Featured Plants : flowers

The Sunburst Cherry--Perfect for a Small Garden

barb-nhn — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:13:00 GMT

The Sunburst Cherry is a cross between the Stella and the Van Cherry. It is a large dark-skinned sweet cherry that is very similar to the Stella Cherry. It is a late season eating cherry producing large sweet fruit which is almost black when ripe. The Sunburst Cherry has a sweet and gorgeous flavor; some people have said that Sunburst has a raspberry flavor! This tree is self fertile, with a high production of fruit. The Sunburst Cherry is resistant to cracking or splitting. What an easy tree to manage and prune! Cherry Sunburst Tree has attractive flowers in early spring and the large black cherries which follow are very juicy. This is a perfect tree for a small garden. Cherry Trees produce heavy crops which are ready to pick from July onwards. This cherry tree has a good strong structure and grows to a standard height of 30-35 feet, needs full sun, and grows well in zones 4-9. The Sunburst Cherry was introduced in 1983 from Summerland, British Columbia. The cherry fruit requires 800 chill hours.

The Beautiful Aristocrat Flowering Pear

barb-nhn — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:59:00 GMT

The Aristocrat Flowering Pear Tree is a large, beautiful tree that is attractive in all four seasons. It produces masses of early spring flowers that are a lovely white, then followed in the summer by bright, glossy green, disease resistant foliage. These wavy leaves turn a deep to reddish-purple in mid to late fall to provide a spectacular fall color. Its clean winter outline is upright to pyramidal when young and becomes broadly oval at maturity.

The fast and vigorous growth of this handsome ornamental tree has superior introduction and forms horizontal branches that produce a strong pyramidal shape. With a more dominant trunk and open form, it is less susceptible to wind damage.

These trees are often placed in a prominent location by homeowners and landscapers so the year-round beauty can be enjoyed. This ornamental requires full sun and is heat and drought tolerant. It reaches a height of 25-40 feet and thrives in zones 5-9. What a display the Aristocrat Flowering Pear puts on when it is covered with multitudinous white flowers in early spring!

The Fabulous Amur Chokecherry Tree

barb-nhn — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:00:00 GMT

What an outstanding tree for small spaces! Amur Chokecherry Tree is a small tree that can be used as a specimen, street tree, or even a patio plant! It is ideal for limited spaces because of its smaller size. Its name comes the Amur River that flows for 1,000 milies as the natural boundary between Russia and China.

It produces white showy flowers in April. Its black fruit, usually eaten by birds before fully ripe, appears in August. It is a nesting place for birds too. The small fruits make wonderful jams and jellies, but not very tasty eaten raw. This tree has a moderate growth rate, is hardy, dense, and can be grown as a single or multi-trunked tree. Amur has a pyramidal shape when young, but becomes rounded with age.

The outstanding exfoliating bark is golden brown to dark red with a glistening metallic color; an excellent winter effect and landscape interest. This distinctive bark has a special pattern and is very attractive, and provides a year round accent to any landscape.

Amur Chokecherry does best in moist, well-drained soil high in organic matter, but it is also moderately salt tolerant. It does best in full sun and needs to be pruned to keep its shape. In the fall it turns a lovely yellow color.

Eastern Whitebud Ornamental Tree

barb-nhn — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:17:00 GMT

The Eastern Whitebud Tree is a small deciduous tree that is adaptable to other soil types, but will not grow well in permanently wet or poorly drained soils. Growing best in full sun to light shade with moist well-drained deep soil, it is commonly used as either an ornamental or patio tree.

The Eastern Whitebud Tree is best known for its profuse white pea-like flowers. The heart-shaped leaves of this tree are 3-5" across and its fruit are brown flat pods about 2-3" long. The trunk usually branches close to the ground, resulting in a spreading flat-topped to rounded crown.

Care of flowering trees begins with knowing where they grow best, including their planting zones. The Eastern Whitebud is a rapid growing tree, reaches a mature height of 15-40 feet, and does well in zones 4-9. Flowering trees are among the most prized specimens of the yard, making a bold statement and heralding the return of warmer weather in the North!

Ornamental trees are usually described as trees that are less than 25 feet tall. They usually have a defining feature such as flowers, unique foliage, notable bark, or a form of branching that is eye catching.

Marjoram Sweet And Organic!

patti-nhn — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:18:00 GMT

Sweet Organic Marjoram, what could be more flavorful than this? Origanum (Marjoram, Sweet) is an organic variety of Marjoram that is used in many types of cooking, in rubs for meat, sauces, especially in spaghetti sauce and other Italian specialties. The plant itself is somewhat decorative with its tender oval leaves. Showing off are the tiny pink to lavender colored flowers. Not only are they pretty but they also have a lovely scent.

You might want to grow some in a pot on your windowsill or near your back patio. It has also been used in teas, inhalants and for digestive problems. This plant is very hardy down to zone 3 and then up to zone 9. Marjoram requires moderately moist well drained soil and full sun. Wouldn't it be great to pick this herb right from your own garden? Not only will it be fresh and tasty but will save you lots of money in gas and cost to purchase from the grocer.

Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangea Elegant And Showy

patti-nhn — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

The Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen' is an elegant and showy full sized Hydrangea. There are many types of Hydrangeas and the Snow Queen is one of the best! It has lots of showy sterile florets. The florets are single and so not as likely to cause the stems to be weighed down. Instead the stems will stand upright and strong.

The Snow Queen will be more compact instead of sprawling out like some varieties. This allows the blooms to really show off. The fall color is spectacular in deep reddish purple hues. Because of its upright habit these would be exceptional cut flowers in vases on their own or with green foliage placed among them or with a rainbow of colors of other hydrangeas or any colorful flower. We think this Snow Queen Hydrangea is a plus in any garden.

Bunchberry Is Great Groundcover

patti-nhn — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:10:00 GMT

If you want something beyond the normal groundcovers, the Bunchberry Cornus canadensis would be a great one to plant. Bunchberry leaves sprout at the top of the stem in fours and its petals will also sprout in fours. Its fruits are orange and grow in tight clusters. In the fall the leaves are a beautiful shade of red.

It does best in cooler parts of zones 3 to 7 and prefers acid soil and filtered to deep shade. The Bunchberry will not do well in warmer areas and in drought conditions. It tends to grow to about six inches tall and will spread out considerably more but is a slow grower. It is one of the best groundcovers for your landscape and is well worth the wait.

Organic Chamomile Attractive And Aromatic

patti-nhn — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:30:00 GMT

'Matricaria German (USDA Organic) Chamomile, Matricaria recutita 'German' is a very attractive plant with its dainty, daisy like flowers that have a pleasant aroma. Chamomile is often used in many products for moistening, protecting and cleaning of the skin. It is highly recommended as one of the best ingredients in these products from lip balms to lotions. Chamomile can also be used in teas.

Chamomile will grow just about anywhere so is an easy plant for beginners. It prefers well-drained, moderately moist soil and full sun. It is hardy from zone 3 to zone 9. It grows low from 2 to 8 inches high with many feathery looking stems. When it goes to seed it will continue to come back in zones 9 to 11 but in zones 3 to 8 it will need to be replanted each year. This would be a fun plant to grow.

Blue Moon Kentucky Wisteria Can Handle The COLD!

patti-nhn — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:04:00 GMT

If you are looking for a great looking vine that is a vigorous grower and can take the cold all the way down to zone 3, this is the one for you. The Blue Moon Kentucky Wisteria Wisteria macrostachya 'Blue Moon' is known for its cold hardiness even in the cold Northern Minnesota climate. It is also widely adaptable to growing locations.

The Blue Moon is a rebloomer and can rebloom up to 3 times in a season in ideal conditions. The flowers are lavender blue in color and really sparkle with the nice green background. It is hardy from zone 3 to zone 9 which makes it a popular choice. Wisteria is great looking on mailbox posts, balconies anywhere it can climb and grow and show off.

Mango Meadowbrite Coneflower

patti-nhn — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:19:00 GMT

Doesn't the name Mango Meadowbrite bring up colorful images? I know it does for me. The Mango Meadowbrite Coneflower Echinacea hybrid 'CBG Cone3' has been released as the second Coneflower from the Chicago Botanic Garden breeding program. If you are familiar with the Orange Meadowbrite Coneflower, it is very similar to it but does not have the red pigment so it has the look of a fresh ripe mango fruit which is a very deep yellow.

Coneflowers are known to bloom all sumer long and the Mango Meadowbrite is no exception. This is one of the most fragrant of the coneflowers. It is recommended for growing from zone 4 to zone 9. They are very hardy plants and are great grown in bunches or on their own. They tend to grow to about 18 to 24 inches tall and definitely add some pizzazz to your garden.

Beijing Gold Peking Lilac A New Tree Lilac

patti-nhn — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 01:32:00 GMT

If you love the smell of Lilacs but would prefer a tree to a bush, this is the answer for you. The Beijing Gold Syringa pekinensis 'Zhang Zhiming' is a new tree lilac. It flowers with yellow fragrant blooms and has cinnamon colored bark making it a wonderful ornamental tree for your landscape.

It is a hardy tree and works in tough landscapes where other types of trees just don't fit the design. Lilacs tend to prefer full sun to partial shade. It will grow to approximately 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide. This Lilac tree is hardy from zone 7 all the way down to zone 4. Lilacs are very pretty as cut flowers in the home and their fragrance will fill the room so you can enjoy them both inside and out.

China Snow Peking Lilac Is Fine & Graceful

patti-nhn — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:33:00 GMT

The China Snow Peking Lilac Syringa pekinensis 'Morton' is filled with fragrant bunches of white flowers that bloom in June. Its gracefulness shows in its upright rounded habit that really stands out. The bark is exfoliating and is a wonderful dark-amber color. It would be quite a lovely tree in your yard year-round.

This variety of Lilac comes from the parent tree at the Morton Arboretum in Illinois. It has done very well in the Illinois climate. It is hardy to zone 5. The height of this tree can get to 35 feet and the crown will grow to about 30 feet wide. If you are familiar with the famed plant collector Joseph Rock you will want to know that he personally harvested the seed batch from which the tree was selected. If you want something new and attractive, this would be a good choice for you.

Amethyst Falls American Wisteria Beautiful And Most Familiar

patti-nhn — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:00:00 GMT

The Amethyst Falls American Wisteria Wisteria frutescens 'Amethyst Falls'' is one of the best known Wisteria vines around. You will often find them delicately winding around mailboxes, lamp posts, fence posts, patio screens and the list goes on and on. There are so many uses for this awesome Wisteria. They can be trained as a ground cover as well.

Wisteria are hardy plants and long lived. Amethyst Falls American has purple/blue flowers on heads that are short and wide. They will bloom in the spring and often again in the summer. They are a very hardy species and tend to grow well in zones 6 to 9. Their light green foliage really shows off the flowers and is pretty on its own as well. For a pleasant plant to behold, this would be a great choice.

Cutleaf Lilac An Unusual Shrub

patti-nhn — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:47:00 GMT

The Cutleaf Lilac Syringa laciniata is not your typical Lilac shrub. Unlike most Lilacs that grow in an upright form, this Cutleaf Lilac grows in a mounding form. It also tends to be a little smaller height at 6 to 8 foot tall and slower growing than some lilac shrubs. It's leaves are finely cut lobes and the flowers are fragrant, small and lavender colored.

The Cutleaf can tolerate many conditions including cold, heat and drought. It is hardy from zone 4 and has been known to do well from Wisconsin to Georgia and even in the Rocky Mountain states. With its height and foliage it makes this specimen stand out from the others. It would also take up less space so may fit into your landscaping where a larger shrub would not. This Cutleaf Lilac would be worth a try and might get some compliments from friend and neighbors.

Kwanzan Flowering Cherry Is Showstopping

patti-nhn — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:12:00 GMT

If you want a showstopper in your landscape, this is one of the best trees for you. The Kwanzan Flowering Cherry Prunus Serrulata 'Kawnzan' has double pink flowers with multiple layers that will appear before the green foliage. Kwanzan Flowering Cherry trees are beautiful to behold especially when they are flowering. The foliage is a light green and will become bronze to reddish colored in the fall. This tree has also been known as a Japanese Flowering Cherry tree.

This is one of the most popular flowering trees. The shape of the tree is upright looking similar to a vase or a more rounded form giving a structural element in your landscaping. It is a small tree with a height from 15 to 25 feet and will spread from 15 to 20 feet. It does require full sun and is a moderate grower and is hardy from zone 5 to 8.