By Ed Hume
|
 |
When was the last time you took a close look at your shrubs and considered how they add or detract interest from your garden? Have they simply become a non-descript space-filler or privacy wall? Gardeners eager for bursts of color often focus on their soil and budding flowers first and overlook the potential to enhance the drama, beauty and customization in their landscape with shrubs. Varying greatly in shape, size and color, they can be planted throughout your garden, mixed with perennials, bulbs, annuals or on their own to create a unique look.
The potential is exciting; it is best to consider shrubs that thrive in the Pacific Northwest, which provide color at various times throughout the fall:
1. Hydrangea – With a well-known appearance, this shrub offers a multitude of colors, including white, blue, red, pink and purple. You can change the color of some varieties to blue, by using a rhododendron-type acid fertilizer.
2. Roses – Always a crowd favorite, roses should be fed monthly during summer in order to provide the classic beauty they’re known for. With a multitude of colors available, roses allow home gardeners to select their favorite color, shape and size.
3. Abelia – A shrub with small flower clusters of white and pink bell-shaped flowers, it begins flowering in June, continuing until first frost in fall.
4. Escallonia - Flowering in mid summer, this shrub will produce white, pink and red flowers with a honey fragrance.
5. Heather – Offering nothing but variety, this shrub is available in many different colors, shapes and sizes, and one can select the low growing types or the tree types that may grow up to a height of 6 feet or so.
6. Ceanothus - Commonly called the California lilac, it flowers in early summer, providing a range in shades from white, lavender, or deep bright blue.
Late spring provides the perfect time to pay attention to existing shrubs. Double check whether they should be trimmed or repositioned to enhance their impact. Weigh the idea of adding one or two more shrubs to create a brand new visual effect. Also, don’t forget to care for them! With the exception of the roses, feed these plants in springtime, only once or twice each year, with a ‘Rhododendron’ or ‘Evergreen’ type fertilizer. Fertilize the roses once a month during the summer growing season with a ‘Rose’ or ‘All Purpose’ garden type fertilizer.
Shrubs provide the opportunity to assess your garden or landscape from a big-picture perspective. Consider where a new shrub or better use of existing varieties can create a more pleasing scene, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Most shrubs are hardy enough for a little movement and tweaking. The interest and appeal you can create can be dramatic - with only small changes at a time.
|
|
|
