December 28, 2018

Plant of the Week: Brandywine™ Viburnum



I can't believe it is the last full week of 2018! You wouldn't know it is the middle of winter here in Michigan...temps are supposed to get up to the low-50s today. Makes for a nice trip into work. I'll take as many easy winter commutes as I can get, because I know we'll make up for it with plenty of white-knuckle drives in January and February.

It looks like Jane is already looking forward to next fall with her plant of the week post. But like she says, the winter months are a great time for garden planning.

I hope you have had a wonderful holiday thus far, and that your New Year is festive and safe.

See you in 2019.

- Natalie 


More than just fall beauty.

Viburnum nudum is a native viburnum and has a lot to offer besides its elegant good looks.

The time for Brandywine™ Viburnum is more typically fall, when the glossy foliage turns burgundy and the abundant berries transform to pink, blue and purple. But now is a good time to think about making room for this lovely plant in your landscape planning. It's hardy to USDA Zone 5 and grows 5-6' tall and wide. Site it in full sun or partial shade.

We initially selected Brandywine™ as a pollinator for one of our favorite plants, 'Winterthur'. Like many plants, Viburnum typically needs another selection of Viburnum nearby in order to fruit. Some require a plant of the same species, others are more open-minded.

Brandywine™ is unusual in that it fruits well without a pollinator, making it a good choice for places where there isn't room for several plants.

This is a good plant for moist to even boggy sites. Wildlife enjoys its fruit, and the Spring Azure butterfly may choose it as a host plant.

Like other Viburnum, it isn't especially tasty to deer although it isn't as deer-resistant as V. dentatum or maybe V. carlesii.

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

December 20, 2018

Plant of the Week: Arctic Sun® Cornus

The holidays are upon us! This week Jane writes about plants that light up the landscape in winter. While color is always a welcome sight in the landscape, I also love the plants that shed their color in winter but continue to stand tall, adding form and interest to a snow covered garden - holding a promise of things to come:



Wishing you a peaceful and happy holiday season.

- Natalie 



Let's add some color to winter!

This is the longest week of the year, and not just because kids are counting down the days to Christmas break. It's dark - the shortest day length of the year is this week. These short days, especially in northern areas, seem to go by at a snail's pace.

When there is daylight, you should be able to enjoy some color in the garden, and I don't mean holiday decorations. There's no better plant for winter color than the redtwig dogwood.

Arctic Sun® Cornus sanguinea has bright red, orange and yellow stems that enliven the landscape with or without snow. The fall foliage (right) is nice, too.

It's a compact (3-5') plant that's a good fit for most landscapes. Largely trouble-free, Arctic Sun® works well as a hedge or in rain and cutting gardens. It can stabilize banks, too. C. sanguinea has OK deer resistance but isn't quite as good as C. sericea. Still, it's a really useful plant that's hardy to USDA Zone 4 and grows in full sun or part shade.

When it's dark and dreary we need some color to keep things moving. Ancient cultures, particularly in northern latitudes, knew this. They all came up with a reason for a big party around the winter solstice, and that party typically included some evergreens and fire. And when their cultures changed, they kept the light going with Christmas trees and candles.

We still need evergreens and other color in winter. Red twig dogwood is an obvious choice; Physocarpus and Heptacodium are more subtle options for winter interest. Berries are great, too - Viburnum, Callicarpa and Ilex verticillata have lots of personality in colder months.

A bonfire is a fun way to include that traditional fire element into your midwinter celebration, but if that's not in the cards maybe a flaming desert like cherries jubilee can be arranged. That would surely make you popular at your holiday dinner!

Have a wonderful holiday!

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

December 13, 2018

Plant of the Week: Flying Machine™ Forsythia


This week Jane brings you Flying Machine™, a very special forsythia that comes to us from Dr. Kyung Ku Shim of South Korea. Its enormous flowers of deep, true golden-yellow fall from the branches intact, resulting in a doubly dramatic display: the first when it blooms, the second when its fallen blossoms carpet the ground, landing face up every time!

This is a brand new variety that won't come to retail until 2020, but if you're a garden writer with space for it and would like to give it a trial, let me know in the comments below!

- Natalie


Come fly with me!

We're right in the middle of the holiday season. There are parties and presents and prodigious amounts of food. So I'm sure that the first thing on your mind is Forsythia.

Maybe not. But we're almost to an important date for any of you planning to visit (or be visited by) loved ones this December: the first flight.

Wright Brothers National Memorial
at Kitty Hawk
December 17 is the 115th anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic flight in Kitty Hawk, NC. Think of them while you're huddled in Economy class fighting your neighbor for the armrest and waiting for that tiny package of pretzels like it's a Godiva chocolate. Wilbur and Orville had it rougher - they got no snacks and ultimately crashed their plane that day.

To celebrate the first flight I bring you Flying Machine™ Forsythia. It's a whimsical name for a fun version of the garden staple.

Flying Machine™ Forsythia

Very large (1"+) flowers are quite showy on the plant and then provide additional entertainment as they helicopter to the ground in one piece to create a stunning yellow carpet at the base of the plant.

Flying Machine™ Forsythia
Hardy to USDA Zone 6, Flying Machine™ Forsythia gets 5-8' tall and will grow in full sun or partial shade.

The Wright brothers didn't invent the helicopter (that came sometime later), but their invention surely inspired its development. After all, they proved that we could fly.

Now you know two pieces of trivia to share with that know-it-all uncle at the next family holiday gathering!



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

December 7, 2018

Plant of the Week: Anna's Magic Ball® Thuja


Maybe it's the holidays, but Jane's Plant of the Week has a special place in my heart because its name reminds me of family.

My husband Joe grew up in a big Italian family. And like many big families, a grandparent played an active role in helping to raise their grandchildren. Joe's maternal grandmother was a constant presence in their lives and he has lots of wonderful stories about her. Her name was Anna, but they all called her Nunu. A little over twenty years ago she was able to meet and hold our first born child...who we named Anna after her. I just think it's a beautiful old-fashioned name - it's special to us, and it always makes me happy to hear it.

Like the plant of the week, Anna (or Nunu) tiny, but strong and she made a huge impact on a lot of lives. So as the holidays approach, here's to family and the plants that remind us of them!

- Natalie


If you can see it over the snow, it's perfect!


Sometimes you just need a little evergreen meatball. Here you go - but this one is a bright golden color rather than the green you may have expected.

Anna's Magic Ball® Thuja occidentalis is a delightful little plant that's ideal for edging borders or incorporating into patio planters. The only challenge may be seeing it above a heavy snowfall: it gets just 15" tall. Snow won't be a problem for it, though, as it's hardy into USDA Zone 3.

Anna's Magic Ball® Thuja
Anna's Magic Ball® is a useful landscape plant; there always seems to be a need for evergreens that stay small.

That bright color is a fun and often unexpected addition to landscapes. I'm generally pretty suspicious of yellow foliage, especially on evergreens. It can be garish or look anemic. But this little plant has a nice, fresh color that is quite healthy and appealing.

The only issue with it, as with other T. occidentalis, is that deer like it. But since it's so small it will often escape their notice or can be sprayed with repellent pretty easily.

Consider all of what T. occidentalis has to offer: it's adaptable, including a resistance to juglone so you can plant it near a black walnut. It will tolerate clay soil, wet soil, air pollution - lots of tough situations that other plants don't like. And while Anna's Magic Ball® is a tiny little thing, T. occidentalis comes in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors so you can find the one that's right for you.


Here's a 30-second video describing Anna's Magic Ball; share it with your readers so they can become familiar with this new little plant

And if you would like some inspiration on how to use it in the landscape, check out this Garden Answer video.

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

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