Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Local GardenerTrees & ShrubsWhat's new, what's hot

What’s new, what’s hot – Trees & Shrubs

Gorgeous new trees and shrubs that’ll be a nice addition to your garden.

Trees and Shrubs

Tatarian maple ‘O’Canada’. A hardy, thriving variety with an oriental look; it is a wonderful addition to the landscape. Flower panicles in shades of yellow-white bloom from April through May, and the seeds are a beautiful pinkish colour. In fall, the dark green leaves turn a brilliant shade of red. This is a rapid growing tree and will reach up to 25 feet at maturity. To grow as a hedge, plant trees two feet apart.x
Aronia ‘Viking’(Aronia melanocarpa). An ornamental shrub that bears healthy black berries, high in antioxidants and ideal for jams, wine and baking. Sources tell us this may be the hottest plant this year. It reaches between three and six feet in height and prefers full sun to partial shade. Self-pollinating white blossoms are tinged with pink, blooming in late spring to early summer. Berries, approximately the size of blueberries, are better for cooking than eating fresh from the tree.
BrazelBerries.A collection of four varieties of blueberries and one raspberry, these berry bushes make berry growing easy for everyone. Designed for your patio or landscape, this unusual, innovative offering of small berry varieties will fit you out with stunning showpieces for the home landscape, a special boon for gardeners with limited growing space. When summer’s over bring them indoors for the winter. Plants require minimal care and springtime fertilization.

Deutzia ‘Yuki Cherry Blossom’. Hobby plant. Showers of elegant pink flowers bloom in the spring on this first-ever ‘Nikko’-type, low-spreading deutzia shrub, to be followed in time by burgundy fall foliage. Great for mass plantings because of its neat, mounded habit. Zone 5.
Elder ‘Black Tower’ (Sambucus nigra). A real drama queen, this black elder has a sturdy columnar form with jet-black foliage and pink blooms all summer. New leaves emerge in a bright, lime green and flowers give way in the fall to black berries which attract birds. Grows up to eight feet tall and four feet wide. Zone 3.
Elderberry ‘Morden Golden Glow’. A favourite from 2014, this introduction from the Morden Research Station features fine-textured golden foliage that ages to a rich green. Foliage often emerges with a reddish tint, along with showy, creamy-white flowers in spring that are followed by red berries. A great large shrub for cold climates, it will reach 48 to 60 inches in height with a similar spread. Stunning. Zone 3.
Hydrangea ‘Bloomstruck’ Endless Summer. With ‘Bloomstruck’ and other Endless Summer hydrangeas, you can change the bloom colour by altering the pH of the soil. Try the Endless Summer colour kits to get the bloom colour you want. ‘Bloomstruck’ has incredibly beautiful red-purple stems, dark green leaves with red petioles and red veins, which provide great contrast in the garden. Zone 4.
Hydrangea ‘Firelight’(Hydrangea paniculata). A bigger and later bloomer, ‘Firelight’ has white summer flowers that turn fire-engine red in the fall. Hardy and easy to grow, it’s no wonder ‘Firelight’ is a best seller. Its large upright panicles are packed with beautiful flowers.
Hydrangea ‘Little Quick Fire’. A dwarf version of ‘Quick Fire’ and a long-time garden favourite, this variety is short and stocky (three feet by three feet). An early bloomer, with white flowers turning to pink later in the summer, it is drought-tolerant and fits in nicely with any landscape. Zone 4.
Rose ‘Never Alone’. A deep, red edge gives way to a white or yellow-tinged centre on the blooms of this dwarf shrub. With its spectacular colour all season, Never Alone is perfect for containers or the garden. This hardy Canadian variety not only looks good but is a symbol of the compassion shown by the Never Alone Foundation, a charity that supports cancer patients and their families. A contribution from the sale of each rose will benefit cancer projects across Canada.

(The first edition was published on Mar 8, 2015)

What’s new, what’s hot  – Vegetables

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What’s new, what’s hot  – Perennials