Category Archives: Shrubs

Information on the best shrubs for your garden and landscape

The Best Hydrangeas – A Multi-Part Series for homeowners… Part 6 –Climbing Hydrangeas (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris) and How to Grow Them

Climbing Hydrangeas are rarely associated with their shrubby cousins.These hefty vines occupy a space in the garden all their own.These vigorous climbers can reach a height (or length) of over 40 feet and produce large white flower heads that have … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening, Shrubs | Leave a comment

The Best Hydrangeas – A Multi-Part Series for Homeowners… Part 5 – Oakleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) and How to Grow Them

Oakleaf Hydrangeas are yet another under-utilized Hydrangea in backyard landscapes. Like the smooth Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’, Oakleaf Hydrangeas usually look pretty dismal in a nursery container. This is unfortunate, because most homeowners pass them by and miss out on a truly … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening, Shrubs | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Best Hydrangeas – A Multi-Part Series for homeowners… Part 4 – Smooth Hydrangeas (Hydrangea aborescens) and How to Grow Them

Smooth Hydrangeas are one of the great underused plants of today’s gardens.  Garden designers use this plant whenever they get the chance, but homeowners have somehow missed out on this gem. At first glance, the smooth Hydrangea looks very similar … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening, Shrubs | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Best Hydrangeas – A Multi-Part Series for homeowners… Part 3 – Pee Gee Hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) and How to Grow Them

Hydrangea paniculata is one of the easiest ways to get a large, long lasting, dramatic show of flowers in your garden.These Hydrangeas are very different from their Bigleaf Hydrangea cousins.These are large, fast growing woody shrubs that produce large white … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening, Shrubs | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Best Hydrangeas – A Multi-Part Series for homeowners… Part 2 – Bigleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) an How to Grow Them

Bigleaf Hydrangeas are the classic Hydrangeas that we all know and (maybe) love.These long blooming shrubs are staples of the American garden.The classic blue Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’) is probably the most recognized and most frequently used hydrangea in … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening, Shrubs | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Best Hydrangeas – A Multi-Part Series for homeowners… Part 1 – Understanding the Basics of Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are certainly one of the best loved garden plants of the American garden.Most homeowners that know nothing about plants can still identify the classic blue flowers of our most common hydrangea. As a garden designer, I get requests for … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening, Shrubs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spring comes early with “Cornell Pink” Rhododendron

Let’s face it, for gardener’s, March can be the most brutal month.  We’re hanging on the edge of spring, waiting for those first warm days and counting down to the first early blooms of the season.  Most gardeners use bulbs … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening, Shrubs | Leave a comment

Add Winter interest with Witch Hazel (Hamamelis)

If your garden looks anything like mine in the winter, it can get downright depressing.  By late February, we’ve had it with winter and the spring bulbs are still a month away.  Most “early” spring blooming trees and shrubs are … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening, Shrubs | Leave a comment