I've got room at the foundation of our house for 2 shrubs. I'm looking for ideas on what to plant next spring. Currently I have a Calycanthus on the side corner. This is the South side of the house and will be in mostly sun. Good black dirt that drains well. Across from this area, I've planted (in order going down the side yard) Cercis canadensis, Viburnum acerifolium, a Viburnum dentatum, a Hamamelis virginiana, 2 Ilex verticillata, Corylus americana, Euonymus atropurpureus, Physocarpus opulifolius. Because our property isn't very big, I'm only doing one of each plant so that I can have more variety. An Ash tree was already here and is between the Viburnums and the Hamamelis.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Terry
Shrub suggestions please.....
Maybe a Cornus sericea, or a Callicarpa?
I would love a Callicarpa! I had one when we lived in TN, but unfortunately it's a zone 6 plant. Unless you know something I don't? Still looking up the Cornus sericea. I have found a Cornus obliqua that looks pretty neat, but I don't know much about it. Like does it want to spreeeeeaaaaaaaaaad.
Yes, they'll spread, but I don't think it would get away from you. Plus you could get your Dad to prune it, and have bright red cuttings for indoors. lol
How about Vaccinum (ium?) Some are tall, some short, and they like cold
I just looked in plant files, Equilibrium's able to grow Callicarpa in 5a...maybe in a microclimate ?
This message was edited Dec 20, 2006 7:12 PM
Hi terry! I'll throw this idea again, itea virginiana or Sweetspire. Great foundation plant! Suckers a little, but easily controlled. It has fragrant spring flowers, clean green foliage in summer, the totally best red fall color and reddish stems in winter, which is one of the best kept secrets in the nursery trade. Nothing to rival that dogwood (in stem color) but no slouch. The leaves hang on for a good while too, mine still has some leaves after a few frosts.
And if you want ilex glabra or Inkberry, I have three Shamrocks for trade, LOL. Oh, they're doing fine, I've just changed my mind (again) and now I want Sea Green junipers, something a little wilder looking as opposed to tidy and compact. They're evergreen and will form a little hedge in time.
Here's a picture of the sweetspire next to a Summer Wine ninebark and Hameln fountain grass.
Terry, I'm new at this, but I was so impressed with Fothergilla 'Mt. Airy'. I want more for the front yard. Sweet smelling flowers, neat leaves, and amazing fall color. Made me stop and just stare at it for a while. Crazy cool, as my son would say.
mostly sunny - I googled fothergilla Mt Airy and got two different results: Fothergilla gardenii 'Mt Airy' and F. major 'Mt Airy' . I think gardenii must be smaller, not sure. Are there two different sizes?
Yes, there are two sizes. Mine are the larger ones I think. The tag says Fothergilla x Mt. Airy. -5-6'T x 6W. I grabbed them last spring at Home Depot. Shocked to see a good native plant there!
Guess what? I found out it's a naturally-occuring hybrid between the two. Good to know! So the fall color was as spectacular as they say, huh? I'll have to see if I can find one too. I frequent HD since it's nearby.
Prairie Willow (Salix humilis) is an interesting plant also. Another one I'm very fond of is Fothergilla major. I do believe Equil has micro climates around her home, but I'm not positive on that. There's a local nursery here that sells some sort of Callicarpa that is native to China I believe.
See what happens when I leave the page up and yak on the phone for over a couple hours? But you see mostlysunny that great minds think alike! Maybe I can get one when I come down your way next spring?? Did you get it at the plant sale I sent you too?
Sorry, I'm the early to bed, early to rise type. I shouldn't pop in to DG before bed. Dh gets up at 4:45 weekdays (earlier if he goes for a run) and I never get back to sleep. I usually head for bed when he does.
PGZ, I couldn't believe the shades of orange and red I was seeing on those plants! The orange was as bright as a hunter's vest. I'll have to check if I took a picture. Wouldn't do it justice with my old digital camera though. Another HomeDepot opened very close to me. We had a Lowes here already. Comptition is good, so I'm not complaining. I just wish they had more native trees and shrubs. Maybe they have a good selection of perennials. I'm not there yet in my new landscape, so I haven't looked. I want to get the 'bones' in first. I have started to lurk in the perennial forum though!
Terry, I got so many nice plants at that sale. Definitely going back in the spring. I picked up a callicarpa at the sale for $5. I had gotten one at a native plant nursery for $10 in the spring. I love that nursery but can't afford to buy much. Do you have oakleaf hydrangea? I got two at the sale that had beautiful fall color.
We are talking about starting a lasangna bed in the front yard. We were going to rent a sod cutter in the spring, but we had such great results from our grass-smothering experiment in the back yard. We only used newspaper and pine needles, but the soil is so much easier to dig now. Maybe the worms like the conditions better now? I've been reading up on sheet composting. I also found out that Rutherford county has a mulch facility. Free mulch! I don't know it they do leaf mold separately, like Nashville. Got to check into it. Nashville grinds the wood mulch and then ages it one year, then grinds it again. Leaf compost is $8 a cubic yard and the mulch is $18. I need good cheap sources for organic matter if we are going to do this.
Terryr, if you really like the callicarpa, you might want to try it.
Global warming does have some advantages for cold zone gardeners.
http://www.arborday.org/media/map_change.cfm
Very interesting link joe. According to it and doing a search using my zipcode, it appears I'm still in zone 5, whereas you've moved into zone 6.
mostlysunny, no I don't have an oakleaf hydrangea, but I do have an spot for one on the opposite side of the front of the house. It's another on my wanted list. I did both just the newspaper and mulch/pine needles on top and also did the lasagna method at our house down there in TN. I didn't do as many layers as what I've read to do, but I did do 2 layers. For the area that I did, both spots made a big difference. Mushroom compost seemed to be my biggest friend there in TN. Please check that free mulch before you get any. The street department here in my town delivered their free mulch, not to me, but accidentally to a house 2 doors down. That stuff was not good at all. What they do is collect all the landscape waste during the season and throw it all together and mulch it all up. Problem is that there's invasive species or seeds in it, weeds, plastic bags, twine, nylon rope, beer cans..etc. etc. The pile is still there, even after talking to the superintendent about their oops :o) You could always drive up here in the spring with a semi and get it filled for $20 from the mushroom factory up here...lol.......
Terry, where did you get the mushroom compost in TN? I wouldn't mind driving to get to it. Just need to borrow or rent a big truck:-) The Nashville operation seems pretty professional on their website. I need to drive down and check out the Murfreesboro center. I don't need the headaches that bad mulch would give me. I really want to try the lasagna method.
Unfortunately, I had to buy it in bags from Holcomb's. It wasn't to darn expensive, but it was still more than what it would of been in bulk. There is a place in Middle Valley TN that has dirt, mulch and compost. It seems like that's the name of the place. I did a quick search and turned up one that says Middle Valley Lawn & Garden and Mulch Plus, but that's not it. This place delivered to me, but I'm not sure they'd deliver up where you are. I had them deliver half good top soil and mushroom compost. I was always going to get them to deliver another load of just mushroom compost because I was supposed to get a really good deal because I'm so speshul.
O.k. Just called Craig to make sure about places. He said people have been complaining about the one in Middle Valley and are now going to this place http://www.sheltonlandscape.com/
Then he said that this place would know where to get mushroom compost from and they have a toll free number http://www.sweetwatervalley.com/
And lastly, he said to call Ruth Baumgardner. She will know all he says http://mousecreekperennials.com/
He said to ask her not only about a good place to get mushroom compost in your area but good top soil also. Aster seed he's sending me has been introduced as the 'Ruth Baumgardner' aster by Craig. I guess I'll be doing some winter sowing after all......
Thank you so much for looking in to it for me! I will check out those sites. It would be nice to get some delivered.
There are people that grow callicarpa in zone 4a Minnesota. I can't see that you you would have a problem, Terry.
YES! Thank you Leftwood! Is it spring yet??? lol........