Great Shrubs For Spring Color

My garden relies heavily on shrubs and small trees for spring color; nothing in the landscape is easier or more reliable to produce swathes of fresh, bright foliage and lovely flowers.Shrub border by the patio, April 2016

The azaleas have been gorgeous, though most of their blooms are past their prime now. The bright red-orange azalea in the following photo is the evergreen Karume azalea 'Hershey Orange.'

'Autumn Fire' is a new Encore azalea recently planted by the parking area in front of the house. Although it is fabulous in the fall, it is just as spectacular in spring:Encore 'Autumn Fire' azaleas bloom in front of dwarf Yaupon Holly.

Viburnum macrocephalum, commonly called Chinese Snowball Viburnum, is another shrub blooming prolifically at present:

Behind and to the right of the Snowball viburnum in the image above is Philadelphus, commonly called Mock Orange or English Dogwood, just beginning to bloom:

Next to the patio is this lovely weeping lace leaf Japanese maple:

Most of my roses are low-maintenance, work horse type roses, but I think they are all beautiful. They are just beginning to bloom in the front garden. Here are a couple:Rosa 'Mutabilis', also called butterfly rose

Rosa Rugosa 'Alba'

Caryopteris incana 'Jason' glows near the patio. Later this summer it will have blue flowers that attract butterflies:

Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku', also called Coral Bark Maple, grows in the arbor garden:

Spreading Yew is another favorite in the woodland garden. I love how its lime green new growth contrasts with its darker bluish-green needles:

Cryptomeria japonica 'Tansu' is a dwarf Japanese cedar in the woodland garden. It has stiff, somewhat prickly evergreen foliage:

Here are more of my favorite shrubs for foliage:Clockwise from top left: Variegated osmanthus; Pieris japonica; Juniper 'Saybrook Gold'; Variegated Japanese pittosporum; Sambucus 'Lemony Lace'; Spirea 'Goldflame'; Variegated hydrangea; Deodar cedar 'Feelin' Blue.'

Finally, I am enjoying the sweet honeysuckle fragrance and pretty blooms of deciduous azaleas in the woodland garden. I have planted several varieties so that they will be blooming at different times from now into summer:

The April Garden

I am blessed to have been planted in the same soil for over twenty five years and to have had the opportunity to grow my garden almost from scratch, out of the devastation wrought by a tornado in 1990. The garden is more beautiful now than it ever was before the tornado. But it has taken time. Every spring and fall I planted new trees, new shrubs, new perennials, designing new garden spaces as the years passed. Season after season, year after year the garden took shape. I watched tiny Japanese maple and other seedlings mature into beautiful specimens. I transplanted old finds, like these columbines planted by the original owner of our house:Columbine loves the areas adjacent to the mulched paths wandering through the front garden. Every year I find seedlings to take the place of older ones that die away. I started with six plants; now I have many more. It is my favorite flower, and the bees love them, too!I watched things die, and I fretted until I learned to get over it. I discovered a lot about gardening along the way. Now the death of a plant is an opportunity to do something better.

That brings me to now. Our bitter winter killed a palm tree in the woodlands and the row of Pavonia Hastata that edged our patio. I replaced the palm tree with golden Anise 'Florida Sunshine', and I am bordering the patio with roses and colorful flowering companions. The wonderful Confederate Jasmine that covers the arch leading onto the patio was a close call. All of the leaves died, and we decided to cut it far back, only to discover that the old, rusty arch was completely broken. It was being supported by the jasmine and not the other way around! So we had a new, solid iron arch made: it will outlast us! No jasmine is showing in the following photo, but be assured it is there. The old plant on one side is beginning to show signs of life, and I planted a companion jasmine on the other side.

You can see a section of the new arch here:

April really is the most beautiful month in my garden! Here are some more photos taken around the front garden:

This view looks toward the front garden from the patio. Blue ajuga and perennial verbena grow at the foot of a table we refurbished:
There are assorted azaleas blooming in the front garden:

Here are a couple of current scenes in the woodland garden. The weeping Japanese maple in the top image is 'Waterfall':
The red flower in the above right hand photo is Silene virginica, a native wildflower also called fire pink.

Several years ago I planted some native azaleas in the woodlands, and I have waited patiently for them to bloom. Rhododendron austrinum 'Florida Flame' has finally rewarded me. It has a deliciously fragrant flower. These shrubs once were called Honeysuckle, until the infamously invasive Hall's honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica, arrived from Japan and stole the name. When the afternoon sun shines through the flower, I can see it glowing from the other side of the woodland garden!

From various parts of the garden, here are more April flowers:Clockwise from top left: Variegated Solomon's Seal; Phlox divaricata, also called woodland phlox; Iberis, or Candytuft; Dianthus 'Bath's Pink'; Cornus florida, our native dogwood; Primula sieboldii; A white flowering form of Epimedium; Dicentra eximia, a dwarf Bleeding Heart that blooms all summer.

Flowers can't take all the compliments! I always admire lovely leaves, so I will end with a small sampling of April foliage:Clockwise from top left: Juniper 'Saybrook Gold'; Caryopteris 'Sunshine Blue'; Japanese Painted Fern; Carex 'Everillo'; Bronze Dutch Clover; Native Holly Fern.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my April garden. Have a great week!   Deb