Plant witch hazel for more late Winter/early Spring color

Witch hazel is a shrub to incorportate into your landscape as a complement to flowering quince varieties. However, witch hazel will grow to become a large tree-like shrub over time. Hence, siting correctly is critical. It works best on large properties that can accommodate the mature size, close to 15' by 15' Also, this is an "understory" plant, and TGM recommends using it in the transitional zone of your landscape between lawn areas and the wooded spaces beyond it. For example site a flowing quince at the edge of your property and the witch hazel slightly beyond it in the wooded area. Here is a comprehensive list of witch hazel varieties. 'Arnold's Promise,' in brilliant yellow is the most popular cultivar followed by 'Jelena' and 'Diane.' These cultivars ought to be readily-available at quality garden centers. http://www.canadiangardening.com/plants/trees-and-shrubs/witch-hazel-a-tree-that-blooms-in-winter/a/1344/3

"9 plants that dazzle even in snow"

Here's quick tutorial article from the UK Telegraph on Winter plants you ought to have in your landscape for Winter and early Spring interest. http://www.houselogic.com/photos/gardens/winter-plants/slide/flowering-quince-chaenomeles/?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=topss&cid=pm_pn_outbrain_topss

"Winterberry — a deciduous version of holly — loses its leaves in late fall, leaving behind dazzling sprays of lipstick-red berries. Most species of holly are either male or female, so you’ll have to pair them up to get berries. Plant in spring or fall." TGM uses 'Sparkleberry' with 'Apollo' as the pollinater Various cultivars: 'Afterglow' - A 3- to 6-foot tall female cultivar with orange-red fruit. X 'Apollo' - A large plant, to 10 feet, male, used as a pollinator for 'Bonfire' and 'Sparkleberry'. 'Aurantiaca' - A female with red fruits that change to golden orange. A 4-foot, compact form. X 'Bonfire' - A large, vigorous shrub with small red fruit in clusters. 'Bright Horizon' - Vigorous and upright, large red berries are produced in tight clusters. 'Cacapon' - Red fruit and dark green foliage, more upright than 'Afterglow'. 'Jim Dandy' is a suitable pollinator. 'Early Male' - A male used to pollinate 'Afterglow' and 'Red Sprite'. X 'Harvest Red' - Heavy production of red fruit. 'Jim Dandy' - A male often used as a pollinator for 'Afterglow', 'Aurantiaca', 'Cacapon', 'Red Sprite', and 'Shaver'. 'Late Male' - A male selection used to pollinate 'Winter Red'. Probably a southern type. 'Oosterwijk' - Bright red berries persist longer than those of other cultivars. 'Jim Dandy' is a suitable pollinator. 'Raritan Chief' - A male selection with a low, dense, spreading habit. 'Red Sprite' ('Compacta', 'Nana') - Multi-stemmed shrub, compact with large red fruit. 'Select' - A female that produces heavy crops of berries. 'Shaver' - An upright form with large red fruit. 'Southern Gentleman' - A male pollinator for 'Winter Red' and 'Select'. X 'Sparkleberry' - A female that may reach 12 feet with good fruit production. 'Spriber' (Berry Nice TM) - Excellent production of red fruits. Use 'Southern Gentleman' as a pollinator. 'Sunset' - A female with large red fruits. Performed poorly in Wisconsin for Eggerss and Hasselkus. 'Winter Gold' - Yellow fruits. 'Winter Red' - Grows to 7 feet with brilliant red fruit. Plants grown in Wisconsin had a tall, leggy habit and were inferior to other cultivars. Courtest www.conknet.com Here's a source for 'Purple Majesty' millet, easy yo grow from seed http://www.burpee.com/flowers/millet/millet-purple-majesty-prod000279.html

English delphiniums from Langdon and Blackmore

Delphinium elatum'Faust' 5 hard-to-find varieties from White Flower Farm http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com

Another correct maple for landscaping: Amur maple 'Beethoven'

The scientific name is Acer ginnala, and this medium-sized maple native to the Amur River valley in China definitely makes the list of correct maples for your site: "A tightly-branched and narrow, columnar form. Has bright red samaras that compliment the large, deep hunter-green foliage. Fall foliage is red and gold." Wayneboro whole nursery can give you the name of a retail dealer in your area. www.waynesboronursery.com

'Metro Gold' maple adds fall color and is tough

Here's a species to add to your list of desirable maples for your site: Acer campestre, which is the hedge maple. The variety called 'Metro Gold' features many desirable qualities. One caveat: this is a large maple which will produce substantial shade. Take that into account. It looks best around the edges of your property in an open spot. "This upright, narrow oval cultivar has a tighter shape than Queen Elizabeth™ and is much narrower than seedling hedge maple. Selected by nurseryman Herman Panacek, it produces fewer seeds than typical and has an improved, bright yellow fall color. This is an excellent street tree selection from a species that has earned a reputation as a tough city tree." Read more about it here: http://www.jfschmidt.com/introductions/metrogold/index.html

"Winter blues"? Join us at Wintertyde to make it through with diverting activities

The Green Man invites all readers to become "Wintertyders," by following the Wintertyde calendar. Wintertyde is a new season that fits snuggly into the "dead of Winter." Wintertyde helps you make it through a long Winter by breaking it up into discrete, short segments of holidays and activities with protocols to follow. Visit us here: www.wintertyde.blogspot.com

Additional correct trees for home landscaping

Amalanchier 'Autumn Brilliance' The Green Man has 3 additional trees to add to your short list of correct trees for landscaping your site. Serviceberry. Use 'Autumn Brilliance' Serviceberries have few problems and offer 4-season interest. Ginkgo. 'Autumn Gold' is a reliable cultivar. This is a large tree for the periphery of your site Koelreuteria paniculata. This is medium size tree with few problems. It works well with Japanese ("KEL-roo-TER-ia") Also, work in 3's when siting, and use asymmetrical triangulation for placement. Finally, always select and plant your trees for the mature size.

Choose the correct trees for Spring planting

Black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) Photo courtesy nl.tree-pictures.com January and February are good months to walk around your landscaping site to determine where you want your trees. Increasingly, homeowners are doing their own landscaping, especially in a depression economy. Hence it's critical to select the correct trees and to site them properly. TGM has also noticed that it's difficult to find a definitive list of what to plant on the Internet. This post will solve that problem. First of all, be advised that the majority of the trees at a garden center or box store are not suitable. Demand causes these businesses to stock the wrong trees, such as 'Bradford' callery pears and silver maples. Over the next few months, TGM will post articles on the correct trees. In the meantime, remember to site your trees for the mature size;otherwise, they will generally grow to close to the house. Trees must be at the very least 1/2 the mature diameter from the foundation. So, a 30' wide mature tree has to be at the very least 15' from the house. In general, do not plant any trees that max out at over 30' near the house. Use large trees on the periphery of the property, and give them room. A Short List of Trees to Avoid 'Bradford' pear. Use'Cleveland Select' or 'Chanticleer.' Silver maples. Use only Japanese maples and paperback maples near the house. Large maples such as sugar need lots of space, and they produce incredibly dense shade. Good tree to have on the periphery. Avoid the invasive 'Crimson King' Norway maple. All birch trees. Except river birch. All ash trees. All crabapples and mountain ash. All flowering dogwoods. These trees have all sorts of pest and disease issues that you do not want. A Quick List of Correct trees River birch, esp. 'Heritage.' Black tupelo Magnolias Crape myrtles Kousa dogwoods These trees add value to your property. More next time.

Exciting, new perennials for Spring 2015 from White Flower Farm

"NEW! Hemerocallis 'Fooled Me' As bright and colorful as pinwheels, these golden 5½″ blossoms have a deep red eye and finely crimped, red picotee edges. Winner of the AHS Stout Silver Medal and Award of Merit. Daylilies (properly, Hemerocallis) are the plants every gardener dreams of. They offer glorious flowers in every shade except blue, a long season of bloom (though individual flowers last but a day), and a robust disposition that makes them easy to transplant, easy to maintain, quick to multiply, and resistant to pests. They make a carefree and colorful ground cover." http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/new-spring-perennial-plants.html

Plant Delights Nursery Spring 2015 catalog available by mail

Plant Delights' new catalog is beautifully-rendered and contains a variety of hard-to-find items to enhance your landscape. Order a copy for your horticultural library today. Price is 10 stamps or 1 box of chocolates (seriously). Now available:

www.plantdelights.com

New web specials from White Flower Farm

To start off 2015, White Flower Farms is offering some "web specials" not offeredin their new Spring catalog. For example, this: Anemonella thalictroides 'Oscar Schoaf'

www.whiteflowerfarm.com