Plant of the Week: Flowering Evergreens
Flowering shrubs add a pop of color to the landscape at various times during the season. If you are looking for low maintenance evergreen/semi-evergreen shrub that will provide colorful blooms during early spring to early summer, look to add Azalea, Rhododendron and Japanese Andromeda. Depending upon the variety, the color burst can be shades of white to deep purple or red.
Other favorite easy care deciduous flowering shrubs:
Some gardeners measure time by what plant is in bloom. It’s a reminder of how quickly nature’s clock ticks. Some of our favorite flowering shrubs in order of bloom time are Lilac, Viburnum (especially Korean with its sweet fragrance), Hydrangea (colors from white to pink to blue depending upon your soil pH) and Shrub Roses. A Garrick-Santo design will most likely contain at least one of these types as we believe they are a must for most landscapes.
How to care for flowering shrubs:
These shrubs prefer to be planted in well-drained soil that is on the acidic side, some in full sun while most in partial sun to full shade.
To prune or not to prune:
Unless there is a reason to reduce an older shrub that has gotten too large for its space these shrubs should not be sheared and left to its own natural form, you will find the blooms will be much better left alone. You can hand prune occasionally to remove deadwood or clip wayward stems but shearing is not the best option for these.
Garrick-Santo Landscape Co.
(781) 322-0006 — 110 Eames Street Wilmington, MA 01887
Proudly serving North Suburban Boston, North Shore, Merrimack Valley, Metro West since 1981
