Shrubs


MAY 8 2013 FILED UNDER Shrubs	Knock Out Roses... Just in Time for Mom! Pack a Punch in your garden with easy to grow Knock Out Roses. This stunning shrub rose has great disease resistance with little to no maintenance required. The blooms range from cherry red to bubblegum pink to sunny yellow and will bloom repeatedly until the first hard frost. What’s not to love! No need to deadhead this beauty, it is self-cleaning. Plant in full sun for vibrant color all summer long. It will grow to be about 3-4 feet wide and 3-4 feet tall. Try planting Knock Outs in containers or in the landscape. This garden treasure is mother approved and is a great choice for Mom! With superior drought tolerance once established, it has the toughness and resistance for which the family is known. Red Knockout - rich cherry red/hot pink blooms Pink Knockout - single petals in a beautiful shade of bright bubble gum pink Sunny Knockout - a fragrant member in The Knock Out® Family of Roses, this rose has a slightly more compact and upright habit with bright yellow flowers that fade quickly to a pastel cream color Double Pink - full double flowers in bright bubble gum pink Double Red - full double flowers that look just like a classic rose
APRIL 16 2013 FILED UNDER Shrubs	Reblooming Azaleas – A Staple in the Southern Garden Who doesn't adore azaleas in the spring? What if we told you that now you can enjoy an explosion of spring blooming azaleas other times of the year as well? Well it’s true. With lots of reblooming azalea varieties to choose from, there is one to fit your fancy bringing you flower power all through the spring, summer and fall. Our reblooming favorites: Encore – offers three seasons of blooms and year-round greenery. Blooms from late summer to early winter, as well as in the spring. This evergreen enjoys more sun than traditional azaleas, but offers the same easy care. Encores offer a wide selection of plant sizes and bloom colors from reds, to whites, to pinks and even corals. Perfect as base plants, in container gardens, borders, as a foundation planting or in woodland gardens. Prefers well-drained soil and partial sun. ReBLOOM - featuring large, double and even triple-petal flowers that appear in spring, then rebloom in summer, and continue blooming up until a hard frost. This compact, disease resistant evergreen boast improved cold hardiness and maintains its evergreen foliage year-round. ReBLOOM comes in a variety of unique colors including pinks, reds, purples, whites and corals. Plant in borders, woodland gardens or in containers. Tolerates some sun, but thrive in partial shade. Prefers moist, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic. Bloom-a-thon - touted as being 'twice as nice as other azaleas'. This azalea produces flowers in April, that rebloom again in July, continuing through fall until a hard frost. Not even hot summer temperatures can stop this beauty from producing tons of late summer and fall blooms. The evergreen foliage is disease resistant and flowers come in a variety of shades including red, white, lavender and pink. Blooms lasts for 4 to 6 weeks in spring, and 12 to16 weeks in summer and fall. Ideal in borders, foundation plantings or in woodland gardens. Prefers well-drained soil and partial sun.
MARCH 26 2013 FILED UNDER Shrubs	Double Take Orange Storm Quince Double Take Orange Storm Quince Bloomerang Lilac Bloomerang Lilac Double Take Orange Storm Quince Double Take Scarlet Storm Quince Hello Spring Blossoms Introducing color that pops in the landscape just in time for spring. These shrubs will add bold color in the early spring days. Not only can you enjoy these blooms through your window, but branches from these shrubs look stunning in a vase to add color inside your home. We’ve decided that these two blooming beauties are a must have for the garden! Double Take Quince With big, richly colored, double flowers this shrub provides a stunning early spring flower display. Drought tolerant once established, it may be pruned to shape after it blooms. Available in Pink Storm, Orange Storm and Starlet Storm, the Double Take Quinces are easy to care for and easy to love. This deciduous shrub is thorn less and deer resistant. Plant in part sun to full sun. Any of these branches are great to use for cut flowers. Developed by Dr. Tom Ranney and his team at the Mountain Crops Research & Extension Center in beautiful North Carolina, Orange Storm and the other Double Take Quinces are sure to brighten spring gardens across North America. In stores now, $24.99. Bloomerang Lilac Get ready for some major blooming with this reblooming lilac ~ the Bloomerang Lilac. Bloomerangs bloom heavily in spring, taking a brief resting period, and then start up again in mid-summer continuing until cold weather sets in. Now you can enjoy classic lilac fragrance for months instead of weeks! While traditional lilac varieties bloom for a few short weeks in spring, Bloomerang's fragrant flowers continue until frost. This compact, mounded variety fits easily into any landscape. Reaching just 4 to 5 feet tall, it is ideal as a foundation planting or as part of the mixed border. You can even include it into perennial beds. Lilacs are easy to grow in full sun and average, well-drained soil. It is great as cut flowers for arrangements and even attracts butterflies. It is also deer resistant. In stores now, $26.99. Check out more of our shrubs in stores now >> Photos courtesy of Proven Winners
FEBRUARY 21 2013 FILED UNDER Plant of the Week Shrubs	Double the Blooms with Reblooming Lilac Get ready for some major blooming with this new reblooming lilac ~ the Bloomerang Lilac. Bloomerangs bloom heavily in spring, taking a brief resting period, and then start up again in mid-summer continuing until cold weather sets in. Now you can enjoy classic lilac fragrance for months instead of weeks! While traditional lilac varieties bloom for a few short weeks in spring, Bloomerang's fragrant flowers continue until frost. This compact, mounded variety fits easily into any landscape. Reaching just 4 to 5 feet tall, it is ideal as a foundation planting or as part of the mixed border. You can even include it into perennial beds. Lilacs are easy to grow in full sun and average, well-drained soil. These long-lived shrubs will bring years of enjoyment. Why we love this beauty: Small habit fits into any garden Fragrant flowers Attracts butterflies Great cut flower for arrangements Deer resistant Provides fall interest
FEBRUARY 4 2013 FILED UNDER Shrubs Winter Gardens	Camellias: The Winter Pick Me Up When winter seems at its bleakest, Hampton Roads gardeners have a colorful treat in store for them -- the beautiful blooms of camellias. Camellias have been a part of the southern landscape for almost 200 years. Native to the Orient, these graceful beauties were introduced into the U.S. near Charleston, South Carolina in 1786. Camellias flower in the fall and winter with blooms appearing October through March. Flowers range in color from pure white to dark red, while some cultivars offer multi-colored or variegated blooms. Flowers can be saucer-shaped single or double blooms and even ruffled like the Peony camellia. For the remainder of the year, their evergreen foliage is an attractive glossy green providing winter interest that last all year. Most camellias are shrub-sized and compact and can serve several functions in the landscape. Whether they are planted as a hedge line, mixed with other shrubs, planted in a container, or situated as a standalone bush, camellias don't ask for much and yet give so much beauty in return. Here's just few of our faves: Charlie Bettes - an early season bloomer that produces some of the largest blooms you will ever see on a camellia. Flowers are bright white with lemon yellow stamens. Plant full sun to partial shade. Jacks - spring flowering variety that boasts large, pink blooms that can span up to 5 inches across. Lustrous dark green evergreen leaves last all year long. Prefers partial sun to partial shade... Lemon Glow - early spring bloomer that features formal double blooms that open yellow and fade to creamy yellow. Prefers sun to Partial Shade. Black Tie - late winter to early spring bloomer featuring showy, fragrant, dark red double blooms on glossy, evergreen foliage. Prefers part shade to part sun.
JANUARY 30 2013 FILED UNDER Shrubs Winter Gardens	Keep Your Winter Green with Conifers Winter weather may be dreary, but your landscape doesn’t have to be. Cone-bearing trees and shrubs, known as conifers, can transform landscapes from ordinary to extraordinary with their assortment of sizes, shapes and textures. Conifers come in a variety of colors including green, yellow, blue, orange and purple. Some conifers are lacey; while others have rigid needles. Conifers that are hardy in the Hampton Roads area include: *juniper, arborvitae, yews, hemlock, false cypress, and of course, pine, fir, and spruce.* Homeowners like conifers for their ease of maintenance and, of course, for their year-round appeal. And, these evergreens also work well with many other plants. Bottom line, conifers add intrigue to the winter garden and bridge the seasons with color. Here's few of our top conifer selections perfect for your winter garden and beyond: Jeans Dilly Spruce - is a narrow, upright, evergreen that grows approximately 2-4 inches per year, reaching about 4 feet tall at maturity, and seldom growing over 5 feet tall. It forms a perfect cone shape and keeps its shape over time. Jean's Dilly Spruce has green foliage which emerges light green in spring. The needles remain green through the winter and are distinctively twisted at the ends of the shoots. This evergreen does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. Jean Dilly is ideal for foundation plantings, rock gardens or borders. Its slow growth rate also makes it an interesting container selection. Whipcord Arborvitae - is a unique evergreen shrub with a most unusual shape and texture. Whipcord has thick glossy tendrils and a distinctive cord-like texture. Gracefully arching downward, the cascading branches provide an interesting shape for the landscape. In the winter it will have a warm bronze hue. It is slow growing in a multi-branch globe shaped mound. Plant in full sun for top performance. Try planting alone as a specimen plant, add to your landscape planted near perennials or annuals, or even plant in a container for your porch or patio. This beauty is also deer resistant. Japanese Yew (False Yew) - is a low-maintenance, upright evergreen shrub that will add color and height to any landscape or winter container. This multi-stemmed evergreen will provide brilliant green foliage all winter turning a more bluish-green come spring. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture making it a great accent feature. Perfect when paired with cool weather annuals like, Pansies and Dusty Miller and trailing Vinca. Yew is so easy to maintain, performing well in both full sun and full shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water, so ensure that there is adequate drainage when planted in a container. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats.
DECEMBER 3 2012 FILED UNDER Christmas Shrubs	Winterberry Holly Winterberry Holly 'Winter Red’ Holly Nellie R. Stevens Heavenly Bamboo Merry Berries Grab holiday inspiration from your own garden with berry-producing shrubs. There are several options from deciduous to evergreens, providing you with a ready source of bountiful berries. Our designers love using fresh berries for holiday decorating. Try adding them to fresh or faux greenery to create a pop of natural color. Whether you are trying to adorn your mantle, create an eye-catching table-scape or sprucing up your outdoor containers - berries make wonderful fillers! With just a little planning, you can grow these garden jewels and create your own unique decorations for Christmases to come. Some of our berry best picks are: Winterberry Holly ‘Southern Gentleman’ is a deciduous shrub with rich deep green foliage on an oval-rounded form. Plant as a pollenizer for Sparkleberry Winterberry. Produces no berries. Winterberry Holly 'Winter Red’ is a tough, easy to grow shrub that looks great in mass and produces bright red berries. Once this deciduous shrub drops its leaves, the berries become the real star of the show! Since it maintains its color and berries as a cut branch, it is a very popular choice to use in floral arrangements. Holly Nellie R. Stevens is an easy to grow classic. This evergreen shrub produces bold red berries against a deep green foliage. Heavenly Bamboo or Nandina Domestica is an evergreen shrub that grows almost anywhere. With attractive foliage, this hardy shrub produces bright, red berries. In spite of the name, it is not a bamboo, but does grow vertically up from the roots.
OCTOBER 17 2012 FILED UNDER Plant of the Week Shrubs	Plant of the Week: Whipcord Arborvitae Whipcord Arborvitae is a unique evergreen shrub that is a must-have with a most unusual shape and texture. We love its long, thick glossy tendrils and a distinctive cord-like texture. Gracefully arching downward, the cascading branches provide an interesting shape for the landscape. In the winter it will have a warm bronze hue. It is slow growing in a multi-branch globe shaped mound. Plant in full sun for top performance. Try planting alone as a specimen plant, add to your landscape planted near perennials or annuals, or even plant in a container for your porch or patio. This beauty is also deer resistant.
JUNE 20 2012 FILED UNDER Plant of the Week Shrubs	Plant of the Week: Blue Chiffon Althea These blues will make you happy! We love the newest Althea variety... Blue Chiffon, and we think you will too. Althea (sometimes called Rose of Sharon) is ideal if you have a sunny entrance way begging for the right shrub.This stunning variety features huge double blue flowers with lacy centers that blooms profusely from July through September, providing much needed color in the midsummer and fall garden. This deciduous shrub grows 8 to12 feet high with a spread of 4 to 6 feet in peak season. It is drought tolerant and loves the sun, but does just fine in part shade. Plant and prune into a hedge or simply place it in sunny spot for an explosion of beautiful blooms that are sure to provide you with many years of enjoyment! There are lots of other varieties to choose from as well making the Althea shrub a versatile & beautiful choice for your summertime landscape. With an interesting choice of colors, this beautiful shrub is best known for it's large, showy flowers in single or double flower form that bloom all summer long. In white, red, mauve, violet or blue, you're sure to find the perfect variety for your garden. Tip: Since Althea blooms on new wood each summer, this shrub is easily controlled and it's size can be maintained by cutting it back in late winter or early spring.
JUNE 15 2012 FILED UNDER Shrubs	Pink or Blue, It's Up to You! Hydrangeas are a wonderful garden shrub that are easy to grow and bloom through a long season. They're elegant, colorful, and versatile, suitable in the landscape, garden beds, flowerpots, and even that tricky spot right by the front door. Hydrangeas come in a variety of colors ranging from white to blue, pink, red, purple and shades in between. Hydrangeas are best known for their chameleon-like ability to change the color of its flowers, and, you don't have to be a magician to make this happen. With a few easy products you can be on your way to creating the color that is perfect for your landscape. Remember, you can't change the color of the white hydrangeas - they will stay white. To get started, we suggest bringing us a soil sample to get a base reading of where you acidity and pH levels. Bring them to any of our three year-round locations. From there, we can recommend one of these specific products to jump start your color changing. To Make Your Hydrangea Blue You will need to lower the pH in the soil. This is done with a soil acidifier. We like Espoma Soil Acidifier (with the blue hydrangea on the bag). It is an effective way to acidify soil. It is all natural and non-hazardous and non-toxic. This is also a great product for blueberries! To lower the soil pH, apply this product in the spring and every 6 months thereafter. We recommend using 1 and ¼ cup for new plants and 2 and ½ cups for established plants. To Make Your Hydrangea Pink You will need to increase the pH of the acidic soil. We recommend Espoma Garden Lime (which features a pink hydrangea on the front of the bag). It is pelletized for easy application and is all natural. We again recommend applying this in the spring and every 6 months thereafter. If you want to make a rapid change in color, we suggest planting the Hydrangea in a pot. This will give you a bit more control to adjust the color. Hydrangeas can flourish in large pots, and a container gives you more control over the soil quality. TIP: Keep in mind that you will need to adjust the soil before the bloom season or at the very latest when you see buds forming in order to change the bloom color.