LANDSCAPE SPECTACULAR SHRUBS

By Pat Raven, Ph.D., and Julie Hess

In a small garden, plant choices are never made just once. When space is limited, it’s important to consider factors such as blooming time or disease resistance when making your selections and thoroughly research your options with catalogs or online sources. John Elsley, a retired horticulturist from the Missouri Botanical Garden and a talented plantsman, recommended some of his favorite shrubs for our new garden along with some of my personal choices.

Hamamelis mollis (Wisley Supreme) is John’s favorite witch hazel, often blooming in late fall after a stunning foliage display. I am partial to Arnold Promise, which is one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring garden, and hamamelis virginiana (Harvest Moon), which is the last to flower. Orange, copper and red cultivars shine in large gardens.

Closely related is fothergilla gardenia (Blue Mist), which is a classic free flowering and attractive scrub with honey-scented blooms and blue foliage. Even though Blue Mist is an excellent fall color, it is being rapidly replaced by F. x intermedia (Blue Shadow), which is a newer, more vigorous selection.

Like ice cream flavors of the month, breeders frequently put out new hydrangeas, which makes finalizing selections difficult. Native to the United States, the Hydrangea quercifolia offers multi-season interest and several outstanding selections such as Snow Queen or Ruby Slippers. The dwarf ‘Pee Wee’ is being replaced now the by showier ‘Munchkin’. Classic H. arborescens (Annabelle) is an excellent form of this native species but is being supplanted by Incrediball, while H. paniculata (Limelight) remains popular. Viburnums, like hydrangeas, offer many great choices. If you only have room for one, consider selecting V. x juddii, which has an outstanding fragrance and compact form.

For a pollinator garden, John suggests Buddleia davidii (Nanho Purple), a dwarf with heavy extended bloom and blue foliage. The Summer Sips Sangria Butterfly Bush is non- invasive and produces vibrant magenta flowers that act as a powerful butterfly magnet. Elsley also recommends dwarf Drift Roses, which are free-flowering, low-maintenance and diseaseresistant. Taller varieties such as Nitty Gitty, standing slightly taller at 3 feet, or Grace n’ Grit at 5 feet, make cutting your garden easier. Both are available in several different colors.

One of my particular childhood favorite shrubs is the camellia. Semi-double pink C. japonica (April Remembered) in the Ice Angels® series is one of the finest cold-hardy varieties. C. x (Survivor) has single white flowers on a larger shrub. Fall-blooming C. x (Winter’s Interlude) has pink anemone-form blossoms. Plant camellias in a protected spot with morning sun or part shade to prevent winter desiccation. ln