Choose shrubs, plants that provide year-round interest

With winter weather “just around the corner,” many gardeners are beginning to prepare their yards and beds for the cold weather ahead.

What the garden season will be like next year is anyone’s guess but hopefully it will be a good one with plenty of sunshine, rain and moderate temperatures that will encourage our flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees to produce the luxurious abundance we all hope for!

Following are some questions and answers that may help us to have a great season next year in our yards and gardens.

Q: What should I look for to know if the ornamental trees in my front yard need fertilizing? I do not fertilize on a regular basis.

A: If your ornamental trees are growing poorly, have off-color or small leaves and slow growth of branches or twigs, they may need to be fertilized. Other signs may be slow wound repair and susceptibility to insect damage and disease.

Symptoms of nutrient deficiency usually show up during the growing season through the spring and summer. This season of growth exerts extra stress on your trees and signs of problems become evident.

However, although you may notice the signs of stress during the spring and summer, it is best to hold off fertilizing until the fall, after the growing season is over. Your tree’s roots continue their growth until the ground freezes and they will absorb nutrients as long as the root growth is active. If you are not able to fertilize in the fall wait until early spring as soon as the ground thaws. The roots begin to grow before new growth appears in the spring.

Q: I would like to add some shrubs to my yard that would be attractive and interesting all year round. Any suggestions?

A: It is an attractive addition to any landscape to have shrubs that provide year-round interest. Shrubs give structure and size in the garden and they create homes and food for birds and wildlife in the winter. Add to this, shrubs that provide color or eye-catching shape and form all year round and you have real garden “winners.”  

Varieties that you may want to try include:

1. Burkwood daphne (Daphne burkwoodii). This shrub grows from 3 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. It prefers partial shade and well-drained soil. Daphne produces masses of fragrant pink blooms in the spring and thick, beautiful foliage in the summer. Daphne is semi-evergreen in winter providing rich color through the drab winter months. Daphne varieties come in; solid green foliage, green leaves with white edging, and creamy-white leaves edged in green.

2. Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius). Ninebark grows from 3 to 10 feet high and 3 to 10 feet wide. It prefers sun to part shade and well-drained soil. This shrub has creamy white blooms in the spring and bronze-burgundy foliage through the summer and fall. In the winter, its bark peels back revealing a striking show of various shades of brown. It is extremely cold hardy and can be trimmed to any desired size and shape. Trimming will cause its foliage to be even more dense and full.

3. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia). Oakleaf grows from 4 to 8 feet tall and 6 to 12 feet wide. It prefers sun to part shade. This amazing shrub is a constant show all year round. In the spring, plump, green buds open to produce large silvery-green leaves. Summer brings clusters of florets that turn pink and then to golden-brown as they mature. In the fall, the hydrangea’s leaves change to shades of red, orange, brown, and purple. During the winter months, the dark older bark on the shrub peels away to reveal its red-brown inner layers. This one is a beautiful addition to any landscape.

Q: Any ideas for some fall color in my flower beds. I have mums but would like something different.

A: Why not try some ornamental cabbage or kale. Both are very cold hardy and provide not only beautiful color but add interesting texture and structure. Ornamental kale comes in shades ranging from fuchsia, white, cream, pink, red and yellow. The cabbage also comes in these colors and each plant usually has an outer edging of green, purple, blue-green, purple-green and deep red. Ornamental cabbage has rounded outer leaves while kale leaves are tightly curled. The peacock varieties of kale have outer leaves that are almost feathery. It is usually best to plant these ornamentals late in the fall when the cooler temperatures will really bring out their colors.  The cooler, golden days of autumn can be a pleasant time to be out in our gardens and yards. Enjoy the fall foliage and flowers of fall and begin to plan for the growing season that will come again next spring.

If you have garden questions or tips for other gardeners, send them in to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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