Thorny, variegated
A lovely, tough shade-lover. Zone 7 hardy, so hopefully will survive here with winter protection.
March 8, 2012 at 1:33 pm (Plants to remember to try)
Tags: native, Opposite, perennial, serrate, Shrub, simple leaf, variegated
Enough already, Better Homes & Gardens, I’ve coveted 80% of your New Trees and Shrubs for 2012, and it’s time for me to get to work. Thanks to the plant breeders of the world this seems to be a banner year for introductions and even with my garden limitations, there are plenty to drool over. This Callicarpa is particularly appealing because its foliage will make it earn its space even if it doesn’t get enough sun to produce berries, like my poor Early Amethyst which has never repeated its initial nursery-bred crop, and just sits there in my bed looking like any other homely green-leaved micro-shrub.
March 8, 2012 at 1:27 pm (Plants to remember to try)
Tags: Acuminate tip, alternate, deciduous, native, shade tolerant, Shrub, simple leaf, variegated
Another exciting new introduction highlighted in Better Homes & Gardens’ New Trees and Shrubs for 2012. 5-7 ft tal, zones 6-9, partial to full shade. If it’s also juglone tolerant, bring it on!
March 8, 2012 at 1:20 pm (General knowledge)
March 8, 2012 at 12:47 pm (Plants to remember to try)
Tags: deciduous, flower, Fragrance ID, juglone (walnut) tolerant, Opposite, perennial, shade tolerant, Shrub, simple leaf
A beautiful new introduction from Monrovia, this lacecap (Hydrangea angustipetala ‘MonLongShou’) has a fragrance that their site claims “will perfume an entire garden!” We’ll just have to see about that, but even if the boast is exaggerated, its unusual flowers will add to my chartreuse corner nicely.
As featured in Better Homes & Gardens’ “New Trees and Shrubs for 2012.”
January 25, 2012 at 2:05 pm (Useful information)
Tags: zones
In news that’s sure to get global warming advocates gloating, the USDA has issued a new zone map for the first time since 1990, and the big change is that half of American gardeners will learn they’re now in a warmer zone. The truth is that the revision owes more to improved computer technology than to actual climate change; today’s tools allow more accurate measurement of geography-driven micro-climates and the like.
So for those of you who are already zone-pushing experimenters, it’s not your imagination (or necessarily your green thumb…ouch!) that outdoor sub-tropicals are sometimes within your reach.
For me, on the other hand, it changes little in that dark, muddy, toxic microclimate I call “my backyard.”
USDA has provided a handy interactive tool here that allows you to take a closer look at your own state.
Thanks to the always-informative Margaret Roach at the delightful awaytogarden.com for the heads-up.
Far From Loam 