All Shrubs

Red Osier Dogwood

Benefits of Planting Red Osier Dogwood in Your Landscape The Red Osier Dogwood is a fast-growing shrub enjoyed every month of the year. The twigs shine against the winter snow and, in the springtime, create a lovely contrast of fresh greenery and white florals, which expand into flat clusters. In the late summer, the shrub produces blue-white drupes that are small and similar to a cherry with a tiny pit inside. The shrub thickets attract birds such as warblers, robins, and bluebirds, while the flower nectars attract orange butterflies. Many birds and small mammals have also used the bush as shelter.  How to Care for Red Osier Dogwood for Year-Round Beauty  While Red Osier Dogwood does well in most soils and can adapt quickly and easily, it thrives best in wet, well-drained environments. This sturdy bush can withstand winter temperatures and quickly grow laterally with slow horizontal growth. Find a sunny patch or at least an area with up to six hours of constant sun to plant and trim down any overly excited sprigs to ensure ground control. The shrub only needs to be pruned once every one to two years by removing the oldest stems to allow new growth.  Easily maintained, Red Osier Dogwood is perfect for gardeners of any skill level and will thrive well in most gardens, parks, or landscapes. It can be easily transplanted and located at most regional nurseries or garden centers. The shrub is a lovely addition to home gardens, providing excellent curb appeal and an elegant option for birdwatchers.   Why Red Osier Dogwood is Ideal for Erosion Control and Privacy Hedges Hardy Planting Zone- Best in zones 2-7.  Bloom Season (if any) - end of spring beginning of summer (May-June) Bloom Color - white Height at Maturity - Between 5-8 feet. Soil Type Preferred- Moist.

Black Haw Viburnum

Benefits of Planting Black Haw Viburnum in Your Landscape Black Haw Viburnum, also called black haw, is a shrubby tree that grows from 12 to 15 feet high with a canopy 6 to 12 feet wide when left unpruned. When pruned to a single stem and grown as a tree, the black haw reaches heights of 30 feet with a canopy that reaches 20 feet wide. It is a native plant that thrives nicely in Hardiness Zones 3 through 9. How to Care for Black Haw Viburnum for Year-Round Beauty The black haw prefers full sun to partial shade, with sunnier locations producing bushes with more abundant flowers and fruit. The tree flourishes in various soil types but prefers well-drained soil that is amended with compost and organic material. During hot weather, this drought-resistant tree grows well when watered regularly. In landscaping, it is an ornamental used to create borders, privacy screens, and diverse garden bed displays. Black Haw Viburnum is suitable for planting in dense clusters to create privacy screens. In spring, the black haw produces clusters of white flowers that attract bees and butterflies, while birds are attracted to the berries that ripen in autumn. Black haw berries are edible and are often used to make jams. Black Haw Viburnum A Perfect Shrub for Pollinators and Privacy Black Haw Viburnum produces vivid foliage in autumn with bronze, red, and purple leaves. It has an irregular, mounded shape and dark green, obovate leaves. The leaves are glossy and appear opposite each other on the branches. The dense branches are packed with abundant twigs, while the brown bark is rough and has an alligator skin pattern. In summer, the tree produces noticeable buds. To avoid removing new buds, prune it immediately after the blooms fall off in spring or summer. Black haw berries are light green when they appear in early summer and gradually ripen to blue or black in autumn. The berries may shrivel during autumn or winter.

Red Weigela

Why Red Weigela is the Perfect Addition to Your Garden Red Weigela is a popular ornamental shrub cherished for its vibrant and captivating appearance. This deciduous shrub is native to Eastern Asia, particularly China and Korea, but due to its remarkable features, it has gained widespread popularity in gardens and landscapes worldwide. How to Care for and Maintain a Thriving Red Weigela Plant One of the shrub's most striking characteristics is its profusion of tubular, trumpet-shaped flowers. These blossoms typically appear in late spring to early summer, creating a breathtaking spectacle of color. As the name suggests, it is renowned for its stunning crimson flowers that adorn the arching branches in clusters. These flowers add an enchanting visual appeal to the landscape and attract pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds, making it a favorite among wildlife enthusiasts. Beyond its vibrant blooms, the red Weigela shrub boasts elegant, dark green foliage, forming a beautiful backdrop for the flowers. The leaves are typically elliptical and glossy, providing a pleasing contrast to the bright scarlet blossoms. During the fall season, the foliage often transforms, turning shades of purple and scarlet, adding another layer of visual interest to the plant. The shrub's size can vary, but it generally reaches a mature height of around 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 meters) with a similar spread. This manageable size makes it an excellent choice for small and large gardens. It's also relatively low-maintenance, requiring little more than standard pruning to preserve its shape and encourage healthy growth. Red Weigela: Stunning Blooms and Easy Growth for Every Landscape It is adaptable to various soil types and is moderately drought-tolerant once established, making it suitable for multiple gardening conditions. Whether used as a standalone specimen, a hedge, or as part of a mixed border, this shrub adds a touch of elegance and vibrancy to any landscape. In summary, the red weigela is a captivating deciduous shrub prized for its stunning scarlet flowers, glossy green foliage, and overall ease of cultivation. Its ability to attract pollinators and its adaptability to different growing conditions make it a beloved choice for gardeners seeking to enhance the beauty of their outdoor spaces. With its charming aesthetic and ornamental value, the shrub remains a timeless favorite in landscaping.

Green Mountain Boxwood

Why Green Mountain Boxwood is the Perfect Choice for Your Landscape Green Mountain Boxwood is a popular evergreen shrub that is highly valued for its attractive appearance, versatility, and low maintenance characteristics. This cultivar is a part of the Buxus genus, which includes various boxwood species known for their dense foliage and suitability for shaping into hedges, topiaries, or standalone ornamental plants. It is known for its distinctive pyramidal or conical growth habit, which sets it apart from other boxwood varieties. It typically reaches a mature height of 3 to 5 feet, with a similar spread, making it an ideal choice for formal hedges or as a focal point in the garden. Its relatively slow growth rate ensures it maintains its compact and tidy appearance with minimal pruning. Care Tips for Thriving Green Mountain Boxwood in Your Garden One of the standout features is its glossy, dark green foliage that persists throughout the year. This evergreen quality ensures that your garden retains its lush greenery even during winter. The leaves are small, elliptical, and leathery, creating a dense and visually appealing canopy. In terms of care, the Green Mountain Boxwood is relatively easy to maintain. It thrives in well-drained soil and prefers partial to full sun. Regular watering is essential during its establishment period, but it becomes drought-tolerant once established. Pruning can be done to maintain its desired shape, and it responds well to shearing, making it a perfect option for traditional garden designs. Enhance Your Garden with the Versatile Green Mountain Boxwood Green Mountain Boxwood is also known for its resistance to common boxwood pests and diseases, adding to its appeal as a low-maintenance plant option. Whether used as a hedge, a specimen plant, or as part of a topiary design, it is a reliable and visually striking addition to any garden or landscape. Its evergreen nature and elegant appearance make it a favorite choice among gardeners and landscapers looking for a timeless and classic element in their outdoor spaces.

White Dogwood Tree

Why the White Dogwood Tree is a Must-Have for Your Garden What is more a harbinger of spring, a sign that the warm weather is coming, than the rafts of pure white blossoms of the White Dogwood Tree among a forest of trees that are still bare? Fortunately, this lovely little tree is pleased to be grown in a yard near a patio, an outbuilding, or at the edge of a forest. Since it only grows to about 25 feet high with a 25-foot spread and sometimes not even that large, the yard can be a little smaller to accommodate it. Growing and Caring for White Dogwood Trees Expert Tips The tree grows best in hardiness zones 5 to 9 and appreciates moist, acidic loam, though it can tolerate clay or sandy soil. It’s a moderate grower and adds 13 to 24 inches per year. It prefers full sun to partial shade. The tree, which is the state tree of both Missouri and Virginia, blooms from April to May, though in southern climates, the flowers can appear a couple of weeks earlier. The flowers, by the way, aren’t flowers but bracts that surround the actual flowers, which are green and inconspicuous. White Dogwood Tree's leaves are 4 to 8 inches long and oval and have unusual veining, making them look quilted. The tree itself needs little pruning, and seedlings can be grown from softwood cuttings. The tree can even be grown from seed, though the seeds need to be stratified to help them germinate. This means they must be in close layers in a moist growing medium. How to Enhance Your Landscape with a Beautiful White Dogwood Tree White Dogwood Tree delights the eye with its spring flowers and fall foliage, which is beautiful scarlet, yellow, or orange. The flowers give way to brilliant red, 1/2-inch-long berries that are found in tight clusters in October and eagerly eaten by birds and other wildlife. Deer browse the bark and leaves. For year-round interest and ease of care, it’s hard to beat the tree.

Pokeberry Plant

How to Grow and Care for Pokeberry Plants in Your Garden The Pokeberry Plant is lush green with whitish pink stems and round almond-shaped, brightly colored leaves. Starting out in spring, the leaf colors darken throughout the summer. First, the plant produces tiny white flower clusters. Then, after that, the flowers become dark purple berries. It is a fiercely growing plant and can be found thriving in many places throughout nature. Lately, it has become increasingly popular to use Pokeberry Plants for landscaping due to the lovely way the berries hang delicately from the thin branches and the tenacity with which the plant grows. Pokeberry plants can live in most types of soil and in hardiness zones 4 through 11, quite a wide range. They can grow over 8 feet tall and live for over two years. Pokeberry Plant Benefits: A Natural Addition to Your Landscape  The stem color can vary from green to purple, but the pokeweed's best feature is its white flowers, which turn into dark purple berries. These berries are sure to attract some of the best songbirds, like the mockingbird. This is the perfect plant if you are an avid bird watcher and lover. Regardless of their purpose, these berries will draw beautiful birds for your family to watch. Even before they were noticed for their pleasing aesthetics, they were used for their many properties. Why Pokeberry Plants Thrive in Various Garden Conditions The berries of the Pokeberry Plant hold its seeds, so it is easy to reseed whenever you need to. It is a low-maintenance plant. Along with the benefit of songbirds, this is a must-have for any garden. It's stunning in landscapes. It gets very tall and has bright, hot pink stems as it ages, and the foliage turns yellow. The berries are deep purple with a pink inside.

Spiraea Japonica

The Beauty and Benefits of Spiraea Japonica in Your Garden Spiraea japonica, commonly known as Japanese spirea, is a beautiful and versatile flowering shrub in the Rosaceae family. Native to Japan, China, and Korea, this deciduous shrub has become popular in gardens and landscapes worldwide for its stunning ornamental qualities. It is celebrated for its lush foliage, attractive blooms, and ease of cultivation. One of its standout features is its foliage. The leaves are typically a rich green color and often serrated, giving the plant a charming, textured appearance. The leaves remain vibrant as summer progresses, adding a lush backdrop to the garden. How to Care for Spiraea Japonica Expert Tips for Thriving Shrubs The most captivating aspect of Spiraea Japonica is undoubtedly its exquisite flowers. In the late spring to early summer, it bursts into bloom with clusters of small, five-petaled flowers ranging in color from deep pink to crimson, creating a visually striking display. These blooms are visually appealing and draw pollinators like bees and butterflies, making them a valuable addition to any garden ecosystem. It is also known for its versatility. It comes in various cultivars, each with unique characteristics, such as different growth habits, flower colors, and sizes. This versatility allows gardeners to select the perfect variety for their landscape design, whether for hedging, borders, or as a standalone specimen. Why Spiraea Japonica Is the Perfect Addition to Your Landscape Design Caring for it is relatively straightforward. It thrives in well-drained soil and requires complete to partial sunlight. Regular trimming in late winter or early spring can help maintain its shape and encourage vigorous growth and flowering. In summary, Spiraea Japonica is a cherished ornamental shrub known for its vibrant foliage and breathtaking blossoms. Its adaptability, low maintenance requirements, and various cultivars make it a perfect option for gardeners looking to add a touch of attractiveness and grace to their outdoor spaces. Whether used as a border plant or a focal point, this charming shrub enhances the aesthetics of any garden or landscape.

Viburnum Dentatum

Why Viburnum Dentatum is a Must-Have for Your Landscape Design Viburnum dentatum, commonly known as the southern arrowwood or arrowwood viburnum, is a versatile deciduous shrub native to eastern North America. This attractive plant is celebrated for its ornamental qualities and value in landscaping and gardening. One of the most distinguishing features is its dense and rounded growth habit, making it an excellent choice for hedges, screens, or as a standalone specimen in gardens and landscapes. The plant typically reaches a height of 6 to 10 feet and spreads to a similar width, creating a complete and robust appearance. Its dark green, serrated leaves turn a beautiful reddish-purple in the fall, adding a splash of vibrant color to the landscape. Caring for Viburnum Dentatum: Tips for a Thriving Shrub In late spring to early summer, it produces clusters of creamy-white, fragrant flowers that attract pollinators like butterflies and bees. These flowers give way to glossy blue-black berries in late summer, which add aesthetic appeal and serve as a beneficial food origin for birds and wildlife. Viburnum Dentatum shrub thrives in various soil types and is relatively low-maintenance, making it an ideal choice for experienced and novice gardeners. It is also known for its adaptability to different environmental conditions, including sunny and partially shaded areas. The Benefits of Viburnum Dentatum in Your Garden: Beauty and Wildlife Attraction Furthermore, it has a strong and resilient constitution, making it an excellent choice for creating windbreaks and providing garden privacy. Its dense foliage and adaptable nature make it attractive for landscaping projects in diverse settings, from urban parks to rural landscapes. Viburnum Dentatum, or southern arrowwood, is a delightful deciduous shrub known for its attractive appearance, adaptability, and ease of care. Its lush green foliage, fragrant flowers, and colorful berries contribute to its appeal, making it a popular option for landscape architects and homeowners. Whether used as a hedge, screen, or standalone feature, this versatile plant adds beauty and vibrancy to outdoor spaces while supporting local wildlife.

Wild Blackberry Bush

How to Grow and Care for Wild Blackberry Bushes in Your Garden The Wild Blackberry Bush, scientifically known as Rubus fruticosus, is a versatile and resilient perennial plant that thrives in various natural habitats across North America and other parts of the world. This delightful bush is celebrated for its hardiness, role in enhancing ecosystems' biodiversity, and distinctive appearance. One of the most striking features is its graceful arching canes that bear small, white to pale pink flower clusters in late spring to early summer. These delicate blossoms create a lovely, airy display that attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies, contributing to the ecosystem's overall health. The flowers eventually give way to the development of the familiar blackberry fruits, although we won't discuss their edibility here. Wild Blackberry Bushes are typically found in various natural environments, including woodlands, meadows, and roadsides. Their adaptability to different soil types, including sandy, loamy, and clayey soils, makes them well-suited for various growing conditions. Their ability to withstand drought conditions and thrive in full sun to partial shade positions them as a hard choice for enhancing the natural beauty of landscapes. Top Benefits of Planting Wild Blackberry Bushes for Home Gardens Its dense, thicket-like growth habit offers valuable habitat and shelter for local wildlife. Small mammals, birds, and insects find refuge among the canes, providing an essential ecosystem component. Additionally, the canes themselves prevent soil erosion in natural habitats. Beyond their ecological significance, they are admired for their rustic and natural appearance. Their arching canes, vibrant green leaves, and clusters of delicate flowers add a touch of wild beauty to naturalized areas, meadows, and the edges of woodlands. The thorny canes and blackberry brambles contribute to their untamed charm. Wild Blackberry Bush Tips for Harvesting Fresh Berries and Maximizing Yield Wild Blackberry Bush is a resilient and versatile perennial plant celebrated for its hardiness, its role in supporting local wildlife, and its rustic appearance. Whether growing in the wild or incorporated into naturalized landscapes, it adds a touch of untamed beauty to outdoor spaces, enhancing its surroundings' biodiversity and ecological richness.

Purple Hibiscus

Benefits of Growing Purple Hibiscus in Your Garden Rosa-sinensis means rose of China, where the Purple Hibiscus has been cultivated for centuries and the region where it originated. It is a tropical perennial shrub. This plant is both an annual and perennial herbaceous plant growing into small trees or woody shrubs. The plant is renowned for its showy flowers and large trumpet-shaped petals in groups of five or more. It’s also known as the tropical hibiscus and Fischer's double tropical hibiscus. It comes from the Malvaceae family of plants. How to Care for and Maintain a Healthy Purple Hibiscus Plant Expect to see the shrub fully bloom in the early summer and early fall. Only leafy dark green foliage remains in the late fall and winter. This plant proliferates and can be grown in containers near garden ponds, outdoor living areas, landscape borders, and perennial gardens. Its optimal growing zones are from 9a to 10b, tropical and subtropical regions. The Hibiscus is a national flower of many countries, including Haiti, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Solomon Islands. Purple Hibiscus prefers six hours per day in full sun or mostly sunny areas with well-drained loamy, sandy, or silty soil. The soil's pH should be 6-8. It’s very resistant to heat. The shrub grows 5 to 6 feet high and has a width of 4 to 6 feet. In the wild, they grow up to 32 feet. The shrub grows fast, needs the average amount of watering, and, when planted in a landscape, will draw butterflies, hummingbirds, and songbirds to your garden. Why Purple Hibiscus is the Perfect Addition to Your Landscape To propagate the Purple Hibiscus, the gardener can plant its seeds, use grafting, cuttings, tissue culture, and air-layering. The hibiscus blooms from late June to early August to the first frost. To maintain a healthy-looking plant, thin out the plant regularly. It can't thrive when the foliage is too dense.

Pink Spirea Shrub

Care Tips for Thriving Pink Spirea Shrubs in Your Garden The Pink Spirea Shrub has been used nationwide for over 300 years in various gardening and landscaping applications. Native to states in the Northern Hemisphere, it is one of more than 70 different species and multiple varieties in the spirea shrub family. Also known as meadowsweet, this ornamental plant features beautiful, bright pink flowers and lovely, thick foliage. It grows densely and works well in many landscape applications. Why Pink Spirea Shrubs Are the Perfect Addition to Your Landscape The shrub grows to a height and spread of 2 feet to 3 feet but can increase significantly taller in ideal growing conditions. Small flowers with flatter tops measure up to six inches across. These beautiful summer blooms last for several weeks, making this shrub particularly attractive for ornamental landscape use. How to Plant and Maintain Pink Spirea Shrubs for Vibrant Blooms Pink Spirea Shrubs do best when planted in the spring or the fall. Typically blooming in late spring, the shrub enjoys partial to full sun and plenty of organic material. It is hardy in growing zones three to eight. The shrub does best in well-drained, moist soil and has average water needs. However, this hardy plant can tolerate poorer soils and inner city locations. Extremely wet or boggy conditions are not tolerated well. Easy to maintain, this plant needs to be fertilized in the spring and pruned once flowering is complete. Gardeners may want to thin older stems regularly by trimming them regularly to the ground level. This short, deciduous shrub attracts valuable insects such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The shrub is excellent at resisting deer. Gardeners use this variety as a border plant, part of a natural screen, as a hedge, part of a mass planting, or as a foundation landscape shrub. Plant Pink Spirea Shrub in partial to full sun for a beautiful display of bright summer flowers surrounded by deep green foliage. Rising to eight feet tall and six feet broad, it is hardy in Zones 4-9. Fast-growing spirea does best in well-drained, moist soil and is easy to maintain. Spirea resists deer and is attractive for ornamental landscape use.

Pink Hibiscus

How to Grow and Care for Pink Hibiscus in Your Garden Pink Hibiscus is a beautiful and vibrant flower admired worldwide for multiple reasons. The leaflets are pink with a very engaging layout. The pink is very subtle, yet it has a gradient effect. It is dark pink towards the center of the flower, but near the edges, it is light pink. The edges ruffle softly and gently. In the middle of the flower, a red center-eye stem sticks out. At the tip of the stem, it has five edges with bright yellow anthers framing the stem's five edges. The Beauty and Benefits of Pink Hibiscus Flowers This flower is identified as a shrub and is a part of the mallow family. This flower can make a very heartfelt gift to a loved one. If your garden is looking pretty dull, this shrub will definitely make your garden shine brighter than any garden in the whole neighborhood. This flower is very eye catchy and heartwarming. This shrub will never fail to bring a smile to your face when you see it. The best time for these beautiful flowers to bloom is during the summertime. The brighter it is outside, the brighter these flowers bloom. This shrub needs a lot of sunshine to grow. Taking care of this flower is pretty simple. All you need to do is water this flower daily when the top 3 inches of the soil is dry, and you are good to go. To ensure this flower grows to its fullest, a good fertilizer will help out a lot. The Pink Hibiscus bush can produce 6 to 12 feet across and grow 2 to 3 feet tall. Why Pink Hibiscus is the Perfect Addition to Your Landscape The Pink Hibiscus bush will also be great for a yard project. You can grow this flower yourself from seed or purchase a pre-grown bush to save time. You can buy these flowers and flower seeds online. Research may be necessary if you want to buy them from a local store to avoid shipping and handling. These flowers will be a great addition to your daily life, as their beauty will shine brightly.

Silky Dogwood

How to Grow and Care for Silky Dogwood in Your Garden A member of the Cornaceae botanic family, the Silky Dogwood Shrub is a medium—to large-sized deciduous shrub. Native to the eastern and central parts of the United States and Canada, this foliage thrives in moist conditions. It will generally extend to a size of eight feet or higher and produce clusters of creamy white flowers in the spring.  The silky dogwood grows open and rounded and produces multiple stems. It showcases dark green leafy foliage throughout the year, complete with dark, reddish-colored stems. Its leaves are elliptically shaped and reach a length of two to three and a half inches and a width of three-quarters to two inches. Each has an abruptly tapered tip and rounded base. As fall nears, this unique shrub's leaves will transition from dark green to burgundy.  Silky Dogwood A Beautiful Shrub for Year-Round Interest This shrubbery blooms in springtime with clusters of white, creamy flowers. These uniquely attractive blooms take on a convex cluster shape that spans between one and two and a half inches. Each flower has four lance-like elongated triangular petals, complete with four sharp-like sepals. Most flowers are three-eighths of an inch wide. The flower's four stamens are just as long as its petals and cluster around the bright green center style. Starting between August and September, this shrub will produce berry-like blue drupes. These are showcased in clusters and attract a wide variety of wildlife, including squirrels, hummingbirds, songbirds, and waterfowl. The shrub has many name variations, including Cornus Amomum, Pale type, Red Willow, Kinnikinnik, Cornel type, and Swamp type. Due to its unique abstract growth style, this shrub is best placed in naturalized sites or near wet areas. It can be highly effective for erosion control in a specific location. Why Silky Dogwood is Perfect for Adding Color and Texture to Your Landscape Silky Dogwood isn't prone to any serious diseases or insect problems. You can expect it to flower in spring, produce berry-like fruit in the summer, and bare down to only deeply hued purple twigs in winter. It has a moderate growth rate of one to three feet per year.

Red Hibiscus

Why Red Hibiscus is the Perfect Addition to Your Garden The Red Hibiscus or Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a shrub known for its brilliant red hue and five petals. Common throughout the tropics and subtropics and native to East Asia, it is an ornamental flower that is popular in areas such as India, the Pacific Islands, Indonesia, and China. It goes by many names, such as China rose, shoeblack plant, and rose mallow, and is a popular flower that adorns many gardens. People even developed a lot of uses for it. As a result, the shrub has a lot of significance to the point that it’s the national flower of Malaysia. How to Care for Your Red Hibiscus for Vibrant Blooms The shrub makes a fantastic addition to any garden. Its brilliant red hue adds a tropical and exotic allure and is sure to make a striking impression on those who see it. The shrub can also grow as much as 16 feet tall on trees and shrubs and is a hit with hummingbirds due to its bright red color, which attracts them. Red Hibiscus is a hardy and durable flower that can be grown outside tropical climates as long as special care is taken. As a tropical flower, the shrub grows best in areas with lots of direct sunlight and well-drained soils, but it can be grown both outdoors and indoors. Being a warm weather plant, the shrub needs temperatures to be consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit to be grown outdoors. Otherwise, it has to be taken indoors for colder climates. Red Hibiscus: A Stunning Flower for Your Landscape Design Beyond Red Hibiscus's beautiful color and decorative design, the shrub is a flower abundant with meaning and symbolism. The family has common symbolic meanings throughout cultures, with the color adding even more significance. The exact definition of the plant will differ depending on the culture and color, but it has been commonly associated with femininity, beauty, and glory. The shrub is regarded as a feminine flower in North America, so it was widely considered a symbol of the perfect wife or woman. Receiving one in Victorian times meant that the giver acknowledges your beauty. In China, the shrub has a multitude of meanings relating to fame, wealth, and glory. As red is the color of love and passion, the shrub symbolizes love, passion, and romance and is an excellent way to demonstrate your love and passion for your partner.

Pink Weigela

Caring for Pink Weigela: Essential Tips for Thriving Plants The Pink Weigela, pronounced ‘why-gee-lush,’ is a welcome sight to gardeners as it is often the first bloom as the spring season begins. This upright growing habit, also a member of the honeysuckle family, produces clusters of pink tubular-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies alike. While this variety can thrive in either full sun or shade, it is essential to note that it does not do well in the hottest regions if considering a full sun placement. While it is highly tolerant of heat, it requires consistent watering to perform at its best. During its first season, this shrub requires moisture, soil, and consistent watering to become well-established and mature to its showy best. Why Pink Weigela is the Perfect Addition to Your Garden Pink Weigela is a moderate to fast grower, gaining up to 18” a year in new growth. This hardy shrub can grow as wide as it is tall, so consider the appropriate spacing when introducing this beauty to your garden design. There are many varieties to consider, and each array puts forth attractive, brilliant foliage that offers significant contrasts within your garden and landscape areas. The foliage, whether that of a deep, purplish hue or a bright, nearly glowing green, is the perfect backdrop for the pink blooms that vary in depth. The long blooming season makes this a preferred garden choice for the zones indicated. Pink Weigela has won over gardeners of all skill levels as it requires little tending. This shrub's bold statement cannot be emphasized enough. The satisfaction you will realize by seeing the nectar-loving hummingbirds and butterflies that flock to enjoy these at your location is worth it! As you are beginning your planting plans or enhancing existing plantings in your yard, we can assure you that you will be satisfied by this long-life, hardy shrub. How to Plant and Maintain Beautiful Pink Weigela Shrubs Hardy Planting Zone: 4-8 Bloom Season (if any): Early Spring to Late Summer Bloom Color: Pink Height at Maturity: up to 5’ Soil Type Preferred: moist, well-drained soils Sun or Shade: Full sun and partial sun

Blackberry Plant

Growing a Healthy Blackberry Plant Tips for Thriving Fruits The blackberry plant (Rubus fruticosus) is a perennial shrub in the Rosaceae family. It produces sweet, dark purple to black berries that are eaten fresh or used in jams/jellies and desserts. The berries contain vitamins C and K, dietary fiber, and antioxidants, contributing to heart health, immune function, and digestion. Blackberry plants are hardy and can grow in various climates, from Zones 3-9. They can tolerate colder temperatures in Zones 3-5, but winter protection may be needed. Depending on the variety, these plants grow as brambles with thorny or thornless canes. The canes are biennial, meaning they live for two years—one year for growth and the second year for fruiting. Typically, they are 3 to 10 feet tall, with canes that either trail along the ground or stand upright. Blackberries require full sun to produce the optimum fruit yield and prefer well-drained, loamy soils rich in organic matter. Blackberries need consistent moisture, especially during their first year and while they are fruiting. Water them deeply once a week, providing about 1–2 inches of water, depending on rainfall.  Pruning is essential for blackberry plants. After the fruiting canes (second-year canes) have finished producing berries, they should be pruned down to the ground. The bushes can live up to ten years and are self-fruitful, meaning you only need to plant one cultivar. Five or six plants generally produce enough berries for four individuals. Blackberry Plant Care Your Guide to Sweet, Juicy Harvests Blackberries produce white or pink five-petaled flowers in the late spring or early summer. The flowers are attractive to bees, which are crucial for pollination. After pollination, the flowers evolve into clusters of small drupelets that form the blackberry. The fruit is technically an aggregate fruit comprising multiple small, juicy segments containing seeds. The berries ripen mid to late summer, turning from green to red and eventually black when fully ripe. A sunny, well-drained garden bed is ideal for your home garden. Plant along fences or in a designated berry patch with enough space. Trailing blackberry varieties do well along fences or on trellises, where you can easily train the canes for support. Blackberries can be planted in rows in larger spaces- such as a berry farm, allowing for easy harvesting and maintenance. The plants should not be planted where potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, or eggplants have been previously grown. These particular plants often host a fungus called Verticillium, which can cause blackberries to experience root rot. Why the Blackberry Plant is a Must-Have for Every Garden Your blackberry plants should produce abundant, delicious fruit for years in a location with plenty of sunlight, good drainage, and proper spacing.