GARDENER'S READING ROOM
The Art of Gardening
Trees & Shrubs

The Performing Plant Palette!

Summer blooms gracefully bow after their final shows of color fade, only to introduce the palette of performance from our ever-changing deciduous trees and shrubs. Fall colors introduce themselves as the chlorophyll slowly fades from the precious food producing leaves. The variety of hues produced by leaves allow us to enjoy colors like yellows, oranges, reds, and hints of purple. Let the autumn show begin!

Korean Spice Viburnum

Most people know about the vast array of Japanese maples, so let’s move on from those into the unknown.... Let’s start with a mysterious tree with teacup sized flowers, blooming when few others do and named after one of our founding fathers. The Franklin Tree (Franklinia alatamaha) has had its day in the wild, but one can still find it at nurseries. Its 7-inch leaves turn burgundy to red and orange - a lovely backdrop for the last of its pearl-like blooms in October. Moving on to a shrub with fall color and architectural interest, the Witch Hazel (Hamamelis sp.) gives final show-stopping displays of rich reds, golds and oranges through its leaves starting with margins of yellow. Fragrant blooms appear in February to make this a standout favorite of many gardeners. Tired of deciduous shrubs? Then check out some of the colorful broadleaf evergreens like Leucothoe with its rich purple-hued leaves, or ‘Gold Spot’ or ‘Silver King’ Euonymus for brightness. There are plants for everyone so why not pick from a variety of Sky nursery plants like Clethra, Itea, Fothergilla, and Viburnum.

Taxus baccata

Changing leaf color isn’t the only way to move from summer into winter. Sky Nursery also has fruit-producing shrubs, which provide bright colorful clusters to admire throughout the winter. Why not please the birds and your Sunday afternoon guests by planting some Beauty Berry (Callicarpa). Jewel-like purple berries grace the changing season. If you want the more traditional berry colors look for Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), or Sienna Sunrise™ Heavenly Bamboo. Nandina gives bunches of deep red berries which can rival holly during the holidays, plus it can be used as an all year foliage color accent in a shrub border or ceramic pot. A further spectrum of glorious berries might be found with Pernettya mucronata ‘Rubra’, Scarlet Pearl Snowberry (Symphoricarpos), and thorny Pyracantha.

Picea pungens glauca

As you watch that last elusive red-toned leaf drop quietly to the ground, you might ask yourself: What’s next for color in my garden? Why not plant some moderate sized bright looking conifers for your garden? A couple of striking choices are the Golden Irish Yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata Aurea’) and the Plume Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Elegans’), columnar growing evergreens giving interest throughout the winter landscape. The birds will thank you for planting one of their favorite nesting trees: Hoopsii Blue Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens glauca ‘Hoopsii’), which always brightens up a dreary winter’s day with its silvery blue sheen. If we are lucky enough to get a dusting of snow you’ll want your camera!

The color choices are never-ending, so one last suggestion is to bring sweeping movement into your garden. You can accomplish this with the dancing tassels of seeds, produced by some lovely evergreen ornamental grasses and sedges. Pheasant grass (Anemanthele) has subtle year-round orange color, which becomes a dazzle of brilliant orange as autumn advances. Switchgrass (Panicum) swings in the cool winter breeze and also stabilizes soil. A fun tidbit about switchgrass: it is currently being researched as a source of biofuel, mainly ethanol to power our future cars.

Plants do so much for us, so let’s keep planting. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, all you have to do is call, and we’ll be there. The best time to shop for a plant is during its own personal show of splendor - like now! Bring your questions and ideas to share with Sky Nursery staff.

By Ginger Reed
Skylights Autumn 2007, Vol 22, No. 3

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