Gardening That Grows With Me
Height: 9 m (30 feet) Bloom: white Fall Colour: none Fruit: yes, red Hawthorns are easy to distinquish as a native tree by their long thorns, flat-topped clusters of white flowers and small red or yellow fruit. It is more difficult however to identify the specific species for a hawthorn. Hawthorns in a natural setting… Read more »
Height: 1.5 m (5 feet) Spread: 1.5 m (5 feet) Bloom: small cream, unnoticable Exposure: Full sun to part shade Foliage: variegated, green with white edge Pluses: foliage, winter interest, small size Cornus alba ‘Ivory Halo’ is a four season dogwood. It has distinct red stems for winter interest but also has the advantage of… Read more »
Common Names: Buttonbush, button willow, honey plant Zone: 5 to 9 Plant Type: Deciduous shrub Height: 3 m (10-12 feet) Bloom: creamy white in August Habitat: full sun to part shade in moist to wet soils Fall Colour: none I first saw a buttonbush in bloom while on vacation in Nova Scotia. Hundreds of fuzzy… Read more »
Height: 1 m (3 feet) Spread: 1.25 m (4 feet) Bloom: Small fragrant pink blooms in spring Exposure: Full sun to part shade Foliage: in my zone 5 semi-evergreen, variegated Pluses: fragrance, variegated semi-evergreen foliage Carol Mackie Daphne is one of the most fragrant plants in bloom I have come across. Small pink flowers cover… Read more »
Height: 125 cm (4 feet) Spread: 125 cm (4 feet) Bloom: yellow flowers in spring, very small Exposure: Full sun to part shade Foliage: new growth golden yellow with a more orange cast in fall Pluses: foliage colour, long season Barberries are a wonderful foliage plant that can provide great contrast in the garden. They… Read more »
If you are looking for some brilliant red fall colour to add to your landscape nothing beats the Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ or ‘Compacta’ otherwise known as Dwarf Burning Bush. Bright green leaves in summer turn to a brilliant red in fall lasting several weeks. After the leaves have finally fallen you are rewarded with red-orange… Read more »
Height: 50 cm (18 inches) Spread: 50 cm (18 inches) Bloom: yellow flowers early spring, very small Exposure: Full sun to part shade Foliage: small deep purple burgundy, reddish burgundy in fall Pluses: foliage colour, long season as foliage remains until late fall Barberries are a wonderful foliage plant that can provide great contrast in… Read more »
Common Names: Red Maple, Scarlet Maple, Curled Maple Zone: 3 to 9 Plant Type: Deciduous tree Height: up to 30m Bloom: red in April / May Habitat: full sun, prefers moist, slightly acidic soils Fall Colour: bright to dark red in fal Pluses: Ontario native, red fall colour, fast growing Acer rubrum is aptly named.… Read more »
Height: 1.0 m (3 feet) Spread: 1.0 m (3 feet) Bloom: deep rosy pink, funnel shaped Exposure: full sun Foliage: brownish purple Pluses: long bloom, foliage colour, no pests Weigela are an old-fashioned plant but newer varieties are showing up every year. ‘Wine and Roses’ is a medium-sized cultivar, reaching about three feet in height,… Read more »
Garden soil needs to be replenished with organic matter each year in order to maintain its fertility. In spring, we add compost made from the prior years garden and kitchen waste as well as composted horse manure from a friend. In fall we add leaves. Unfortunately for us most of our trees are not yet… Read more »