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.

• When it comes to plants, ignore the wind chill. Much like Minnesotans, they laugh in wind chill's face. It is deftly explained in this 60-second audio clip from LSU: "Plants Don't Feel Wind Chill."
• Wind can be a problem. So can bright sun on a cold day.
• Snow cover insulates and protects plants. Leave it be.

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 Sensibility™ Pink 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 Mountain™ Blue 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

The French Connection: Minier Nurseries' Patrick Pineau

Patrick Pineau with Coppertina ninebark

It takes the French touch to reinvent a North American standard, or so Minier Nurseries would have us believe. Located in the famed Anjou region of France, Minier has established itself as a leading name in European horticulture after a century and a half of breathing excitement into plants that may have been otherwise overlooked. Consider the Show Off® forsythia series whose compact varieties bloom from base to tip. Minier's work with Ceanothus hybrids like Marie Rose™ and Marie Bleu™ combines the color of California lilac and the hardiness of New Jersey tea for attention grabbing landscape options. Perhaps you have heard of a little plant called 'Josee' lilac. Yup, also from Minier.

Patrick Pineau, head of Research and Development for Minier Nurseries, has worked with us to bring 13 varieties to the Proven Winners flowering shrub collection. It was this ongoing relationship that prompted our invitation for him to join us at MANTS for the annual garden writers luncheon. Unfortunately, the Polar Vortex had other plans, and Patrick made it as far as Toronto before turning back to France. After recovering from his travels, he sat down to answer a few questions about French gardens today and the plants that make up this new landscape.

How did you become involved in the horticulture industry?
Minier nurseries have been a historical anchor of French horticulture since 1856, but its main development was after the second world war at the impulse of Robert Minier, who has developed international connections with other nurseries, especially with US nurseries like Iseli for conifers.

In that same time, Minier started breeding activity, especially in Hibiscus syriacus and Syringa vulgaris. Now, in 40 years, Minier has launched more than 40 selections to the market, and some of them are now mainstays for all growers in Europe.

In your opinion, what does the quintessential French landscape look like?
Of course, everybody knows the classical French gardens: the old castles with Buxus, Carpinus and Taxus pruned, but now the French landscape is more about the use and layout of little urban spaces with compact shrubs, grasses, climbing plants, and little trees. Using color is also important; French gardens are not green and uniform like in the past, but evolve across the seasons while keeping a certain structure and using perspective.

How are the plants bred by Minier changing or continuing this French tradition?
In the past 20 years, plant consumption habits have changed, linked to decreasing available space. It's the reason why we focus on compact plants and little trees. Minier carries on its work on Syringa vulgaris genus (a historical genus by well-known French breeder Lemoine at the beginning of last century) and Hibiscus syriacus, but, of course, we are looking for compact habits, sterility and diseases resistance, three of most important things demanded by new gardeners.

What trends are you seeing in new woody ornamentals? What traits are you looking for in a plant?
Disease resistance and drought resistance seem to be important, and we focus also on maintenance in the garden. Also, we have to think about the main needs of the market in 10 or 15 years, especially for trees.

Which Minier plants in the Proven Winners line have the most unique or surprising traits?
Of course, as a breeder, Minier considers all his plants unique, but we are also growers, and we focus also on improved performance in production for our partners. For example, Forsythia Show Off® Starlet is a neat, sanitary improvement in container production in comparison to the recent compact varieties on the market. It's the same for Ceanothus Marie Rose®, which needs less pruning for the growers. And, what is good for growers is also good for the gardens.

What is your favorite Proven Winners ColorChoice shrub?
One of our favorites is Physocarpus Coppertina® with its new copper colored leaves in spring. It is easy to grow and without problems in garden - well in phase with the new trends in the garden.

Thank you for your time, Patrick!

For a detailed look at the 13 Minier varieties in the Proven Winners ColorChoice collection, please visit our slideshow: The French Connection: Proven Winners ColorChoice Flowering Shrubs from Minier Nursery.

*Interview was edited for clarity.

MANTS 2014 Recap

While the biggest surprise during Baltimore's Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) was a weather-related fire alarm emptying the crowded convention center, last week's event featured a few noteworthy gardening trends to keep in mind this spring.

Beneficial Insects | Colony Collapse Disorder continues to make headlines, and people across the globe are raising banners on behalf of bees and other six and eight-legged friends. In addition to bags of lady bugs and a variety of sustainable products that won't disrupt your garden's ecosystem, several booths displayed beautifully designed bee hives, similar in size to a bird house. Could hives be the next chic garden accessory?

All Things Edible | The most recent Garden Writers Association survey (October 2013) showed that 54% of gardeners had a vegetable garden and 60% were interested in growing their own food. The industry is eagerly embracing the resurgence in edible gardening, and products making it easier were well represented at the show. Creating raised beds are a snap with cedar kits, and I'm particularly excited for options made of durable, fiber materials like felt. Imagine just unfolding, filling, and planting. 

Edible plant options were also displayed at many booths, ranging from traditional seeds to ornamental peppers. At the Proven Winners ColorChoice booth, sample tastings of the Vitamin Berry® line, which includes Lifeberry® goji berries (spring 2014) and Sugar Mountain™ Blue sweetberry honeysuckle (spring 2015), drew constant attention and a few surprised reactions. Yes, there is an edible honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea), and it is delicious.

White Is the New Black | Trade shows often leave me drooling over the colorful pottery and wondering why my college ceramic projects never turned out quite so well. The palette at MANTS seemed subdued, however. Many vendors were featuring earthy and unglazed options, and as I admired an elegant display of all white pottery, Justin Bradshaw of Pacific Home & Garden shared that neutral finishes have been their top sellers, and when it comes to color, currently white reigns supreme. I am a fan, and if I wasn't flying back to Michigan, I would have talked him out of the whole display.

For writers, it is important to note that this year was the first that MANTS organized a press room. Members of the media can now receive complimentary registration to the annual event. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic region, mark your calendars for early January 2015. It is one of the largest horticulture trade shows in the States and definitely worth attending, fire alarms aside.

Greenhouses in Winter

During the spring and summer months, this now empty greenhouse showcases a colorful display of just-released varieties for visitors to enjoy. Since most shrubs require a period of dormancy, even as liners, the greenhouses stay between 28-34°F. Only one house is heated to force plants to bloom for winter trade shows.

Resolutions of a New Blog

“That’s right,” I say in my toughest voice. “Bring it.”

2014 bristles in response, but after a moment against my steely glare and best super hero stance, it backs away slowly. I am armed with the overzealousness of a fresh year, a color-coded plan, and a list of resolutions. Against 2014, I am invincible.

The year wields an intimidating mix of professional and personal chaos, including a record number of new shrub introductions, coast-to-coast traveling, and planning my wedding, but I am determined not to let a busy schedule and bride brain stop me from a successful 2014. I created “Through the Greenhouse Glass” as a way to share beauty, craft, knowledge, and inspiration with garden writers, my favorite group of people to work with as PR & Marketing Specialist for Proven Winners ColorChoice. To get started, I present the short list of what you can expect: four resolutions for the new year and a new blog.

1. Create something beautiful.
   Calling upon a background in art, I want to create, and hopefully inspire you to create, a beautiful aesthetic through design, photography, and lovely plants. It is said that images are the currency of media, so we do both ourselves and horticulture a favor by communicating its graces with the beauty and care they deserve. 
2. Showcase my inner nerd.
   Years ago, at a coffee house, book in hand, I giggled openly and frequently. When a passerby asked about my source of mirth, she was disappointed to learn it was “Eats, Shoots & Leaves,” a grammar book. She gave me the same sidelong, blank stare I sometimes get from the dog when I dance around the living room. Or when I begin a tangent on marketing. Or history. Or the history of words used in marketing. As my good fortune has it, writers need to promote themselves, so I get to share my collection of writing and marketing tips, tricks, and hilarity with you. Yea!
3. Learn from the best.
   Whether it’s advice penned by the great authors of the past or those making it happen in communications today, there is so much to learn from the brains of others. Let me pick yours and feature your greatness.
4. Celebrate horticulture.
   The last thing to expect from this blog is a look at what life is like at the nursery behind Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs, Spring Meadow. It’s weird. It’s colorful. It’s full of cool plants.

{resuming super hero stance} Give it your best shot, 2014. I'm ready.