Archive for February, 2021

Growing Japanese Maples In Containers

Many slow-growing and compact cultivars of Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) and full moon forms (A. japonicum) grow for 3-5 years in containers. Japanese maples develop a decorative canopy, and their lacey foliage turns yellow, orange and/or red in autumn. Most Japanese maples perform well in partial to full day sunlight, but not in full shade. […]

Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia)

Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana), aka blue dogbane, is a native herbaceous perennial that is becoming more popular with U.S. gardeners (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). This erect, clump-forming plant produces terminal, pyramidal clusters of ¾ inch, soft light blue, star-like flowers in mid- to late-spring atop erect 2-3 feet tall leafy stems. Narrow, willow-shaped, dull green […]

Twenty Highly Dependable Small Landscape Trees

In small landscapes, where growing space is limited, a number of outstanding trees may be planted. Several are also examples of great spring or summer flowering trees. U.S. native species are designated N. Additional landscape traits include: Grow under 30 feet in height and underneath power lines). Winter hardiness across the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones […]

Winter-blooming Wintersweet

Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) is a landscape shrub offers four seasons of landscape interest. Also called Japanese allspice, this deciduous mid-sized shrub typically grows 10-15 feet tall and 8-12 feet wide and blooms during winter (USDA zones 7-9). You can also risk planting wintersweet in a protected courtyard garden in Zones 6 to minimize freeze injury […]

Seven Shrubs That Bloom In February

If you have ever dreamt of creating a year-round landscape garden, here are seven fine shrubs to start with. These shrubs bloom in late winter and are also important to early insect pollinators — native ground bees, bumble bees, and butterflies. In USDA hardiness zones 7-9, winter temperatures begin to moderate and some shrubs burst into floral […]