Archive for the ‘Shrubs’ Category

Now is the time to visit your local garden center and inquire about “Flowering Quince”. The medium height of this tough as nails plant will light-up your landscape if you get it planted in time. Colors of blooms range from a chiffon pastel pink to an explosive dynamic red. Blooms occur before the foliage appears making a very dramatic statement especialy when the overall structure of the branchs offer a slightly different oriental look. A few select branches may be clipped prior to bloom and brought inside for “forcing’ if you desire. Leaves that follow the blooms are glossy green in nature offering a great backdrop for other later blooming plants. Most species have a few very sharp spines so be careful not to place them close to a walkway or where children might play. Prune after blooms fade if needed. Great as an espaliated plant! Very adaptable to soil types and moisture but will certainly give a more dramatic stature if offered good soil and ample moisture. What else can i say, this plant is GREAT and should find some special place in your landscape. Happy planting………. see ya in the garden

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It was just yesterday that I was passing through our nursery and I spotted this glorious plant getting ready to burst into bloom. Some of the pink blooms had already burst into full spectacle along with a fragrance that had me staggering down the garden path. This particular plant just amazes me with it’s durability (it got down below zero this winter, plus this plant along with all the other containerized plants simply sits above ground, subjecting it to dramatic swings in day and night temperatures) and to top it all off it is usually one of the first to come into bloom. Best planted in  a location of early morning sun with afternoon shade, I am sure you will not be let down with it’s performance. Growth is slow so you may want to save a little longer and buy a bigger plant. It loves to wiggle it’s toes in a soil that has been deeply amended with manure free compost and fed a good organci fertilizer such as our “Cold Climate”. Better swing on by and get one of these planted while they are still  in budded form or you will hear me later on talking about how spectacular this plant realy is and you will have to wait until next year to see with your very own eyes how wonderful this plant realy is!