Plant of the Week: Clematis 'Viva Polonia'

Defense.

Well, a championship football team absolutely needs defense, but a clematis will be OK with de-trellis if de-fense isn't available.

'Viva Polonia' is a victory lap of a clematis. Named for its similarity to the colors of the Polish flag, it was bred by All-Pro Clematis Breeder Szczepan Marczynski of Poland. Its showy red flowers are accented by a flashy white eye and appear in June and July. They will reappear later in the season on new growth.

'Viva Polonia' flowers on both old and new wood, so it's a very reliable bloomer. Prune it back to about 3' each spring if desired. It will grow in full sun or partial shade; it does prefer sunny but not overheated sites.

Hardy to USDA Zone 4, it grows 4-6' tall.

'Viva Polonia' blooms on both old and new wood, making it a reliable, floriferous summer vine.

Not a football fan?

That's OK. Many of us tuned in more for the commercials and Lady Gaga than we did the game. Not having an allegiance to any particular team, I was torn between the Panthers' obvious appeal to a crazy cat lady (plus all the great plants developed by NCSU) and a close family member who is a Broncos fan. Ultimately, it was Peyton Manning who tipped the scales in Denver's favor for me. As someone who is staring down a milestone birthday, I had to root for the old man on the field.

If football isn't your thing, maybe you like basketball instead. No? How about hockey? If you're waiting for baseball, you've got a couple of months before Opening Day - not that nursery people have time for that.

Lucky for you, we've got the perfect sporting event and it happens before the spring rush. That's right, it's Shrub Madness! The thrill of victory (Fire Light® hydrangea). The agony of defeat (Bangle® Genista upsetting Little Quick Fire® hydrangea?!?) Surprises, drama, poorly choreographed end zone dances in the greenhouses - it's all about to happen again in 2016!

You can fill out your bracket starting today. Then vote every day from March 1 to March 31. It's a fun way to see what people like. Think of it as a focus group. Just keep it clean. No trash talking or unhortsmanlike conduct.

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

Plant of the Week: Lemony Lace Elderberry

When life gives you lemons, plant some Lemony Lace! Even if life is giving you kittens and chocolate and other good things, I hope you will still plant Lemony Lace™ Sambucus racemosa because it is really delightful. It's got color, texture, and is a shaggy mound of sunshine for your yard. The reddish new growth is quite enticing.

Lemony Lace elderberry grows 3-5' tall and wide and is hardy to USDA Zone 3. It will be happiest in cooler climates, where it will grow in full sun or partial shade. As you get to the more southern end of its range (AHS 7) it will appreciate some light shade.

Lemony Lace elderberry has improved sunburn resistance over other golden varieties.

Sambucus

Not to be confused with Sambuca, which has its own charms.

Sambucus is also known as elderberry. Many of us have wild elderberry plants growing near us and marvel at the transformation of a weedy ditch plant into a seductive garden star. Those clever plant breeders!

Sambucus nigra produces blue or black fruit in late summer that may be used for jelly or juice. Wine is a possibility, although you didn't hear it from me. The flowers are also edible: use them for fritters or make a refreshing (and non-alcoholic) cordial.

Our Black Lace™ elderberry is a S. nigra, and while it was selected for its ornamental appeal, it does produce a good supply of fruit.

For serious fruit production, consider S. canadensis 'Adams'. There is some discussion among taxonomists that canadensis is now a subspecies of nigra, but I know better than to get into a taxonomy cage fight.

Lemony Lace elderberry is a Sambucus racemosa, or red elderberry. The bright red fruit is appealing but not considered edible. In theory you can eat it after boiling, but I think you'd need to be pretty hungry to try it.

If you really want to up the ornamental appeal of your elderberry offerings, check out our new variegated variety, Instant Karma™ Sambucus nigra. It wasn't selected for its fruit production but will produce berries, especially if planted near another S. nigra variety.

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

Plant of the Week: Purple Pillar Rose of Sharon

Supermodel

You know what I mean. Tall, thin and beautiful. An unattainable goal for most of us, but we can get a taste of supermodel star power in our gardens. Purple Pillar™ rose of Sharon is a new Hibiscus syriacus with a uniquely fastigiate habit. Think of it like a Fine Line® Rhamnus with pretty purple flowers. Paulina Porizkova rather than Ric Ocasek, if you will. (I really like both Fine Line Rhamnus and The Cars, but you get the idea.)

Purple Pillar rose of Sharon grows 10-16' tall and 2-3' wide. Wow! Think of what you could do with that: screens, hedges, patio containers. Anywhere you need a little privacy and/or color in a narrow space, this plant is a great choice. Like most hibiscus, it will do best in full sun. It is hardy to USDA Zone 5.

Large, semi-doubled summer blooms adorn Purple Pillar rose of Sharon.

Fastigiate plants

Fastigiate is a fancy way of saying tall and thin. Plants with this characteristic add a lot to landscapes. For one, they fit into narrow spaces. Anyone working in a cramped urban or suburban site will appreciate that.

They also add a very desirable vertical line to designs. It can be a very effective visual 'pop' in the landscape. A line of tall, narrow plants is quite elegant. Kind of like the Rockettes. Any show is better with the Rockettes, and any garden is better with a a vertical plant or three.

Fastigiate plants like Purple Pillar rose of Sharon make a stunning addition to the landscape.

Check out this nice slideshow of garden allées. While you may never have a stately mansion and estate of your own, you can probably grow a more modest version of the allée at your own home.

Here are some good options for tall, narrow plantings:

• Sunjoy® Gold Pillar Berberis 
• 'Dee Runk' Buxus 
• 'Green Arrow' Chamaecyparis 
• Patti O™ Ilex crenata 
• Castle Wall™ Ilex x meservae 
• North Pole® Thuja 

You can create a similar effect with a hydrangea tree: H. paniculata is best for that. 'Limelight' is a particularly good variety for standards.

And here it is, a flashback to Friday Night Videos. 

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