Featured Plants : border

Chicagoland Green Is A Favorite Evergreen Shrub

patti-nhn — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:43:00 GMT

This Chicagoland Green Boxwood is one of the most popular evergreens if you are wanting a border or hedge. Some of the things that make it attractive is its medium size height of 3 to 4 feet and will spread from 3 to 4 feet wide. It is a fine textured evergreen giving a nice soft look. It has an oval, rounded and uniform shape making it very decorative in any area of your landscape, showy enough for the front yard. The green foliage continues into winter making the cold weather seem not quite so intimidating. It is very cold hardy from zone 5 to zone 8 and will reach its full height in about 15 years.

Full sun to partial shade is needed for optimal growth. Well-drained soil is required but it can tolerate some drought so can grow in dry soil but loamy, sandy or clay soils are preferred to be acidic to slightly alkaline. This shrub should be protected from strong winter winds if planted in an exposed area. You can prune and shear this shrub with no problems as long as you don't overdo it. These shrubs are dense enough to make great border plants or hedges and being evergreen you'll have foliage all year long.

Artist Rose Ageratum

patti-nhn — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:07:00 GMT

This Proven Winner Artist Rose Ageratum is known for its striking rose colored blooms . They can be planted in containers, make great borders and also look great in a rock garden. This upright plant will produce fuzzy flowers early in the season. They will flower from May through October. If you are looking for low maintenance, this would be a great choice.

The Artist Rose Ageratum will mature to 8 to 12 inches in height and spread from 15 to18 inches in width which makes it a nice compact plant. It is an annual that grows from zone 3 to 11, in zones 9 to 11 it can be a perennial. This is very heat tolerant and will require full to partial sunlight. Give it a try for some rosy color in your garden.

Roll Out the Red Carpet for Sedum - Elizabeth Red Carpet

patti-nhn — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:44:00 GMT

Sedum Spurium 'Elizabeth Red Carpet' is quite a sight to see. I am used to seeing Sedum used mainly in rock walls or rock gardens. It's a good plant for areas that most things don't like to grow in. It actually likes dry soil, full sun and grows fast. It's red flowers put on a show from May to September and even attracts butterflies and hummingbirds with their bright red color. It makes a good ground cover, border or for edging flower beds and it can even cheer up any bland and boring areas of your landscape. It's foliage is green and it will mature to 3-4 inches tall and can spread to up to 2 feet.

Elizabeth Red Carpet is a perennial and will give you years of joy. It is one of the most colorful Sedums available. It's a very durable plant and has the added plus of being disease resistant. With all of it's wonderful attributes and the options of watching birds, butterflies and hummingbirds, doesn't it make you want to relax in your easy chair nearby and enjoy?

American Maidenhair Fern Delicate and Decorative

patti-nhn — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:35:00 GMT

The American Maidenhair Fern is a very delicate fern with bright green finely textured frilly leaves and reddish brown to black wiry stems. It is a perennial and it grows in clumps. They can be found naturally in shady, moist, woody areas in the wild. Since they need to be kept moist they would be great growing near a pond in a rock garden or any area of your yard as long as they get plenty of water. The American Maidenhair tends to prefer shady areas but it can tolerate partial sun.

Besides ferns being awesome border plants or planted in and around more colorful flowery plants for interest, they can stand on their own in the garden. They make great hanging container plants and look wonderful hanging from patio and porch covers. They are really nice in window boxes as well. They can also be grown inside and watched very carefully that they don't dry out. They must be kept moist.

They can be cut and used in fresh flower arrangements. I immediately think of roses but they would work with flowers from the most modest to the most lavish of blooms.

The Maidenhair Fern prefers loamy to sandy and moist soil. It will grow up to 1-2 feet and is a slow spreading plant.

Intense Red Color! Burning Bush - Grove Dwarf

patti-nhn — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:52:00 GMT

The Burning Bush - Grove Dwarf, Euonymous alatus 'Grove Compactus' is highly desired for it's intense scarlet red color in the fall. It is also extremely versatile on it's own or as a hedge or border plant. It looks great with coniferous evergreens and will brighten any dark corner of your yard or home. Its spring flowers are green and inconspicuous. This bush loves full sun which helps it get its great fall color.

This plant has been used in front of light-colored walls of buildings and statues for it's visual impact. It is deciduous (loses its leaves) which reveals a corky ridged stem that gives you visual pleasure during the winter. They are also great for use among other plants in your garden. They can grow 5-6 feet tall and about 6-8 feet wide. This would be a great addition to your home that you can enjoy year-round!

Hosta - Patriot is Great for Beginners

patti-nhn — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:00:00 GMT

The Hosta 'Patriot', Hosta fortunei is one of the most durable of the hostas which makes it a good choice if you have never grown hostas. The Patriot is purchased often for its lush mounds of medium green foliage and purple or white flowers. Their leaves are also heart shaped with creamy white edges.

There are a number of varieties of hostas that have different leaf shapes, colors and types of flowers as well as different sizes of mounds. They can be mixed and matched with the Patriot to use as borders or edging or among other flowers. We planted six varieties around our bird bath last year in late summer and they grew heartily.

Hostas need a shady space so they do well under trees or a shady spot in your yard. They also grow well in barrels or good size pots. You don't have to prune them and they will start growing again in the spring. They are very easy care and can be divided in late summer and planted in other areas of your garden.

Weigela - Tango, Let's Dance!

patti-nhn — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:15:00 GMT

The name of this Weigela - Tango Weigela florida 'Tango' makes me want to dance! They have beautiful pink flowers that are bloom in the summer and are long lasting as they dance in the breeze. You'll enjoy them in your garden and with these showy flowers and purple foliage they'll accent your other plants well. They are compact in size and look great in masses at the front of your garden and can also be used as a border to your garden. These are one of the easiest shrubs to grow, they like full sun and moisture.

If you enjoy birds and hummingbirds, this is the plant for you. They are very attracted to these beautiful shrubs. I imagine they'll look like they are dancing as they wing their way around the flowers. This is a great choice with lots of options for planting and also for bird watching. Since they are so easy to grow, they would be good for a beginning gardener as well. As the song goes, "I Hope You Dance".

Burning Bush - Rudy Haag

patti-nhn — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 12:49:00 GMT

The Burning Bush - Rudy Haag Euonymus alatus 'Rudy Haag' is a beautiful shrub. In the fall this shrub can be spotted from far away due to it's vibrant red foliage. It's one of the sights I enjoy and actually seek out during the fall season. It's beauty stands out among grasses and other plants that are losing their color and turning brown. I don't know why but it's always a surprise when I see one and brings a smile to my face.

There are different varieties of burning bush but Rudy Haag is one of the most popular. It's very easy to grow and it starts blooming in May with yellow green flowers. It also fruits in the fall; another treat for your bird friends. It's maintenance free, no pruning is necessary and this shrub grows to only 4-5 feet so it won't take up a lot of space. It makes a great hedge, accent plant or with other plants in a hedge border.

Barberry - Burgundy Carousel

patti-nhn — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:20:00 GMT

The Barberry - Burgundy Carousel, Berberis thunbergii 'Bailtwo' is an excellent accent or hedging plant. It would also be good as a barrier plant because of it's thorns. I imagine the bunnies and other animals that like to feast on your garden would be discouraged. Maybe even a neighbor or two!

It has beautiful green foliage that droops slightly and red berries which the birds will enjoy. It's burgundy-purple fall foliage really shows off in the garden. This shrub has a fine texture and is low growing to about 3'. It will spread out to approximately 4-5 feet so would be good if you have a large area to fill. Plant it in a sunny place with moist, well-drained soil. You'll get a lot of enjoyment from this plant year round and some good relaxing bird watching as well.

Azalea - Pink and Sweet

patti-nhn — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:17:00 GMT

An azalea bush in full bloom is a beautiful sight! The Rhododendron viscosum 'Pink and Sweet' has become one of the most popular azaleas. It will add lots of spicy fragrance and wonderful pink color to your garden. The pink ruffled flowers have a lighter pink and yellow eye, watch it wink at you! It is late blooming and has great fall foliage in accent colors of purplish red.

The Pink and Sweet needs some shade which makes them very versatile when you are deciding how to landscape. Plant them in well-drained soil and water regularly. This shrub is about 4 feet tall and could make a good border plant or background for smaller plants. If you like azaleas, this would be a great one to add to your garden this spring.