IN THE GARDEN BY BETTY MORRELL

IN THE GARDEN BY BETTY MORRELL

ravishing rosalinda

With spring and its warm weather officially here, now is a great time to add new plants and trees to your landscape, like Rosalinda Indian Hawthorne and High Five Purple.

March came in like a lamb, then the lion took over, but the lamb persevered and now we officially have spring, with clear sailing into summer!

While visiting family in Stuart, I saw the most beautiful, fragrant tree, full of dark pink blooms that stood out against the bright bronzy new growth. It was breathtaking, and finally I realized I was looking at the beautiful Rosalinda Indian Hawthorne. This robust small tree blooms from spring to summer, and it’s really a sight to behold. This is an oldie but goodie, an evergreen, and it can grow 12 to 14 feet in height and about 10 feet in width. It is disease- and pest-resistant and heat- and salt-tolerant.

Rosalinda will perform well in sun to part-shade, so you can use it as a hedge, an accent plant, in mass plantings, or as a privacy planting. This is a must-have for those that want a showstopper or just something beautiful to brighten up the landscape and catch the eye.

Keeping with this year’s color palette by Panatone, there is a new Buddleia named High Five Purple. This is a long-blooming, compact bush (3 feet high by 3 feet wide) that attracts the butterflies with its double purple fragrant blooms, which continue from spring through the fall. It is noninvasive and produces little to no seeds. High Five is a great new addition for your garden, and it should be available in garden centers this year. It will grab your attention, it did mine.

High Five makes a great accent, border, or container planting, and in mass makes quite a statement. Drought tolerant and easy to care for, it is longer blooming than other Buddleia plants. Cut it back hard in early spring when fertilizing is suggested and enjoy this new plant in full sun to full shade. Butterflies will flock to this one!

Another new Southern Living PP plant is the Heart Throb Hydrangea, a magnificent variety that will grab your attention. The blooms on this beauty are dark red and edged in green. As it ages, it turns to green with hints of red for a memorable look over the 3 seasons.

This compact grower is great for small gardening spaces, maturing to a 3-foot by 3-foot rounded, mounding beauty. Heart Throb will bloom on both the old and the new wood, and after a late frost, it will still bloom. It requires no pruning. You can plant in part sun to shade, use it as a foundation planting, border, statement, or just enjoy the foliage and color of the blooms. They make wonderful cut flowers for any arrangement. Easy care, disease- and pest-resistant, I want one of these in my garden.

The above plants should be available in stores this spring. If you can’t find the Southern Living plants you’re looking for, you can always order directly from Southern Living online.

If you have any questions, email me at bamorrell33@gmail.com. In the meantime, Happy Gardening!

TIP OF THE MONTH

Now is the time to fertilize your acid-loving plants like Azaleas, Camellias, Gardenias, and Hydrangeas. Don’t forget to start fertilizing your roses once a month, too. Most shrubs can be fertilized now along with your lawn.