When planning your garden don’t forget to include shrubs. Not only will their flowers add more color, the shrubs offer shelter
Witch Hazel
(Courtesy: Dietmut Teijgeman-Hansen at flickr.com)
and a source of food for a variety of animals and birds. Shrubs also give your garden height and helps to blend together various sections of your landscape including trees, herbaceous plants and grass lawns. Moreover, the wood branches add fullness as well as visual interest in the wintertime.
Of course, just like any flora, there are shrubs that need a heavy dose of maintenance and there are low-maintenance shrubs that offer a show-stopping appearance to any garden.
Some of the lower maintenance shrubs you can consider as a part of your garden include:
Witch Hazel
If you wish to add color throughout the seasons, then a mixture of American and Asian witch hazel could prove ideal. The American species bloom in November and December and the Asian counterpart offer its blooms in January and February. The flowers appear somewhat bizarre, but are bright and some varieties offer a scent while some do not. This shrub is ideal for areas in zones 3-9.
Hazelnut
This shrub features little baby nuts and grow to a height of not more than 20-feet. They can be formed into hedges and will grow well in a partially shaded
Hazelnut
(Courtesy: Julie Kendall at flickr.com)
area. It provides interest all year and the blooms hang like golden chains from the branches in the late winter. In the summer, the rounded and pleated leaves offer shade and in the fall the leaves glimmer red and gold.
You should know that Hazelnut shrubs require a certain amount of cross-pollination and thrives in a “light, edge-of-the-forest soil” with good drainage and not too much nutrient content. They also thrive in a warmer climate, but will do well in colder climates if well sheltered from wind and frost. This shrub performs best in zones 4-9.
Burning Bush
This shrub has a nice appearance in the winter. It has red and burgundy leaves that glow in the more common winter colors of white and brown. It also
Burning Bush
(Courtesy: Doug McAbee at flickr.com)
features tiny red-orange berries that offer a nice pop of color. Burning Bush doesn’t grow higher than about 12-feet and there are dwarf variations that will grow no higher than 5-feet. The plant is very adaptable and resilient so very little maintenance is required.
There might be a need to prune damaged branches and you need to check it regularly for scale insects. In addition, its berries may end up growing all over your yard. Burning Bush is ideal for areas in Zones 4-8.
Ninebark
This shrub is very easy to grow and it is a fast grower. It can survive a variety of weather conditions and is ignored by pests. It comes in a few different colors and features peeling bark that adds interest during the winter. Very little if any maintenance is required.
A powdery mildew may appear on the bark during wet weather and the shrub requires some sunlight. Ideal areas for the Ninebark are in zones 3-7.
Forsythia
Forsythia
(Courtesy: Chris at flickr.com)
This shrub prospers in the spring, is a fast grower, and features bright yellow flowers. It spreads out 1-foot – 2-feet a year and grows up to a height of
10-feet. It thrives in full sun or partial shade.
You may have to do a lot of pruning, but that is about all the maintenance required. This thrives in areas located in zones 4-9.
Oakleaf Hydrangen
This shrub produces flora with fall colors in the spring and offers peeling bark that attract interest in the winter. It is very easy to grow, does not require pruning and does well in the shade or partial shade. It is ideal for regions in zones 5-9.
