Why I Oughta...

The treeform Doublefile Viburnums that we have in our backyard are in their full, Spring-blooming glory this week.  At least one of them, that is.  The shrubs have a layered set of branches that are home to clusters of white flowers that spread out from these little green dots.  The result is dramatic pop of white.  Below are a few photos - showing the full treeform viburnum and some close-ups of the white Doublefile Viburnum flowers.   Here's a post from a year-ago that shows the blooms on these same shrubs in Spring 2024 .  They were a few weeks ahead of this year.   A couple weeks ago, I added two more Doublefile Viburnums to the backyard - Pink Beauty .  They are shrubs - not treeform - versions that (I hope) will provide some pink-hued blooms in the coming years.  

In the Fall of 2023, I planted a pair of Matcha Ball Ash Leaf Spirea shrubs - one in the front yard and one in the backyard.  The one in front didn't come back this year, but the one in back leaf'd out and is now on its second full growing season and doing well.   I was drawn to these during my Japanese Maple phase and when I saw another one at the Big Box nursery recently, I decided to bring it home to add a new, different color and texture to the front yard Island bed. These are dwarf-like shrubs that has lace-leaf or fern-like foliage.  Here's what First Editions says about the Matcha Ball shrub : Forming a perfect round ball fern-like leaves cover Matcha Ball® in a fresh shade of green, much like Matcha tea. When the leaves first emerge in very early spring, the leaves and petioles have hints of red and orange-peach that ultimately mature to green in the summer and yellow in the fall. The photo at the top shows off those orange-peach color.  Here, below, is...

Yesterday, I introduced the Pink Beauty Doublefile Viburnum and showed how I planted the first (of two) flowering shrubs behind the Dawn Redwood in the backyard .  Today, I'm showing the other one.  This one is planted on the southside of the backyard, near the container water feature.   In the original plan, we were looking at a few Tardiva Hydrangeas along the fenceline on the southside .  As part of the "lilac replacement project", we sort-of called an audible and went with some Green Giant Thujas with alternating flowering shrubs in-between.   Earlier this Winter, I mused about adding more Thujas along the fenceline - so I wanted to keep that option open .  So, I chose to plant this a little bit 'up' from the fence.  In what would be an 'in between' spot between those (potentially) future Thujas .   Just like the other one, I pulled back the mulch, dug a 'f ive dollar hole ' and watered it in heavily.  Below are a couple ph...

I've talked about how the (dang) rabbits have destroyed a number of our oakleaf hydrangeas in the backyard.  I *really* like Oakleaf Hydrangeas, but I've mused (post here) if I'm just fighting nature too much and should plant things that can do better.   One of the shrubs that we have growing in the yard is a number of viburnums.  They, too, are flowering shrubs.  And they, too can handle some shade.  We have two different varieties:  doublefile and Chicago Lustre Arrowwood.  They've both done well.  The doublefile are treeform - which I really like as we can plant *under* them .  The Chicago Lustre have done well - despite the rabbit pressure.   There are a couple spots in our backyard that still need screening shrubs, so I always stop by the flowering shrub section of the big box stores to see if there's anything interesting.  I found a pair of these "Pink Beauty" Doublefile Viburnum at Menards.  (The trick to s...

Pops of chartreuse have been showing up in our backyard shade garden in various ways over the years.  One of the most successful was born out of a whim:  this Lemony Lace Elderberry shrub that I planted in the Fall of 2022 as part of a [Fall Planting] sprint .   The Lemony Lace Elderberry provides late Winter/Early Spring interest with wild-looking purple buds and some deep-red foliage .   This week, it started to bloom.  Below are a couple photos showing how it has filled out this Spring: I have a pair of Eiffel Tower Elderberries on the other side of the backyard that are a little behind this one.  

I have four Lilac shrubs that have moved around a few times.  In 2022, I moved all four from a part-shade spot to a more part-sun location on the opposite side of the yard.  The 'Common' lilacs have outperformed the 'Nocturne' variety.    Here's what they looked like in 2023 .   Below is what they look like today;  they're wider, more full and taller.  You can see the Common Lilacs on either side of the firepit in the photo below: Will they bloom this year?  I'm thinking we'll get more than we got last year .  

One of the more interesting early Spring shrubs in our garden is this Lemony Lace Elderberry.  Planted in the Fall of 2022 , it turns out this maroon-and-green lace-like foliage that look like little firework explosions on the limbs.  See below for a few photos of the almost Japanese-Maple-like leaves that sort-of unfurl from center clusters.   Spring bud burst is always a fun time, but right now, this Lemony Lace Elderberry might be the star of the entire show.  

In Spring 2023, I added five (very small) one-gallon Green Velvet Boxwoods to the front porch bed .  We already had a row of them planted in part of the bed, so adding these extended that line of evergreen shrubs across to the new bed (after removing the large Norway Maple).   Last April (2024), I posted a photo showing their first Spring and the tiny amount of growth that was put on in their one growing season.   2025 will be their third growing season and they've begun to put on some size.  But, one of them is showing some weird growth.  A water-spout.  Or a Witch's broom.  Or something.  See below.  There's one branch that has SHOT UP over the Winter and has emerged larger than the rest of the shrub.  And, it is absolutely COVERED in flowers.   I'm not sure what to make of this, but for now, I'm just leaving it alone.  

In the Fall of 2023, I planted a pair of fern-like shrubs called Matcha Ball Ash Leaf Spirea.  One in the front porch bed and one in the backyard - in the kitchen-curved bed .    The one if front appears to have been lost, but the one in back has ALREADY leaf'd out.  In a funny way.  The tips are full of leaves.  And the base is full of leaves.  But, the stems are a little bare.  See below for the current shape of this small shrub: This shrub behaved oddly last year - with a bud-burst in November .  Yes...November.  Late in the year, when the temps were dropping.   And, I documented some (dang!) rabbit damage on this thing this past Winter.   I'm pretty sure *that* is the reason for the odd growth pattern this year. 

The (dang) rabbits are indiscriminate with their gnawing this Winter.  Beyond girdling my Belgian Fence trees , they're also eating away at the green tips of my other shrubs, including this Matcha Ball Ash Leaf Spirea.  I planted this one in Fall of 2023 and really liked the fern-like, almost Japanese-Maple-like foliage .   Below is a picture showing the newly exposed centers of some of the branches on this shrub after they've been clipped right off by these furry pests. This shrub came back just fine last Spring and leaf'd out .  But, then something weird happened and it struggled with (I think) drought stress.  It dropped many of its leaves.  Then...in November...it set buds that STARTED TO OPEN (eek!) just as Winter was setting in .  Drought stress. Confused bud burst. Now, rabbit pressure.  This is one to watch this Spring. 

In the Summer of 2023, I planted eleven (11) small (I mean...REALLY small, 1# nursery pots that were on sale for $5 a piece) Green Velvet Boxwood shrubs in a staggered pattern at the feet of the two Greenspire Linden Trees that are currently being trained into a horizontal cordon espalier.   I wanted to add some evergreens to this bed to provide structure, formality and Winter interest.   Today, 18-months-later, those boxwoods are starting to fill-out and provide exactly what I was looking for:  winter interest.   See below for a photo showing the Green Velvet boxwoods and the pair of Linden trees in the snow: I posted a photo of these in May of 2024 when they were putting on their annual, shaggy growth .  This past Summer marked their first full year in the ground.  While still small-in-size, these Boxwoods are providing contrast against the bright-white snow.   These will, with time, get to between three-and-four-feet tall and w...

In the Fall of 2021, I planted three Green Gem Boxwoods in the backyard, about half-way back on the south side of the garden .  They were tiny, $5-ONE-GALLON shrubs that *barely* lifted their crown about the soil.  Today, they're starting to stand on their own.  See below for current state of the three Green Gem Boxwoods in early Winter along with a lot of leaf litter. Some nice moss on a couple of those small boulders, too.  

More Yew posts.  At least...I have a few more Hicks Yew posts to document the current state of the garden.  Next up - today - is a pair of Hicks Yews that are planted along the fence in the firepit border on the south side of the gravel pad.   I last posted about these in Summer 2023 , when I discovered that I had NOT posted about their planting.  I'm going to guess that these went in the ground in 2022.  That means they have had that same 2.5 growing seasons under their belt. In the photo at the top of this post, you can see the current state of the Yews.   Slow and steady it seems.  In the shade.  Even without irrigation.   This is part of the Yew update series of posts that are documenting the various shrubs in our yard.  I've posted about the  Brown's Yew , the  hedge of small Hicks Yews (for an undulating hedge)  in the far backyard,  the Hicks Yews that I planted *behind* the Oakleaf Hydrangeas ...

In Fall 2021, I planted two small (2 gallon nursery container) Chicago Lustre Arrowwood Viburnum shrubs in a pair of locations that were part of our overall, master garden plan.  The plan calls for these Arrowwood Viburnum in a number of locations, but I've only planted two.  (Note for next year, I suppose...) That means they've had three full growing seasons (2022, 2023 and now 2024) to grow up and out.  These are at the very back of the border, so while I'd like to say that I've cared for them...that's just not true:  these have mostly been neglected.  After the first few Winters - where rabbits were eating these, I've watered them (on occasion) and mostly forgot about them.   Despite that, they've grown up and out.  In Fall 2021, they were about 12" tall from the ground/mulch.  Today, they're both over the top of the lower fence (4' tall fence).  Below is a look at the pair of Arrowwood Viburnum - which....are still....surprisingly.....

Last week, I talked about being a "Fall Gardener" and shared a photo of the Butterscotch Amsonia that was/is popping off in our backyard right now.  The front yard has a different early November - Fall Show - star:  this combination of Saratoga Ginkgo and Little Henry Sweetspire.  You can see them contrasting each other below - with the Little Henry popping off in Fall red and the Saratoga Ginkgo's strap-y leaves turning a bright yellow.  The Saratoga Ginkgo is sort-of 'tucked in' amongst the Little Henry, but it is starting to put on some height (finally) after being planted in May of 2022 .  This is the 3rd full growing season for this tree and it (now) requires to be formally staked - something I should do this Winter.   I posted a similar photo exactly one-year-ago showing this combo .  The leader growth on the Saratoga Ginkgo is noticeable when you look back.  The Little Henry Sweetspire is FAR MORE red this year, too.   In fro...

Back in the Summer of 2022, I picked up and planted three VERY SMALL Green Velvet Boxwoods around the base of a flowering pear tree IB2DWs.  These were right at the break in the bed where our gravel (Bluestone chips) runs from our driveway back to the yard.   When I say 'very small', I mean it:  they were in 1# nursery pots.  I've planted a number of 1# boxwoods over the years and I've been ok with the fact that they take time to mature.   That's the case with these three.  They're not fast-growers, but they sure have grown up.   This post tracks 28-months of growth.  That's 2.5 growing seasons (1/2 of 2022, all of 2023 and 2024).   They grown from about six-inches tall and four-inches around.  To, what you see here, below.  These are now more than a foot tall and close to a foot in diameter.  The first photo shows two of them.  Then second photo shows the third one.  Note all the suckers coming o...

In the middle of last Summer (July 2023), I planted a pair of dark foliage shrubs - Eiffel Tower Black Tower Elderberries - along the fenceline about mid-way back .  Looking back at them when they went in, the were short and compact.   Now, 15 months later, both of the shrubs are doing fine - putting on some vertical growth and doing their 'tower' thing.  They're not...however...black.  See below: This season, they're up over the top of the fence (you can see in the background), so they've bulked-up height-wise.  I cut these back to about 2' off the ground this Spring and I'll do that again.   According to the description, they're supposed to 'age to black', so perhaps that's still coming?  (I doubt it).  

One of the not-so-planned set of shrubs that went in last Fall in my Fall Planting spasm was a set of three Soft Touch Hollys that went into the backyard nook area.  They were a late-season sale purchase , but I thought it was wise to diversify away from yews and boxwoods in my evergreen shrub collection.   Have they put on size?  I think so.  See below for the current state of these three Japanese Soft Touch Holly in our backyard - Zone 6a/5b.  They're fronted by some Dark Side of the Moon Astilbes and Ajuga Chocolate Chip that I put here during one of my 'garden edits' this Spring.  

Our Limelight Hydrangeas have *always* been just a little bit better performers than the rest of our hydrangeas.  I'm talking panicle, oakleaf, mountain.  We have a bunch, but these two shrubs, planted on the side of our front porch have been PROLIFIC for a while.  They went in when we built the house - Summer 2017, so this is their EIGHT growing season.   Last Summer, they went ham and threw off a ton of blooms.  I've pruned them each late Winter to try to thin some of them out and avoid the flopping that comes with these giant pannicle heads.  This year - we're getting (I think) the biggest bloom.   Have a look at these shrubs as they're LOADED:

We have three Doublefile Viburnum in treeform in our backyard.  Two along the north property line and one in the back by the firepit.  They went in the garden in Spring 2022 .  And, struggled.  These were hard to get established and required some baby'ing with water that first year.  Last year, they seemed to be able to handle themselves more and by this Spring, they were what I'd call 'established'.  That took two full growing seasons with the beginning of the third growing season producing the best/biggest/most-full blooms yet.  Here they are in Mid-May of this year with white flowers all over them . Two months later, we have another first:  these red berries on the tips of the shrub.  See below for a couple photos of the bright red berries.  The birds have not found these (yet).  There are A LOT of misses in our garden, but these Doublefile Viburnum are a big 'hit'.  They do A LOT for a shrub that grows in the shade.  W...