The Weeping Norway Spruce is a classic, durable weeping evergreen for the Tri-Cities. It handles full sun to part shade, our range of temps from summer to winter and our soils with ease. The Weeping Norway Spruce is also flexible to how you train it. You can twist it, train it upward, or let it creep along the ground. The versatility is endless. It’s mature spread is 6 to 10 feet.
The Fiji Rose of Sharon is for full sun spots and has a long bloom season. The pink/white blend stands out well whether it’s a sunny day or in moonlight. This plant is available as a shrub for privacy or accent as well as a small “tree” for focal points. It grows to about 10 to 12 feet tall and six feet wide. The more sun it gets the better for it needs heat to bloom like it’s cousin the dinner plate Hibiscus. Keep it well fed and hydrated so Fiji won’t disappoint.
Angel Falls White Pine is a weeping pine with blue green foliage. It’s needles are soft to the touch versus the spiny feel of the Austrian Pines. The blue green foliage lends itself to contrasting red, dark green, or yellow leafed plants. The Angel Falls mature size depends on how tall you train it. 12 to 15 feet would be the tallest it grows upward if trained. Training Angel Falls upright is simple, you tie it to a bamboo stake, move the stake upward and retie as needed. The flexibility of training the plant lends itself well to focal points near the corner of the house, blank walls or corner where something tall is needed. Angel Falls prefers at least 6 hours of sunlight.
Whipcord Western Red Cedar is a dark green mop-head evergreen. This one is just cool when put in the yard. It breaks away from the standard upright globe shaped plants. The dark green plays well with different shrubs and perennials. It also enjoys full sun (at least six hours) and moist but well drained soils. Whipcord grows to about 4 to 5 feet tall and wide.
The Baby Blue Eyes Spruce is a dwarf Colorado Blue Spruce that reaches 20 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. It’s slow growing, so it takes awhile to that large. It enjoy a wide range of soil conditions and like the rest of the Colorado Spruce family they do very well here. Our sunny weather actually bring out the blue color! It’s great to use for bird cover, Christmas lights and focal points.
Sheila’s Perfume rose is a delightful Floribunda Rose (flowers in clusters). It grows to about 4 feet tall and wide. It’s blooms resemble a Hybrid Tea in form and size. Sheila also isn’t prone to powdery mildew but it’s still best to not water her going into the night and making sure she has at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. Sheila has a strong fragrance which is nice to enjoy in the garden or in a bouquet.
The Variegated Alaskan Cedar is an evergreen tree that gives a yard texture, height accents, or just a good block. The foliage is dark green with a smattering of yellow needles. This tree grows to about 20 to 30 feet tall and 12 to 15 feet wide, making it a small tree. They can handle fun sun, though strong winds when it’s over 90 can lightly burn the yellow.
Onyx Flamingo Hydrangea is a type of big leaf hydrangea that loves afternoon shade in our hot summers. The pale pink bloom clusters is striking when compared to both the black stems and the dark green foliage. It grows to 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. It also blooms on new and old wood, so now matter how bad winter is, you will still have blooms. If you would like a pale blue version of this, just treat the soil with sulfur, G&B Acid Planting Mix or Aluminum Sulfate to acidify the soil.
Both of these two perennials featured this week are for afternoon shade to total shade spots of the yard. They both enjoy moist soils and have great foliage texture to provide the entire growing season with color.
Firework Rodersia reminds me of something you would see out of Jurassic Park. The large leaf and deep texture would be ideal for craft projects. It grows to about 3 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. In late spring early summer it flower fine pink clusters. The real reason to plant this is the green with bronze edged foliage that contrasts hydrangeas, hinoki cypress or japanese maples.
Praying Hands Hosta is a dwarf hosta that has twisted green foliage. It has this gorgeous golden yellow fall color seen above. It grows to about 14 inches tall and about 2 feet wide. It can be a border plant to a shade garden or a stand alone feature in a bed that is small in stature. Praying Hands is also resistant to slugs!
The Carnival Watermelon Coralbells are great border plants for Tri-City shade gardens. They can play well with Hostas and contrast well with Hydrangeas. Carnival Watermelon reaches 12 inches tall and 2 feet wide. The foliage ranges from a frosted peach to a copper purple. It’s does best with afternoon shade in the Mid Columbia because they don’t enjoy getting dry. In mild winters it is an evergreen as well.
The Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry is a large growing shrub or small tree. It has with spectacular fall color with reds and oranges. They grow to about 20 to 25 feet tall and wide. In the spring they flower white. In summer develop purple black berries that are great for bird habitat. You can also make jams and jellies with them. Autumn Brilliance works great to provide a screen when in shrub form. Or as a small shaped tree with irregular branching. Handles full sun to part shade conditions.
The Blue Muffin Viburnum is a tall shrub (5 to 7 feet tall and wide) for partial shade to full sun. It has white flowers in the spring and blue berries that appear in summer to feed birds. The most striking surprise this shrub has is it's fall color. The fall colors range from fire engine red to burgundy. It is also deer resistant and very cold hardy (USDA zone 3).
October Daphne Sedum is a hardy succulent that enjoys sunny hot spots in the yard. It can also enjoy drier spots too. The blue gray foliage reaches about 6 to 12 inches tall and spreads to 24 inches wide. In late summer it flowers the pink flower pictured above that attract butterflies.
The Dwarf Fothergilla is a small sized shrub that has exquisite fall color! It is a slow growing plant that reaches 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Green in the summer time and in spring it has fragrant white flowers that remind me of a bottle brush. Forthergilla grows well in full sun to partial shade (4 or more hours a day).
The Kwanzan Cherry is a flowering cherry tree that grows to 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide. Most known for it’s double pink blooms in the spring, it has a surprising nice fall color. The yellow and oranges contrast with red fall color like maples, burning bushes or fothergilla really well. Prefers full sun but does best not being next to sidewalks and streets for they don’t like the reflected heat on their trunks.
The Gold Flame Spiraea is stunning in the fall with a nice bright red fall color. It grows to about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Gold Flame handles full sun to part shade as well as being versatile in many landscape areas. In the summer it has a gold/green and has pink flowers in the late spring and summer.
Golden Colonnade Ginkgo is a ginkgo with a strong central leader. Unlike other ginkgos that enjoy being naturally free form. It matures to 45 feet tall and 25 feet wide. Ginkgos do well in the Tri-Cities and are very durable. The fall color is a brilliant golden yellow like the ginkgos on Haines St in Richland. Except Golden Colonnade are male, so no stinky fruit!
The Burkwood Viburnum is stunning this time of year with it’s yellow and reds. It colors a little later than the burning bush. Burkwood Viburnum is a large growing shrub fo 6 to 10 feet tall and 5 to 6 wide. It can live full sun to partial shade and is not too picky when it comes to soil type. In early spring it has fragrant white snowball like blooms.
The Amethyst Oakleaf Hydrangea is a hydrangea that lives in full sun to part shade. It has gorgeous maroon red fall leaves that are shaped like oak leaves. In the growing season the leaves are green and in July, it flowers cone shaped white blooms that turn quickly to wine red. It grows to 5 to 6 feet tall and wide.
Berry White Hydrangea is a sun loving Hydrangea with red fall color! It reaches 6 to 7 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide. In July it flowers white and ages to pink. Berry White also stays upright more so than Vanilla Strawberry. Like other paniculata Hydrangeas it enjoys full to partial sun (4 or more hours of sun).
Fireside Ninebark is a new dark leafed ninebark that has bigger leaves compared to other dwarf ninebark. It grows to about 5 to 7 feet all and 4 to 6 feet wide. A great option for where you need a dark foliage color without the thorns of barberry. In the May it flowers pink/white flower clusters. Can be used as a hedge or as a focal point. Best to be planted in full sun (at least six hours).
The Mini Twists Pine is dwarf eastern white pine with twisted needles for a cool effect year round. It reaches 6 ft x 4 ft wide. Like full sun to partial shade conditions. It is great for a garden that needs a durable year round effect without the size of other pines.
Redpointe Maple is a newer red maple that is yard friendly reaching 45 feet tall and 30 feet wide. It has a great red fall color. Redpointe is not fussy when it comes to soil pH like Brandywine or October Glory can be in sandy soils. Redpointe continues to retain a nice green summer color and fall color performance. It still needs to be fed regularly for optimal growth performance. It’s a quick grower and has some small helicopters. A very clean tree when it comes to maples.
Gro-Low Sumac is a tough plant that likes sunny dry spots; that doesn’t colonize like it’s cousin the Staghorn Sumac. It grows to about 2 to 3 feet tall and spreads to about 6 to 8 feet wide. In the growing season it’s a nice medium glossy green but in the fall it’s a brilliant red/orange. It enjoys our alkaline soil and climate. It is also a great candidate for
Fire-wise landscaping.
Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grass also can handle tough spots in the yard that are sunny and hot. It reaches about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide with a dark green foliage that turns to a russet yellow color as fall sets in. The bottle brush like florescence appear in late summer and lasts into winter. Easy to care for with a trim to the ground in late winter. It looks great when mixed with other perennials or larger growing shrubs.
Double Scoop Orangeberry is a double coneflower with rich orange red blooms. It’s been bred to have study stems which has been a problem with previous hybrids. Like other coneflowers it enjoys full sun, flowers from mid summer until fall when the spent flowers are removed periodically. It grows to 24 inches tall. This is a great addition when craving something orange and to attract butterflies.
Dark Towers Beadtongue loves heat and dry conditions. It also has bronze foliage to contrast blue grey foliage that tends to be the major color for drought tolerant plant leaves. In mid to late summer it blooms pink tube shaped flowers that ideal for hummingbirds. It reaches three feet tall and is striking with it’s foliage when not in bloom. It caught my eye in the greenhouse with it’s bronze glory.
Pink Flame Phlox is a garden phlox that enjoys flowering from July to September with hot pink flowers. It is powdery mildew resistant and reaches about 24 inches tall. They enjoy full sun (at least six hours) and are great for pollinators in summer. It’s short stature helps it handle our frequent winds.
Lime Glow Barberry is a green version of Rose Glow Barberry where it has green white speckled new growth that matures to green and a wonderful red/orange fall color. This blooms early which is great to feed bees early in the season. Like other barberries they are pretty much bullet proof for the area.
BougainFeelYa Rose is a rose that resembles the Bougainvilla vines but actually survives our winters! The rich red color goes from May to November. This rose reaches 4 to 5 feet tall and prefers at least 6 hours of sunlight.
Cranberry Cotoneaster is truly for the birds for they love the berries from fall into the winter. The cranberry red berries are striking for our eyes too! The reach 2 to 3 feet tall and spread out to 6 feet wide. The dark green leaves are nice and rich. Cotoneasters are great for English Gardens, hillsides, pollinator/bird gardens and where you need something sprawling with fall interest. Cranbery Cotoneaster enjoys full to part sun and handles our local soils very well.
Blue Mist Bluebeard is a plant that likes to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds with it's late summer blooms. It reaches 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. The blue green foliage contrasts well against mugo pines, dark green junipers and red barberry and is just as tough for hot dry spots. It can also goes well with other perennials for a pollinator garden. They prefer 6 or more hours of direct sunlight and well drained soils.
Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass is a versatile plant for areas that get at least 6 hours of sun. It is a semi-evergreen so it stays greener than other grasses longer. Karl also is sterile so it doesn't reseed itself or spreads via rhizomes. Generally they spread 3 feet wide and are that tall. The tan florescence are striking in the summer and into fall. A true winner of a plant.
Rosie the Riveter Rose is a uniquely shaped rose that pays tribute to woman who worked in manufacturing and shipyards during World War II. We have been very pleased with it's color, amount of blooming and disease resistance throughout the summer. The gold blend contrasts well against the dark green foliage. It's a floribunda, so it blooms in clusters and is free flowering leaving it to be pretty easy to care for. Like other roses it prefers at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.
Little Miss Miscanthus Grass is a dwarf Miscanthus with very showy florescence and turns red in late summer early fall. It grows to about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Little Miss prefers at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. A fun little show stopper for perennial beds or desert landscapes on drip.
Cheyenne Skies Switch Grass is a heat loving grass that starts out green and turns red as the summer wains into fall. It reaches 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, staying in nice clumps. It's also easy to care just water and fertilizer. Can be used in low water use gardens. It prefers at least 6 hours of sunlight.
Frida Kahlo Rose is a floribunda (flowers in clusters) with red blush and gold stripes honoring the famous Frida Kahlo of Mexico who once said, "I paint flowers so they will not die.". It's a heavy bloomer and has had very disease issues at the nursery. The swirl pattern is delightful. Like other roses they prefer at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. This grows to about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.
This week is a Rose of Sharon twofer. It's Rose of Sharon season and pollinators love them as you can see with the huge bumble bee. Rose of Sharons reach about 10 to 12 feet tall and 6 feet wide. They prefer to be planted in full sun but can tolerate morning shade. They are great for focal points or privacy screens. They flower from July to September, while it's hot out.
Lavender Chiffon is a double lavender variety that has a full petal count. It's one of the fullest of the double bloomers. A vigorous grower that wants to flower when it's hot out.
Blue Chiffon is a blue lavender semi-double bloom. Not quite as full as the Lavender Chiffon but the color is a good blue for July gardens to celebrate the Fourth of July.
