A goal of most rose gardeners (rosarians) is to grow them almost maintenance free. The improved shrub roses introduced almost two decades ago have brought this too reality. Rose series such as Knockout®, Home Run®, Drift®, OSO Easy®, Carefree® and Meidiland™ are among the best. No matter the pedigree of the rose, selecting a […]
Archive for the ‘Disease resistant’ Category
New Christmas Roses (Hellebores) Greatly Improved
Christmas roses (Helleborus niger) is a winter flowering perennial. It is native to central and southern Europe (USDA hardiness zones 4-8) and is not as winter hardy as lenten rose (Helleborus x orientalis). Christmas rose tends to flower 1 to 4 weeks earlier, around the Christmas holidays in southern climes (zones 7-8). New selections of H. niger are better […]
Nellie R. Stevens Holly
Hollies and the winter season work well together. Female hollies with bright red fruits (yellow-fruited forms also) contrast with their glossy evergreen foliage. ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ holly (NRS), a female form, is a cross between English (Ilex aquifolium) and Chinese (I. cornuta) hollies. NRS is the popular holly choice in Southern landscapes (USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9). Hollies are dioecious, […]
Emerald™ Arborvitae
Emerald™ or ‘Emerald Green’ arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’) is not new shrub or cultivar. More than 3 generations of gardeners have used this unique form of eastern arborvitae as their “go to” evergreen shrub up and down the eastern coast and through the Midwest (USDA hardiness zones 3-7). Emerald is a semi-dwarf evergreen shrub with a […]
List of Zone 6 Hardy Camellias Grows Longer
If you live and garden in USDA hardiness zone 6, several camellia cultivars are winter hardy. The past decade has seen an increase in the list of hardy cultivars. These same cultivars are also reliable planted in zone 7. Here is a sampling of the best Zone […]
Species Tulips Thrive in Tough Spots
Species tulips (mini-tulips) are tough! In the wild they grow in the winter environs and dry soils of Central Asia, the Middle East, and China (USDA hardiness zones 3-7). In gardens they prosper for many years in full to partial sun and in average soil with good drainage. Over the centuries mini-tulips have been improved. […]
‘Gyokuryu’ Japanese Cedar -Privacy Screen For Small Gardens
Gyokuryu Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Gyokuryu’) is a dense, broadly pyramidal evergreen shrub (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). It has short stiff needles that tend to be a slightly darker green than other cryptomeria cultivars. Gyokuryu holds its dark green color through most winters in zone 7 and further south. Expect winter bronzing when Gyokuryu is […]
Carolina Buckthorn Attractive Native Shrub/Tree
Many native plant enthusiasts consider the Carolina Buckthorn, aka Indian cherry (Rhamnus caroliniana), one of our most underutilized native shrubs or small trees. It suffers with a bad common name as it has no thorns or spines. This open, slender branched shrub grows 12 to 15 feet high and 10 to 15 feet wide. (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Bright green leaves remain on […]

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