Shrubs

The garden is tilled and ready for planting! It took all day to till the clay soil and due to starting from scratch on turf.

I planted some butterfly shrubs and some dwarf burning shrubs along the fence line. Both will be bring some color each season from spring through fall.


Butterfly bushes have fragrant blooms and attract butterflies. They bloom in late spring and continue into early summer. Drought-tolerant and utterly carefree, butterfly bushes is in one of the easiest shrubs you can grow.





Dwarf burning bushes have an intense red foilage color in fall. The deep dark red leaves almost glow with color in the fall. This plant is tolerant of shade, but prefers full sun to produce the most vibrant fall colors. Burning Bush transplants easily and may be sheared. The corky wings on the twigs hold winter snow, outlining the branch structure. The orange and red fruit is ornamental if produced in quantity, but plants vary in the amount of fruit they produce.



Some other favorites of mine:



Sunshine Blue, this shrub leafs out bright gold in spring, and keeps its color right through the worst summer heat. Elegantly pointed, toothy leaves are so stylish that Sunshine blue would be a fine choice for the sunny shrub border.

Hydrangea Endless Summer reaches 5 feet high and 4 feet wide. Happiest in partial or dappled shade, it takes more sun in the northernmost portion of its hardiness range. Blooms in zone 4!