Every year there is a plethora of new plants. This blog focuses on those that offer something unique to the landscape relative to color or size. I like to focus on plants that don't outgrow their space.
Brass Buckle™ Japanese Holly Ilex crenata
Proven Winners highlights this gem that would light any garden. Use this color sparingly...as a focal point....yellow draws the eye and grabs attention. That is why all of our road warning signs are in yellow. Never use yellow to 'camouflage an eyesore. Here's a link with more: information: https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/ilex/brass-buckle-japanese-holly-ilex-crenata
Here's what Proven Winners has to say:
This evergreen is as cute as a button!
One of the most dwarf Japanese hollies available, Brass Buckle™ shines all year long because of its glossy, clear yellow, burn-resistant foliage. It's perfectly suited to edging walks and borders, as a container plant in milder climates, or as a striking accent in a rock garden. The fresh color of this variety is much nicer than that of other gold-leafed varieties. Available in better garden centers Spring 2016.
Uses: Border Plant, Container, Edging Plant, Landscape, Mass Planting, Specimen or Focal Point
Maintenance Notes:
Prefers moist acidic soils with good drainage and a good layer of shredded bark mulch. Pruning is seldom needed, but may be shaped in late winter. Apply an evergreen fertilizer in spring.
Brass Buckle™ Ilex crenata 'ANNYS1' USPPAF
Here's what Proven Winners has to say:
This evergreen is as cute as a button!
One of the most dwarf Japanese hollies available, Brass Buckle™ shines all year long because of its glossy, clear yellow, burn-resistant foliage. It's perfectly suited to edging walks and borders, as a container plant in milder climates, or as a striking accent in a rock garden. The fresh color of this variety is much nicer than that of other gold-leafed varieties. Available in better garden centers Spring 2016.
Uses: Border Plant, Container, Edging Plant, Landscape, Mass Planting, Specimen or Focal Point
Maintenance Notes:
Prefers moist acidic soils with good drainage and a good layer of shredded bark mulch. Pruning is seldom needed, but may be shaped in late winter. Apply an evergreen fertilizer in spring.
Brass Buckle™ Ilex crenata 'ANNYS1' USPPAF
| Fall Interest Winter Interest Salt Tolerant Small or Minature Characteristics Duration: Shrub Shrub Type: Evergreen | Height Category: Short Garden Height: 12 - 18 Inches Spacing: 18 - 24 Inches Spread: 12 - 18 Inches Foliage Colors: Yellow Foliage Shade: clear Habit: Mounded Container Role: Filler | Plant Needs Light Requirement: Part Sun to Sun Maintenance Category: Easy Bloom Time: Grown for Foliage Hardiness Zones: 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b Water Category: Average Soil PH Category: Acidic Soil |
Lil' Ditty® Witherod Viburnum Viburnum cassinoides
When I saw this, I thought, "UNBELIEVABLE.' This type of viburnum usually grows tree sized....now they've figured out how to grow it to fit in an urban garden.. Its even deer resistant and fragrant! How cool is that! You can actually pre order online: https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/viburnum/lil-ditty-witherod-viburnum-viburnum-cassinoides. Important to read the fine print. This plant needs a pollinator to give a crop of showy fruit. Also it blooms on OLD wood (that's the wood produced the year before....so fall and spring pruning will reduce blooms)
Here's what Proven Winners has to say:
An exceptional new dwarf viburnum that is a puffball of creamy white, fragrant flowers in late spring. It's closely related to Viburnum nudum (see Brandywine™) which can be used as a pollinator to give Lil Ditty a crop of showy fruit. The berries start green, then turn to pink to red to blue. The fruit eventually turns black and remains on the plant to provide winter interest and an early spring diet for songbirds. Very adaptable and easy to grow. Available in better garden centers Spring 2016.
Lil' Ditty® Viburnum cassinoides 'SMNVCDD' USPPAF, Can PBRAF
Uses: Border Plant, Container, Landscape, Mass Planting, Specimen or Focal Point
This adaptable, easy-to-grow landscape plant is perfect for mass plantings, foundations, and the outer edge of water gardens,
Maintenance Notes:
Prefers moist, well-drained soils but will tolerate wet ones. Plant near a pollinator. Prune after flowering, taking care to leave flower clusters intact for fall fruit production. Fertilize in spring.
| White flowers. Fall fruit. Deer-resistant. Fragrant Flower Fall Interest Winter Interest Attracts: Birds Resists: Deer Native to North America Small or Minature | Shrub Type: Deciduous Height Category: Short Garden Height: 12 - 24 Inches Spacing: 12 - 24 Inches Spread: 12 - 24 Inches Flower Colors: White Flower Shade: creamy Foliage Colors: Green Foliage Shade: medium Habit: Mounded | Light Requirement: Part Sun to Sun Maintenance Category: Easy Blooms On: Old Wood Bloom Time: Late Spring Temperature: -40 - 100 Hardiness Zones: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b Water Category: Consistent |
Little Quick Fire Hardy Hydrangea Hydrangea paniculata
If you're looking for a low maintenance guaranteed bloomer that stays in bounds try this hydrangea. I have the larger version which grows over 4' tall. I cut it to the ground every year. I love how it starts out white and transitions to pink in the late summer and burgundy in the fall. Watch out....deer will eat this. I spray mine with deer repellant, because hydrangeas are my favorite and I can't resist indulging. Here is the link on Proven Winners for more information: Little Quick Fire® Hardy Hydrangea Hydrangea paniculata
Proven Winners has this to say:
Uses: Border Plant, Container, Cut Flower, Dried Flower, Landscape
This dwarf form of Quick Fire fits easily into any landscape. Use it in a mixed border, or as a showy specimen or foundation plant. Its early bloom time will extend your garden's hydrangea season.
Maintenance Notes:
Trim in late winter/early spring. Apply a slow-release fertilizer in spring. Flower color is not affected by soil pH.
Dwarf form of the popular Quick Fire® hydrangea!
Like Quick Fire, it is early blooming, flowering about a month before other hydrangeas. White flowers transform to pink-red as summer progresses. This dwarf plant fits easily into any landscape, including container gardens. Add it to your existing hydrangea garden to extend the hydrangea season.
Little Quick Fire® Hydrangea paniculata 'SMHPLQF' USPP 25,136, Can PBRAF
| Features Dwarf. Hardy. White summer flowers turn pink. Drought Tolerant Small or Minature Characteristics Duration: Shrub Shrub Type: Deciduous | Height Category: Medium Garden Height: 36 - 60 Inches Spacing: 36 - 60 Inches Spread: 36 - 60 Inches Flower Colors: Pink Flower Colors: White Flower Shade: white flowers turn pink in later summer Foliage Colors: Green Foliage Shade: green Habit: Upright | Plant Needs Light Requirement: Part Sun to Sun Maintenance Category: Easy Blooms On: New Wood Bloom Time: Early Summer Bloom Time: Mid Summer Bloom Time: Late Summer Hardiness Zones: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b Water Category: Average |
 |  Plant blooms white and transitions to pink. |
David Austin Roses
If you've never tried a David Austin Rose, you may want to plant one of their new 2016 varieties. Their website says,
The nursery runs one of the largest rose breeding program in the world. Around 150,000 hand crosses are made each year, which produce about 400,000 seeds. From these about 250,000 seedlings will germinate. Each season, between four to six new David Austin English Roses will be released after nine years of trials.
After fifty years of intensive breeding, David Austin's English Roses combine the forms and fragrances of old roses with the repeat-flowering of modern roses. They are very easy to grow, healthy and reliable. English Roses may be grown as magnificent, shapely shrubs or trained as short climbers. Our extensive collection contains a rose for almost every garden situation.
The nursery runs one of the largest rose breeding program in the world. Around 150,000 hand crosses are made each year, which produce about 400,000 seeds. From these about 250,000 seedlings will germinate. Each season, between four to six new David Austin English Roses will be released after nine years of trials.
After fifty years of intensive breeding, David Austin's English Roses combine the forms and fragrances of old roses with the repeat-flowering of modern roses. They are very easy to grow, healthy and reliable. English Roses may be grown as magnificent, shapely shrubs or trained as short climbers. Our extensive collection contains a rose for almost every garden situation.
 Olivia Rose Austin (Ausmixture) |  The Poet's Wife (Auswhirl) |  The Lady of the Lake (Ausherbert) |
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