Plant of the Week: Incrediball Hydrangea

Looking for a hydrangea that can take a cold winter? Check out Incrediball® Hydrangea arborescens. This is a great selection of our native smooth hydrangea. It has sturdy stems, huge flowers, and won't be injured by cold winters. Like all H. arborescens, it will look its best after a couple of seasons in the ground.

Incrediball hydrangea is an attention-grabbing specimen plant for mixed borders and makes a fabulous mass planting, too. You can even cut and dry the huge flowers for arrangements. We are hearing from many landscapers and landscape nurseries that this variety is superseding 'Annabelle' in the market. As it should: it's bigger, it's better, and it doesn't flop.

Native Incrediball hydrangea in our Michigan trial garden. It does well in full sun.

It will grow 4-5' tall and wide and is hardy to USDA Zone 3. It is best in full sun, particularly in northern climates, but will take some partial shade in warmer areas. The flowers open green, turn white, and then go back to green.

You will not get blue from this hydrangea. However, we can offer you a pink version: Incrediball® Blush hydrangea. It has all of the same great attributes as the original Incrediball hydrangea but will delight you with its soft blush-pink flowers.

New Incrediball Blush hydrangea has the same strong stems and large flowers as the original, but now in soft pink.

Ned Stark was right.

Winter was coming. And now it's here. Mild temperatures in December lulled many of us into complacency - it was 70°F in New York on Christmas Day! But winter did finally get here, complete with frigid temperatures, blowing snow, and an insatiable need for hot chocolate.

The best way to deal with winter is to embrace it. Our Canadian neighbors understand this. I was in Toronto last week for the Landscape Ontario Congress tradeshow. There was serious snow removal equipment on display. Canadians also recognize that if you're going to live in a cold climate, investing in stylish winter gear will keep you sane. I am saving up to buy a Canada Goose parka. There is also the ultimate coping mechanism: Tim Horton's. Hot chocolate, tea, coffee, whatever you want - and have a donut, too. You shoveled snow: you deserve it.

Just as our Canadian friends embrace winter, they embrace gardening, too. Some of our most enthusiastic Facebook fans are Canadian. Like the good people of Minnesota, they don't let a short growing season keep them from having a fabulous garden.

That is the real lesson of a cold day: celebrate what you have and make it wonderful. Whether that is a shady garden, cold winters, or hot summers, you can find plants that make your space lovely. And while Zone Envy is understandable, don't let it keep you from enjoying the plants you can grow.

Still feeling chilly? Well, at least you don't live in Finland.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

Plant of the Week: Sunshine Blue II Bluebeard

January, at least in Michigan, can be dark and dreary. We need sun! While we can't manufacture sunshine here at the nursery, we can produce some cheery, sunny plants. Sunshine Blue® II Caryopteris (bluebeard) is one such plant.

Many of you know the original Sunshine Blue® Caryopteris; it has bright yellow foliage and rich blue flowers with plenty of contrast. If you have the poor taste to cheer for that team over in Ann Arbor, you'll like the combination. Sunshine Blue II bluebeard has that same bold color scheme, but is a hardier plant. It's a little more compact, too.

Sunshine Blue II Caryopteris forms a tidy 2-3' mound.

Sunshine Blue II bluebeard comes from breeding we did several years ago... and forgot about. We left Caryopteris seedlings on their own in a field for about five years, and when we got around to clearing the field for another group of plants, we found that only two plants had survived. Five years of Michigan winters is a pretty tough test for a Caryopteris. Sunshine Blue II bluebeard is one of those survivors.

Like all Caryoperis, it will do best in well-drained soil and full sun. It is hardy to USDA Zone 5 and grows 2-3' tall and wide. 

Attractive yellow foliage holds up to the heat of summer and is adorned with vivid blue flowers late in the season.

Deer don't like it!

You all know that deer resistance is relative. They like some plants more than others, but if they get hungry enough they will eventually eat anything. Caryopertis are plants that deer typically don't like. Other unappealing plants include:

• Abelia 
• Buddleia (butterfly bush)
• Berberis (barberry)
• Buxus (boxwood)
• Clethra (summersweet)
• Deutzia 
• Hibiscus syriacus (rose of Sharon)
• Microbiota (Siberian cypress)
• Spiraea (spirea)
• Syringa (lilac)
• Viburnum 
• Weigela 

Sorry, they like roses and hydrangeas.

We refer to the Rutgers University website for their deer-resistance observations. It's a good reference, and I know that our friends in New Jersey have a significant deer population.

Sprays can work, but you need to reapply them. It can be frustrating. Your best option may be hoping to have neighbors who plant things that the deer like more than what is in your yard. Leave a hosta on your neighbor's doorstep this spring!

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

MANTS is a MUST!

This year was my first year at MANTS and it was incredible!  It was the biggest trade show I’ve ever attended and had so much to see…not to mention the countless wonderful people sharing the same passion for the industry.  As always, the Garden Writers Association group turned out in great numbers and it was a pleasure to meet the new management team.   In my time wandering the show floor and talking with others throughout the show, I took note of emerging trends and new product introductions.  Here's a few things that I noticed.

Edibles

Edibles continue to be the chatter as they grow in prominence amongst new and seasoned gardeners.  There was a variety of new introductions and innovative products for those looking to start edible gardens.  Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs has a variety of new edible introductions including goji berries and haskaps (edible honesuckle).  For more information on haskaps, visit the Plant Hunter blog by Tim Wood.

Terrariums

I saw a lot of exhibitors displaying terrariums throughout the show.  They are a great, fun, and low maintenance way to bring your gardening skills indoors, particularly during these brutal winter months (Michigan just got hit with a foot of snow…brr!).  Looking for more information?  Read this great article by Doug Oster. 

Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs

If you had a chance to stop at the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrub booth, I hope you were able to talk to new plants with the team.  We had several of our new introductions on display.  One of the most talked about was 'Golden Treasure' Dwarf Birch, because of it's bright coloration and dwarf habit.  Another new introduction, Tuff Stuff™ Red Hydrangea, joins the Tuff Stuff series, this time with red blooms!  Low Scape™ Mound Aronia caught the eye of a lot of gardeners and landscapers because of it's tidy mounded habit and glossy green foliage. I can't forget to mention my personal favorite, Double Play^® Candy Corn^™ Spirea.  This spirea is so colorful with  new growth emerging bright red maturing to a pineapple yellow. 

We're off to fast start to 2016 and I have a feeling it's going to stay that for the whole year.  I've set my blog and article schedule to keep on track and I'm sure you're all ready for the year too! 

Best, Mark