Crape Myrtle blossom. Pixabay photo
Chosen for Beauty, Performance and Hardiness in our Region
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) selects plants each year that are easy to grow, pest free, and add beauty to the landscape for many seasons. If you are thinking about adding a new plant to your garden next spring, you might want to consider adding a Gold Medal Plant award winner. PHS has done all the homework for you, and you can trust their selections for being great performe
Trees
Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’ Crapemyrtle – A small tree with smooth, dark cinnamon-brown bark which has great winter interest. Glossy dark green leaves turn vibrant orange-red in fall. Panicles of pure white, soft textured flowers bloom all summer. Grows 20 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide. This fast- growing tree is sought after for its beauty and low maintenance, as well as its long bloom period (from summer to frost). The tree reblooms reliably after its first summer display. It can be planted as a specimen or in groups, and looks attractive when underplanted with a ground cover. Imagine 100+ continuous days of flower power!
Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Gulftide’ Holly Tea Olive – A lovely upright English Holly look-alike, with excellent shade tolerance and deer resistance. It can be used as a foundation plant, or as a hedge in the shade. This tree does well in partial to full shade and average soil conditions, and grows to 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide.
Vines
Clematis viticella Group – Blooms for a prolonged period from late June to September, producing a large quantity of 3-inch blooms in two different flower shapes. It blooms on new growth, so they do well with a hard pruning in late winter to early spring. The habit is vigorous and it covers a trellis rapidly. As self-clinging vines, they do very well growing up trellises or winding up small trees or through large shrubs. The roots are happiest in cool shade and the tops prefer full sun.
Perennials
Agastache x ‘Blue Fortune’ (Giant Hyssop) – This perennial has lavender-blue flowers mid-summer to fall. Flowers bloom freely over a long summer to early fall and are attractive to butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Leaves may be used in potpourris or to flavor cold drinks because of their minty-anice fragrance. This perennial is easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Good soil drainage is essential. The bloom time time is prolonged by dead-heading and is also deer resistant.
Allium x ‘Summer Beauty’ (Ornamental Onion) – Produces a quantity of flat, refined, strap-like leaves in spring, topped by soft pink round umbels on long stalks starting in June. Allium ‘Summer Beauty’ continues blooming almost all summer, and the dried round seedheads add interest to the winter landscape as well. It is extremely deer resistant and drought tolerant, and prefers partial shade.
Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ (Hybrid Sage) – This has violet-blue flowers on tall dark purple flower stems, making a very showy combination. ‘Caradonna’ grows to a height of 24 to 30 inches, with a spread of 18 to 24 inches. The flowers attract hummingbirds and are deer-resistant. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil.
Salvia. Pixabay photo
Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ (Stonecrop) – ‘Angelina’ has striking chartreuse to gold needle-like evergreen foliage, topped by inconspicuous yellow flowers in summer. It is a terrific low evergreen groundcover for sunny areas. The plant takes on a reddish tinge on the tips in winter. This perennial tolerates dry sites and roots itself easily. It also does well in containers and in rock and roof gardens, and is drought tolerant. Plants may be pruned back at any time if they get too large.
There are some very exciting selections this year and we are anxious to incorporate some of them in our landscaping plans next season. You can’t go wrong with their choices! Thinking about some new landscaping this spring? Whitehouse Landscaping has the horticultural knowledge in landscaping to make the right plants are chosen for the right place insuring your landscape thrives and can be properly maintained. Our design experience can create an outdoor space that is beautiful, distinctive, livable and truly sustainable.