Tag: Shrubs

Deer-Resistant Evergreen Shrubs: 5 Favorites to Plant

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As if gardening weren’t challenging enough, sometimes deer take up residence in your garden and decide to host a dinner party. There is nothing worse than planting a bunch of pricey new plants, only to have them nibbled down to the ground. To help you avoid this costly occurrence and disappointment, I’m sharing a handful of my favorite deer-resistant shrubs that I have tested out over the years in various gardens.

Word of caution: Every garden is different, every deer is different, and every season is different with varying degrees of available alternate food sources—so what may be unsavory to deer in one garden may be irresistible in another. Also, when plants are young, and the leaves and stems are tender, there is a higher chance that the plant will get snacked on; as the plant matures, it becomes less desirable. If this early munching happens, a deer-repellent spray can work if applied routinely and after any rain.

1. Coleonema pulchrum

Above: Photograph by Hans Hillewaert via Wikimedia.

The plant is fondly called pink breath of heaven because crushing the needle-like leaves releases a pleasant scent. That same scent is what helps ward off deer. This low-maintenance shrub grows best in sunny spots and, depending on the variety, produces either dainty magenta, white, or pink flowers. ‘Sunset Gold’ offers bright golden foliage contrasting with pink flowers. It has moderate water needs and is hardy in USDA Zones 8-11.

1. Westringia fruiticosa

Above: Photograph by Marie Viljoen, from Under the Radar: A Five-Star Garden in Cape Town.

These evergreen, easy-to-care-for shrubs come in various sizes, from low to tall, and make excellent informal or formal screens, low or high hedges, and ground covers. Because Westringia is in the mint family, the leaves aren’t appealing to deer. Most bloom profusely from late winter to early summer with petite flowers ranging in color from white to light lavender, putting them also in the bee- and small butterfly-friendly category. A sunny to mostly sunny spot and summer irrigation are appreciated. Hardy in USDA Zones 9-11.

3. Leucadendron

Above: Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’. Photograph by Jean-Michel Moullec via Flickr.

Showing off vibrant color, some even in the winter, Leucadendrons are my go-to if I want structure, more visiting pollinators, year-round interest, and amazing sculptural cut flowers. Fast-growing, drought-tolerant, and low-maintenance, these shrubs can hover around three feet, though some tower to eight or more feet. Plant in a sunny spot for best growth and color. Pro tip: Avoid high phosphorous fertilizers as this can be extremely damaging. Hardy in USDA Zones 9-11.

4. Grevillea

Above: Photograph by Lady Amberelle via Flickr.

Looking for a fast-growing shrub that pumps out curious spidery flowers that deer leave alone? Grevillea is your gal. Coming in a wide range of heights and shapes and colors, there is a Grevillea for every sunny garden. Need a low ground cover? Try Grevillea lanigera. Need a tall informal screen? Go for Grevillea ‘Red Hooks’. Oh, and these low-maintenance shrubs are also true hummingbird magnets. When planting, make sure your soil has sharp drainage. Hardy in USDA Zones 9-11.

5. Pieris japonica

Above: Photograph of Pieris japonica ‘Temple Bells’ is by James Gaither via Flickr.

This easy shrub not only offers year-round beauty and charming dangling flowers, but also the assurance that deer will leave it alone. Plant slow-growing Pieris in a shady to partly shady spot in a mixed border, woodland, or Asian-inspired garden; smaller varieties can be used in containers. Depending on the variety, it can grow anywhere from one foot tall to 12 feet tall, and two to eight feet wide. The flowers (coming in white, pink, and dark pink) are adored by bees and hummingbirds, and avoided by deer, who view them as toxic. Hardy in USDA Zones 5-8.

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February 6, 2026
Expert Advice: 9 Tips for a Moody Winter Garden – Gardenista

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In fall the Instagram feeds of many of our favorite gardeners, quite understandably, start to wither or move indoors. Not so that of Dutch garden designer Frank Heijligers. Indeed, much like the dames of imperial Russia, who, rather that retreating from the cold, donned furs and tiaras in anticipation of the social high season, Frank’s winter garden seemed to reach the height of its sparkling charm.

Enchanted, we decided to ask Frank, who grows grasses, perennials, trees, and shrubs at his nursery, Plantwerk, to divulge his secrets for a successful winter garden. Here are his nine tips for adding sparkle and moody color:

Photography by Frank Heijligers.

Embrace black.

Above: Now a dramatic black, the once purple cones of Agastache ‘Black Adder’ still stand tall in the frosty winter garden.

“Successful winter gardens need a lot of plants with good structure in them,” says Frank. “The plants have to be strong and have more than one interest: nice foliage, bloom, color, seed head, change of color in fall, strong skeleton in winter.”

Showcase long-lasting seedheads.

Above: Like spectators at the ballet, crowds of Monarda ‘Croftway Pink’ seedheads watch a changing fall landscape.

Fill the gaps.

Above: Because plants with good structure tend to bloom later, Frank notes that the successful four-season garden “starts with having a little more patience in spring.” To fill in the gap, he uses bulbs. Alliums, which maintain a sculptural seed head after they have gone by, are a good choice.

Above: One of Frank’s gardens in summer. Though lust and leafy, it still maintains a textured feel.

Consider frost-proof plants.

Above: A similar border garden in winter, when the regal heads of Phlomis take on a silver sheen.

“Hosta or Alchemilla mollis are plants that look good early on in the year, but with the first bit of frost, they collapse,” Frank says. “You need plants like Phlomis, Aster, Eupatorium, Veronicastrum, and Anemone combined with grasses like Deschampsia, Miscanthus, Sporobolus, and Festuca mairei to make the garden look good until March.”

Above: Another sculptural favorite: Veronicastrum ‘Pink Spike.’

Bonus: Birds love all the leftover seedheads in Frank’s hibernal garden.

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January 15, 2026
Magic in Maidenhead: An English Garden That Glows in the Winter – Gardenista

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When Sarah Pajwani and her family moved into their house near Maidenhead (an hour from London) in 2011, it was surrounded by an “overgrown field.” Having created a design rationale with the help of professional landscapers, Sarah set about filling her garden with plants of her choice, border by border. Despite her best efforts, in winter she would gaze out of the windows and still feel that there was nothing to look at.

Now, every garden-facing room in the house frames a different aspect of the winter scene, and the house has a lot of windows. Dare we suggest that winter is the garden’s best season? We can report that Saint Timothee, as it is called, was the first garden of the year to be open for the National Garden Scheme and Sarah gave us a tour.

Read on for 11 clever design ideas from Sarah to make the garden glow in the winter:

Photography by Britt Willoughby Dyer, for Gardenista.

1. Red Twig Dogwood

Above: A row of glowing red Cornus sanginea ‘Midwinter Fire’ brings out the best in Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii. Famously vivid in spring, the euphorbia holds on to its structure and excellent leaf color in winter.

Saint Timothee is a picture of 1930s gentility, with an Enid Blyton kind of name. Yet the garden is not in a time warp. Sarah uses colorful stems, scented shrubs (such as Lonicera fragrantissima, Viburnum x bodnantese ‘Dawn’, Sarcococca confusa), sparsely flowering trees (Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’) as well as grasses mixed with evergreens to brighten the winter scene. Several paths and borders lead the eye from one of the inside windows, across the garden.

2. Mixed Grasses

Above: Smoldering dogwood stems draw attention to the drama of super-sized pampas grass, flanking a pond.

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January 13, 2026
Winterberry 101: Native Berries to Brighten Winter – Gardenista
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Despite being natively at home in bogs and on the edges of kettle ponds and other wetlands, winterberry, a native holly species, does not require wet feet in order to thrive. Ilex verticillata is a deciduous shrub that escapes notice until late in the season when its rounder-than-round fruit turn scarlet. When its leaves drop, and the fruit blazes on bare branches, it is suddenly the star of any landscape and garden.

Here’s how to grow it.

Above: Winterberry’s fruit ripens to red in early autumn.

Native to the damp and boggy bits of eastern North America, winterberry has been cultivated since at least the late 18th century for its dramatically attractive fruit. It is surprisingly adaptable in terms of its water requirements, though, flourishing in sites that are not moist as long as the soil is acidic. High pH soils will cause chlorosis in the leaves and shrubs may die, while periods of real drought may cause the fruit to drop.

While winterberry will grow well in high and semi shade, full sun produces more fruit on female plants. Yes, you need a male, too. But one boy shrub is sufficient to provide pollen for several female plants.

Above: This yellow cultivar is ‘Winter Gold.’

Winterberry fruit are an important food for resident bird populations as well as small animals who tend to eat them after they have softened, well into winter and often through early spring

Above: Placing winterberry against an evergreen backdrop makes its branches pop.

Above: The fruit persists, even during an ice storm.

Cheat Sheet
- Winterberry’s native range is from Alabama to Newfoundland.
- It grows naturally near streams, and in swamps and bogs.
- The leaves of winter berry are larval food for the pawpaw sphinx, a native butterfly that also feeds on pawpaw (Asimina triloba) leaves.
- The tiny summer flowers are a food source for small pollinators.
- The shrubs are dioecious, and you need a male in order for the females to set fruit.
Above: Living holiday decorations.

Keep It Alive
- Winterberry is hardy from USDA zones 3 to 9.
- It requires acidic soil (low pH) and tolerates wet soil, clay, and very urban conditions.
- The shrubs will not thrive—and may die—in alkaline soils.
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January 12, 2026
Secrets of an English Head Gardener: How to Transplant Shrubs and Perennials – Gardenista

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Moving perennials or shrubs once they’re in situ can be daunting for a novice gardener. But when you are starting a garden or reinventing one, it’s almost impossible not to make the occasional planting error or realize that you’ve put something in the wrong spot. Yet many plants transplant well—some even require it as part of routine divisions—and the whole process is a lot less scary than you might think.

We asked Edward Flint, who is head gardener at Tidebrook Manor in East Sussex and worked for many years alongside Christopher Lloyd at Great Dixter, for his tips on how, when, and why to move plants—and which you should leave well alone.

Here are nine tips to transplant shrubs and perennials:

How to Transplant Shrubs

Moving a shrub is always a risk; some will cope with the stress and trauma better than others but if you need to move it then there are some ground rules.

1. Water before digging. “Water the plant really well the night before and then reduce its canopy,” says Ed. “This will lessen the stress on the plant (balancing the top growth with the roots) but will also make it easier to maneuver the plant.

Above: Bare Root Beech Plants (Fagus sylvatica) make good hedging plants are available in various sizes for prices from £1.29 to £49.99 depending on size from best4hedging.

2. Be gentle with the roots. Try to dig the plant out with as much root ball as possible, cutting into the ground around 12 to 18 inches from the base, says Ed.

Above: Reviving a historic parterre in Northamptonshire. For more of this garden, see Rehab Diary, Part 3: Uncovering the Past in Nancy Lancaster’s Garden at Wilderness House. Photograph by Jim Powell.

3. Plan ahead and root prune before transplanting. If you’re planning to move an established shrub then you can root prune the plant a year before by digging down in a circle around the base, which will lessen the shock when you eventually transplant it. But as a rule, says Ed, shrubby things or woody-based things tend not to move very well.

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January 6, 2026
Invasive Plants to Avoid and the Native Alternatives You Should Grow Instead

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We’ve all done it: planted something we love only to learn, sometimes years later, that it is invasive where we live. In many cases, we can be forgiven. If a nursery is selling it, the message conveyed is that all is well. There are fewer excuses now, when home research has never been easier and when awareness of invasive species has never been higher. Despite that, invasive plants are still being sold by many growers, and the desire for some of them sometimes overrides our internal ethicist. This list of 13 invasive plants includes some well known and understandably appealing garden ornamentals. Do not plant them, and do remove them if you are currently harboring plants whose spread alters and harms local ecosystems. An invasive plant does not stay home—it travels: by roots, runner, fruit, and seed.

But what about…?

Above: Japanese knotweed in bloom.

First, a disclaimer: this list of invasive plants is by no means complete and does not include plants like mugwort, Japanese knotweed, and garlic mustard, since we’re assuming (fingers crossed) that their notoriety precedes them and that they are probably not ornamentally tempting. But, by all means, add plants you feel should be addressed, in the comments.

Butterfly Bush

Above: Butterfly bush attracts butterflies but outcompetes native plants that feed their larvae.

One of the most tempting invasive plants is butterfly bush. It smells delicious, is pretty, blooms repeatedly, and is irresistible to butterflies. What’s not to love? Consider, then, that invasive Buddleja davidii excels at producing tens of thousands of lightweight, easily dispersed seeds per flowerhead, outcompeting native flowering shrubs whose leaves are essential food for butterfly larvae. While the nectar of butterfly bush attracts adult butterflies, this shrub is not a host plant for their caterpillars, which cannot feed on its foliage. Bear it mind that while newer, so-called less-fertile butterfly bush cultivars exist, they still produce seed, just less of it. Avoid.

Plant native flowering shrubs, instead. Sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) is a good alternative to butterfly bush, with flowers, scent, and a lot of butterfly action in late summer.

Japanese Honeysuckle

Above: Japanese honeysuckle smells wonderful but smothers shrubs and trees.

As appealing as its perfumed flowers may be, Lonicera japonica is now a serious botanical thug in wild places where it is not native. The scrambling vine uses shrubs and trees for support, creating dense, shaded thickets that alter the local ecosystem by smothering native seedlings. It is spread via its fruit, vexingly ripe during fall migration. Birds disperse the seed as they move south. Japanese honeysuckle also reproduces vegetatively, via above-ground runners and below-ground rhizomes.

An alternative to Japanese honeysuckle is of course a native honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens (but no scent, sorry). It is very attractive to hummingbirds. For a scented alternative, try star jasmine, (Trachelospermum jasminoides) or bee-friendly yellow jessamine (Carolina jasmine—Gelsemiun sempervirens).

Chinese and Japanese Wisteria

Above: Chinese wisteria at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

I admire the long panicles of Wisteria sinensis and W. floribunda dripping from pergolas in botanical gardens. And then I drive up the Palisades Parkway in New York and New Jersey and see the same vines cascading from the bent branches of oak, maple, and sycamore. It’s beautiful, but it’s deadly: the strong vines of this wisteria cut through bark and cause gradual death, by girdling. Their smothering habit also alters native forest ecologies. Wisteria spreads vegetatively, growing easily from cuttings and new shoots, and by seeds, which explode from their pods when ripe. Seeds also travel along waterways, to germinate downstream.

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September 29, 2025
Before & After: Should It Stay or Should It Go? In Praise of Inherited Plants (And Soil, And Concrete) – Gardenista

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When Jane Orvis and Steve Hanson bought their 1950s house in Seward Park, Seattle, they kept the original pink-tiled bathroom. But what about the mid-century shrubbery, arranged around a lawn—did that have to stay? Most people would reply, “absolutely not,” but Jane, who is a keen gardener, wanted to take a more closed-loop approach and consulted with the landscape architect Jonathan Hallet, of Supernature. On a joint visit to the Seattle Arboretum, a trio of plants in the New Zealand garden caught their attention: a topiarist’s hebe, red tussock grass, and a shrub similar to manzanita. They had all the “lightness and air and movement” that Jane’s garden was in need of.

“We stuck with the desaturated greens and off-greens typical of New Zealand plants,” says Jonathan. “We were trying to make it feel more like a dry garden, which it is.” He and Jane also planted natives, and plants from the coasts of Oregon and Northern California. “The overall tough and dry plant palette helped in creating a more climate-adapted garden that will tolerate Seattle’s increasingly long, dry and hot summers, with little supplemental irrigation required.”

“Most garden plants used in the Pacific Northwest are borrowed from Japanese or East Coast or British styles—plants like hydrangea that want summer water, which we don’t have,” says Jonathan. “Seattle has long, hot summers with a Mediterranean climate and we wanted to make a garden that was ready for that. We also tried to give it plenty of evergreen structure, so it feels full and good in the winter.”

Below, Jonathan explains what went into this mid-century landscape makeover.

Before

Above: The former front garden: A static combination of shaped bright greens and pinks in front of the mid-century house. “The typical landscape of the 1970s was lumps and lawn,” says Jonathan. “We wanted to break that up and we knew the lawn was always going to go. It was thirsty and spongey and wasn’t needed—and it was taking all the flat real estate that we wanted for making a lively counterpoint with plants.”

Above: “So many topiaries were removed and yet it still feels like there’s a lot,” he says.

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August 15, 2025
Shrubs for Shade: Our Favorite Flowering Shrubs for the Shade Garden

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For the many gardeners whose growing-spaces are either entirely or partly shaded, shade-loving shrubs offer an important, permanent layer of interest alongside perennials and beneath trees. In small gardens, shrubs can create a structural framework for the space, seasonal focal points, a living wall or partition, or even a harvestable crop for a less-than-sunny kitchen garden. While any list of shrubs for shade can include worthwhile and non-invasive introduced species, planting natives (in this case, to North America) contributes towards resilience and supports sustainable growing practices.

Our 13 favorite shrubs for shade span the year in terms of seasonal interest, from spring flowers to fall fruit.

American hazel (Corylus americana)

Above: A cluster of American hazelnuts in late summer.

Hazelnut, filbert, cobnut—whatever you call the fruit of this large shrub, it will be yours to harvest if you plant your Corylus in semi-shade. (While hazel will grow beautifully leafy in full shade, it will bear fewer nuts.) One of the earliest shrubs to bloom in pre-spring, American hazel has slender flower structures with a tiny, burgundy male flower poised above the pendant female catkins. American hazel is hardy from USDA growing zones 4 to 9.

Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium and V. corymbosum)

Above: Blueberries on a container-grown shrub.

Highbush and lowbush blueberries have three seasons of serious interest: early spring flowers (an important food source for native bees), their famous summer fruit, and very vivid fall foliage. Blueberries require acidic soil—it’s non-negotiable—so if your garden’s in-ground soil tests near-neutral, they are better grown in containers, where you can adjust the pH more easily (personally, I use fresh—not spent—coffee grounds, mixed into the potting soil when planting.) Blueberries are hardy from USDA zones 3 (possibly 2, with protection) to 8.

Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)

Above: The striking summer spires of bottlebrush buckeye.

Bottlebrush buckeye’s elegantly upright racemes of white flowers are like summer fireworks. Blooming in mid to late summer, this large shrub fills the flowering gap between spring’s profusion and fall’s fruit and foliage. Hardy from USDA zones 4 to 8, bottlebrush buckeye will thrive in part to full shade.

Canada rosebay, rhodora (Rhododendron canadense)

Above: Canada rosebay blooms in late spring and early summer.

In the wild, Canada rosebay, or rhodora (which is also the family name for all rhododendrons), flourishes in moist woodlands and at the edges of swamps and bogs. Its scented blooms appear in late spring to early summer. This is a shrub that needs plenty of water, and it also requires acidic soil. Canada rosebay grows in semi-shade or under the seasonal shade of deciduous trees. It is is very cold hardy, from USDA zones 2 to 6.

A digression for botanical poetry:

The Rhodora

– 1834, by Ralph Waldo Emerson

In May, when sea-winds pierced our solitudes,

I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods,

Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook,

To please the desert and the sluggish brook.

The purple petals fallen in the pool

Made the black water with their beauty gay;

Here might the red-bird come his plumes to cool,

And court the flower that cheapens his array.

Rhodora! if the sages ask thee why

This charm is wasted on the earth and sky,

Tell them, dear, that, if eyes were made for seeing,

Then beauty is its own excuse for Being;

Why thou wert there, O rival of the rose!

I never thought to ask; I never knew;

But in my simple ignorance suppose

The self-same power that brought me there, brought you.

Carolina allspice, strawberry bush, sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus and C. occidentalis)

Above: Calycanthus blooms from late spring through early summer.

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August 11, 2025
Fragrant Snowbell: A Shrub with Scented Flowers that Make a Delicious Cordial

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Above: Turbinado sugar gave this snowbell cordial ferment a darker hue.

After the first fizzing of fermentation happens, you have the cordial, a concentrate that you strain and bottle and refrigerate to drink diluted. Or you return that fragrant, sweet liquid to the loosely covered jar to invite the acetobacter to do their work, with time. This stage of the ferment turns into a deeply fruity and complex vinegar, in anywhere from four to 12 weeks. It is deliciously versatile, from a restorative summer beverage sipped with ice and chilled water, to a comfort-food braise of duck legs or root vegetables in the middle of winter.

Above: PH test strips are helpful for deciding when to bottle the vinegar.

Above: Fragrant snowbell vinegar, pine cone jam, ice, and sparkling water.

Above: Fragrant snowbell vinegar, bottled in July, from May’s flowers.

Recipe: Fragrant Snowbell Cordial and Vinegar

Makes 6 – 8 cups.

A large jar is best for this type of ferment. I use 64 oz Ball Jars, organic granulated sugar, and Brooklyn tap water.

4 packed cups fragrant snowbell flowers, stripped from their stalks (about 20 racemes, but it depends on their length)
2 cups sugar
6 cups water, or enough to reach the 6-cup mark on the jar

Do not wash the flowers or you will lose their scent.

Place the flowers in the clean jar. Add the sugar and the water. Either stir very well with a long-handled wooden spoon or screw a lid on and shake the jar to dissolve the sugar. Loosen the lid, if using, or cover the jar’s mouth with cheesecloth or a piece of paper towel secured with a rubber band or string. The ferment needs air, and the cloth or loose lid allows it in. Never keep a lid firmly screwed on, as fermentation will release gas that needs to escape. If it can’t escape, a sealed jar can explode.

Leave the jar at room temperature in a place away from direct light, and stir the contents once a day.

From around Day 2 to 6 (this varies a lot), you will notice small bubbles forming, and more when you stir. Your ferment is on its way. At this stage it will taste sweet and very appealing. When a lot of bubbles rise after stirring (usually another couple of days), allow another two days before straining this cordial into a large bowl through a fine-mesh sieve. Strain again (if you like, but it’s not essential) through doubled cheesecloth or linen. For a sweet cordial, you can now bottle it and keep it in the fridge for drinks or desserts (it makes wonderful ice cream).

If you want to continue and make vinegar, return the strained liquid to the rinsed jar, cover loosely again, and keep at room temperature in a spot without bright light. Stir or swoosh daily, making sure that your hands and any implement that touches the vinegar is clean. After a couple of weeks I taste the cordial every few days, noticing how its flavor transforms. Sometimes a vinegar mother forms on the surface, although not always. When it tastes like vinegar, it is vinegar. I test it with pH strips, and bottle when it hovers around the 4-mark.

Bottle, and keep at room temperature. Once a bottle is open, keep it cold in the fridge.

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July 8, 2024
Best Viburnum Shrubs: Our List of 10 Flowering Bushes
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If you want to start a horticultural fight, opine loudly at your next plant party about the best viburnums to grow. These flowering shrubs provoke strong opinions among the botanically inclined, and things could get ugly, fast. Dessert might be thrown. But consider our disciplined list of ten and hear us out. And bear in mind that there are almost 200 species to choose from, let alone cultivars and hybrids. Whether you want fruit, flowers, fall foliage (or all three), there is probably a viburnum for your gardening personality: extrovert, shy, down-to-earth, elegant, rambunctious, shape-shifting, or fragrantly alluring?

Here they are.

Photography by Marie Viljoen.

Above: Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Summer Snowflake’.

But first: Why plant viburnums at all?
- A range of sizes means that viburnums can stand in for trees in small spaces.
- Multiple seasons of interest, from spring flowers to fall foliage and fruit (except in sterile species).
- Flowering times that range from late winter to early summer, so you can build a collection.
- The shrubs have interesting foliage with texture that rewards the detail-oriented gardener.
- Viburnums that bear fruit offer ornamental interest in fall and winter, as well as food for the birds (and humans).
- Kaleidoscopic fall colors, depending on the species you choose, and how much sun it receives.
- Persistent winter fruits that feed birds when there is little else available.
1. Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Dawn’

Above: Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Dawn’ blooming as winter lingers.

At the end of winter, the exceptional fragrance of this tree-like hybrid viburnum is sweetly uplifting. It is a cross between V. farreri and V. grandiflorum, whose clusters of flowers start as deep rose-colored buds before paling in full bloom. The tubular flowers make you look twice, wondering whether a lilac has gone mad and erupted while there is snow on the ground. Flowering on bare branches, this earliest of viburnums is elegantly dramatic and more tolerant of frost than its grandiflorum parent. Usually sterile, few or no fruit will form, helping to ensure that this non-native viburnum does not spread. Viburnum × bodnantense is hardy from USDA zones 4 – 8.

2. Korean spice viburnum, Viburnum carlesii

Above: V. carlesii buds are pink, before opening into full-white bloom.

Above: The perfumed pom-poms of V. carlesii.

If scent is your thing, a must-have viburnum is the intensely fragrant Koreanspice. In mid spring its deep pink buds open into pale pink flowers that shift gradually into pure white. The flowers can be turned into an equally fragrant syrup, fermented wild soda, or perfumed honey (simply substitute the flowers in our Lilac Honey Recipe). Koreanspice is a slow-growing shrub that responds well to clipping (like a boxwood) and makes a showy ball of flowers when spring rolls round. Be sure to prune and shape it right after blooming, since all viburnums bloom on new wood (so, if you prune in fall, you will miss the next spring’s flowers). Extremely cold-hardy Viburnum carlesii is hardy from zones 2 – 8.
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July 1, 2024
Buckwheat: All About Growing Eriogonum, a Native California Plant
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Buckwheat, Eriogonum

If you’re trying to plant more responsibly and sustainably, and also want your garden to thrive with less fuss, consider adding some wild buckwheat to your beds. I was introduced to these useful shrubs and sub-shrubs when I brought home a few 4-inch pots of red buckwheat from Annie’s Annuals & Perennials. I planted one in my garden and the rest in my clients’ gardens, and have, along with the pollinators, continued to admire them.

Before we jump in, I need to clarify that the buckwheat I am writing about is not the gluten-free buckwheat that you might bake with (that’s the European cultivated Fagopyrum esculentum), nor is it the wild buckwheat, Fallopia convolvulus, that is commonly called black-bindweed. I’m talking about the California native buckwheat, Eriogonum, that supports over 250 different species and is hardy is USDA Zones 7-10. What draws me to these plants is that they not only have charming blossoms in a range of colors (yellow, creamy white, pink, or red), but they also provide important food sources for bees, birds, butterflies, and other pollinators from spring through fall.

Above: Red buckwheat (Eriogonum grande rubescens). Photograph by JKehoe_Photos via Flickr.

And whether in bloom and out of bloom, these plants can hold their own in a garden setting that receives a good amount of sun, receives minimal amounts of water, and has well draining soil. I like to pair these unthirsty shrubs with plants that have the same temperament—think sage, yarrow, ceanothus, and penstemon.

The key to planting buckwheat—and come to think of it, planting any plant—is to first understand the plant’s origins and then see if your garden replicates those conditions. So for example, red buckwheat is native to the Channel Islands in Southern California, so it appreciates exposed rocky conditions with lean soil. In the beginning of my buckwheat journey, I made the mistake of babying them (I’m a mother, after all) and added too much compost to the planting area. Quickly my little buckwheats suffered from pampering and died. What I quickly learned is that these plants like lean soil and actually thrive on some neglect.

Pro tip: If after several years your plants get too rangy looking, simply replace them with new small starts. The best time to plant/replant (as with most natives) is in the fall, when rainy days will help your plants develop a hardy root system.

Favorite Buckwheats

Above: ‘Ella Nelson’s Yellow’ Buckwheat is $13.95 at Annie’s Annuals & Perennials.

I purchased my first buckwheats at Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, which carries quite a few wild buckwheats, including these three favorites:
- ‘Red buckwheat’, Eriogonum grande rubescens. This magnificent low shrub (1′ x 3′) sports spoon-shaped leaves and bursts with dark pink/crimson red pompom blooms in June and continuing through October if deadheaded. This plant looks lovely massed along a path edge or border. Hardy to 15 degrees F.
- Giant buckwheat, Eriogonum giganteum. This grey-green evergreen shrub is commonly called St. Catherine’s Lace and is considered the grande dame of the species. Give this showy plant plenty of space to reach its full potential (4-8′ tall and almost as wide). Expect extra large sprays of creamy white flowers heads that resemble lacy doilies and that attract bees, butterflies, and other tiny beneficial insects. Added bonus: birds snack on the seeds plus use the large plants for shelter.
- ‘Ella Nelson’s Yellow’, Eriogonum nudum. Growing to 3′ high and 2′ wide, this plant explodes in the spring with the cutest yellow pompom flowers. Makes a unique cut flower.
Cheat Sheet

Above: The combination of white sage and buckwheat is on this list of 11 Favorite Native Plant Combinations.
- Great in dry, native, habitat, or cottage gardens. Also useful massed on hillsides as they are great for erosion control.
- Attracts bees and butterflies by the bunches and provides important late summer food for pollinators.
- Mostly deer-resistant but I have seen the flower tops munched off by desperate deer.
- Prune fresh or dried flowers to hang upside down for later use in flower arrangements.
Keep It Alive

Above: A 4-inch pot of Red Buckwheat is $12.95 at Annie’s Annuals & Perennials.
- Most prefer a sunny spot for full growth and less legginess.
- Once established they need very little water. Pro tip: overwatering will definitely push them over the edge.
- Fast draining soil is important, meaning sandy, rocky, or gravelly. Too much rich compost is disliked.
- A gravel mulch is preferred to avoid stem rot.
- After flowering, the blooms fade to attractive fall-hued colors.
- Prune to shape when they are young.
- Sow seeds in sand or potting mix and keep moist until germination. Next, let seedlings dry out between waterings and then transplant into larger pots before setting out in fall.
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April 10, 2024
Ceanothus: A Guide to Growing California Lilacs

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California Lilac, Ceanothus

Are you a devotee of multitasking plants—meaning, you choose plants based on whether they serve many purposes? If your answer is yes, then I have a plant for you: California lilac. Not only are ceanothus colorful, but they are extremely low-thirst, low-maintenance, and pollinator-friendly. And though they burst forth with amazingly fragrant spring blooms, California lilacs are not related to true lilacs (Syringa).

Please keep reading to learn more about the other lilac:

Above: California lilac spotted on A Leisurely Stroll Through the SF Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.

California lilac is a large genus of diverse, helpful, flowering trees, shrubs, and ground covers. Many are native to North America—with more than half a dozen native to Oregon, and many others only to California, which explains its common name. Adding to this diversity, some species are evergreen and other deciduous. You can generally tell them apart visually because the evergreen varieties have smaller (sometimes toothed), darker, and leathery leaves while the deciduous ones have softer, larger leaves. The flowers on both are most often fragrant, quite showy, and pollinator-attracting. Flower color ranges from white to pink to purplish-blue and electric blue. This explosion of blooms usually happens March into May. The other difference among them are their habit and ultimate heights. Some grow into spectacular trees 18 to 20 feet tall, while others creep along the ground and make great ground covers for erosion control and weed suppression.

Above: A Ceanothus in bloom. Photograph by Andy2boyz via Flickr.

While most gardeners believe that ceanothus suffer from a moderately short lifespan of 10 years or so, this is not totally accurate. These plants can live long lives—as long as you don’t kill them with kindness. Pamper these plants and you accelerate their demise. The culprits? Overly rich soil and too much water, soil amendment, or fertilizer. An interesting note is that the reason you don’t want to overfeed these plants is that some members of the genus are able to form a symbiotic relationship with soil fungi and microbes, creating nitrogen-fixing root nodules, meaning they make their own food. Plus, bad fungal diseases can arise from too much water and improper drainage.

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March 7, 2024
Landscaping 101: Boxed in by Boxwood? 5 Shrubs to Try Instead – Gardenista

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Just when we were learning to live with box blight, the box tree caterpillar is laying waste to the remains. On the Royal Horticultural Society’s web page ‘Box: Problems’ it is clear that there are many other sap-sucking insects queuing up to destroy anyone’s dream of an English country garden.

The solution, unsurprisingly, is to plant something else. There is no consensus on what this should be: Ilex crenata, a boxwood lookalike, is often put forward, though it is less easygoing about soil conditions. Other common suggestions for small-leaved, easy to clip shrubs include Lonicera nitida, Teuchrium chamaedrys, and Euonymus japonicus. We visited the RHS headquarters at Wisley, Surrey (an hour from London) and found a few surprises. Let’s take a closer look:

Photography by Jim Powell, for Gardenista.

Ed. note: These suggestions are meant for UK gardens–some of these plants are categorized as invasive in the USA, so use caution.

Dwarf Yew

Above: Above: The most surprising discovery was that a walled garden, divided into beds of low hedging, could be so lively and colorful in winter.

Waves of shrubs interweave into informal knots, yet every plant is sign-posted and on trial. The most interesting boxwood alternatives in this trial are not imitations, like a vegetarian burger; instead they bring a new perspective altogether.

All of the parterre beds in the garden are edged with the dwarf yew Taxus baccata ‘Repandens’. Already carrying an RHS Award of Garden Merit, it is moderate in size compared with regular yew, with a shorter growth rate. “I think it has great potential,” says Matthew Pottage, the young curator at Wisley.

Berberis

Above: Red, orange and purple berberis are a standout in autumn and early winter.

Of the deciduous varieties, orange Berberis thunbergii ‘Erecta’ is shown here, mid-drop, while its red counterpart Berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Rocket’ competes for attention. An evergreen type is Berberis thunbergii ‘Compacta’, which the trial manager Sean McDill is very happy with. “I like this berberis,” he says. “It has a nice, compact habit and after a couple of clips it has a dense, dark green surface.”

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February 16, 2024
What to Do in the Garden in February – Gardenista

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What to do in the garden in February–is this some kind of a joke? Here’s a thing I like to do in February: sit by the fire and look at the garden through a window.

However. If you (or I) can find the motivation to throw on a coat, a hat, gloves, a heavy woolen scarf, thick socks, boots, and lip balm–this is what I wear to brave the chilly weather in Northern California; if you live in New England or Colorado, you might want to add a layer of thermal underwear and a second coat–we will be well rewarded for our efforts in springtime.

If you live in a warmer climate, your to-do list for February garden chores will be different from what you can accomplish in colder regions. (For instance, in my USDA zone 10a garden, where the ground does not freeze, I can weed even in cold months. In winter, before weeds spread, is an ideal time to get rid of them.)

Here are a few things we all can do in the garden this month.

1. Prune trees.

Above: See more of this colorful winter landscape in Landscape Ideas: Blazing Color with Red Twig Dogwood, 5 Ways. Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer.

Winter is the best time to prune deciduous trees. After trees lose their leaves in late autumn, their structure and shape are revealed. It’s easier to see which branches are growing inward (get rid of those) or crossing others (get rid of those too). Winter pruning will encourage new growth in spring. During this dormant period, insects and diseases that could harm fresh-cut trunks or branches also are dormant.

An exception to this rule is spring-flowering trees. Wait to prune those in late spring after their flowers fade. If you prune them now, you’ll be cutting off this spring’s blossoms.

2. Prune shrubs.

Above: A standard pair of Niwaki Garden Shears (“the very best option for an all-round pair of garden shears– ideal for hedges, shrubs, box clipping and topiary,” says pruning expert Jake Hobson) is $85.50. Its long-handled shears (which measure about 29.5 inches, about 8 inches longer than the standard size) are $92 a pair. Photograph via Niwaki.

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February 1, 2024