October 20, 2014

15 Quintessential Shrubs for Fall Foliage, Fruit & Flowers

Who let this handsome guy into the field?
Introducing The Husband, Mike Downey.
"'Limelight' will be perfect that time of the year!" greeted me when I announced my fall wedding plans what seems like a lifetime ago. I shrugged, laughed, or made some noncommittal statement to my coworkers. While they immediately began planning bouquet combinations with their go-to fall flower, Hydrangea paniculata, I was still wrapped up in the words "fiance" and "bling" like I had never heard them before.

Fast forward to a month ago, the eve of The Big Day. My fiance, maid of honor, and I were on a cut flower mission in the nursery's stock fields. We operated with "woodlandy" and weird as the criteria for bouquets and centerpieces (my only must-have was Sugar Shack® Cephalanthus). Hydrangeas didn't fit into those categories exactly, but as we turned the corner to find towering rows of 'Limelight', blooms teetering between its trademark green and coquettish pink, any reservations I had about our most popular shrub faded. My coworkers were right. They were perfect, and I suddenly couldn't imagine our fall wedding without them. 

Alas, this post is not about my (super amazing) nuptials or even the flowers I used. This post is about those plants, like 'Limelight', that give you the magical warm fuzzies of the autumn season. Here is my list of the 15 quintessential fall shrubs your readers should know, from hydrangea blooms to fantastic foliage and fruit.

Clockwise from left to right: Red Wall® Parthenocissus, Handsome Devil™ Viburnum, Little Henry® Itea,
Gatsby Moon™ Hydrangea quercifolia, and Yuki Cherry Blossom™ Deutzia
  1. Yuki Cherry Blossom™ Deutzia (deutzia): selected for heavy-blooming, pink spring flowers, this dwarf deutzia also develops purple foliage when the cooler temperatures start.
  2. Gatsby Moon® Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea): while its over-sized blooms dry, this native hydrangea's oak-shaped foliage transforms to rich shades of red and burgundy. 
  3. Little Henry® Itea (Virginia sweetspire): this compact native becomes a fiery mound of orange-red leaves in fall.
  4. Red Wall® Parthenocissus (Virginia creeper): this native vine was selected specifically for its clear red fall color and as a quick cover for fencing.
  5. Handsome Devil™ Viburnum (viburnum): a wash of orange, red, burgundy, and green makes this glossy viburnum a standout.

Clockwise from left to right: Purple Pearls™ Callicarpa, All That Glows™ Viburnum, Sugar Shack® Cephalanthus,
Little Goblin™ Ilex verticillata, and Brandywine™ Viburnum
  1. Purple PearlsCallicarpa (beautyberry): the purple fruit, purple foliage, and purple stems of this native hybrid make it an autumn triple threat.
  2. Sugar Shack® Cephalanthus (buttonbush): normally, the fruit on this native shrub stays a blushy-green, but Sugar Shack buttonbush pushes it to bright red. It is also dwarf, has glossy foliage, and crazy-amazing flowers.
  3. Little Goblin™ Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly): this compact holly holds its own in the landscape with extra large red fruit.
  4. All That GlowsViburnum (viburnum): the blue fall berries shine against the glossy foliage of this semi-dwarf variety (plant All That Glitters™ viburnum for its pollinating pal)
  5. BrandywineViburnum nudum (viburnum): the red fall foliage is showy enough on its own, but add pink and blue berries - that don't need a pollinator to form - and you're on to something spectacular.

Clockwise from left to right: Sonic Bloom® Red Weigela, Bloom-A-Thon® Red Rhododendron,
Fire Light® Hydrangea paniculata, Bloomerang® Purple Syringa, Oso Easy® Double Red Rosa
  1. Fire Light® Hydrangea paniculata (hardy hydrangea): the red autumn flowers of this new variety recently wowed our Facebook fans. Rich color, strong stems, reliable blooms - what's not to love?
  2. Bloom-A-Thon® Red Rhododendron (reblooming azalea): this reblooming, shade tolerant azalea also comes in white, pink, and lavender.
  3. Oso Easy® Double Red Rosa (rose): the double red flowers on this disease resistant landscape rose will continue blooming (and blooming and blooming) until frost.
  4. Bloomerang® Purple Syringa (reblooming lilac): fragrant lilacs in fall? A must!
  5. Sonic Bloom® Red Weigela (reblooming weigela): the reblooming Sonic Bloom® series took weigela from a one-hit spring wonder to a shrub worthy of three-season praise.

August 28, 2014

I'm so fancy: Lemony Lace Sambucus


Among the new plant introductions for 2015, Lemony Lace™ elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) is developing a reputation as an attention hog. At the 66th Annual Garden Writers Association Symposium, it was the first plant people noticed in a booth full of new Proven Winners® annual, perennial, and shrub varieties. It beckoned writers to come closer and ask, "What is that? Tiger Eyes Sumac?" No, no, friends, it is something much better. Same color, but more compact, non-suckering, and with flowers. A deep and entranced "Oooh" escaped their lips. I was out of samples the first day.

Showing off at Farwest
A week later, the golden boy won two awards at the Farwest show in Portland, OR. First, it was deemed an "outstanding plant," earning the Award of Merit in the New Plant Showcase. Second, The Garden Center Group gave it the Retailers Choice Award. Danny Summers, Managing Director for The Garden Center Group, remarked, “This distinctive golden, thread-like foliage looks wonderful in mixed borders or as a high-impact specimen plant."

Why the hullabaloo? Lemony Lace elderberry's golden yellow, finely-cut foliage is highlighted by red new growth to create eye-catching texture in the landscape. Better color retention and sun tolerance makes it an option for both full sun and part shade gardens. At 3-5’ tall and wide, it is more compact than ‘Sutherland Gold’ and also features more deeply cut foliage. White spring flowers produce red fruit in fall. This North American native is deer resistant and hardy to USDA Zone 3.

No wonder it's showboating across the country. Lemony Lace elderberry possesses a versatile set of characteristics: multi-season interest, native, deer resistance, cold hardy, fruit for the birds, compact for small gardens... all deserving story topics.

Visit the slideshow of all twenty new Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs for 2015. If you'd like more information or high resolution photos of Lemony Lace elderberry, let me know!

Lemony Lace elderberry in the landscape: add a pair of googly eyes, and you'd have the most adorable muppet.

The red new growth contrasts with the lemon-lime foliage.


July 22, 2014

Edibles Win at Cultivate 2014

At last week's Cultivate, what began as a normal trade show day quickly turned into something more exciting when Danny Summers, Managing Director of the Garden Center Group, stopped by the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® booth with great news: Sugar Mountain® Blue sweetberry honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea) won one of ten Retailer's Choice Awards. Danny and his retail cohorts had searched through thousands of items on display at Cultivate to select ten new products they deemed exceptional. In our booth alone, the competition was fierce. Lemony Lace® elderberry and Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip' butterfly bush were busy dazzling attendees while our honeysuckle sat demurely in the corner. So how did Sugar Mountain Blue sweetberry honeysuckle outshine them? The answer is hiding within the complete lineup of winners.

Edibles. Five of the winning products fell under this rising category. Judging by the number of ornamental varieties being introduced, edibles will soon be escaping their raised beds to mingle with their flowering counterparts in the landscape. Enter shrubs.

Proven Winners and Edibles

You'll notice that there aren't traditional fruit and vegetable varieties in our collection. Our goal is to fill a niche in the crowded edible marketplace with selections rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals; abundant fruit; good flavor; and trouble-free care. The hard working plants that make the cut are called Vitamin Berries®. This line kicked off with the introduction of Big Lifeberry® and Sweet Lifeberry® goji berries, super fruit that moved from a mainstay in Asia to popular health food in Europe. Sugar Mountain sweetberry honeysuckles are the newest Vitamin Berries.


The first thing you need to know about Sugar Mountain® Blue sweetberry honeysuckle is that it is delicious, pairing the flavors of blueberries and raspberries into one bite-sized, early summer fruit. After all, what is the point if an edible doesn't taste good? The second, third, and fourth things are that it is native to North America, super healthy, and cold hardy to USDA Zone 2. Oh, and the fifth thing: it debuts at retail in 2015, so you have to wait until next year to add it to your garden.

Sweetberry honeysuckle, also known as haskaps, are more common in Canada than the United States, and our friends to the north are certainly on to something. Compared to blueberries, this low-maintenance shrub is easier to grow without special soil requirements, and has higher levels of antioxidants and three times the amount of Vitamin C. They are one of the most cold tolerant edible plants on earth, standing up to winter temperatures as cold as -50°F (-45.6°C). If edibles aren't a trend you're interested in, what about plants that can take a polar vortex with ease?

Reaching five to six feet tall and wide, Sugar Mountain® Blue sweetberry honeysuckle makes an excellent hedge or stand-alone specimen in the edible landscape. Planting two different Sugar Mountain varieties will increase berry yield. There are three pollinators to choose from: Sugar Mountain® Balalaika™, Sugar Mountain® Eisbär™, and Sugar Mountain® Kalinka™.

For more details on this award-winning selection, visit our Sugar Mountain Blue information page.


June 27, 2014

In Their Own Words: Oso Happy Rose Breeder David Zlesak



Rose Breeder David Zlesak
To celebrate National Rose Month, I reached out to one of the nicest and most gracious breeders we have the pleasure to work with. David Zlesak, a Wisconsin native, is the man behind Proven Winners' Oso Happy® series of roses. I just added all three varieties to my garden this spring, and they are bursting with clusters of dainty blooms. Pretty, long-blooming, and, of course, disease resistant, these roses are quickly becoming a favorite mine. Read on to explore their background and how David got his start. Happy Rose Month!
- Shannon


When I was 13, in 1984, I started breeding roses from a newspaper article in the Sunday gardening section of the Milwaukee Journal about Will Radler's rose breeding hobby. It was long before Knock Out came out. I loved gardening then, and the idea of plant breeding and coming up with new kinds of plants seemed wonderfully creative and fun. The mystery of each seedling being different and growing them out to find those that combine the strong points of the different parents with many surprises along the way really drew me in. I wrote to Will, and he connected me with a wonderful older gentleman that bred roses in West Bend, WI, the same town I lived in. Elton Strack became like a grandfather to me. I would visit him almost every week and really cherished our time together and what I learned.

I would save money as a kid throughout the year to buy new roses to use as parents. I would be taken in by the pretty pictures in catalogs and buy the ones that were gorgeous, but needed preventative spray and insulation to get through the winter. Elton focused more on his large-growing hardy species hybrids and some were a bit stingy in bloom. They were hardy though and always came through the winter and bloomed great. Even with spraying and insulating my more tender roses, I would lose many. I felt like if I just do what is written about to protect roses from what they needed protection from, things would be fine. Over time, feeling disappointed losing roses, I started valuing and understanding Elton's passion and use of the hardier roses, and began crossing them with the more tender ones to try to combine the best of both.

Oso Happy Candy Oh and Smoothie trace back to some parent lines that I selected when I was living in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. I germinated a lot of polyantha rose seedlings during those years, and in Northern WI in zone 3 many of them were not hardy enough. Thankfully, a handful of polyantha seedlings survived consistently. One was a thornless selection and others were thorny. The thornless selection was used with our native R. setigera over a few generations to eventually come up with Oso Happy Smoothie combining the near thornless stems and also the wonderful mounded characteristic of the bloom clusters and rich magenta/mauve highlights of the R. setigera parent. Candy Oh! is a cross of one of the hardy selections that was a light pink with darker pink edges with the classic rose 'Robin Hood'. Candy Oh! is darker than both parents and has the wonderfully vigorous growth habit of 'Robin Hood', but greater hardiness from the other parent.


Oso Happy Petit Pink comes from work I began in the late 1990's, wanting to combine the wonderfully floriferous habit of miniature roses (well branched, dense, lots of blooms) with hardier and healthier landscape roses like 'George Vancouver' (Canadian Explorer series) and 'Applejack' (Dr. Buck hybrid from Iowa State). I called Sequoia Nursery, which was started by Ralph Moore. He started his nursery in the late 1930's and made modern minis what they are today.  He is known as the "Father of the Miniature Rose." In the late 90's when I called, he was always very helpful, and I got four fertile miniatures that he recommended. Two of these are in the background of Petit Pink - Rise N Shine and Orange Honey. All these parents together made this wonderfully floriferous, mounded hardy, healthy mini. I love that it has a nice habit and the stems don't get too lanky. The cultivar name 'ZLEMarianneYoshida' is for my dear friend and landlady that let me have lights in the basement to start all my rose seedlings. She really liked that one too. Petit Pink is from a very different genetic background than the other two, but shares that mounded well-branched habit with lots of blooms.

I continue to love and work with polyantha roses because I love their habit and abundant blooming. I have worked with crossing them with typical shrub roses (there are some challenges in getting the crosses to take, but am making some progress). I especially am excited to keep working with the R. setigera lines as R. setigera has resistance to the disease rose rosette, which is lethal and becoming more common. I don't have rose rosette in my area thankfully, but would love to learn if Smoothie inherited this resistance or not. I have other seedlings and descendants of R. setigera I hope to have tested.

I have limited space resources, so I plant out typically a couple thousand seedlings each year and put them very close (8-10" apart). It encourages diseases to build. Many go down from disease, and then it is easier to see which ones show good resistance and then over winter. After a couple years, the well-adapted ones tend to shine compared to their neighbors. Some I hold back and use in more breeding because they don't have enough of all I'm hoping for. Others that seem to potentially fill a niche not well filled at the moment, I send to {Proven Winners ColorChoice} for trialing.

Since I started my love of plant breeding with roses, I still focus most heavily on the rose breeding. Breeding roses, all the wonderful people I've met, and things I've learned kept me inspired to pursue horticulture for my profession. I earned my BS in horticulture and then worked for the Forest Service and Hanson's Garden Village in Rhinelander, WI. Brent Hanson let me use land for my roses which was wonderful and is where I selected the hardy parents in Oso Happy Candy Oh! and Smoothie. I then went back to grad school in the Twin Cities for Plant Breeding and Molecular Genetics and worked on potatoes and then lilies, but my advisors always humored me and let me have some space and opportunity to do some rose projects. I then worked in Extension at the U of MN in Horticulture and worked to establish a northern branch of the Earth-Kind Rose Trialing Program in our region. I'm back at River Falls and work teaching to inspire the next generation of horticulturists. Some of the students help me with Earth-Kind rose plantings and work to understand the reproductive biology of our US native Rosa setigera, which may be a good source for bringing in rose rosette disease resistance to our modern roses.

June 4, 2014

Three Lessons from P. Allen Smith's Garden2Blog 2014


In May, 24 bloggers were invited to P. Allen Smith's fourth annual Garden2Blog, where they were wined, dined, and treated to two days of southern hospitality. Proven Winners has enjoyed a great partnership with Allen and his hardworking team for several years, so Jeanine Standard and I were treated to the fun as one of the event's sponsors. While I could write essays on how wonderful everything was, I encourage you to visit the bloggers' sites to read about the experience in their own words (list below). I did take home a few lessons from Moss Mountain Farm that I hope you can apply to your work as a garden writer.
  1. Audience is everything. | Jeffrey Rohrs kicked off the keynote address with this Bruce Springsteen quote: "The audience is not brought to you or given to you; it's something that you fight for. You can forget that, especially if you've had some success. Getting an audience is hard. Sustaining an audience is hard. It demands consistency of thought, of purpose, and of action over a long period of time." If Springsteen has to work that hard to capture and maintain the attention of his audience, what do we as garden writers need to do?

    Rohrs explained how an audience - your most important asset - can be divided into three groups, and interaction with each is different. SEEKERS are those casually looking for information and entertainment. AMPLIFIERS are in it for the thrill and social recognition gained from sharing content. JOINERS are the most valuable members of an audience, the ones who follow, subscribe, and engage. The G2B garden writers are P. Allen Smith's JOINERS, and he certainly knew how to make them valued. What are you doing?

    I'm only on the third chapter of Rohrs' book, "Audience: Marketing in the Age of Subscribers, Fans & Followers," but I would recommend it for ideas on how to work with and build each section of your audience.

  2. Stay true to your style. | P. Allen Smith gets it. His list of accolades is miles long, from designer and TV host to founder of the Heritage Poultry Conservancy. All this aside, what impressed me the most were not his amazing gardens nor his never ending wit, but that he is genuine, staying true to himself across all fronts. It first struck me when he mentioned that when planning the farm, he wanted to prove that you could build a traditional home in a sustainable way. Let's face it, environmentally responsible typically reads modern, yet every inch of Moss Mountain Farm oozes southern charm from the Poultry Palace to the clover-filled lawn. Allen, as a person and as a brand, is a great reminder that keeping your values and passions at the center of everything is the key to success.
     
  3. Step Dance out of your comfort zone. | The group of bloggers in attendance varied from rose aficionados to backyard chicken farmers, and everything in between. The DIYers took selfies with chickens. The edible gardeners put together beautiful containers of Proven Winners annuals, perennials, and shrubs. The chicken folks drank wine in the rose garden. Yet even with adventure embraced, there were a few sideways glances whenever Allen's producers broke out the speakers and asked us to dance to Pharrell Williams' "Happy." You want me to what? While you film it?

    When the finished video debuted during our final meal together, it was obvious that our trust in the Garden2Blog crew was well worth it. (You can witness my sweet moves at the 3:18 mark.)

Read more about G2B and visit the bloggers:

Julie Thompson Adolf | Julie’s Garden Delights 
Steve Asbell | The Rainforest Garden
Kylee Baumle | Our Little Acre
Jan Bills | Two Women and a Hoe
Stephanie Buckley | The Park Wife
Teresa Byington | The Garden Diary
Janet Carson | University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service
C.L. Fornari | Coffee for Roses
Susan Fox | Gaga’s Garden
Jerusalem Greer | Jolly Goode Gal
Robin Horton | Urban Gardens
Lamanda Joy | The Yarden
Linday Ly | The Garden Betty
Michael Nolan | My Earth Garden
Jenny Peterson | J. Peterson Garden Design
Kenny Point | Veggie Gardening Tips
Kathy Purdy | Cold Climate Gardening
Christina Salwitz | Personal Garden Coach
Mary Beth Shaddix | Mary Beth Shaddix
Lisa Steele | Fresh Eggs Daily
Rebecca Sweet | Harmony in the Garden
Kelly Smith Trimble | DIY Network's Made + Remade
Chris Van Cleave | Redneck Rosarian
Tina Wilcox | Ozark Folk Center 

Shout out to our fellow sponsors:

Bonnie Plants
Flexzilla
Hubbard Life
Jobe's Organics
Laguna
Le Creuset
Little Rock Convention & Visitor's Bureau 
Troy-Bilt
United Solutions
US Foods

May 16, 2014

Five for Friday

I love the Internet for putting pithy bits of information at my fingertips. Here is a quick list of five articles that struck my fancy and may help you as a garden writer.
  1. How to Avoid Copyright Trouble When Using Online Images | PR Daily
    Infographic! Yea! This gem not only breaks down the differences between the types of image copyright licenses, but also gives tips on how to make your own outstanding photos. Remember, images are the currency of media, so you must use quality shots. If you don't have images of your own, you can always turn to plant companies. Proven Winners has a huge image library available to garden writers, and all we ask is that you give credit. 
  2. 101 Career Tips, Each in 140 Characters or Less | Mashable
    While you have to wade through resume and interviewing tips, this article does have a few communication and productivity gems. The best part, however, is that it makes you think about how much wisdom can be packed in Twitter's 140 characters. The next time you tweet, make those characters count.
  3. 10 Tactics to Improve Blog Readership | The Moz Blog
    Amazing mustache aside, my favorite part about this post is tactic ten: social media is not fire and forget. Content should be shared not just upon its publication, but a few hours later, the next day, and even two months later. I needed that reminder.
  4. Why Writers Are the Worst Procrastinators | The Atlantic
    I was procrastinating every time I found one of these links. I may even be procrastinating now. 
  5. The Right Colors Make Data Easier to Read | Harvard Business Review
    Whether on your website, presentation, newest article, or post, colors play a part in how we process information. This article draws upon concept-color relationships, using a fruit-based chart as an example. When the data was presented with blueberries in blue, cherries in red, and tangerines in orange, viewers were able to process the information with less thought and more speed. Interesting.
Next week, I'm heading to Little Rock, Arkansas for P. Allen Smith's Garden2Blog event. I am lucky enough to attend as a sponsor, but that doesn't mean I won't be taking advantage of every moment and tidbit of blogging goodness. Full recap to come.

April 30, 2014

In Their Own Words: From Midwest to Southwest with Chris Eirschele

Just as I’m beginning to think I have this gardening thing figured out, an early-April trip to California Spring Trials left me stunned, stumped, and sunburnt. The plant mix was unlike anything in Michigan. The seasonal timing was off. Everything was huge. Mother Nature continuously put me in my place during my seven-day trip, and as I returned home to the comfortable familiarity of snow piles, my thoughts turned to those in our industry that are thrown into climate confusion for longer than a mere week, someone like Chris Eirschele.

Chris Eirschele
She was in her early twenties when Chris moved to Germany for her husband’s military career. After a lifetime of digging in the dirt with her Wisconsin-based parents, it seemed second nature to begin her indoor and balcony gardens while abroad in an environment she describes as “a lot like the Midwest but with the Alps added in.” Her love affair with plants was firmly rooted, but took a back burner to moving home to the States, three careers, and raising her daughter. In 2000, however, she returned to school for horticulture and eventually began life as a Midwest-focused garden writer, freelancing for the likes of Ohio Gardener, Missouri Gardener, and various online publications including her blog, Stay Gardening. Then in 2011, a move took her gardening journey to completely unfamiliar territory – Arizona. Chris chatted about how her life has changed since moving from Zone 4/5 to Zone 9b.



What is gardening in Arizona like for you?

Arizona has a diverse landscape and climate, although it is dry. Phoenix and Scottsdale (where I live) are in what is called "the low desert." Freezing temperatures are almost nonexistent.

I grew what I loved May through September in Wisconsin, and now grow what I love November through April in Arizona outside. Tan and gray colors and spiky plants rule the day in the desert, but I still keep up my indoor gardens. I have had to find the plants I like that can grow here within the boundaries of living in a desert. I have had to learn to live without some plants that are not viable here, some of those plants which I truly loved.

On the left, Chris' young garden bed in Wisconsin. On the right, her current Arizona garden.

Such as what?

Peonies and hostas and daylilies. I might be able to stretch it with daylilies, especially if I lived in the higher elevations, but in the low desert the summers reach over 100 degrees during the day and, for part of the summer, only dip into the 90s at night. How much water I want to use to keep plants alive becomes a push and pull I struggle with.


How is garden writing different in Arizona?

It is very different in Arizona, beyond just the climate and plants. Meeting new plant professionals and networking with them is also new. I am beyond the world of Wisconsin and Ohio. Networking and building bridges in the Southwest will take time. Even back when I wrote regularly for Suite101, before I moved out here, I had already written about plants and public gardens in the Southwest. My muse has always been the plants and gardens, wherever I find them, and I do find that changing.

How are you still influenced by the Midwest?

I still want to write about Midwest gardening, and I can do that at Decoded Plants. I travel back to the Midwest and East Coast, as opportunities arise. For example, in April, I accepted an invitation to the press event for the spring planting event at the White House Kitchen Garden. I will work hard to keep my feet firmly in as many parts of the country as opportunities allow. I must preserve my "street cred" with Midwest publishers, while I expand my world in the Southwest.

I grow plants that can be grown in the Midwest and keep up to date with new plants; in the Southwest I grow plants I like and fit this environment and visit public gardens in the Southwest.


What advice do you have for someone writing in an unfamiliar environment?

In unfamiliar places, I go back to the basics. I build up new gardens and try plants I, perhaps, never grew. Keeping informed with new plants and techniques is hard work, no matter where a garden writer lives.

I suggest taking advantage of as many invitations as you can manage, so you can rub elbows with garden types in your new environment. Networking is, after all, about connecting for the long road. The opportunities from networking are rarely obvious at the beginning.

Nothing beats human contact, but as the world gets smaller, social media has its benefits. Choose social media that works best for you. Believing you have to do it all is just hype. Take advantage of any free feature you can Whatever social media you use, make sure the About tells your friends and followers who you are. One feature I often see bare is the "About" feature. 

Thank you, Chris, for taking the time to share your experiences with Through the Greenhouse Glass readers.  You can find Chris on her blog, Stay Gardening, and in her regular columns for Decoded Plants.



April 3, 2014

Shrub Madness: The Finals



This may be my best video work to date.

The Finals are upon us, shrub fans. Let's Dance® Diva! and Pinky Winky® hydrangeas are fighting for the title of National Champion. It's been an unexpected journey taking us from the snow-filled days of early March to a promising beginning of April. Tomorrow will not only bring the end of the first Shrub Madness competition (Diva! Diva! Diva!), but it will also whisk me away to California Spring Trials. At this industry-wide event, plant folks like Proven Winners showcase what's new, what's trending, and what we really hope people like you will fall in love with and talk about until the end of time. This means I will, of course, bring you the full details as I soak in some sunshine, prance around sunny Santa Cruz, and talk plants.

Round Five Standings
(6) Black Beauty™ elderberry vs. (8) Let's Dance® Diva! hydrangea: 107 to 131
(4) Pinky Winky® hydrangea vs. (6) Oso Easy® Paprika rose: 136 to 75

April 2, 2014

Shrub Madness: Rounds Three & Four Recap

The Elite Eight have narrowed to an unexpected Floral Four. Let's Dance® Diva! hydrangea, Black Beauty™ elderberry, Pinky Winky® hydrangea, and Oso Easy® Paprika rose are currently battling for a place in the final. After a month of voting, it seems we'll have a final hydrangea battle with Pinky Winky hydrangea vs. Let's Dance Diva! hydrangea. Of course, I probably just jinxed it.

Round Three Standings:
(1) Sonic Bloom™ Pink weigela vs. (4) 'Miss Ruby' butterfly bush: 131 to 159
(2) Incrediball® hydrangea vs. (6) Oso Easy® Paprika rose: 116 to 176
(4) Summer Wine® Ninebark vs. (9) Tuff Stuff™ hydrangea: 177 to 128
(1) Little Lime® hydrangea vs. (4) Pinky Winky® hydrangea: 75 to 214
(5) My Monet® weigela vs. (8) Let's Dance® Diva! hydrangea: 44 to 271
(3) 'Sweet Summer Love' clematis vs. (7) Lavender Chiffon™ rose of Sharon: 212 to 99
(2) Oso Easy® Mango Salsa rose vs. (3) Cityline® Mars hydrangea: 158 to 171
(2) Invincibelle® Spirit hydrangea vs. (6) Black Beauty™ elderberry: 124 to 191

Round Four Standings:
(3) 'Sweet Summer Love' clematis vs. (8) Let's Dance® Diva! hydrangea: 129 to 175
(4) Summer Wine® ninebark vs. (6) Black Beauty™ elderberry: 121 to 177
(3) Cityline® Mars hydrangea vs. (4) Pinky Winky® hydrangea: 104 to 182
(4) 'Miss Ruby' butterfly bush vs. (6) Oso Easy® Paprika rose: 128 to 161

March 31, 2014

Meet the Elite Eight Shrubs: Part Two


'Miss Ruby' butterfly bush
Buddleia

When walking through the nursery's display beds in summer, 'Miss Ruby' never fails to stand out. Perhaps it's the flutter of butterflies drawing attention. Perhaps it's the vibrant pink color of its blooms. Perhaps it's how well its neat, compact habit plays with others in the landscape. There are a lot of obvious reasons why it draws you in, but its most important characteristic is not so in your face. This interspecific Buddleia hybrid is noninvasive. 

{Choirs of angels descend from the skies.}

Yes, 'Miss Ruby' has everything you want in a butterfly bush, so it's not surprising that it has made it this far in the Shrub Madness competition.

And P.S., 'Miss Ruby' is deer resistant, too.


USDA Zone 5 AHS Zone 9 | 4-5' tall and wide | Full Sun
Fun Fact: 'Miss Ruby' was rated #1 in the All Europe Trials
Like this noninvasive butterfly bush? Try one of these: 'Miss Molly' butterfly bush, Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip' butterfly bush, Lo & Behold® 'Lilac Chip' butterfly bush, Lo & Behold® 'Ice Chip' butterfly bush, Lo & Behold® 'Purple Haze' butterfly bush, (coming spring 2015) Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip Jr.' butterfly bush, and Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip' butterfly bush


Oso Easy® Paprika landscape rose
Rosa

The Oso Easy® series has 11 varieties of easy-to-grow, super disease resistant roses, and Paprika is the spiciest of them all. The bright orange roses have yellow eyes, and its glossy green foliage has hints of red in the new growth. Additionally, the award-winning Oso Easy Paprika rose is hardy to USDA Zone 3.  

Orange you glad it made it this far in the competition? (Sorry, it's early Monday morning.Where did I put my coffee?)

USDA Zone 3 AHS Zone 9 | 1-2' tall and wide | Full Sun
Like the Oso Easy roses? Try one of these: Oso Happy® Candy Oh! rose, Oso Happy® Petit Pink rose, Oso Happy® Smoothie rose

Pinky Winky® hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata

Pinky Winky hydrangea is often given a hard time because of its silly name. Before you snicker, however, you must know that the breeder, Dr. Johan Van Huylenbroeck, names his plants after his children's favorite cartoon characters. He's also dubbed such gems as Bobo® hydrangea and Mega Mindy® hydrangea. A little goofy? Absolutely, but that sort of charm deserves a "World's Best Dad" mug.

Pinky Winky hydrangea has 12-16" long blooms held upright on strong stems. They open white, turn pink, and then continue to push new white florets from the tip of the panicle, creating a two-tone effect. 

USDA Zone 3 AHS Zone 8 | 6-8' tall and wide | Full Sun/Part Shade
Like this hardy hydrangea? Try one of these: Bobo® hardy hydrangea, Fire Light™  hardy hydrangea, 'Little Lamb' hardy hydrangea, 'Limelight' hardy hydrangea, Little Lime® hardy hydrangea, Quick Fire® hardy hydrangea, Little Quick Fire® hardy hydrangea

Summer Wine® ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius

If you read Part One, you know how I feel about dark foliage plants. Summer Wine ninebark is planted in my garden, so there may come a day you'll find me curled up in its graceful branches. It's small yet, but one day. You'll whisper, "What ever happened to that Shannon girl?" And your in-the-know friend will respond, "The one from PW? Oh, haven't you heard? She snuggled into her Summer Wine ninebark and was never seen again."

Summer Wine ninebark combines the fine texture and branching of 'Nana' with the dark foliage of Diabolo® ninebark. In mid-summer, it is accentuated by buttons of flowers along the length of its branches. The most exciting thing? Summer Wine ninebark was rated as the most mildew resistant variety in a University of Connecticut study. "Among the purple ninebark cultivars we studied," they said, "'Seward' Summer Wine®, with an overall mildew rating of 1.1, was the clear statistical and visual standout with minimal infection on very few leaves." Read the study, "Layers of Intrigue: Physocarpus and Powdery Mildew," for more information. Love that title.

USDA Zone 3 AHS Zone 7 | 5-6' tall and wide | Full Sun
Like this ninebark? Try one of these: Coppertina™ ninebark and Tiny Wine® ninebark

March 26, 2014

Meet the Elite Eight Shrubs: Part One

This week's Shrub Madness match ups determine the Elite Eight shrubs, which will then compete to determine our Floral Four, i.e. the Grand Prize. Who are these heavy hitters? Let's get to know the first batch of potential winners.

Let's Dance® Diva! hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla

Last June, a knot of bitty toads was crossing a path between greenhouses. When such a discovery of adorable, baby amphibians is made, there is only one thing to do: you place them on the largest flower in bloom and take pictures. That flower was Let's Dance Diva! hydrangea.

Though just arriving at retail this year, Let's Dance Diva! hydrangea has become an instant favorite. Each bloom is comprised of sterile florets the width of a grown man's palm, creating a dinner plate-sized lacecap flower. Its coloring is soft, shifting between the perfect baby shower shades of pink and blue. As part of the Let's Dance series, it is, of course, a strong rebloomer.

USDA Zone 5 AHS Zone 9 | 2-3' tall and wide | Full Sun/Part Shade
Fun Fact: During its trialing process, Diva! was called Flying Saucer.
Like this lacecap? Try one of these: Abracadabra® Star bigleaf hydrangea, Edgy® Orbits bigleaf hydrangea, Let's Dance® Starlight bigleaf hydrangea, Tuff Stuff™ mountain hydrangea, Tiny Tuff Stuff™ mountain hydrangea

Cityline® Mars hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla

If you have been following along with Shrubs Center, you might think I have it out for this shrub after its devastating win over Summer Shandy™ hop, one of my Floral Four. Not at all. Cityline Mars hydrangea joined my garden last year, and I can't wait to see its showy bicolor blooms again. Coincidentally, it's planted just a few feet from Summer Shandy hop.

The Cityline series doesn't get as much attention as the Let's Dance rebloomers, but these super compact plants also offer an answer to the age old question, "Why isn't my hydrangea blooming?" Often, a few mistimed snips of the pruning shears remove the old wood buds on bigleaf hydrangeas, eliminating the season's flowers. With such a compact size, only 1-3' tall and wide, the Cityline varieties never need pruning. Ever. This short stature also means they are perfect for growing in containers.

USDA Zone 5 AHS Zone 9 | 1-3' tall and wide | Full Sun/Part Shade
Like this tiny variety? Try one of these: Cityline® Berlin bigleaf hydrangea, Cityline® Paris bigleaf hydrangea, Cityline® Rio bigleaf hydrangea, Cityline® Venice bigleaf hydrangea, Cityline® Vienna bigleaf hydrangea

'Sweet Summer Love' clematis

Clematis flammula hybrid

I'm going to go out on a limb to say that 'Sweet Summer Love' is one of the most anticipated releases for 2014. It has already won multiple awards, most recently the 2014 Green Thumb Award from the Direct Gardening Association. Why all the hype? Three words: colorful 'Sweet Autumn.' And one more word because I know you're going to ask: noninvasive. 

While 'Sweet Summer Love' has many similarities to 'Sweet Autumn', like scent and easy growth, it is actually a different species all together. This hybrid can be planted without the risk of a take over. Need extra reassurance? Check out Clematis flammula's UDSA invasiveness map.

Now let's just sit back, enjoy those vibrant cranberry-violet blooms, and dream of summer...

USDA Zone 4 AHS Zone 9 | 10' tall | Full Sun/Part Shade
Like this eye-catching vine? Try one of these: Summer Shandy™ hop, 'Scentsation' honeysuckle, Rose Sensation® false hydrangea-vine

Black Beauty™ elderberry

Sambucus nigra

Maybe it's just me, but deep black plants like Black Beauty elderberry make me want to nestle into their branches and just hang out. Weird? I don't deny it. Dark foliage is enchanting.

This deer resistant shrub is more than a pretty face. Did you know that the fruit of Sambucus nigra is edible? In fact, it's widely consumed in Europe. Of course, there are a few important caveats: the leaves and stems are toxic, and the berries must be ripened and cooked. Use a bit of caution, however, and you can enjoy the purple-black fruit in elderberry jam, muffins, liqueurs, and more. On a hot summer day, soak the lacy pink flowers with lime slices in a pitcher of water, and you have a refreshing and beautiful beverage.

USDA Zone 4 AHS Zone 8 | 8-12' tall | Full Sun/Part Shade
Fun Fact: Elderberries were named the 2013 Herb of the Year.
Like this edible fruit? Try one of these: Black Lace™ elderberry, Big Lifeberry® goji berry, Sweet Lifeberry® goji berry, (coming spring 2015) Sugar Mountain™ Blue sweetberry honeysuckle

March 25, 2014

Shrub Madness: Round Two Recap

Round Two brought the first hydrangea defeats, demolished my bracket, and crowned the Sweet 16. It's been a whirlwind of activity, but we've still had time to dazzle the world with our wit and wisdom in episodes of Shrubs Center. You can watch all five episodes below if you're up for our cheeky brand of humor.



Round Two Standings
(1) Bloomerang® Purple lilac vs. (9) Tuff Stuff™ hydrangea: 252 to 264
(1) Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip' butterfly bush vs. (8) Let's Dance® Diva! hydrangea: 92 to 226
(1) Little Lime® hydrangea vs. (8) Brandywine™ viburnum: 171 to 110
(1) Sonic Bloom™ Pink weigela vs. (8) Dream Catcher™ beauty bush: 176 to 75
(2) Bobo® hydrangea vs. (5) Lavender Chiffon™ rose of Sharon: 106 to 123
(2) Invincibelle® Spirit hydrangea vs. (7) Fine Wine™ weigela: 149 to 91
(2) Oso Easy® Mango Salsa rose vs. (7) Double Play® Big Bang™ spirea: 242 to 78
(2) Incrediball® hydrangea vs. (7) Lo & Behold® 'Purple Haze' butterfly bush: 210 to 100
(3) 'Sweet Summer Love' clematis vs. (11) Double Take™ 'Scarlet Storm' quince: 399 to 163
(3) Fire Light™ hydrangea vs. (6) Oso Easy® Paprika rose: 140 to 161
(3) Home Run® rose vs. (6) Black Beauty™ elderberry: 106 to 174
(3) Cityline® Mars hydrangea vs. (6) Coppertina™ ninebark: 160 to 145
(4) 'Miss Ruby' butterfly bush vs. (12) Abracadabra® Star hydrangea: 212 to 120
(4) Pinky Winky® hydrangea vs. (5) Little Henry® Sweetspire: 192 to 118
(4) Summer Wine® weigela vs. (12) Soft Serve® false cypress: 194 to 105
(4) Let's Dance® Rhapsody Blue hydrangea vs. (5) My Monet® weigela: 251 to 264

(#) denotes bracket seed placement

March 14, 2014

Shrub Madness Round One Recap

Round One of Shrub Madness has left the Proven Winners ColorChoice marketing department scratching our heads. We know our 200+ shrubs better than anyone, the varieties of which we have great photography, and how our die hard fans react to a blue flower, but there are outcomes no one saw coming. Every hydrangea won its match up. Every. Single. One. Soft Serve® false cypress dominated Fine Line® Rhamnus in a match that left our jaws brushing against the dusty nursery floor. Dream Catcher™ beauty bush, a plant that next to no one talks about, beat Show Off® forsythia by 13 points. Spring starts this Friday. How was forsythia not everyone's very favorite thing?

Yes, Shrub Madness has been a learning experience. I invite you to take a look at which plants advanced to round two, which began today. Are you surprised? Do you think your readers would vote the same way?

Round One Standings:
(6) Coppertina™ ninebark vs. (11) Ghost™ weigela: 151 to 104
(6) Oso Easy® Paprika rose vs. (11) Lil' Kim™ rose of Sharon: 201 to 64
(6) Black Beauty™ elderberry vs. (11) Crème Fraiche® deutzia: 184 to 65
(6) Big Lifeberry® goji berry vs. (11) Double Take™ 'Scarlet Storm' quince: 44 to 208
(3) Cityline® Mars hydrangea vs. (14) Summer Shandy™ hop: 216 to 29
(3) 'Sweet Summer Love' clematis vs. (14) Vanilla Spice® summersweet: 217 to 60
(3) Home Run® rose vs. (14) Castle Spire® blue holly: 178 to 76
(3) Fire Light® hydrangea vs. (14) Sugar Shack™ buttonbush: 197 to 69
(4) Summer Wine® ninebark vs. (13) Spice Girl™ viburnum: 193 to 105
(4) Pinky Winky® hydrangea vs. (13) Azurri Blue Satin® rose of Sharon: 160 to 139
(4) 'Miss Ruby' butterfly bush vs. (13) Berry Heavy® winterberry holly: 179 to 108
(4) Let's Dance® Rhapsody Blue hydrangea vs. (13) Oso Happy® Candy Oh! rose: 195 to 77
(8) Brandywine™ viburnum vs. (9) 'Amy Cotta' rhododendron: 150 to 91
(8) Dream Catcher™ beauty bush vs. (9) Show Off® Sugar Baby forsythia: 122 to 109
(8) Let's Dance® Diva! vs. (9) Chardonnay Pearls® deutzia: 185 to 67
(8) Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon vs. (9) Tuff Stuff™ hydrangea: 93 to 156
(7) Lavender Chiffon™ rose of Sharon vs. (10) Glow Girl™ spirea: 192 to 59
(7) Fine Wine™ weigela vs. (10) Bloom-A-Thon® Red azalea: 153 to 104
(7) Double Play® Big Bang™ spirea vs. (10) Sunjoy® Gold Pillar barberry: 146 to 95
(7) Lo & Behold® 'Purple Haze' butterfly bush vs. (10) Petit Bleu™ bluebeard: 129 to 115
(2) Invincibelle® Spirit hydrangea vs. (15) Marie Rose™ New Jersey tea: 195 to 44
(2) Incrediball® hydrangea vs. (15) Pinky Bells™ abelia: 149 to 105
(2) Oso Easy® Mango Salsa rose vs. (15) Sky Pointer® Japanese holly: 186 to 62
(2) Bobo® hydrangea vs. (15) Handsome Devil™ viburnum: 209 to 48
(5) Little Henry® sweetspire vs. (12) Arctic Fire™ red twig dogwood: 168 to 99
(5) Spilled Wine® weigela vs. (12) Abracadabra® Star hydrangea: 95 to 145
(5) My Monet® weigea vs. (12) Red Wall® Virginia creeper: 211 to 32
(5) Fine Line® buckthorn vs. (12) Soft Serve® false cypress: 61 to 198
(1) Sonic Bloom™ Pink weigela vs. (16) Happy Face® White potentilla: 192 to 48
(1) Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip' butterfly bush vs. (16) Good Vibrations® Gold juniper: 189 to 28
(1) Bloomerang® Purple lilac vs. (16) 'Frozen Flame' hebe: 82 to 35
(1) Little Lime® hydrangea vs. (16) Celtic Pride™ Siberian cypress: 116 to 14

(#) denotes bracket seed placement

February 10, 2014

Shrub Madness: Let's Get Ready to Rumble!


All right, garden writers, it's time to get your game on. On March 3, we're kicking off the first ever Shrub Madness Plant Playoffs, a basketball tournament-style bracket where 64 Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs will fight for glory and the title of National Champion.

All the action will take place on our Facebook page (Facebook.com/PWColorChoice), with popular vote determining the winner of each match up. Throughout the tournament, plants will be given away, and we'll celebrate crowning the victor by awarding five fans Floral Four grand prizes - that's the last four plants standing, so you know they're going to be good. To be entered, all you need to do is vote.

Garden Writers Bracket Contest

While all that voting is well and fine, you, dear garden writers, are Plant Geeks, and I want to see your picks, so I'm holding a side-competition just for you. In true basketball tradition, it's bracket based. Whoever has the closest bracket will win the Floral Four. These aren't small quart-sized liners, either. We're talking large and in charge, landscape-ready plants.

To enter, fill out your bracket and send it to me by mail (12601 120th Ave. Grand Haven, MI 49417) or e-mail (shannon at springmeadownursery dot com) by February 28th.



How Does a Bracket Work?

Sixty-four plants were chosen by the Plant Selection Committee and separated into four groups. Within those groups, each plant was awarded a "seed" number, from one to sixteen. First seeds are popular, widely available varieties like Little Lime™ hydrangea and Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip' butterfly bush. Sixteenth seeds, conversely, are lesser known varieties like 'Frozen Flame' hebe. The higher seed numbers are often considered the underdogs or Cinderellas of the tournament.

In the first round, first seeds and 16th seeds compete, second and 15th, third and 14th, etc. To fill out your bracket, look at each match up, and decide which plant you like more/will get more votes. That plant moves to the next round. For example, will Sonic BloomPink weigela (1) or Happy Face® White bush cinquefoil (16) move on? Will Dream Catcher™ beauty bush (8) or Show Off® forsythia (9) win?

In the second round, the winners of the first round will compete against each other, following the lines on the bracket. If Sonic Bloom Pink weigela and Dream Catcher beauty bush were the winners in the first round, they would compete against each other in the second. Continue your picks, round by round, until it comes to the final match up, determining the National Champion.

{UPDATE} Fill out the entire bracket and submit it before February 28th. The bracket scoring will be point based. For every correct Round One pick, one point will be awarded; for every correct Round Two pick, two points will be awarded; and so on. Whichever garden writer has the most points at the end of the competition will win the Floral Four prize. I will announce the standings at the end of each round.

Good luck!

View the original Shrub Madness press release.

February 5, 2014

Adjectives Running Amok

Midway through a press release about a very exciting, totally amazing announcement for next week, I found myself using phrases like "very exciting, totally amazing." Sigh. No, that won't do.

At some point, for whatever reason (Me? Too much coffee - always), we cross the adjective threshold, adding more and more words in an effort to make our writing better and clearer when the opposite happens. In these moments of flourish, there is only one thing to do. Immediately read Jack Finney's "Cousin Len's Wonderful Adjective Cellar." Now. This very moment. I will wait.

Did you read it? Are you forever changed?

In the world of horticulture, it is easy to describe plants and gardens as pretty, great, beautiful, unique, attractive and dozens of other words that amount to the same thing: fluff. Let's discover our internal adjective cellars and put an end to the fluff. For every ten words used, remove the least valuable one. Each time you begin to write "very" or "beautiful," stop and ask yourself, "What would Cousin Len do?" I think he would be excited about next week's announcement, but he would think of clean, concise way to say it.

January 24, 2014

Top Ten Cold Hardy Shrubs


In the nursery's marketing department, a bitter debate about winter is raging, as tumultuous as the piling drifts and ice-covered roads. Points and counterpoints are slung over the cubicle walls and a line drawn in the snow. I am decidedly pro-winter. Others in my near vicinity would rather take a shovel to the face than endure another two months of this.

The one thing we can agree upon? The colder than normal temperatures are going to result in more than a few holes in the landscape come spring. Just as drought-tolerant selections soared in popularity after the summer of 2012, cold-hardy plants will trend after the Polar Vortex finishes its path.

I took to our catalog to make a list of Zone 3 or lower plants, and there are 42 Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs that fit the bill. While I would love to present a "Top 42 Cold Hardy Shrubs" list, we can agree that it's a bit excessive. Before I narrow it down to my top ten, here are a few winter plant facts to consider sharing with your readers.
Now, on to the shrubs!
  1. Pucker Up!® Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) | Zone 3 | Pucker Up! is a native shrub that always gets a double take in the display garden. Its thick foliage is distinctly quilted, making it both visually interesting and disease resistant.
  2. Fire Light™ Hardy Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) | Zone 3 | Fire Light is the newest hardy hydrangea in the Proven Winners line and will be making its way to retail this spring. It was selected for its upright, tightly packed panicles that transform from white to pomegranate pink. It's small stature (2.5-3' tall and 3-4' wide) make it a great choice for large containers or small spaces.
  3. Berry Poppins™ Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) | Zone 3 | It's no surprise that a species commonly called "winterberry" can take plummeting temperatures. Berry Poppins, also new to retail this spring, stays a compact 3-4' tall and wide and produces more fruit than the comparable 'Red Sprite.' Mr. Poppins™ is the pollinator (even though there wasn't a "Mr. Poppins." I really wanted the plant to be called "Bert" but was outvoted in that naming meeting).
  4. Tiny Wine™ Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) | Zone 3 | Continuing with petite plants, Tiny Wine is a new dwarf ninebark that is smaller than other options on the market. Its maroon foliage is accented with white flowers in late spring. Dare I say that they look like snowballs?
  5. Happy Face® Pink Paradise Bush Cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) | Zone 2 | Our friends to the north are no stranger to bush cinquefoil giving winter the cold shoulder. These reliable, low maintenance natives bloom from spring to late summer, and Happy Face Pink Paradise's doubled flowers keep its clear pink color under intense heat longer than other varieties.
  6. Oso Easy® Fragrant Spreader Landscape Rose (Rosa) | Zone 3 | There are three Oso Easy roses that fit the Zone 3 requirement, but I love Fragrant Spreader in the landscape. While admittedly a bit silly, its name says it all: this low-spreading rose is continuously covered in fragrant, single pink flowers. 
  7. Glow Girl™ Spirea (Spiraea betulifolia) | Zone 3 | Interesting foliage is making gardeners reconsider spirea. While a garden classic, it typically lacked extended interest. Glow Girl's lemon-lime foliage holds its bright coloring without burning through summer and shows burgundy in fall, making it worthy of space in any landscape.
  8. Scent and SensibilityPink Lilac (Syringa x) | Zone 3 | Lilacs and cool temperatures go hand in hand, so they, of course, have a place on this list. The lilac I'm most excited to see come in to its own in my garden this spring is the new Scent and Sensibility Pink. Not only is its fragrance heavenly, but it is only 2-3 tall and 4-5' wide, making it the perfect fit for smaller spaces.
  9. Anna's Magic Ball™ Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) | Zone 3 | Anna's Magic Ball is cute. Is it terrible if that's why I love it? But it really is. This tiny arborvitae stays 10-15" tall in a perfect sphere, and its golden foliage just begs to be touched. I can't stop touching it. Why can't I stop touching it? On the serious side, it also has good burn resistance and keeps its color throughout winter.
  10. Blue Muffin® Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) | Zone 3 | At 5-7' tall, Blue Muffin makes a great low-hedge, covered in showy blue fruit in late summer. This compact native will produce more fruit with a pollinator, and we recommend Chicago Lustre™ (also Zone 3). 
Now that the list and my cocoa are finished, I think it's time to suit up and enjoy the snow that everyone seems to be complaining about.

Other Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs rated Zone 3 or lower (because I can't help myself sometimes):
Arctic Fire™ Red Twig Dogwood | Incrediball® Smooth Hydrangea | Invincibelle® Spirit Smooth Hydrangea | Bobo® Hardy Hydrangea | 'Limelight' Hardy Hydrangea | Little Lime™ Hardy Hydrangea | 'Little Lamb' Hardy Hydrangea | Quick Fire® Hardy Hydrangea | Pinky Winky® Hardy Hydrangea | Berry Heavy® Winterberry Holly | Berry Heavy® Gold Winterberry Holly | Berry Nice® Winterberry Holly | Little Goblin™ Winterberry Holly | Sugar MountainBlue Sweetberry Honeysuckle | Celtic Pride™ Siberian Cypress | Red Wall® Virginia Creeper | 'Yellow Wall' Virginia Creeper | Coppertina™ Ninebark | Summer Wine® Ninebark | Happy Face® Bush Cinquefoil | Happy Face® White Bush Cinquefoil | Fine Line® Buckthorn | Oso Easy® Paprika Landscape Rose | Oso Easy® Peachy Cream Landscape Rose | Lemon Lace™ Elderberry | Amethyst™ Coral Berry | Bloomerang® Purple Lilac | Bloomerang® Dark Purple Lilac | 'Filip's Magic Moment' Arborvitae | North Pole™ Arborvitae | Polar Gold™ Arborvitae

Featured Post

Plant of the Week: Emerald Envy® Viburnum

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles The Emerald City is on my mind right now because I'm headed to Seattle this week for ...