I would greatly appreciate any thoughts or ideas,
I need some kind of tree of flowering shrub to plant in this area between the boulder and the house the grass is gone..it's a windy spot and gets full sun in the afternoon. I would love something with color... Thanks, Delane
It doesn't look like a huge spot. Most bushes don't bloom all summer. A weeping tree like a weeping cherry has nice form but would eventually outgrow that spot and it only blooms for a short time in the spring.
Why not a pretty rose bush? There are many varieties that will begin blooming in early June and bloom consisitently all summer. You can pick whatever your favorite color is because they come in so many colors.
If you want to stay with a bush you might want to go with something like a butterfly bush. They have a nice long bloom season. Russian sage has a nice long bloom and pretty light grey color. A perennial hibiscus would be stunning or a simple Rose of Sharon bush. They bloom from July right till September and come in many colors. Some are trained to a standard form too. They're practically indestructible. They won't get over 8 feet tall and have a nice narrow vaselike growth habit.
Brenda
Well my 2 cents....
Do you want or need shade?
Do you want a height restriction..?
Do you want color all summer?
Don't mind if it looses leaves?
What specific color flower?
Fall leaf color...want ? yes or no?
Fragrance a consideration?
Pruning..YES OR NO?
First answer these ques. and then you can go to defining a tree or shrub better in that spot.Julie
Thanks Julie ;o)...
Do you want or need shade...no the spot gets full sun in the afternoon & evening.
Do you want a height restriction...not over 5 ft, unless it's something I have to prune.
Do you want color all summer...yes
Don't mind if it looses leaves...no
What specific color flower...preferably red but any would do
Fall leaf color...want ? yes or no...either or
Fragrance a consideration....that would be nice
Pruning..YES OR NO... either or
Thank you Brenda,
I don't do well with roses...they are so beautiful though...
I did do the hibscus one year (perennial) and it didn't come back???
That is a very windy spot unfortunately...
I've done Rodadendron and I ended up moving it this year
It doesn't look so good... to windy for it.
I'll have to look up the sage and see what it looks like
and I will check into other varieties of the butterfly bush as well
It has to be something hearty that can withstand a little beating up from the wind...
Thanks so much for your thought ;o)
Delane
OH!! detheo,
One more what aspect is it? North, south, east, west??
Julie
west
Well i love the crab apple 'Coral Burst' It comes in a weeping or regular tree shape, except it is vase or upwards shaped!! Very pretty in spring and fruit in winter. I also like 'Yoshino Cherry' another 'vase' shaped tree. Another beauty is a columnar purple beech or weeping beech. These can be expensive but when i want a tree it goes on my wish list and the hunt begins!! I bought my weeping beech for $79.00, a sale at a nursery in mid August! They got tired of watering the goods! I got a short one that obviously lost its top for $40.00 and I love it's short shape! I got 3 columnar purple beeches for $35.00. I love them.
A weeping pine would be beautiful there! and give interest all winter too! they can be found pretty reasonably. I love 'Lamburnum Vosilli' it is a small tree/shrub with yellow wisteria (18") long flowers in spring. A Japanese Maple might be great there! The wind is the major problem though for most of them. A 'Hirosho Nishiki" tree form (it has to be pruned often) (that is in the willow family. But the tree is lovely with variegated foliage and in spring all the new growth tips are pink!! A pee Gee Hydrangea might make it if you wrapped it in fall with burlap. With Hydran. its all about the buds freezing. If it is a year round windy corner you have to wrap some selections!! There are 'lollipop' lilacs (lilac standards) and some
real new introductions. i was at Lowes and they have a newish weeping Crab!! it looked lovely and
very reasonably priced.
Do any of these selections interest you?
Julie?
Thanks so much Julie, ;o)
Now I have to do my homework and check them all out...
I have a Japanese maple already and the hydrangea...
I do have to move one of the hydrangea's however I think
it will not do good in full sun and with the wind I'm just not sure
don't want to take the chance of killing it. Thank you so much for helping
me out...I'll deffianately let you know what "you" came up with LOL
and post it.
Have agreat day!!
Delane
Ok Delane. There are so many good choices it is always hard for me to choose. I let lots of things choose me. I went to Bordines and they had Tri-color Beech for $50.00!!! They are sooo expensive. I slurpped it
right up!! I never meant to get one but the price was right. I have gotten most of my trees this way.
One year Meijers was selling off Spring Blooming tree stock about July!! I and a friend bought 27 crab apple
trees for 5-7.00 each!! I do love a good sale. it is the hunt and not the capture that is satisfying!!
Well good luck. The internet will give some good suggestions too!!
Julie
I LOVE tri colored beech. I had a beautiful one downstate at our city house. It was the only thing I missed when we moved. I bought two of them for this house but they aren't as big and full yet. They are slow growing but they are healthy and someday they will be just as beautiful I hope. I hate to tell you what I paid for my trees. Needless to say $50 was a STEAL!
Today I saw something at Rogers nursery I had never seen before. It is in bloom. I aksed Jason what it was and he said it is a Redbud but instead of a tree it is multi-stemmed like a bush. It was very pretty. Sometimes I like to just walk around and look. There are so many new things out there. Maybe you should do that and something will just hit you when you see it.
Brenda
You know an Oakleaf Hydrangea just might do well for you in that spot. They look interesting all summer long. Nice big blooms that change as the season moves along.
Julie, OMGosh I LOVE the tri colored beech actually thats my favorite tree....but your right it is expensive...and how long ago did you get it?? Bordines is on my shopping list among many other places...hopefully this next week well lets just say for sure I'm just hoping not to get too rained on as that makes for a gloomy adventure!! I've really hit a creative downfall with that backyard...I think it's because I just feel so overwhelmed with it and I wanted it all done 3 years ago...LOL
You gals are so awesome thanks for all the idea's it's been a real help and please everyone feel free to keep me posted on any idea's that may come to mind...I still have to check out the idea's already given ;o)
Brenda, I'm gonna check out the red bud maybe there are more variety's of it??my neighbor put one in but it died....personally I think they didn't dig the hole wide enough and they put it to far down and didn't keep enough of it above ground...were on all clay here ughhhh (yuck) I lost 3 pink dogwoods because of it too and then finally put a fields birch in and it's doing amazing YAY!! it's just huge ;o)..
dorothian, I'm gonna check that oakleaf hydrangea out too...are they hearty? thats an awful windy and sunny hot spot where I need to put it...
Delane
Well, mine is in the north end of my property between my house and the neighbor's. It's a real wind tunnel there inh the winter time and it blooms every year. Been there about 5 or 6 years. Also a climbing hydrangea next to the house might do well too. Mine is on the NE side of the house and gets some morning sun. It's growing like crazy and gets blooms on it in early summer that last all summer long.
