Season's Greetings! Plant of the Week: North Pole Thuja

Tis the season for decking the halls...and as the popularity of container gardening continues to grow,

'Filip's Magic Moment' Thuja

evergreens that can be decorated and used indoors, and then taken back outdoors after the season is over, seems like a natural fit, right?

Not so fast... bringing an evergreen or conifer inside, then taking it outdoors again and successfully re-acclimating it to the winter environment can be tricky business. As you probably know, sudden temperature changes and dry indoor conditions can doom a once-healthy little outdoor plant.

Some shrubs, like 'Filip's Magic Moment', will withstand this treatment better than others...and imagine having this sweet little guy ready and waiting on your patio to bring inside and brighten your indoor décor each Christmas?

Do you have tips about reintroducing live 'trees' to the outdoors after Christmas? How about other ideas for holiday container gardening? I'd love to hear them!

On to the plant of the week...

This week Jane celebrates the season with a clever take on a popular holiday place, the North Pole. Her plant of the week blog post is below...thanks for reading and we'll see you in the New Year.

Natalie

All eyes are on the North Pole!

The little ones are looking for Santa Claus, of course. Have you heard the story of how NORAD started to track his progress on Christmas Eve? It's delightful.

Those of us who have aged out of the jolly old elf's system can content ourselves with North Pole Thuja. It, too, is delightful. And unlike many of the presents under Christmas trees, it will last for many years.

Thuja is a fast-growing, very narrow selection of our native arborvitae. Developed in Minnesota, this is a plant that was literally made for cold weather. It's quite hardy (USDA Zone 3) and has good resistance to winter burn. I think you'll find that this is a very appealing plant both in the landscape and at retail. The tight, narrow form is really attractive and quite useful for smaller sites. Check out this cool video about the plant.

Finally, a very Merry Christmas from everyone at Spring Meadow Nursery. 


Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Winter Interest - Plant of the Week: Berry Heavy® Gold Ilex verticillata

Hello and happy Monday!

This week Jane writes about the winter interest plant, Berry Heavy® Gold Ilex verticillata. As you know, most people don't produce gardens and landscapes that have year-round interest by sheer luck...it's something that takes planning and nurturing.

When my family moved into our house about 12 years ago, we took all the grass out of the sloped front yard and replaced it with a huge perennial and flowering shrub garden. It's quite a beautiful sight all summer if I do say so myself...but I have always bemoaned the lack of winter interest in my yard.

But now I've seen the light! I've been wanting to remove some tall ornamental grasses that have gotten a little invasive over the past few years, and my plan for next summer is to replace them with a Berry Heavy® Gold and a Berry Poppins® Ilex (with a Mr. Poppins® close by!) and probably a couple Arctic Fire® Red Twig Dogwood as well. Yes, I know summer is a long way off, but you have to think warm thoughts, right?

What are your favorite winter-interest plants? What do you write about this time of year that seems to get gardeners the most excited about celebrating the season, or preparing for the next one?

Jane's plant of the week blog post is below, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading and we'll see you next week,

Natalie

May your days be merry and bright...

I'm pretty sure our Christmas will be white.

Berry Heavy® Gold

The lake effect snow machine kicked in last week, and we've had another several inches since Monday. So I'd say we're on track here for a Currier and Ives-like Christmas here in West Michigan.

That's why we need these bright berries in winter. Truthfully, if you've got good snow cover the red berries stand out a little more. But on gloomy, cold-winter-rain days a golden winterberry is, well, golden.

We selected Berry Heavy® Gold Ilex verticillata for its big, bright golden fruit. It's a stunning choice for landscapes and cutting gardens. Berry Heavy® Gold grows 6-8' tall and wide and is hardy to USDA Zone 3. It will grow in full sun or partial shade.

Like other Ilex, it will need a male pollinator to produce fruit; we recommend Mr. Poppins®.

This cold-hardy native plant will grow fairly far south (USDA Zone 9) so even folks who have sleet instead of pretty snow can grow it.

It will grow in most situations as long as the soil isn't alkaline. Wet soils? It loves them. Clay soils? Those are OK, too. Winterberry will tolerate the air pollution of urban locations, and can shore up the stream banks in more rural settings. How wonderful is that?

The only limitation of winterberry is that it doesn't look like much until fall and winter, which makes it a tough sell to the spring impulse shopper. So let's do the world a favor and get the word out about this awesome species.

Here's a 30 second video that you can share with your fans if you want to share a little more inspiration.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Magic Moments and Plant of the Week

Happy Monday! 

I'm Natalie, Spring Meadow's new marketing and promotions specialist and your new "Through the      Greenhouse Glass" blogger. I'm looking forward to connecting with you, sharing ideas and inspiration, and also of course, sharing Jane's fabulous "Plant of the Week" posts. 

This week Jane posted about the Filips Magic Moment® Thuja, a sunny spot in what can sometimes be a drab winter landscape. But before we get to the Plant of the Week post, I wanted to share another magic moment. Last week our videographer Adriana captured the first snow at the Deppe garden here in Grand Haven. It's simply breathtaking...enjoy:

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'Filips Magic Moment'

Hello gloom,

Winter finally decided to show up. In West Michigan, that means clouds and lake effect snow. It's fifty shades of gray but slushy, not smutty.

So we need some bright evergreen color to cheer us up. 'Filips Magic Moment' Thuja does the trick. It's a compact evergreen with golden foliage that is a welcome sight in these dreary days.

I planted a couple of these in my mom's yard and saw them this weekend. I commented to her that I always forget how much I like this plant until the cold weather comes. They were beautiful!

'Filip's Magic Moment' grows 6-8' tall and is hardy to USDA Zone 3. It will grow in full sun or partial shade. Use it as you would a Dwarf Alberta Spruce - it's a better choice in warmer areas where the Picea can struggle.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Winecraft Black Smokebush

Holy smokes!

Smokebush is a fun plant. The clouds of pink flowers are unlike other garden plants and have the exotic appeal of something seen only in botanic gardens. (It's actually not the flowers that you notice, but the hairs around them.) In addition to the attention-grabbing summer flowers, Cotinus has excellent fall color. It will add months of interest to landscapes. It's an adaptable plant, too. Drought, clay soil, deer - none of these things will trouble Cotinus. The only thing you really need to watch is that the soil is well-drained.

As an easy-to-grow, adaptable plant with tons of ornamental appeal, why aren't there more smokebushes in gardens? One reason is that they are at their peak in summer rather than spring, so there isn't a ton of impulse appeal at retail. Another is that older varieties are kind of irregular growers. Their habit could be a bit ungainly, especially as young plants.

Meet Winecraft Black

That's why we're so pleased to introduce Winecraft Black®, a new compact Cotinus with an excellent uniform habit. It's a semi-dwarf plant that grows 4-6' tall and wide, so it fits nicely into most landscapes. Really, now there's no excuse not to have smokebush in your garden.

As the name would suggest, Winecraft Black® has dark purple-black foliage that is quite showy all summer long. In summer pink-red panicles cover the plant in the signature 'smoke' of smoketrees. Hardy to USDA Zone 4, this plant will do best in full sun.

Garden Answer & Winecraft Black

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Still Waters Clematis

Given the tumultuous waters of recent weather reports, a calming thought or two seems in order.

Still Waters™ clematis is a cool, relaxing plant that's perfect for adding some serenity to gardens. The large violet-blue flowers are a delightful contrast with dark-leafed plants like Black Lace® elderberry.

Unlike other clematis varieties you may have grown, it blooms on both old and new wood so you don't need to consult a chart before pruning it. Actually, you can get away without pruning it at all (or just cut it back to about 2.5' in spring.) Either way, it will flower from late spring to late summer.

Hardy to USDA Zone 5, it will grow in full sun or partial shade. You can expect it to get 4-7' tall on a fence or trellis.

We could use some still waters right now.

First Harvey, then Irma - it's been a rough hurricane season. We certainly hope our friends who have been in the paths of these storms are safe and the damage to your homes and businesses is minimal.

When Mother Nature throws hurricanes, wildfires, and other extreme weather at us, we gain even more of an appreciation of plants that don't need special treatment. Really, even if we aren't dealing with crazy rain and wind most of us don't have time to coddle our plants.

For a long time clematis were in the high-maintenance plant category for many people. To be sure, if clematis are happy they're pretty easy going, but figuring out if you've got the right conditions for the plant and then identifying the correct pruning technique for it may be intimidating. Not oh-I-decided-to-die-today-for-no-reason frustrating like a Daphne, but still a little more demanding than a Spiraea.

That's why we're happy to have several easy-to-grow varieties like Still Waters™ available.

If you're in need of some clematis advice for older varieties, here's a bulletin from Oregon State University Extension.

And if you're staring down a cultivar with some cryptic warning about pruning groups, here's an explanation of them from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Oso Easy Lemon Zest rose

Who doesn't like a yellow rose? The only acceptable answer is people who haven't grown a good one yet. Those people need to try Oso Easy® Lemon Zest rose. 

Like the other Oso Easy® roses, it's a disease-resistant selection with a tidy habit and copious blooms. Unlike other yellow roses, this variety's blooms stay yellow throughout the life cycle of the flower. Even when the petals shatter, they're yellow, not the color of sour milk.

Oso Easy® Lemon Zest is hardy to USDA Zone 4 and grows 2-3' tall and wide. It earned an ARS Award of Excellence in the No Spray category in 2016. A yellow rose that you don't need to spray - hooray!

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Jazz Hands Loropetalum

Go ahead - show us your moves: jazz hands, that is. (Not to be confused with spirit fingers, which are kind of creepy.) Seriously, the best part about naming a plant "jazz hands" is that people are compelled to do them while they talk about the plants. Since I tend to talk with my hands all the time it seems only natural to me.

Jazz Hands® Loropetalum have both great foliage color and intense flower color. The flowers, of course, are distinctive fringy blooms that inspired the Jazz Hands® name.

The blooms of Jazz Hands® Bold are the largest of any Loropetalum.

You can go big and Jazz Hands® Bold, or keep it on the down low with Jazz Hands® Mini. In between are Jazz Hands® Dwarf Pink and Jazz Hands® Dwarf White. And for something totally different, Jazz Hands® Variegated. All are hardy to USDA Zone 7b and will grow in full sun or part shade. Size does vary, so check out the individual varieties before planting them.

Hot pink flowers are an afterthought to the eye-catching foliage of Jazz Hands® Variegated Loropetalum.

Jazz Hands® go coast to coast.

Not completely, of course. They aren't too happy here in Michigan unless overwintered in a greenhouse (but make a sweet little patio plant). Loropetalum need a milder climate than ours, so I need to travel to see them in landscapes.

Not only does Jazz Hands®Dwarf White have a compact and versatile size, it is also the only rebloomer of the group.

I saw quite a few of them while in Northern California last week. Visiting California is always fun, for a number of reasons. But the reason that pays the bills is seeing how well many of our plants grow in the region. Jazz Hands®, Lo & Behold® Buddleia, Little Quick Fire® Hydrangea paniculata - these are just a few of the plants I saw in landscapes. Season-long color takes on a whole different meaning when your season is pretty much year round.

Great groundcover: Jazz Hands® Mini Loropetalum remains under a foot tall.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Polite Buddleia

'Miss Molly' butterfly bush

With names like 'Miss Ruby' and 'Miss Violet', you would expect these varieties to be a bit more genteel than the hoolligan Buddleia of the past. And they are: compact, so they don't overwhelm the garden, and non-invasive so they don't produce unwanted seedlings.

Lest you think that refined Buddleia with good etiquette are missing the vibrant color and heady fragrance of traditional cultivars, rest assured that these well-bred ladies have all of the passionate hues and butterfly appeal of the old-fashioned plants. In fact, I'd say that the color is even better.

'Miss Violet' butterfly bush

'Miss Violet' has rich, Welch's grape juice purple flowers. Unlike grape juice, it doesn't stain, so you can let your three year old walk around with it.

Color comparison for 'Miss Ruby', 'Royal Red', and 'Miss Molly': 'Miss Molly' is the reddest Buddleia available.

'Miss Ruby' and 'Miss Molly' push the red color as far as we've seen Buddleia go. 'Miss Ruby' is a delightful fuchsia, while 'Miss Molly' is a dark magenta-sangria red. The red color will be more intense in warmer climates. And if you need something cool and refreshing for a summer evening garden, check out 'Miss Pearl' with her crisp white blooms.

'Miss Pearl' butterfly bush

All are hardy to USDA Zone 5 and will do best in full sun. They grown 4-5' tall and wide, and have nice full habits that are very attractive both in containers and in the garden.

The basics of Buddleia

First off, full sun and well-drained soil. There's no way around these two requirements. If you don't have well-drained soil, consider growing them in a container. The dwarf Lo & Behold® or Pugster® plants are good choices for container plantings.

Secondly, USDA Zone 5. You can grow them further north as annuals. If you're growing them in a container, consider them to be an annual as well unless you are in a very mild (Zone 6 or better yet 7) climate.

And then there's heat. We've been having some very warm weather here in West Michigan, and while the people and my poor dog aren't enjoying it, the butterfly bushes are loving every minute.

Buddleia has some wonderful qualities, like the aforementioned affinity for heat. While other plants are wilting, these characters are strutting their stuff in the summer landscape. Then there's the fragrance: when you walk towards a planting of Buddleia it's like being approached by a perfume demonstrator at the department store. Only with the plant there's no judgement of your grubby gardening clothes and no pressure to buy. And then there's the deer resistance. Yes, they attract butterflies and don't attract deer. What a combination!

'Miss Ruby' butterfly bush

In some areas they can be a nuisance, but new non-invasive varieties like the 'Miss' and Lo & Behold® series are sterile and so better choices for these areas. They are permitted for sale in Oregon, so our friends in the Northwest can enjoy Buddleia too!

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Better Rebloomers

Tuff Stuff™ reblooming mountain hydrangea

The case for mountain hydrangeas

Hydrangea serrata is wonderful. Similar to H. macrophylla, but with better bud hardiness, it's a better choice for folks in colder USDA Zone 5 areas. Even those of you in milder climates will appreciate these plants because they are just so pretty and such good growers.

The reblooming Tuff Stuff™ varieties are especially nice because they will bloom on new growth later in the summer so if the early summer bloom is compromised you will still enjoy flowers later in the season.

Tuff Stuff™ Red reblooming mountain hydrangea

Like H. macrophylla, the blooms of H. serrata will change color depending on the soil. (Here's a good guide to turning hydrangeas blue.) Tiny Tuff Stuff™  has delicate, refined lacecap flowers that are an elegant addition to gardens. For more intense color, check out the original Tuff Stuff™. And if you need some really intense color, check out Tuff Stuff™ Red, whose doubled lacecap flowers open green and red before maturing to deep pink-red.

All of the Tuff Stuff™ hydrangeas are hardy to USDA Zone 5 and will grow in full sun or partial shade. Tiny Tuff stuff™ is the smallest, at 1.5-2', and the other two are in the 2-3' range.

Tiny Tuff Stuff™ reblooming mountain hydrangea

Anecdotally I can tell you that my H. serrata plants have always performed better than the H. macrophylla in my yard, and that the Tuff Stuff™ varieties are especially nice. Actually, these plants are staff favorites, being good growers both in our greenhouses and in our growers' yards.

I know that when I go to a store I always like seeing the staff picks. So here are some other staff favorites:

• Oso Easy® Double Red rose 
• Pugster® Buddleia 
• Kodiak® Diervilla 

P.S. This is the list I get when I don't let anyone choose a hydrangea as a favorite. Hint: Invincibelle Limetta® is joining Tuff Stuff™ and Bobo® on the separate Favorite Hydrangea Staff Pick List.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Sun and Blues

Sunny Boulevard™ Hypericum

Hypericum is having a moment.

Maybe I'm just saying that because I want it to be true, because I do really like this plant. After all, what's not to love? It's adaptable and easy to grow. It flowers all summer long - nice flowers, too, not wimpy little 'nice try' blooms. It's deer resistant, drought tolerant, and bees love it. We hear so much about the need to grow native plants that support pollinator populations. Well, here's one, and it looks great, too.

Sunny Boulevard™ Hypericum

We have two great varieties here: Blues Festival® and Sunny Boulevard™ Hypericum.

Both are loaded with very showy yellow flowers all summer long. Sunny Boulevard™ may bloom a little longer, into September, but Blues Festival® has really cool blue-green foliage. We like these varieties because they have both very long bloom times and nice, densely branched habits that look as sharp in containers as they do in the landscape. They're both hardy to USDA 4 and grow 2-3' tall.

Blues Festival® Hypericum

Anyway, I'm not saying that it's having a moment just because I want it to happen. I have seen more and more Hypericum in landscapes recently. I think that for many people the excellent deer-resistance is the real appeal. That's no small thing, and if you're in an area with heavy deer browsing pressure you might put this on your list along with the Caryopteris and Russian sage.

Blues Festival® Hypericum

I was lucky enough to be at the APLD conference in Boston, and we saw LOTS of Hypericum in the gardens we toured. The northeast has even more deer than it does Dunkin' Donuts, so plants that resist browsing are a must.

So this isn't just me trying to make fetch happen. It's a thing. Just like on Wednesdays we wear pink.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: One Tough Customer

Diervilla is an outstanding plant, but the species isn't super showy. So we wanted to introduce some flashier options to help them get a little more popular in the ornamental world. The Kodiak® series does just that: the plants have the durability you expect of a Diervilla but more color than you're used to.

Kodiak® Orange Diervilla

Kodiak® Orange Diervilla has nice orange new growth and outstanding fall color. It would be a good native alternative to burning bush. Kodiak® Red Diervilla has more red foliage in spring and fall. Both these and Kodiak® Black Diervilla have yellow summer flowers that support pollinator populations. All grow 3-4' tall and wide.

Kodiak® Red Diervilla

Bring it.

When we introduced our Kodiak® Diervilla we knew we needed a name that illustrated how tough this native plant is. Kodiak seems to do the job.

The Kodiak archipelago extends south from Anchorage into the Gulf of Alaska. That sounds pretty harsh to me. While Diervilla isn't native to this region, the Kodiak bear is, and it's a pretty intimidating creature. Males can weigh more than 1300 pounds, which I think is heavier than my car.

Kodiak® Black Diervilla

Diervilla is also intimidating, but in a good way. It can take sun, it can take shade - even dry shade - and is an all-around durable landscape plant. Kodiak® Red and Kodiak® Orange are hardy to USDA Zone 4, while Kodiak® Black goes into Zone 5. One more thing: they have good deer-resistance, too. See what I mean? Your tricky landscaping problem is no match for the mighty Diervilla.

They have a softer side, too: pollinators love them. When those yellow flowers bloom in midsummer the bees go crazy. There's a lot of talk these days about using native plants and supporting pollinator populations, both worthwhile goals. But the plants need to look good, too. That's why we're so happy with these plants, and hope you will be, too.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Midnight Sunshine

So, do you like dark and mysterious? Or sunny and bright? That's what we've got going on with our Caryoperis varieties.

Beyond Midnight® bluebeard

Beyond Midnight® bluebeard was selected for its extremely glossy, dark green foliage and intense blue flowers. It's the classic Caryopteris, only better. Sunshine Blue® II Caryopteris is an improved version of the original Sunshine Blue® Caryopteris. Same flashy blue and yellow color, but with better hardiness.

All Caryopteris will do best in full sun and well-drained soil. Cold, wet winters are really hard on them, so be sure to check the drainage of a site before planting. They are hardy to USDA Zone 5. Beyond Midnight® gets about 30" tall and wide, while Sunshine Blue® II bluebeard grows to about 3'.

Note: bees love these plants. Personally, I like seeing bumblebees in the garden. But the bee-phobic might not want them right next to the patio. (The technical term for bee-phobia is 'melissophobia'. Sorry to all of the very nice ladies named Melissa out there.)

Sunshine Blue® II bluebeard

Caryopteris peaks later in summer. It's a really nice plant for refreshing a summer border. When other plants are starting to get a little tired, the Caryopteris burst into bloom with their distinctive blue flowers.

The challenge for summer stars like this is that they don't look like much in spring. The one-time garden center shopper can miss out on some great plants. How do we convince these folks to plant for more than one season and hopefully shop more than once a year? 

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles