Denny's Soapbox

Summertime, and the Planting is Easy

Would you like some great reasons to keep planting trees and shrubs this summer? The following shrubs and small trees simply bloom from July through September providing some great landscape color.

Hibiscus-Rose of Sharon

This colorful plant is available in shrub form and as a small flowering tree, referred to as a standard. Both forms are tough, adaptable plants that bloom now until midfall. The shrub form can be maintained at 6 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. The tree form grows 6 to 8 feet high and 6 feet wide.

Trim both types to desired size. Hibiscus will grow and bloom with 3-inch flowers in areas that get three hours to a full day sun. All Hibiscuses are insect-resistant and drought-tolerant. Here are several new Proven Winner™ varieties available in both shrub and standard form.

‘Lavender Chiffon’ – Single, lavender flowers

‘White Chiffon’ – Large white flowers with a lacy center

‘Rose Satin’ – Deep rose-pink flowers with red center

‘Lucy’ – Double reddish-pink flowers

‘Blue Satin’ – A strong growing Rose of Sharon with royal blue flowers

White Flowering Hydrangea

A lot has been said and written about the large-leaf hydrangeas that bloom pink or blue depending on soil acidity. Today I’m going to give the white flowering varieties their due. They come in different varieties and form including the standard (tree form) type. The shrub form varieties grow 6 to 12 ft. high and wide depending on variety with the tree forms growing 6 to 8 ft. tall and 4 to 8 ft. wide. White hydrangeas bloom mid-July through September. The large clusters of white blooms turn a light lavender color as each flower matures. You can prune off old blooms as they begin to dry or leave on for an interesting winter look.

Some of the best white blooming varieties include:

‘Annabelle’ – produces creamy white flowers that get as large as 1 foot across and lasts as long as six weeks. Grows to 6 feet high and wide.

‘Pee Gee’ – has large white blooms that look spectacular July into September, and then turn to purplish-pink. Shrub form grows to 8 feet high and wide. The tree form (standard) grows 6 feet high and 5 to 6 feet wide.

‘Little Lamb’ – a dwarf variety of ‘Pee Gee’ with large flowering clusters on a shrub that grows 4 feet high and wide.

‘Quick Fire’ – blooms June until September with flowers that open white and quickly turn bright pink. This one grows 6 feet high and wide.

‘Tardiva’ – an old fashioned variety that produces large creamy white flowers July through September. The flowers turn pink with age. This shrub grows 6 to 8 feet high and wide. ‘Tardiva’ is available in tree form (standard) growing 6 feet high and wide.

All of the above mentioned trees and shrubs will give any landscape tremendous summer color. The standard (tree form) types make an excellent center piece to any planting bed. They also look great as a corner plant around the home foundation.