Spring Has Sprung!
Spring has arrived at Floral Acres and with it comes new additions to our tree and shrub lineup!
We are pleased to offer the following for your planting pleasure! All are hardy to zone 3.
Birches are beautiful trees and Parkland Pillar White Birch is no exception. Rapidly reaching a mature height of 30’ with a maximum width of 7’, it makes the perfect privacy screen for use in smaller yards. It has a narrow, upright, and dense habit with white bark and turns golden yellow in fall.
Fertilize in early spring with a balanced NPK tree and shrub fertilizer. Do not prune until summer to avoid unsightly sap bleeding. Birches love water so keep your tree moist but not soggy. This is especially true during the first year establishment period. Shredded bark mulch around the base of the tree keeps the roots cool and maintains soil moisture.
Anna’s Magic Ball Dwarf Cedar will certainly be a rock or railroad garden favorite. The mature height and width is 10”-15”x 10”-15”. Grow this cute yellow evergreen in a sun to part sun location. Developed in Canada, this hardy cedar requires little or no pruning to maintain its round shape. If necessary, prune in early summer. Fertilize in spring with an all purpose evergreen fertilizer.
Another colorful and hardy shrub is the native North American Ginger Wine Ninebark. A Proven Winners Color Choice selection, it makes a stunning backdrop for perennial and annual beds. Planted in full sun, this drought tolerant ninebark will achieve a mature height and spread of 5 to 6 feet. The spring foliage emerges a sunny orange color and matures to burgundy. Clusters of white pink flowers cover the plant in late spring and age to showy red seed heads. No pruning or deadheading is required. Do not be concerned if in later years the branch bark begins to peel. This is entirely normal for mature ninebarks.
What would spring be without a new hardy rose introduction! Chinook Sunrise Rose is the second introduction from the 49th Parallel Collection from Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Ontario. This rose is winter hardy to minus 40C and very low maintenance. Again, it is a perfect shrub for sunny, small yards reaching a mature height and spread of 4 feet. And best of all the blooms are a gorgeous pink coral color with a light fragrance. Fertilize this rose with an all purpose rose food and if necessary, prune in early spring to shape.
At this point we cannot help but sneak in a Zone 4 shrub, but being a sun loving Spirea, we think its worth a try!
Spirea Double Play Candy Corn produces bright candy apple red foliage in early spring which matures to a bright yellow. All of this color is topped with a blazing orange all summer long. Purple flowers are produced in clusters which attract butterflies and hummingbirds. As an added bonus, deer and rabbits do not find this shrub too tasty. The mature height and spread of Double Play Candy Cor is 18”-24” x 18”-30”. Prune in late winter to early spring and fertilize with an all-purpose tree and shrub food.
Hydrangea Invincibelle Wee White is probably the most exciting hardy shrub introduction to come to the prairies in years! Hardy to Zone 3 this tidy, rounded mound is the first dwarf ‘Annabelle’ type hydrangea. Grown in a full sun location, this shrub will attain a height and spread of 1-2.5’. The large blooms emerge blush pink on strong supportive stems, then change to white. As a bonus, this shrub blooms from early summer to first frost! Prune in early spring as new growth begins to appear. Cut the whole plant back by one third of its total height and fertilize with an all purpose rose food. A 2-3” mulch of shredded bark keeps the shallow root system cool and moist.
This is but a few of the prairie hardy shrubs and trees we offer at Floral Acres. Please come by and share your gardening experiences with our staff. We welcome your comments, questions and company!