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Popularity: 3% [?]

Well, not really all, but a lot about hydrangeas!  As we were cleaning shrub beds this past week, we realized how many different hydrangeas we have planted in the past few years, and what an impact they make on the landscape.  There are of course a myriad of hydrangeas, but for our purposes, we categorize them into five areas: paniculata types (primarily white blooming, upright with strong stems, some blooming later in the season), bigleaf types (those with blue and pink blooms), Annabelle types (those with primarily white, flattened blooms), oakleaf types (large, coarse growing types with very large oak-like leaves and great fall foliage color), and climbing types (woody vines with strong structural elements to accent buildings, fences, etc.).   Just about all hydrangeas provide blooms from early summer through fall, and though each type has its own specific care and maintenance requirements, following a few simple steps will reward any gardener with a great staple for the landscape. 

We are particularly fond of the white flowering Hydrangea paniculata; this group of plants provide beautiful, big (8”-12”) blooms late in the summer through fall.  They flower on new wood, which allows them to be pruned in early spring, so the winter interest that the dried blooms provide can be enjoyed.  We recommend buying new, named varieties of this plant because the stems tend to be stronger and the flowers are larger and have interesting color twists.  ‘Tardiva’ is a great performing pure white selection that has an attractive, clean, upright form; this variety can also be grown as a small tree of roughly eight feet tall by six feet wide and is perfect for small garden areas.

 ‘Limelight’ is a newer introduction similar to ‘Tardiva’ in form but with limey-green blooms that appear a month or two earlier in the summer. 

A fantastic new winner in the paniculata group is the knockout ‘Pinky-Winky’;  the cute little name belies the robust, fast growing hydrangea that has huge 16” blooms that are pink near the bottom and bright white at the top.  This is a plant that will stop a gardener in his or her tracks, and always elicits the question “What is that??”

A long time favorite with any home gardener is the Annabelle hydrangea, Hydrangea aborescens. 

    ‘Annabelle’ reliably provides greenish white to white flowers of sometimes 10” across from mid- summer through September.  This plant also blooms on new wood, so it is best treated as a woody perennial and cut back almost to the ground in late winter or early spring.  Anyone who has grown this hydrangea loves the blooms, but dislikes the fact that the flowers often “flop over” due to excess weight, making staking an almost necessity.  Such floppiness can be partially alleviated by pruning the plant to the ground in winter and fertilizing lightly in May or June with a balanced shrub food. 

Two new introductions to this plant group are stirring a lot of excitement in the nursery industry, but extensive planting will need to be done to find out if they live up to the “buzz”.

  ’Invincibelle Spirit’ is a pink flowering version of Annabelle, and with its bright pink blooms, is the first of its kind. 

‘Incrediball’ is a new Annabelle type that has enormous white blooms that are the size of a soccer ball!    While we are skeptical, the grower and introducer of this plant tells us that “Incrediball” has super strong stems that will amply support the awesome flowers.                                                                  

The third group of hydrangeas popular in the Kansas City area is also the most problematic.  The bigleaf hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla, is the  group that blooms in shades of blue, pink, reddish, and light purple. The flowers are generally roundish and appear in mid-summer.  However, because this plant blooms on old wood, and Kansas City is in the northern limits of its growing range,  oftentimes flower buds (or even whole plants) are killed back to the point that no flowers appear in the bloom season.  There are dozens of interesting varieties in this species, but for our area, “Nikko Blue”  has been about the best performer through the years.   

    Recently, exciting new introductions that bloom on new wood have exploded on the market, making it easier for those gardeners in the northern half of the U.S. to enjoy these hydrangeas.  “Endless Summer”, “Blushing Bride”, and now “Twist and Shout” all show promise to have the big blue or pink blooms landscape lovers have been craving. 

Unfortunately, the Greenleaf Garden Services gang has been largely disappointed with the performance of this plant group.  We have encountered a great deal of dieback through the winter, and underperformance in the succeeding spring and summer months.  The plants to us just seem anemic and weak, though we are trying various fertilizing and siting ideas to see if we can help them live up to the hype. With that in mind, certain cultural practices will help bring success with any hydrangea in this group.  Planting the bigleafs where they can get 5-6 hours of sunlight without being exposed to burning hot afternoon sun is ideal (too much shade really reduces bloom); fertilizing with a 1-3-1 ratio fertilizer helps too but don’t fertilize after September so the plants can have a chance to harden off before winter.  Also, watering too heavily can reduce bloom and produce mostly green leaves; allowing the plants to stress slightly will encourage bloom (this is true of most woody plants).  If you are fortunate enough to have a good blooming bigleaf hydrangea, you can control the color of bloom by adding aluminum sulphate for blue blooms, and dolomitic lime and high phosphorus fertilizer for pink blooms.

The fourth hydrangea group is the Oakleaf hydrangeas.  This group is the author’s favorite because of its big, bold nature; everything about this plant is supersized, and its ease of care and reliable growth make it a “must-have” for any garden that has ample room.  Hydrangea quercifolia grows to about 6’-8’ tall, with a spread of 8’-10’- or even more; the leaves too, are large, reaching 8” long and sometimes 6” across, and resemble those of some sort of mythical red oak.  The stems of Oakleaf  are beautiful shades of brown and cinnamon, peeling and exfoliating to lend interest in the winter months, and its overall form lends structure, stability, and uniqueness to a large shrub bed or planted next to a  building.  Additionally, the fall color for this hydrangea is nothing short of spectacular, exhibiting shades of red, orange, and yellow on leaves that persist well into November or even December.  If you can find one, a variety called “Snow Queen” produces huge numbers of beautiful blooms, held wonderfully upright on the ends of branches, and there is even a dwarf variety called “Pee Wee”, which grows about 3’ x 3’ and is much refined in its growth and flowering. 

The flowers of Oakleaf are probably the least important aspect of the plant, but can be quite wonderful;  growing up to 12” long, the panicles of flowers start out a bright white, and with time turn a beautiful pinkish red and finally brown.  If you have a large garden space that needs a great plant, consider Oakleaf hydrangea—you won’t be disappointed!

Last, but certainly not least in consideration, are the climbing Hydrangeas.

 This is truly the aristocrat  of flowering vines; unlike vines like Clematis or Virginia Creeper,  climbing Hydrangea forms a strong, three dimensional structure with interesting branching and exfoliating stems that offer year round enjoyment.   This is a large vine that climbs via rootlike structures, and can grow to a height of 60’-70’!  Because of its mass and almost shrublike appearance, Climbing Hydrangea can be used to cover large structures or even eyesores like rockpiles, etc.   However, its unique beauty will demand the gardener place it in a prominent location.  This plant grows quite nicely in sun or shade, but in difficult sites, or windswept areas, a northern or eastern exposure is best.  It has beautiful, bright green leaves, and cinnamon colored stems that peel as they mature, and in June-July, Climbing Hydrangea produces large 6”-10” flat topped white flowers that are truly magnificent.  Climbing Hydrangea is relatively slow to establish, but new container growing methods are enabling landscapers and home gardeners to enjoy this star performer with far greater success than was common 25 years ago. 

There is another climbing vine known as Climbing Hydrangea, but is not really a hydrangea species.  Japanese Hydrangea Vine, Schizophragma hydrangeoides, is very similar in appearance, but lacks the strong three dimensional branching that characterizes its Hydrangea cousin, and it blooms somewhat later in the season.  To the untrained eye, the two types are very similar, so if you have room for only one in the garden, choose the true Hydrangea anomala petiolaris; otherwise, opt for both and have two unique and beautiful vines for your landscape. 

Remember, Greenleaf is always available to help you find the perfect spot in your garden for new and exciting plants!!

Popularity: 100% [?]

We’re not sure whether to rejoice over the recent improvement in the weather, or despair over the fact that the weatherman on the television just mentioned “snow” as a possibility (again!)  I suppose we’ll take the high road and choose optimism, since it does feel like spring is on the horizon and glimmers of hope are popping up all over town.  Spring bulbs are pushing through to daylight and this past week we observed daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths emerging from hibernation, and crocus in full bloom.  Witchazels all over the area are blooming and Cornus mas trees are showing color and trying to bring forth their full glory; but, overall, Kansas City is still a picture in shades of grey.  And that is why it’s important for every gardener’s sanity to include in the landscape some of those plants that hold our interest in every season, but especially in the winter.  Trees and shrubs that have wonderful bark, unique branching patterns, or unusual buds draw us into the yard and almost compel us to find beauty in the winter landscape.  A few of our favorites follow; if you have a stellar performer in your yard, drop us a line and share your excitement with other Kansas City gardeners!

At Greenleaf, we are big fans of lesser known or obscure plants that make gardening fun and ever changing.  Some of those are on our list of winter highlights, while others on the list the reader will recognize as “old standbys”.  Plants with interesting bark head up our list, and one tree that is particularly impressive this season is the Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum). 

 This is a small to medium sized tree that grows quite slowly, so it will fit into almost any landscape.  Its bark peels constantly, revealing an ever changing pattern of very rough to glassy smooth, and colors of reddish brown to parchment tan.  Fall leaf color is an added bonus with this tree which is clothed in orange, red, and yellow. 

A seldom planted pine is next on our list;  

   Lacebark Pine (Pinus bungeana) is a slow growing, medium sized pine tree that has beautiful bark which reminds one of puzzle pieces in colors of green, grey, and reddish brown arranged on the trunk. 

Most gardeners are familiar with redtwig dogwood shrubs, which have great red stems, but not so many landscape lovers know the intense rose-red stems of a Japanese Maple called ‘Sango-kaku’. 

   A smallish, upright and vase shaped Japanese maple, Coralbark Maple has fine textured branches so bright that it literally stops you in your tracks.  It’s not the easiest tree to grow, and enjoys a little shade on hot summer afternoons, but in the winter it is breathtaking. 

Interesting shapes are another highlight in the landscape, especially in winter.  We were reminded this week just how striking Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick (Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’) truly is.   

     This shrub is unique in its curling and twisting contorted branches that are a real conversation piece.  It grows to around six feet tall and wide, and is fairly non-descript in the spring through fall growing season, but when it loses its leaves, it is remarkable! 

Another arresting shape prominent in winter gardens is that of Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina). 

   This plant has a growth habit that is hard to describe—we think “wild” suits it best.  One variety of staghorn sumac, ‘Tiger Eye’, has stunning golden leaves that always attract attention. 

One of our favorite evergreens for winter interest is the dramatic ‘Tokasu’ Juniper, a dark green upright form that seems to have arms that embrace the landscape around it.  

    This tree grows 15’-20’ tall and never needs trimming, though you need to give it some room to allow it to perform to its fullest.

So, when you are planning your next landscape improvement, consider including a true winter interest tree or shrub and spice up even the bleakest January scene.

Popularity: 27% [?]

       Winter months in Kansas City can certainly be bleak, to say the least.  Weeks of grey skies, punctuated with periods of sleet, snow, and ice can depress even the hardiest of gardeners.  There are a few bright spots, though, when it comes to plant materials that cheer us up.  Aside from the usual evergreens (which we’ll touch on soon in another blog), there are some interesting deciduous plants, and even some bulbs that give us a reason to walk around the yard.  One of our favorites is Witchazel;

     Not only does it put on a spectacular fall show with leaves of yellow, orange, and crimson, it blooms reliably in the dead of winter when almost all hope is lost!  Most years Witchazel blooms in late January, though this year it is delayed (due to the prolonged frigid temperatures) and has just begun blooming in mid-February.  Witchazel has a quirky flower borne on barren stems in colors ranging from bright yellow to rich red, with some beautiful apricot and orange varieties available.  The plant has a nice branching structure and doesn’t get weedy looking like many other large flowering shrubs—and, it’s easy to grow. 

Another favorite is Cornus mas, Cornelian Cherry Dogwood.

       This is the very first tree to bloom in the spring( usually early March) here in the Midwest.  Its blooms are bright yellow, though fairly small, and there are plenty of them.  This tree looks its best when planted in front of tall evergreens, or by a building so there is contrast for the flowers to show off.  It blooms for quite a long time, and since there are no other trees in bloom, Cornus mas  is a definite star of the landscape at a time when we gardeners need a pick- me -up!

Finally, a couple of bulbs that brighten up the winter landscape need to be mentioned.  A personal favorite of the gardeners here at Greenleaf is the unusual Arum italicum ‘Pictum’. 

  Arum is a leafy perennial bulb (actually a tuber) that produces large bright green leaves with white veins, and reminds one of a tropical.  The unusual characteristic of this plant is that it emerges from the ground in the fall, and remains a beautiful green all through the winter!  Plant a group of these near your front door, and guests will be amazed at your “tropicals” peeking through the snow.  Arum continues through the spring, but in early summer, the foliage dies back and this plant produces a tall spike of orange red berries which last a few weeks.

   Then the plant disappears completely until fall once again summons cooler temperatures and the lifecycle begins anew.  The other cheery bulb that every gardener should have is winter aconite. 

  Winter aconites are small, buttercup yellow flowers that often emerge through the snow and definitely brighten the boring winter landscape.  They are quite short, only 2” or so, and they have a bright green foliage bed to sit upon.  This tuberous bulb does spread fairly aggressively, but because of their diminutive size, and the fact that they literally disappear after late spring, winter aconites are rarely considered a problem. 

Check back often to see more of our favorites!

Popularity: 59% [?]

The longer days and warmer temperatures of March entice the gardener to venture out into yard and get his or her hands dirty. Long bouts of Kansas City cabin fever are slowly forgotten as the realization that “spring is coming” and we can actually see our landscapes. Now is the time to begin cleaning the planting beds of debris and trash, and to remove weeds that were missed last season along with new winter annual weeds that have cropped up. Large, unwieldy perennials that were left untrimmed to provide structure in the garden can be reduced or even pruned back to their new season height. Check any heavily mulched plants to ensure winter snows and ice haven’t compacted to the point of suffocation; in such cases, loosen mulch to add air but don’t remove yet. Some garden publications recommend pulling mulch away from perennial plants, and then replacing at night as temperatures warrant. We prefer to leave mulch in place until damaging temperatures abate; one exception to this would be if unusually high temperatures prevail (70’s-80’s) and mulched plants begin to grow and bleach out from a lack of sun. In those cases, mulch should be pulled back and then replaced as nighttime temperatures reach freezing.

Garden soils this time of year are somewhat susceptible to damage if care is not taken. If the winter months brought high levels of moisture through snow, rain, and ice, garden soils are likely saturated in March. Gardeners must resist the temptation to work in the soils until sun and wind can dry the areas out to a suitable extent. (Take a handful of soil, compress it lightly, and let it fall through your fingers. If it appears reasonably crumbly, it is fine to work; if it sticks together in a muddy mess, go back to reading garden journals for a while.) There are ways to help Mother Nature jump-start spring—call Greenleaf for help in getting your landscape ready!

March is a great month to plant cold hardy flowers and ornamentals; pansies, kale, and ornamental cabbage can go in now. Begin to identify perennials that should be divided just as new growth begins. Cool season turfgrasses can be mown short the latter half of this month in preparation for aeration and initial chemical applications. Make sure your tools are sharp and ready to go—the excitement of a new gardening season is upon us!

Popularity: 17% [?]

Greetings!  We are so pleased to be partnering with Tastebud for this month’s drawing.   We are giving away a shrub to two lucky Tastebud readers.  Below you will find pictures and descriptions of the plants available to you.  

You can also learn more about us by selecting the “Go to Website” button above.

Options for shade location:

LET’S DANCE MOONLIGHT HYDRANGEA  - 3’ shrub blooms on new and old wood  

LITTLE LAMB HYDRANGEA - 4′ shrub blooms Summer through Fall

MY MONET WEIGELA - 2′ shrub blooms in Spring

Options for sun location:

ISSAI BEAUTYBERRY - 4′ shrub blooms in Summer and berries in Fall

KNOCK OUT ROSE - 4′ shrub blooms Spring through the first frost

BLACK KNIGHT BUTTERFLY BUSH - 5′ shrubs blooms Summer to Fall

DIANE WITCH HAZEL - 10′ shrub blooms in late Winter, very early Spring

 Good luck!

Popularity: 17% [?]

Well, here it is the end of February and we are still dealing with snow and ice!  Not that we don’t see snow and ice in February, it’s just that we’ve seen so much of it this year.  Here in the far south part of the Kansas City area, we received ice to worry about instead of snow.  Ice, particularly if it comes in large amounts, can be quite damaging to plants and there is very little we can do about it.  Trying to remove ice from our favorite plants usually causes more damage to branches, stems, etc. than if we just leave the plants alone and let the ice melt naturally.  Our deciduous trees (unless they are inherently weak varieties) can usually handle small to moderate amounts of ice, but conifers like pines and spruce, and broadleaf evergreens like hollies and magnolias, can be severely damaged in ice storms because of the large amount of leaf surface to be covered and the attendant weight that stresses branches.  In rare instances, we have removed ice from prized evergreens by spraying them with slightly warmed water, but this only works if temperatures are near or above freezing, and excess water is carefully removed from branches. 

Although severe ice storms can damage even the strongest trees, relatively minor accumulations of ice can wreak havoc with weak wooded trees.  As landscape designers and horticulturalists, we preach the benefits of hardwood trees and warn of the woes of softwooded or structurally weak trees so our clients are spared the expense and heartache of seeing their landscapes damaged.  The pictures shown here are of a willow, almost always a poor choice except in the largest yards, and a silver maple, one of the worst culprits when it comes to storm damage.  Silver maples can be especially troubling because their potentially enormous size can often mean major damage to homes, cars, people, etc.  This latest ice event was quite minor, and yet the pictures show significant damage to these species. 

Pictured also is a Limber Pine, widely planted as ‘Vanderwolf’s Pyramidal’ being true to its name.  Despite the extra weight of the ice, this flexible tree fares just fine.  Unfortunately, the pictured ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ Magnolia, shows fairly significant damage from the ice.  It illustrates what can happen to broadleaved evergreen trees in the northern limits of their natural growing range.  ‘Bracken’s’ is an excellent tree, and we use it routinely in landscape designs, but this week’s weather reminds us as designers that using trees like this should be tempered with the knowledge that we are “pushing the limits” of where they should be planted.

Finally, THINK SPRING!  And call us for recommendations on some great, durable trees!!

Popularity: 17% [?]