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 »
Cephalanthus occidentalis (Buttonbush)
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 »
Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’
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 »
Berberis thunbergii ‘Sunsation’ (Sunsation Barberry)
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 »
Berberis thunbergii ‘Concorde’ (Concorde Barberry)
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 »
Acer rubrum – Red Maple
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 »
Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’
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 »
Endless Summer Still Blooming
It is the last day of September and my Endless Summer Hydrangea are still producing new blooms. This year was a fantastic year for Endless Summer Hydrangea. I have several of these shrubs around the yard, some planted 5 years ago some just last year. They have bloomed sporadically at best most years and while… Read more »
Geranium Rozanne – Long, Long, Blooms
Enjoyed a beautiful early fall day today — lot’s of sunshine and not too hot to work in the garden. I spent the morning deadheading and cleaning up those late summer perennial favourites including several bunches of Echinacea purpurea ‘Kim’s Knee High’, Rudbeckia and the many daylilies I have scattered throughout the garden. While doing… Read more »