Archive for the ‘Our Garden Center’ Category

Bloomerang™ Purple Syringa x ‘Penda’

Last week when I was at a Garden Show I saw Lilac Bloomerang™ Purple Syringa x ‘Penda’ planted in a 2 gallon pot. The plant was so gorgeous, full of blooms and the scent was absolutely amazing. Bloomerang is the first re blooming Lilac and a Garden Crossings top seller!

(Lilac) Bloomerang™ Syringa is a one of a kind, compact, reblooming Lilac. In the spring massive amounts of purplish-pink flowers emerge. While traditional lilacs bloom for only a few weeks in spring, Bloomerang’s fragrant flowers continue until frost. The flowers just keep coming back for your pleasure. The compact habit makes this Lilac a must have for your garden or landscapes. A Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrub.

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Pulmonaria ‘Silver Bouquet’

A new variety for us this year is Pulmonaria ‘Silver Bouquet’, Pulmonaria make for a really pretty spring blooming flower. There are those of you out there who just do not know what you can put in your ‘boring’ shade gardens, you may feel there is just nothing that gives much color. Well, Pulmonaria ‘Silver Bouquet’ may just give you that splash of color you are looking for. (Lungwort) Pulmonaria ‘Silver Bouquet’ PP20,059 makes a stark contrast of beautiful pink-blue flower clusters up against its silver foliage. The unique shorter foliage provides all season interest and combines wonderfully with other shade loving plants like Heuchera ‘Berry Smoothie’. Planting Pulmonaria in a part shade to full shade location that has moderate to moist soil is where they will strive. ‘Silver Bouquet’ PP20,059 is resistant to both deer and rabbits and may bring an occasional hummingbird to your garden.

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Iris germanica ‘Autumn Circus’

The iris are just starting to send up buds in the greenhouses. It is nice to enjoy fresh cut flowers in the winter!

(Bearded Iris – Tall) Iris ‘Autumn Circus’ is accented with blue-violet peppering on standards which intensify to a near solid edging. Blue-violet plicata edge on falls and distinct blue-violet veining from the white beards. Bluish signal. ‘Autumn Circus‘ is a good increaser for sharing some with your friends. Reblooms in the Fall. Iris grow in full sun to part shade in moderate to dry locations. Iris makes for a great cut flower and don’t worry about the critters, Iris are deer and rabbit resistant!

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Castle Spire™ Ilex x meserveae ‘Hachfee’

On today’s walk I noticed the small red berries on this Holly. Castle Spire™ Ilex x meserveae ‘Hachfee’ is an evergreen so it stays green all winter. Small red berries appear in the late fall and into winter for added late season interest. The berries make a special treat for the birds in the winter.

(Blue Holly) Castle Spire™ Ilex is a lovely, pyramidal blue holly with superior branching and large, lustrous, dark green leaves that change to red in the fall. The stately, narrow form makes it an excellent choice for hedges, foundation plantings, or even as a dramatic specimen. Birds will enjoy the bright red berries in the fall and winter. Castle Spire™ is a vigorous new plant that is a vast improvement over older varieties. Use Castle Wall™ Ilex as the male pollinator in a nearby planting. A Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrub.

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Leonardo™ Compact Doronicum orientale

On today’s walk our daughter Marissa found today’s ‘What’s Blooming’  plant out in the cold greenhouses.
(Leopard’s Bane) Leonardo™ Compact Doronicum celebrates spring! This cheery, compact, early blooming perennial features showy, daisy-like yellow flowers and unique green toothed foliage. The plant stands about 6 inches tall when in bloom making it perfect for edging or container planting. Leonardo™ Compact received the Fleuroselect Quality Mark award for 2006! Plant Leonardo™ Compact in full sun or part shade in a moderate to moist location.

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Yucca  ‘Color Guard’

Yucca 'Color Guard' Winter Color

When you are looking for plant and shrub choices for your gardens there is more to consider than just the flower. There are many great plants for your gardens that have foliage interest. When the weather starts to cool off and the plants and flowers fade your foliage plants are still going strong. Yucca ‘Color Guard’ is a drought tolerant,  evergreen perennial that is native in the US. Yucca ‘Color Guard’ bears bright creamy-yellow leaves with green edges. During the cooler months of fall and winter, the light leaf centers take on rose overtones. From early to midsummer, spectacular sturdy flower stalks rise 3-4 feet tall from the center of the plant. The individual bell-shaped flowers are 2-3 inches long and dangle from the stems like earrings.  ‘Color Guard’ is a tough-as-nails plant that is ideal for a no-maintenance garden. The sword-like foliage radiates upward from a central crown, remaining upright all year round except in the heaviest snows. They grown well in a full sun to part shade area and the deer and rabbits will leave these winter foliage winners alone.

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This time of year it is pretty hard to find anything in bloom when it averages 35° in the greenhouses. But on my walk last week I found a few beauties.

Helleborus are an early spring bloomer, we see them blooming in the outdoors here in Michigan usually in late March. Helleborus prefer to be planted in part shade to shade locations. They are a drought tolerant plant, whose evergreen leaves are not very appealing to the deer and rabbit population!  Helleborus are a great cut flower to put in a vase or to float in a bowl.  Plant in mass, as a boarder to add great early color appeal to your garden.

Hellebores are enjoyable to grow because they are low-maintenance and disease/pest-free. Simply trim back last year’s foliage in the spring. They can adapt to almost any growing conditions. Though they prefer rich, moist, organic soil, they will also grow in sandy or clay soil. They can even tolerate short periods of drought. The soil pH can range anywhere from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Hellebores are shade plants that need to be protected from the hot afternoon sun. They will grow in full shade under large deciduous trees as long as they receive full sun from winter to spring before the trees get their leaves. To increase the number of hellebores in your garden, mulch them heavily in the fall. The new seedlings will grow in this mulch come spring and can then be transplanted elsewhere in the garden. WARNING: Hellebores are poisonous. Do not consume any part of the plant!

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