Replacing a Miss Kim Lilac bush

I would like to know what would be a very nice bush to replace a Miss Kim Lilac bush with?

My soil has a PH of 7

The lilac bush has bores in it and is dieing.

I would like to have a Flowering bush with allot of character to it. An a very pleasing small to it. It could flower in the Spring or Summer.

If drainage is good .... a winter daphne is beautiful. It will stay shorter than the Ms. Kim and it will get fuller. Its fragrance is stunning. It is everygreen and beautiful in flower- and will flower in the snow. It needs drainage. Check for zone hardiness for your area. It fills out quickly and so you shouldn't worry about buying it in a big pot.

Sorry to say it is only hardy to zone 7 and I am in zone 5A.

Carol Mackie is a favorite and I just looked (since it blooms in the snow had has lived under solid ice for a week once or twice here in NC) and it goes to zone 4


also check on Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Dark Knight' It has the best fragrance. I can't describe it --clean. You can let it grow...or you can chop it to the ground and then it will come back and still be 2-3 feet high in the same year. Pretty flowers....very bright and electric.... and again - great fragrance (but not as free flowing fragrance as the daphne)

These are a very beautiful plant both of them.

Is there any bushes that get around 5 to 51/2 feet tall that has the flowering as these two have?

Our daphne is about 4 feet tall and I don't think it has added height but it is more than that wide.

The Dark Night will get tall- I cut it down last winter after one year and currently it is 2.5-3 feet tall and so maybe it would get as tall as you need. I have not researched the height since I do like to cut it back.

I can think of more shrubs that flower and are beautiful -- but you are also looking for fragrance. Did you post in your regional forum?

Try googling fragrant virburnum- you may find one you like.

What is the Dark Night?

Yes give me more shrubs that you feel would be very beautiful with flowers.

Weigelas should be hardy in your area. There are many varieties including those with varying heights, flower colors and beautiful variegated leaves. Some are said to be scented but mine are too far back to notice. There are also scented Viburnums that bloom at different times of the season and suitable to a wide range of zones.

I'm jealous that you can grow lilacs. We are too hot in Atlanta and barely on the edge in N. GA. I lost mine after only a couple of years to the heat. Love them or hate them, there is nothing that smells like lilacs except maybe some roses.

I am in love with Clethra alnifolia. It looks great, smells nice and there is a good selection of cultivars. You don't want to let it get too dry though.

Dark Knight is the Caryopteris I referred to earlier.

Do you have room for a ninebark?

It would help if you would upload a photo of the space
So color, shape, etc could be considered

Yes I have a Clethra alnifolia in my garden. Would like to have something different than that.

You all have given some very nice bushes.

Still looking for that special bush that will sweep me off my feet.

I put my trust in all of you that you will come up with that very special bush.

I have a Brown house and the area is around 7 feet by 7 feet and it faces east. It gets the morning sun and I would sat it goes into shade around 2 in the afternoon.

I hope this helps you. Sorry that I don't have a picture of the area.

I have forgot to tell you that this is on a corner of my house in back.An there is a patio next to it.

Around the patio are flowers and roses.

Hydrangea would look pretty with roses

Lorepetulum is long blooming

I have one on the east side and have shaped it to a small tree but you could leave it as shrub.

No, just looked-- zone not good for lorepetalum

You just about had what would look very nice there, I like lorepetalum and it is sad to see that it will not live in Zone 5A.

Yes I do have two White Hydrangea one at each end of my Knock-Out Roses.

I keep looking and everything I like will not grow in Zone 5A.

Keep me informed of a nice bush or small tree like bush.

Well just have to keep looking ;0)

I think the lorepetalum would look good against the color of your house. Ours just blooms weird times...just a little and then of course the regular full bloom times. It looks great as a small tree.

Weigelas as MayPop said would look good and the colors would be similiar for some. I have wine and roses and I have to say that I hate the things ---never have performed well. Break easily too .....landscaper sited and so I hope in right place. But years ago I had another and it was gorgeous and I loved it. No care. The wine and roses coloration would look nice against your house color (as I am imagining the house) -- you may try to look at the different varieties

I have had Weigelas and never had luck with them. Don't know why, but they have all died for me. My last one is Rose and Wine and this one is on it'd last leg. I really don't look to see it make it next year. I have had it for 4 years now and each year it dies a little at a time and looking at it today there is about a 1/8 of it a live.

I have had other ones and they never made it out of the first year. Ever upsetting when you pay good money for them and they don't give you the beauty you except.

I think that MayPop has some great ideals what to plant, but I don't understand why she wont say anything.

There are more likely more people out there that also has some great ideals what to plant only if they would come forward.

missingrosie you are doing a very good job in helping me out and I can not thank-you enough for your time and effort that you have shown in helping me .

I travel back and forth between the city where my orchids are and the country where my veggie garden is. In between I try to fit in some work>). I am hardly very knowledgeable about shrubbery or what is suitable in Ohio but here are a few more that seem to be hardy in your area...

Azaleas and rhododendrons for your zone. I think most of the fragrant ones are deciduous. There is a series of hybrids called Northern Lights that come in a variety of colors including yellow, orange and cream and all have varying degrees of fragrance. They are supposed to be very hardy. You would need to adjust the pH of your soil way down to 5 or less to grow azaleas or rhododendrons well but that just means preparing a bed with lots of acid mulch like peat moss and fertilizing a few times a summer with an acid food for azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons.
Honeysuckle shrub http://www.abouthoneysuckle.com/honeysuckle_shrub.shtml
Cornus aternifolia 'Golden Showers'. Goes with your online name. :>) Also called Pagoda dogwood. These are small trees that can be grown as shrubs. Golden showers is beautiful lime green with a golden edge. You will also need to acidify the planting site to grow this one but they are very cold hardy and fragrant.
Andromeda (Pieris) or Lily of the Valley shrub. It is evergreen and looks interesting during all seasons. I have this one growing by a deck edge. It will handle light shade or full shade. It is slightly fragrant. Also needs acidified soil. I think there may be variegated cultivars of this available now.
Fothergilla is a favorite of northern gardeners. I've never grown it. They are scented and have beautiful Fall color.

Hope this helps.
Laurel

Fothergilla is on my list of 'maybe next year'

I totally forgot about pieris -- it would look very nice against a brown house and it is well behaved and should do well on the east side.

I have never heard about golden showers..but I am going to head off now to pull up a photo. I think it would look great near the japanese maple.

Golden E you may get better participation if you post in your regional forum where folks are familiar with the zone temperature restrictions. Laurel and I live in the Southeast and like the lorepetalum many of our favorite fragrant shrubs may not make it in your area.

I have three Miss Kim that bloomed and bloomed in the pot and cannot do anything for me but grow huge. Healthy and green and no bloom! I am pulling out this fall and replacing with a 6 foot long made from recycled metal serpent. I give up!

missingrosie

I have a question on this bush BLUE MUFFIN® viburnum how would you think this would look beside my Brown house? It goes all the way down to Zone 3. Also here is another one that maybe a candidate Quick Fire™ hydrangea.

I would like to try the Wine & Rose Weigela again. Also the Lilly of the Valley bush.

Also here is a great site to go to: http://www.colorchoiceplants.com/bronze_anniversary.htm

You will find all kinds of bushes here and it might help you out.

I will be looking forward in here from you all on this great search that I am in to put the right bush in my area. An hopefully you will help me on this as missingrosie and maypoplaurel has.

If between these two I would choose the hydrangea - it is very hardy and I think the reddish purple would go well with your house color ---plus you have the benefit of going from white to pink blooms.

the virbunum is very beautiful - but I think the blue ...blue/green would not go as well. Of course it is all a matter of personal preference. I suggested the Dark Knight (and it is very electric blue in bloom) but that was before I knew your house color.

Wine and Roses would be a great color match --but I have no faith in those particular shrubs. Other wiegielas I have tried have done much better.

Maybe you could find a virbunum with a different coloration if you want a virburnum. Again Golden E - it truly is a matter of personal preference when it comes to color. With a brown house....I would stick with the burgandy.... browns.... pinks.... and contrast with limes. But that is just me!

missingrosie

You have been a great help with my search for the right bush I would like to thank-you for your time.

I have two other bushes that I would like to have your opinion on, Candy Ohi Vivid Red Rose. Also I was looking at Amythest Coralberry.

I will agree with you on the hydrangea. But I am also a big bird fan and I like to see the birds come into my yard, and still have a very neat yard also.

I hope that you do not mind me asking you so many question, you are a very caring person and like to put things in place with the colors.

I think the coralberry is beautiful. I am currently starting some snowberrys sent to me via seed by another DavesGarden member. It is a good choice for you I think. Check out toxicity to humans if that is a concern for you.

missingrosie

If you were to pick from the hydrangea and the Amythest Coralberry which way would you go?

Hydrangea for me grows much faster....the coralberry seems indestructible.....so if you have time to grow....and the space would look great while the wait is on, I'd go with coralberry. I like the hydrangea because it performs each year and I can cut it way back when I need to. but if I had a big coralberry there...I'd be just as happy. So basically can't choose for you with 100 percent conviction but both are worthy of consideration. I have plan for the fothergilla, a ninebark and a black lace sambuca ( excuse the spelling)....so many dreams and not enough time and energy and SPACE!