Plant of the Week: Brandywine™ Viburnum

Fabulous in Fall!

It's officially fall, and I'm very happy.

I love fall. I love the crisp air, the bright colors, and the dead ragweed. And I love Brandywine™ viburnum.

 
I'm not alone in my fondness for this plant. Our very own Plant Hunter, Tim Wood, wrote a nice tribute to it on his blog. While any Viburnum nudum is delightful, Brandywine™ is particularly nice because it doesn't need a pollinator to produce the showy fall fruit that I need to have. You need them, too.

Brandywine™ is hardy to USDA Zone 5, and grows 5-6' tall and wide. It will grow in full sun or partial shade, and has good deer resistance.

 
Although Brandywine™ is perfectly happy on its own, it is also a good pollinator for 'Winterthur', which does need a companion plant to produce fruit.

An autumn delight.

One of the nicest plants for the autumn landscape is Viburnum nudum. It's nice all season, actually, with white flowers in spring and shiny foliage all summer long. But fall is when this plant really gets its groove on.

That classy green summer foliage transforms into rich burgundy, and the white flowers of spring have been replaced by the showiest berry display this side of the American Pie Council. Yes, there really is such a thing, and they take their blueberry pie seriously. 

While you can't eat these berries, your bird friends will. The fruits range from pink to blue to blue-black, and you may have all three colors on your plants at the same time.

This is a lovely native plant that adds a lot to the fall landscape. And doesn't your fall landscape deserve something spectacular? Summer gets all of the attention, but let's face it, fall is when many of us can enjoy our yards.

 
The bugs are gone, the temperature is just right for puttering about or even relaxing with a good book. The kids aren't bothering you because they're busy with homework. You deserve something this lovely in your garden. It will help to distract you from the powerful language your spouse uses while watching football. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway, enjoy fall!
 
Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

GWA Annual Conference & Expo

What a trip! 

This year's Garden Writers Association Annual Conference & Expo was held in Atlanta.  It was a busy conference full of education, garden tours, and of course, lots of plant talk! 

As always, it was pleasure catching up with everyone throughout the conference and particularly in the exhibit hall.  Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs had several new varieties on display.  I'd have to say the crowd favorites were Pearl Glam™ Beautyberry Callicarpa and Purple Pillar™ Rose of Sharon Hibiscus.


The garden tours were amazing...even in the rain!  The Atlanta Botanical Garden was my favorite. Lots of unique and inspiring gardens throughout the grounds and the catwalk was pretty cool too!  

We also toured several private residences and one stuck out, largely because my other passion, midcentury design.  The house and the gardens complemented each other so well. 

Thank you to the GWA board and committees for their hard work to make this event a success.  Next year's conference and expo is in Buffalo, NY from August 4-7...mark your calendars!

Plant of the Week: Tiny Wine® Physocarpus

Ninebark is awesome!

Tiny Wine® Gold Physocarpus is just what its name implies. Tiny Wine®...but with yellow foliage. Like the original Tiny Wine ninebark, it is a compact plant with fine texture and good mildew resistance.

Physocarpus is best in full sun, and does like to have good air circulation. This variety will grow 3-5' tall and wide, and is hardy to USDA Zone 3. Tiny Wine® Gold is a heavy blooming plant that is very showy right when customers are in the garden center.

Ninebark is a tough, durable, native plant, and I'm really happy that it has become a popular plant for gardens and landscapes. If you've got a site that's sunny and windy, give it a try!

Story ideas: 
Dwarf shrubs
Native plants
Cut flowers
Disease resistant plants

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles