Tag Archive for: plant shopping

Be Impulsive – Grab your Tuxedo hydrangea

be impulsive
This astonishingly lovely hydrangea is Tuxedo® Purple with inky dark foliage and lace cap flowers (which also come in the full mop head form if that’s your preferred thing).

Here’s something we’ve all done – been impulsive and brought a plant home from the garden centre. It was sitting there looking very special and before you know it, you’ve decided to treat yourself. Home it comes… to brighten your day, or week or, if you’ve hit the jackpot, you have years of loveliness to look forward to. And if you happen to spot a Tuxedo® hydrangea to bring home, you will have years of joy ahead. For these reasons…

1. It has inky black leaves. Hence its name. The foliage takes equal billing to the flowers which is a major bonus because it looks very, very good both before it flowers as well as afterwards. Depending on the light levels where you grow your Tuxedo hydrangea, the leaves will vary in how much black and green you get, and if you want the darkest option, look for Tuxedo Black Tie.

This is Hydrangea Tuxedo® Black Tie early in the season before it has put on its red flower show. There is a hint of green in the veins of the leaves but the foliage is unquestionably dark.

2. Tuxedo hydrangea’s flowers are in your face. In a good way of course. They come in both hydrangea flower formats: the mop head or the lace cap where the central bracts are held in tightly closed buds. They are large. They come in gorgeous colours – hot pink, red and purple. And they are produced from early spring.

be impulsive
Here’s the easiest way to see what mop head and lace cap look like. These are both Pink Tuxedo® hydrangeas – the one above is a mop head and below is a lace cap.

3. This is a neat and healthy hydrangea. Tuxedo® hydrangea knows how to behave and will never grow into a tall, gangly, rangy beast. Instead, it forms a dense mound of foliage and flowers around three feet high and across. Hydrangea Tuxedo has also been bred so that it’s rarely affected by pests or diseases. So by being impulsive you are rewarded in a big way!

Shopping for shrubs

shopping for shrubs
Blush was the first Magnolia Fairy Magnolia® and it’s easy to see why it has such an appeal. (There are also almost equally gorgeous cream and white versions.) These magnolias are dead easy to grow – they’re a terrific hedging plant – and when in bloom they’re smothered in flowers.

Picking a shrub to plant is a little bit like choosing a tree – it’s something that’s going to be in your life for many years. Which is why you might want to do a little background research before you start shopping to make sure it’s going to be a happy decision. Common sense says… find something beautiful and dead easy to grow. It’s all about smart shopping for shrubs. And it’s simple really, especially since we’ve given you the how-to steps here…

1. Look at these lovelies. To start you off on your online shrub shopping search take a look at lilacs, camellias, Mexican orange blossom, Fairy Magnolia® magnolias (formerly michelias), Flower Carpet® shrub roses (also known as Showpiece roses in the southern hemisphere and Canada), rhododendrons, bottlebrushes, Daphne Perfume Princess™. The full shopping list of potential candidates will be thrilling and daunting. Luckily you’ll soon find you’re able to shrink it to a manageable size based on how cold it gets where you live. After applying the climate filter, to produce a workable short list is easy – from what’s left, choose what you like the look of best.

shopping for shrubs
The Flower Carpet® Champagne shrub rose is super easy to grow anywhere there’s sunshine and the sunnier it is, the more flowers you’ll enjoy. It’s fragrant and comes in four other colour options.

2. Easy to grow. With your short list in hand, continue your shrub shopping by getting the answers to these simple questions. Does your plant have a reputation for being eaten by bugs or infected with fungus? Will it need attentive watering to survive and thrive? Is there some sort of complicated pruning regime you’ll need to get up to speed with if it’s to stay looking bushy and producing flowers. And if it needs full sun, deep shade, or protection from the roaring forties, is the spot you plan to dig its hole ok? Apply these further filters, then it’s time to bring home the winning candidate.

3. How to plant. This will sound soooo obvious, but there are advantages to refreshing your plant planting theory before grabbing a shovel. (Planting anything that will grow in your garden for more than five years is worth five minutes skimming through the basics online.) In short form: water your plant in its pot; dig a hole as big as the pot and then some; pop the plant out and set it into the hole; back fill and tamp down gently; water; and if possible, do all of this early or late in the day when weather conditions are often gentler.

shopping for shrubs
A daphne is a terrific addition to the garden, if you pick one’s that easy to grow like-the one-and-only Daphne Perfume Princess™. It has glossy green foliage on a thick bushy shape, and heavenly scented flowers in traditional pink or crystal white in late winter through to late spring.
Who doesn’t swoon when offered a face full of lilac? Any garden could do with one or more of these to perfume the air with its astonishing scent. (pic Yates)