Featured Plants : fall

The Showy Japanese Red Maple Tree

barb-nhn — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:18:00 GMT

It is fall, and I see the brilliant red colors of the Japanese Red Maple trees that break up the green monotony of many lawns and gardens. What a beautiful specimen! It is by far one of the most popular ornamental plants in the plant kingdom. This small deciduous tree is a very showy, versatile species. Japanese Red Maple trees are used as a single specimen or in borders or groupings. This stunning tree is the perfect tree for fall and winter planting.

Growing to a height of 20 feet, this tree can be a single-stemmed small tree or multi-stemmed shrub. In the spring the leaves are a reddish-purple, and then they turn a brilliant red in the fall. The Japanese Red Maple tree is used to create a unique bonsai tree. This ornamental tree requires full sun and moist well drained soils, and survives in a variety of climates in zones 5-8.

Royal Purple Smoketree Is Reliable

patti-nhn — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:31:00 GMT

The Royal Purple Smoketree (Smokebush) Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' is one of the best known of the smoketree/smokebush family. There are those that consider them trees and others consider them a bush. It gets its name from the smoky-purple-beige flowers that bloom in mid summer. Besides having a smoky color they grow in plumes that have a soft smoky appearance. The leaves on the tree will be a rich burgundy color throughout the growing season. They are quite attractive with their upright growth pattern. They are reliable in their hardiness and in their foliage.

The Royal Purple Smoketree (Smokebush) will mature to about 8 to 10 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide. It does require full sun or the burgundy leaves will have more green to them than purple. It is a hardy tree/bush and will grow from zones 5 to 8. It does prefer moist soil but is widely adaptable to the type of soil. It doesn't take up a lot of space and is very attractive. It can be pruned to 6 to 8 inches tall in the winter and then it will produce long stems with striking oversized foliage in the next growing season. This makes a great accent or patio plant.

Flowering Chinese Redbud Wears A Dense Coat Of Flowers

patti-nhn — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:05:00 GMT

The Avondale Chinese Redbud Cercis chinensis 'Avondale' is best known for its dense coat of rose to purple colored flowers. They begin showing off their beautiful color in the spring. The Avondale can grow to 15 feet tall and grows best in zones 6 to 9. It produces green glossy leaves that are a lovely heart shape. The leaves will turn a bronze to burgundy and then a yellow color in the fall.

This is a wonderful small accent tree among your landscaping. The color is also quite showy. The Avondale Chinese Redbud is also deer and drought resistant and prefers a sandy soil. It is hardy from zone 4 to zone 10. Flowering Redbud trees are one of the most popular trees for landscaping and adding that extra "something".

Cutleaf Weeping Birch Famous And Graceful

patti-nhn — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:51:00 GMT

The Cutleaf Weeping Birch Betula pendula 'dalecarlica' is famous for its pronounced weeping form. It sways gracefully in the breeze. The branches are pendulous and features fine leaves that have a deeply cut fern look to them. The dark green leaves take on a wonderful yellow hue in the fall. The bark is white so would really stand out in your lawn or near your garden with all of its color.

It is one of the most popular birch trees for an accent tree in your yard and is often found in parks. This Cutleaf Weeping birch is a fast growing and can grow from 30 feet to 40 feet tall and 25 feet wide. It is hardy from zone 2 to zone 6. It grows best in full sun and is widely adaptable in soil type. This is a lovely and enjoyable tree to plant near a patio or balcony.

Blue Shadow Fothergilla With Striking Leaves

patti-nhn — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:11:00 GMT

The Blue Shadow Fothergilla 'Fothergilla x intermedia 'Blue Shadow' is a new variety of Fothergilla that originated from the 'Mt. Airy' variety. This Fothergilla boasts blue gray leaves. In April/May it will produce new foliage that looks like feathers. There are also white flowers that send out a honey scented fragrance. Late fall brings on the awesome colors of yellow, red and orange leaves.

Blue Shadow grows from 5 to 6 foot high and 5 to 6 foot wide. It can handle sun or partial shade although the blue coloring of the leaves will come through better in a shady area. Blue Shadow is a vigorous grower and tolerant to a wide range of soils. It is easy care, doesn't need much pruning and is mostly disease and insect free. It is tolerant from zones 4 to 8. This would be a striking plant in your landscaping.

Theves Poplar A Fast Growing Privacy/Windbreak Tree

patti-nhn — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:14:00 GMT

If you are looking for a fast growing windbreak or privacy tree, the Theves Poplar Populus nigra 'Afghanica'' is a perfect specimen. It will grow from 40 to 50 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide, therefore making a wonderful windbreak or screen. Their upright form looks somewhat like tall columns. These remind me of soldiers standing guard over your home. They grow much faster than most trees to approximately 2-4 feet a year in optimum conditions. It is very hardy from zones 2 to 9.

The Theves Poplar has a nice green foliage that will turn to a pretty yellow in the fall. They are deciduous so they will lose their leaves but that exposes the very interesting bark which when they are older is almost white. They are a narrow tree so would be good for small areas. They do have some tolerance to salt and alkali so you could put them close to sidewalks and streets but you will want to be careful that these areas don't have a lot of activity where there would be lots of salt.

Amaryllis - Double Dragon Bright Red Beauty

patti-nhn — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Amaryllis are known for their awesome beauty over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The Double Dragon Amaryllis blooms from November into January in the warmer zones of 9 to 11. They can brighten up a dreary winter time on a windowsill or table. We had some Amaryllis this past winter at our office on top of a filing cabinet that cheered everyone as they came in the front door. They grew so well they were almost falling out of the pot and the blooms held on even beyond January. The bulbs are easily planted in pots inside or outside in your flower garden.

This Double Dragon Amaryllis 'Hippeastrum' is a double bloomer of scarlet red flowers that will grow to over 8 inches across! The Double Dragon will bloom generally from two stems and bear 4 to 5 flowers. With proper care, they can continue to bloom for years to come. They have the added benefit of being deer resistant as well.

They make a great gift for gardeners, novice to experienced alike will enjoy them or splurge and get some for yourself. It's worth the beauty and enjoyment they provide.

Brookside Geranium - Stunning Fall Color

patti-nhn — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:52:00 GMT

I love fall for the wonderful display that many plants provide. Their leaves sway in the breeze in the most wonderful yellows, reds, oranges, purples and many additional hues between. This would be a great time to plant containerized plants for next years fall foliage.

The Brookside Geranium is versatile as it gives you lots of color as a border plant, potted in containers or anywhere you want some added color. The foliage is a dark green and sometimes described as lacy. It flowers from June till August with beautiful sapphire blue flowers that have white eyes. In the fall, the leaves turn reddish/orange.

It grows to about 18 inches tall and it will spread out to 23-27 inches wide. It has a mounding form and prefers moist well-drained soil in partial sun and is drought tolerant. They are low maintenance and deer resistant. If you like butterflies, they will certainly be attracted to this Geranium. It is recommended to cut the foliage back in late summer to insure new fall growth. This is a perennial plant so it will come back year after year and is hardy to zones 4-8.

Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac Is Beautiful This Time Of Year!

patti-nhn — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:41:00 GMT

If you live in the cooler regions of the United States, like the Midwest where I am, you know that the Sumac is really showing off it's wonderful fall colors right now. There are hues of yellow, red and even orange that bounce in the wind. These bushes generally grow to be 10-15 foot high and are considered a shrub. They can even grow just as wide! To me, they are a graceful bush and really fill up a space with color so would be good as a hedge, a burst of color in your garden or bordering your driveway or yard. These shrubs also work on hills to help stop erosion. Wildlife enjoy them for their fruits as well as their size for protection from the elements.

Their leaves have a feathery look and the Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac "Rhus typhina 'Laciniata' " name came about because the stems have a curve that is similar to "antlers" on a deer. The stems also have a velvety fuzz when they are young like the new horns of a young male or stag deer. They are very similar to the Sumac Cutleaf Smooth "Rhus glabra 'Laciniata' " except, as the name states, these stems are smooth as opposed to velvety on the Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac.

Flower clusters appear in June and late summer will bear their cranberry like fruits. Early in fall they show off their fall leaf colors as mentioned above and they will generally last longer than most other trees or shrubs. They are deciduous in the winter with their dried out fruit clusters waving from the top of the branches. Consider this one of the best shrubs if you like fall colors!

Cotoneaster Hedge Is Deer Resistant

patti-nhn — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:42:00 GMT

One of the things that attracted me to the Cotoneaster Hedge 'Cotoneaster Lucidus' is the many attributes it offers. I like that it has something new happening with it all year long. Not only can it be grown as a single shrub or as a hedge, it also has pink flowers in the spring and red berries that turn black during the summer. Following that, in the fall it sports beautiful yellow to red leaves. In addition it is deer resistant and will also attract birds.

It can grow up to 8-10 foot tall and is very dense so should be able to keep the neighbors pets as well as the deer from wandering into your yard, they would also be good at hiding anything that you would not like to have in your view. It can also be a decent windbreak if you allow it to grow to it's full height. If you don't prune it back as a hedge it will then branch out into an oval type shape. The Cotoneaster Hedge also has a nice brown color to it's branches which makes it attractive in the winter.

This is probably one of the most versatile bushes around. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with what it can do for you!

Great Fall Color and Deer Resistant!

patti-nhn — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:19:00 GMT

Here in the Midwest we have had weather this year that is beginning to produce a wonderful show of fall leaves on the trees and shrubs. Generally you need sunlight and cool autumn nights for the leaves to turn color. Did you know that these colors are always there but the deep green of their summer foliage keeps these colors from showing through? My understanding is that the cool nights are the main ingredient to get the best coloring. The colors can run the full spectrum and can be different shades of each color depending on the year.

One of my favorite trees for fall color is the Sourwood tree Oxydendrum arboreum. The 8" leaves are a scarlet to orange color so they can really show off and would complement other trees that would have darker red to purple tones, or even against some evergreens.

Besides having great fall color, they are deer resistant, bird friendly with their small fruits, and are a small yard tree so won't take up too much space. They will also flower in July with white flowers that have been compared to Lily of the Valley.

If you want great fall color as well as these many other valuable qualities, this is the tree for you. You can sit back and enjoy the show!

Early blooming Tulip - Single Early - Apricot Beauty

patti-nhn — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:00:00 GMT

If you are like me and have trouble waiting for the snow to melt and the flower bulbs to begin poking their heads up then this is the one for you. The Apricot Beauty, Tulipa single early 'Apricot Beauty', is a fall bulb that will start your garden out in early spring with fragrant light peach colored flowers. If you are not familiar with Single Early Tulips, they are very hardy from zones 3-8. They flourish on 10-12 inch stems and have one flower with 6 petals. They are a great addition to any area of your landscape. These would be great to be planted in front of other bulbs that will begin growing after these have begun their flowering.

Peach is a color you rarely see in bulb gardens. I think it would be quite pretty next to the purple of grape hyacinths or yellow daffodils especially. While I'm not one to show off, I wouldn't mind having the neighbors asking me where I got such beautiful tulips. Maybe I could start a new trend! I'm looking forward to their early blooming so I can finally know that spring has sprung!

A fun August "Surprise" Lily

patti-nhn — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:32:00 GMT

We just had a surprise in our landscape this August. We moved into a home that is over 100 years old. The original owners had done lots of landscaping although after they passed away and new owners took over, it was and still is quite an overgrown area. We have had lots of surprises of plants that have come up that we often wonder, how they got there. We thought we had pretty much seen everything new there was to see until this past week.

I know you won't believe this but "overnight" we looked out on the edge of our property and there were long green stems growing out of the ground. They had no leaves and were thick stems. They looked to have flower buds forming. We had no clue what they were and they looked pretty odd with those leggy stems. Within a day, the flower buds started to open and the stems continued to grow. The third day, the flowers were opening and had beautiful pink flowers. Each stalk had about 5 blooms.

They are still growing and we are in the second week. I did some investigating and found out that they are a Lily - Spider - Pink Magic (Lycoris squamigera). Some people call them Surprise Lily or Naked Lady. These bulbs are planted in the fall and they have foliage that comes up in late winter. Now, we remember seeing what looked like Daffodils popping up and couldn't figure why they were there at that time of year. My husband had mowed over them not knowing what they were! Apparently, the leaves die away in the spring and disappear below ground in late May. Come August, you get a real show!

They look pretty funny with just those tall (up to 36" stalks), skinny green stalks and no other foliage. We are considering putting some type of plant or bush that would still be green around them to show them off even more. If you get a chance to plant these beauties, you will really enjoy them. Fall is the time to get those bulbs in! They will definitely "surprise" you!

Bridal Veil Spireaea - Renaissance

patti-nhn — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:36:00 GMT

If you have heard of a shrub called Bridal Veil or Bridal Wreath, this is the one you are looking for. The Spirea - Renaissance Sp. vanhouttei 'Renaissance' have arching branches with dark green leaves and delicate white cascading flowers. As a child growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, I remember seeing them everywhere. I have always loved their look. I heard that old-timers wore them as wreaths to their weddings. In fact, the Greek name 'speria' means wreath. You could see them on the farm, in the city and in the parks. They are so easy to care for and very hardy. I don't remember my parents doing anything with them but letting them grow each year. I doubt they were ever pruned and yet they continued to put on their display. I'm sure that pruning is a good idea, however, and would give you more flowering.

This is a descendant of the old time parent that I probably saw but is so similar that they are hard to tell apart. These flowers are wonderful in vases or to make into wreaths. This shrub is also disease resistant. They make great border shrubs and are considered fountain or vase shaped. Their fall color is orange-red. Butterflies are attracted to them and their bright colors would show up beautifully against the white flowers. You should try one and enjoy the beauty and the butterflies!

Ornamental & fruit bearing Fuyu Jiro Persimmon

patti-nhn — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:18:00 GMT

The Fuyu Jiro Persimmon tree is not only a beautiful ornamental tree but also bears a fruit that has a very sweet flavor and is used in many ways. Fuyu Jiro fruits are flattened with a light orange, firm and crunchy flesh. It can even be peeled and eaten like an apple. The fruit is seedless unless planted with another variety of persimmon.

Persimmons do best in areas that have moderate winters and relatively mild summers. Their branches and leaves droop giving it a tropical appearance. The flowers can be cream-colored or a pink-tinged color. The leaves are slightly yellow-green and will turn to a dark green as they age. Their leaves can put on a show of yellow, orange and red in the fall. As they age, they can be pruned as a hedge, a screen or to control their size. The Fuyu Jiro is relatively problem free and would be a great addition to your landscape with it's many uses.