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A whole New Spin on Shrubs

By Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp - All rights reserved

Gardening is an evolutionary process for the gardener as well as the plants.

          Most of us start out with a pot full of annuals, work our way into perennials, then, as we gain all that hands-on experience, we become more interested in low maintenance methods to our madness.

          Enter the shrub, lowly by some people’s standards. I can only presume shrubs have their ‘boring’ reputation because most people grow up with, well, boring boxwoods, junipers and yews. Shrubs are relegated to the their zone around the house and rarely hold a place of honor as clusters of color in the landscape.

          Proven Winner ColorChoice plants have put a whole new spin on shrubs for the gardening world. These shrubs are born and bred for multiple seasons of interest of flowers, foliage, bark, seed heads or other attributes.

          Even better, the grower’s generosity has made these ornamental shrubs readily available to garden writers, so we can grow these woody plants and see first hand how they perform.

          Last summer, my favorite pairing was the native Summer Wine ninebark (Physocarpus) with ‘Limelight’ hydrangea (H. paniculata). Last year, these plants got about 3 feet tall, big enough that their colors, form and texture played nicely together three out of four seasons. I’m sure when these shrubs reach maturity, they will make an even greater statement in the landscape.

          Planted last fall in the foreground of these two shrubs are three My Monet weigela (W. florida), still small, but ready to compliment their companions. Also part to this combination is the Oso Easy paprika rose (Rosa), which also was planted last fall. I can hardly wait until summer to see how this works out.

          I’m always amazed at the long season of Little Henry sweetspire (Itea virginica). Of course, there are the long-lasting, lightly fragrant, beautiful panicles that grace this cultivar, in summer, but to me, the real joy of this native plant comes in fall with its brilliant red color. The shrub holds its leaves and color well into December here in Indiana’s Zone 5.

          One of the Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs that elicits oohs and aahs from visitors to the garden is the White Chiffon hibiscus (H. syriacus). The frilly flowers are quite showy and absolutely gorgeous for months, sometimes into November, depending on the weather. Even in winter, the seed head studded branches look nice. A hedge of this hibiscus forms a screen

          ‘White Chiffon’ shimmers in the moonlight, too, making it ideal for a night garden. An added benefit to its daytime beauty are the hummingbirds, which flock to the nectar-filled flowers.

          As part of my chartreuse phase, I’m quite taken with Chardonnay Pearls deutzia (D. gracilis). This is one of those plants that does actually look like its picture. Fat, pearl-like buds open into white star-like flowers that last for several weeks. This is a chartreuse plants that wears the color well without looking chlorotic.

          Last summer, I took out a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) in one of the back beds because it out grew its spot a lot faster than anticipated. I replaced it with the Black Lace sambucus (S. nigra), under planted with a large cluster of ‘Rozanne’ Geranium. Rounding out that planting is a clump of Japanese forest grass ‘Aureola’ (Hakonechloa macra). My dilemma with this bed is the big green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) that provides the dappled shade these plants thrive in. The emerald ash borer is in my county and most all the experts agree it’s only a matter of time, maybe three to five years, before we start seeing big losses of any and all ash trees in out streetscapes and landscapes.

          Do I cut down the tree in anticipation of the insect infestation now and plant another species to begin to take its place? Do I treat the tree with a pricey pesticide, something that will have to be done every year? Do I just wait until the tree is attacked before having it removed? Ah, the plight of the homeowner.

          Also last summer I added a second Blue Muffin viburnum (V. dentatum). The one specimen had great flowers and fabulous fall color, but no berries. Then, woody plant guru Michael Dirr mentioned in a lecture that you needed two of these viburnum to fruiting. I hope to see those lush blue berries on this native plant this summer. Even if it never fruits, the flowers and fall color make it worth keeping. Besides, it screens my air conditioner from sight and buffers the sound.

          The best part: all of these shrubs are easy care, low maintenance beauties, a formula that spells success for gardeners everywhere.

Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, a garden columnist for The Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis Business Journal, is a regional director of Garden Writers Association. An Advanced Master Gardener, she teaches and lectures frequently about various gardening topics. She’s also a frequent guest or contributor to area television and radio programs, including Too Many Cooks! (WICR-FM 88.7). A former newspaper reporter, she owns Write for You!, a free-lance communications business. She writes regularly for newspapers, magazines, trade journals, corporations and not-for-profits.