Shrubs, the "Bones" of our gardens

I've been all over this sight in the past few weeks, and haven't seen much talk about people's shrubs. I love my shrubs, and can't imagine my yard without them!
I have Smoke bushes, Purple Plums, 'Mohican' Viburnums, Carolina Alspices, Miniature Fire bushes, Nikko Blue Hydrangeas, and Annabelle Hydrangeas. My Holly is "bush" size now, but will be 8-10ft. at maturity. I,painfully, removed Lilac 'Miss Kim' last year because of lawn and landscape renovation, but loved it, too, for many years. Also removed 6 lowgrowing evergreen shrubs, then, for same reason. Anyone else crazy about their shrubs? I love designing my perennial beds around these beauties. Any comments? Aw,c'mon, let's get this thread going! DeannaV

Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

Hi DeannaV,
Hey I love shrubs now, little harder to think of them right now when they are sleeping so soundly - except for my holly which is not?
I have quite a few wiegela,lilacs,azalea,hydrangea,diablo's,viburnum

smoketree - died back completely to the ground last spring, but grew back 10'


Al

Thumbnail by bigcityal

Al, I have strogly considered Wiegela, but havent succomed, yet.Can you tell me a little about it, in your area? What color (variety) do you have? Any special needs or restrictions that you are aware of?
DeannaV

Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

Here is my wiegela list::
Wine and Roses - burgandy leaves - pink flowers
Carnival-dark green leaves-pink/white flowers
White Knights -green leaves-white flowers
Red Prince-green leaves-red flowers
French Lace-green white leaves-pink flowers
Varigated-green white leaves-pink flowers - actually flowers little ;(

no restrictions, full sun,average soil
some winter dieback is usual for me, some grow back faster to recover
some are larger size, give them soom room

not a lot of photos of these - sorry
Al

Good Morning Al!
Wow! That's a pretty impressive list. Makes me GREEN(and/or pink, red, white.....) with envy!:-) I think I've got the perfect spot for a pink one. thanks for the info!
DeannaV

Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

Glad I could help, they are good shrub to have - not too expensive either. Not much new on the market, they have played around with Wine and Roses variations(which I think are all derived from Java Red). Pruning is simialr to lilacs, except they may rebloom later in the summer.
Al

Kalispell, MT(Zone 4b)

I like my "red" Wiegela. I have used it as a barrier plant from a neighbor far away. the area is a "private one" where my wife and I enjoy the sun. Then it allows the sun that is from that S direction to shine through in the winter. My plan is to plant another one about 10 feet away and cut an archway between the two to make an entrance to our area.

Good Morning!
Am I correct in thinking that mature specimans have a 10-12' spread at maturity! And that maturity (starting with 1-2 yr. old spec.) ,under proper growing conditions would take another 7-10 yrs?
I am somewhat stymied in my landscape design, in that my beds are all , what I would call "border" beds. DH has insisted on this, so he can use rider to cover majority of lawn.
He has done a beautiful job of gracefully curving and edging all my beds. While most of the beds range from 2-4 ft deep, the curved corners are 10-12 foot deep, to create gentle curves. This does give me great areas to incorporate nice size shrub plantings. I stay on top of pruning and shaping, both for the health of the shrubs and pleasing aesthetics.
I guess my question would be- how difficult is it to keep this shrub pruned to keep it proper size for the bed, without compromizing the natural elements of its form.
Would you call it graceful , informal, or formal?
Doncha just LOVE female questions?! :-) Thanks for all your help. I promise not to drag this on..and on...and on!
D.

Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

Deanna,
Have you looked up any info on these varieties yet?
Well Red Prince I don't think would look so could cut back much under 6' or so. Wine and Roses in pretty small for me - although I have holly and can't imagine it ever being over 4' high either. Something in between like the Java Red might work. Does that help some?
Al

Kalispell, MT(Zone 4b)

I always let the top go and prune the lowers to the shape I want. This opens the plant to keep the laterals from widening the bush down at 0 to 5'. much like this Acer Glabrum.

Thumbnail by Soferdig
OC, CA & Twin Lakes , IA(Zone 4b)

Deanna,

Thanks for the thread.

My dilemma is that I don't seem to have room for shrubs so in the winter my beds are blank and ugly. Any ideas for very small shrubs?

a

a,
Describe "small", please. Are you comfortable with pruning and shaping regularly?
Are you interested in evergreen, or blooming?
I'm not an expert, like Al and Soferdig, but I could help more, if I had a little more ingormation.
Also, are we talking sun or shade? I see you're up north abit, from me (4b). Where is Twin Lakes?
Deanna

Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

sorry - I wasn't ignoring you - I've been busy today. I would agree with Deanna's ?'s

Kalispell, MT(Zone 4b)

I, who is also known as Soferdig, by no means am an expert. I just see the garden in my mind and I look at the nursery for the best plant on sale to match that look. If it doesn't, I make it do, and change my mind. And that lets my garden "become" not planned and ever changing. I like to prune, weed, move plants, change my mind, learn, screw up, and regret. Otherwise my garden is finished and that would cause great boredom. If any garden professional came to my garden they would not like it. I never follow the rules.

Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

**note to self - take rules book to Montana**

Kalispell, MT(Zone 4b)

Thanks Al someone needs to get me back in the box. God does quite effectivly when he kicks me in the butt. I have never heard the soft still voice. The rules were meant to be challenged. (maybe never broken)

Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

I'll bring the HGTV guy with me that always tells people how hideous their brand new landscaping is.

Kalispell, MT(Zone 4b)

That would be a wonderful experience for me because HGTV is my standard for wonderful gardening. Heee Heee Heee My garden is for me not HGTV. Though if Martha would come I would hold my breath on her every word.

Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

"Everything in it's place" is the OCD mantra you should learn it.
I am working on the "Noah's Arc" philosophy of two of everything.

Kalispell, MT(Zone 4b)

OK al I don't smoke the same things that grow in the midwest. What is OCD. To me it is Osteochondritis Dessicans a sholder disease of large breed dogs. Noah didn't design the ark or plan it. He just listen to a still small voice in his head.

Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

TLC,
don't let the sidetrack alarm you - it is common and not personal.
Perennials that are left up for winter interest are also an option.
like this one - in the back
http://davesgarden.com/journal/d/i/8581/
The dimensions and light would help though.

Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

OCD=obsessive compulsive disorder
I did see the dog whisperer talk about it in dogs once.

OC, CA & Twin Lakes , IA(Zone 4b)

Try this link to my journal; Started this project about 3 years ago; had never gardened before that so I do know a little bit more now , thanks to DG.

http://davesgarden.com/journal/j/sj/TwinLakesChef/850/

OC, CA & Twin Lakes , IA(Zone 4b)

Maybe this thread is easier to look at than my journal:


http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/388636/

Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

OK - I can get some ideas out of there. What pic/area are you talking about? Have any of these areas been added to since 2003?
I am active in the Garden Tour Forum which discusses these things also. Your diary is easier to use than your journal for a lot of this stuff
http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/seemygarden/all/

OC, CA & Twin Lakes , IA(Zone 4b)

This is the house from the lakeside when we purchased it.

Thumbnail by TwinLakesChef
OC, CA & Twin Lakes , IA(Zone 4b)

And this is a pic from last Fall; that is about all the changes we will make unless I can persuade DH in doing a glass conservatory on the upper deck which is useless the way it is - way too windy.

In fact, If I put big pots of flowers on the lakeside during the summer, they dry out and flowers get so beat up by the wind.

Thanks for the tip on that forum; I will start reading over there.

Thumbnail by TwinLakesChef

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