Re: shrubs, getting on, what's new?

Hello, Claire,
I find myself in exactly the same place. Just retiring, and realizing that
the workload is pretty heavy and more beds are planned and needed. So I am
also looking at converting to lower maintenence plantings with many more
shrubs and small trees. Especially dwarf conifers, which I know little
about, LOL.

I am in zone 5b a little north of Detroit, Michigan, altho we haven't really
had 5b winter low temps in about 20 years. Last winter was pretty hard on
woody plants here though. My holly and  spirea both had a lot of winter die
back for the first time.

Anyone have recomendations for dwarf conifers for 5b Michigan?

Hal Lanktree

> Hello Shrub Lovers,
>
> There are not many messages here these days.  Maybe all that need to be
> discussed has been discussed so maybe another round is due.  I am a
transplant (pun
> intended) from Perennials.
>
> This has been the shrubbiest year of my life.  After 12 years on the same
> property, an old farm, many shrubs have matured.  I have a renewed
interest in
> shrubs and small trees, flowering trees, all trees, I guess.
>
> Being retired and looking ahead at a time when the perennials, all flower
> beds may become more than I could handle, I thought shrubs should become
more
> important in the gardens.  I have some lined out in holding beds beginning
with
> rooted cuttings.  Others clipped from a friend's shrub, some found by
combing
> catalogs.  After a long and cold and snowy winter, I have rethought my
> gardening.  I want the shrubs and small trees to be there for a flowery
spring with
> less labor than beds require.  New adventures can be found in the many
> containers around the water supply (cisterns and rainbarrels here) and
permanent shrub
> plantings can live along the mowed strips with no care as the no-care
plants
> prove themselves.  High care plants can leave.  That is sort of my plan.
>
> All of this to say that this is best spring that I can remember for shrub
> performance.  There was enough rain last summer and fall to produce buds.
The
> spring in the Northeast has been very rainy with a sunny day once in while
to
> get out and enjoy it all.
>
> A long intro to say I would like a discussion of new and superior woody
> plants plus older and less known woodies that are hardy in the Northeast.
This
> spring has produced a Halesia covered with it's small lily of the valley
flowers
> much larger than previous years - maybe tree age has something to do with
it.
> The Amelanchier (shadbushes) bushes or sometimes small trees were
glorious.
> Wild cherries are filled with bees.  Several Daphnes bloomed as never
before.
> All of the many Hydrangea paniculata forms have put on two feet of growth.
> Rhodies hardy in zone 4 are covered with bloom.  Kalmia or mountain laurel
> which blooms here every other year is covered with inches of new growth,
every
> terminal.  All of the Viburnums, include the picky plicata mariesii, are
blooming
> every branch.  A Weigela with a forgotten name is a so covered with
tubular
> pink flowers, we have been looking into what actually makes a Weigela
thrive.
> I have never seen this plant a ball of solid pink.
>
> Lilacs, especially the Russian hybrids, are full and again budded and
> blooming, every branch.  In one year's fervor to extend the lilac season,
I put in
> all kinds of species and late bloomers. James McFarlane is one. These have
never
> done really well until this year. This year, all are budded and all have
more
> than a foot of new growth.  In all the garden the temperatures near or
under
> 70 degrees have kept the shrubs in color for weeks at a time.  There are
> dozens more. Some are too large, some other cultivar would probably be a
better
> choice.  A few need to leave, they are very old and cuttings will take
their
> places.  OGR's are not going to bloom here until the end of June.  Again
the
> oldest and the proven are without cane loss as the newer shrub roses did
have
> winter damage.
>
> Maybe a few favorites, new or old could be discussed.  Many of the shrubs
> here were originally placed in perennial beds and borders with the
intention that
> that these beds would become places for the carefree perennials around
> flowering shrubs.  Eventually it would be all shrubs.  Some lower growing
shrubs are
> needed by me and I am now collecting a few to balance what I now consider
> shrub borders.  There is a whole discussion of Buxus or boxwoods.  Those
who do
> not think boxwoods grow in zone 4 would be happy to find they do.  We are
into
> the first week in June and have needed to clip ours a second time.  Three
> hollies are covered with their tiny yellow flowers, two will bear many
berries
> this year.
>
> The flowering crabs, a few hardy magnolias, other collected strange ones
from
> botanic sales, all are terrific this year. Any comment on the past
winter's
> very positive effect on woody plants or small shrubs or your best summer
> shrubs?  We do not do well with Buddleia. Caryopteris ages out here.
>
> One thought while pondering this year's good fortune is that we did not
have
> a serious thaw or warm up in the winter.  Buds formed and carried through
the
> winter had no chance to begin growth and get nipped by the next wave of
zeros.
>  The winter we condemned may have been good fortune to many woody plants.
>
> Please comment.
>
> Claire Peplowski
> NYS zone 4 mountains
>
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