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 »
Prunus virginiana (Choke Cherry)
Height: 2-9 m (6-30 feet) Bloom: white in early May Fall Colour: may turn yellow Fruit: yes, red Pros: Ontario Native Tree Another cherry tree native to the Carolinian or Deciduous Forest Region. Choke Cherry forms a large erect shrub or small tree, often multi-branched as it can form dense thickets from suckering. The fruit… Read more »
Prunus x cistena (Purpleleaf Sand Cherry)
Height: 2 m (7 feet) Spread: 1.5 m (5 feet) Bloom: Small white flowers in spring Exposure: Full sun to part shade Foliage: blackish-purple, new growth red-purple Pluses: foliage colour Cons: Japanese beetle damage When we first moved to our yard there were 16 Purpleleaf Sand Cherry spread throughout my gardens. With it’s rich reddish-purple… Read more »