Shrubs Articles
Any garden can look great in spring or summer, but it takes real preparation and research to have a garden that looks great in fall and winter. It also takes discipline: garden centers are always stocked with shrubs that look fabulous at that moment, making those that don’t come into their own much later in the season easily passed by. However, it pays off to always add a few shrubs to your landscape that will look wonderful when the rest of the garden is fading. And, it pays off dividends to pick plants that make great cut branches in fall and winter, giving you the chance to create your own unique arrangements and décor during the holidays and beyond.
Here are shrubs – for fall or winter – that look great in the garden, in the vase, and more. While they may not be at their most exciting in spring, when the temperature drops and things start to get gloomy, you’ll be mighty glad you added them to your planting list.
Chartreuse has a unique way of brightening up the landscape anywhere you plant it, in sun or shade. Here are ten of our very best chartreuse annuals, perennials and shrubs to make your garden glow.
Have you ever wondered how plants get their names? We’ll let you in on a little behind-the-scenes action here at Proven Winners and tell you how a few of our favorites were named.
Tired of growing the same few plants every year in your shade garden? Here are shade-loving plants to help you brighten up your space with showy flowers and fantastic foliage.
Groundcover plants are a great answer to some of the most problematic garden and landscape conundrums. From uneven terrain, to places where you just can’t get other varieties to thrive, low growing groundcover shrubs are a great low-maintenance choice for small space gardening. These hard working plants can be used to dress up garden borders, as mass plantings in larger landscaping projects, and as natural tool to prevent erosion. Plus, because of their low growing characteristics, less weeding and mulching is required where these plants are sited.
Clay soil is much maligned by gardeners and homeowners everywhere, and no wonder: it’s heavy, sticky, and difficult to work in. But the simple fact is that clay soil gets its bad rap because it’s hard on people - from a plant’s point of view, clay soil is usually not problematic at all. In fact, clay soils offer plants two major advantages over other soil types: they hold water well, minimizing drought stress, and are abundant in nutrients essential for plant growth. So, if you’ve been struggling to achieve your dream garden or landscape in clay soil, cheer up! Here are ten beautiful shrubs that will thrive in clay.
Clay soil is much maligned by gardeners and homeowners everywhere, and no wonder: it’s heavy, sticky, and difficult to work in. But the simple fact is that clay soil gets its bad rap because it’s hard on people - from a plant’s point of view, clay soil is usually not problematic at all.
Every year it’s the same… the snow melts and the rose bush in your garden that has been lying dormant all winter springs to life with the hope and promise of summer. You gently lie your soaker hose under it, and comment how lovely it is looking this year. It flirts with the unfurling of tender, green leaves, and soon colorful little buds are sprouting. You give it a sidelong glance…you think this time it will be different.
Native cultivars make up a large part of our flowering shrub catalog, from Aronia to Viburnum. Take an in-depth look at all of them in this comprehensive article featuring our best native shrubs.
