Height: 30cm (1 feet) Spread: 60cm (2 feet) Bloom: deep rosy pink, funnel shaped Exposure: full sun Foliage: black purple Pluses: foliage colour Weigela ‘Midnight Wine’ (sometimes called ‘Elvera’) is a dwarf version of the popular Weigela ‘Wine & Roses’. With a height of no more than one foot, it is ideal for the front… Read more »
Spiraea japonica ‘Flaming Mound’ (Spirea)
Height: 80 cm (2-3 feet) Spread: 80 cm (2-3 feet) Bloom: medium pink in mid summer, rebloom after pruning Foliage: lime-green, more on the green side, fading to green in summer. Spring colour: Orange tips on lime-green, fall colour is red-orange. Pluses: Flower colour, spring and fall foliage Minuses: Needs to be pruned after first… Read more »
Spiraea japonica ‘Neon Flash’ (Spirea)
Height: 100 cm (3 feet) Spread: 100cm (3 feet) Bloom: deep red-pink in Jun-July then again heavy in August-September Foliage: purple-red new growth in spring fades to a nice green. Pluses: Flower colour, spring foliage Minuses: Needs to be pruned after first growth to keep tidy as foliage fades and flowerheads are an ugly showy… Read more »
Spiraea x cinerea ‘Grefsheim’ (Spirea)
Height: 1.2 m (4 – 5 feet) Spread: 1.2 m (4 – 5 feet ) Bloom: small white, early spring, long lasting Foliage: green, on arching branches Pluses: blooms early and very reliable Also known as white spirea, Grefsheim is an early spring blooming variety. White blooms appear early, before the foliage has completely leafed… Read more »
Spiraea betulifolia ‘Thor’ (Thor or Tor Spirea)
Height: 60 cm (2 feet) Spread: 80 cm (2-3 feet) Bloom: white in early May Foliage: dense, blue green leaves turn redish in fall Pluses: very show bloom, foliage is different for spirea, reddish in fall Thor Spirea is a dense rounded shrub with white flowers in spring. I love the foliage on this spirea.… Read more »
Spiraea bumalda ‘Goldmound’ (Spirea)
Height: 80 cm (2 feet) Spread: 100cm (3 feet) Bloom: light pink, mid-summer, slight rebloom in late August Foliage: yellow to chartreuse green but on the brighter yellow side in full sun Spring foliage: same Pluses: Foliage colour, size and shape, easy care I have several Goldmound Spirea’s grown mostly for their bright yellow-green foliage… Read more »
Spiraea bumalda ‘Firelight’ (Spirea)
Height: 80 cm (2 feet) Spread: 100cm (3 feet) Bloom: medium pink, mid-summer, slight rebloom in late August Foliage: Spring foliage is coppery orange-red fading to green-yellow (although duller than Goldmound). Fall colour is burnt red. Pluses: Spring and fall colour, flower colour Minuses: A bit faded in mid-summer after flowering unless cut back to… Read more »
Best Fries Ever
We have been making fresh cut french fries since growing our potatoes three years ago. While we love fries I hate the cleanup. Oil splattered all over the stove which seems to take days to completely clean. I often debated about purchasing a deep fryer but every time I went to look at one I… Read more »
Winter Protection Shrub Covers
Winter protection is not something I typically need in our garden. I focus largely on planting cold hardy trees and shrubs and anything that is pushing the limit I place in a protected spot. However this year we had to cut the foundation yews along our house completely down to the ground due to the… Read more »
Spiraea japonica ‘Magic Carpet’ (Spirea)
Height: 60 cm (18 inches) Spread: 60 – 80 cm (18 inches to 2 feet) Bloom: deep pink, mid-summer, rebloom in August Foliage: orange-red in spring and fall changing to chartreuse green with red tips that holds its summer colour well. Pluses: Foliage colour, flower colour, small size I love this one. It is good… Read more »