Is 2015 the year that you landscape the yard or perhaps re-do the yard? Are you looking for something different that the neighbours may not have? There are several new shrubs to watch for.

They include two new varieties of Dogwood. The first is ‘Baton Rouge’ Dogwood. It has bright red stems giving it winter interest. In the spring the shrub will leaf out and produce small white flowers which later become berries. In the fall the foliage takes on a purple/pink shade. The other new Dogwood is called ‘Neon Burst’. As the name suggests, it has bright yellow and green foliage throughout the spring summer and in the fall turns into soft pastels. Both dogwoods are compact plants growing 90-120 cm wide and tall.

There are two new ninebarks (Physocarpus opulifolius). The smaller (60-90 cm) ‘Sunny Outlook’ will add glowing vibrant colour to the landscape with its chartreuse foliage and ‘Tiny Wine’ has dark bronze-maroon, small refined leaves that contrast beautifully with the small pink white flowers that run down the branches.

Spireas are a popular flowering shrub in northern landscapes. Look for ‘Glow Girl’ and ‘Blue Kazoo’ to add colour to the landscape. Glow Girl has a compact rounded shape. Foliage starts off bright yellow and matures to yellow-green and then to orange/red in the fall. Blue Kazoo has beautiful white blooms that contrasts with the cool blue foliage with hints of burgundy. In the fall the foliage turns a rich red colour.

‘Rainbow Sensation’ and Tuxedo are two Weigelas that could interest you. Rainbow Sensations foliage is a variegated green and yellow. In spring the clusters of soft pink flowers are an attraction to hummingbirds. Tuxedo has deep dark foliage and bright white bell flowers.

Hydrangeas are always a favourite in the landscape because of their large flowerheads that emerge in mid summer. ‘Strawberry Sundae’ has creamy white flowers that slowly age to pink then strawberry red by the end of the season. ‘Phantom’ is said to have very large flowerheads that are a pale green in early summer, turn white, and end in pink. A nice trait about hydrangeas is that they can be pruned into a tree form which is great for small sized yards.

One other shrub worth mentioning is the spectacular, ‘Lemon lace’ Elder. It has deeply cut, chartreuse, lacy leaves,and deep red berries which attracts birds. It has a mounded shape and grows 90-150 cm tall and wide.

Most landscapes have trees to anchor them and add height. Oak trees are worth considering as they have a beautiful shape and interesting bark. Top Gun Bur Oak is a nice tree for the average yard as it has a narrow growth habit, growing 20 meters tall and 5 meters tall in 20 years. Also available is the ‘Regal Prince’ oak which has dark green leaves that are silver underneath.

Maple trees are a great way to add fall colour to the landscape, and with the name Scarlet Jewell you know it will be bright. This tree has an upright growth habit growing up to 20 meters tall and makes a nice shade tree.

If you are looking to add flowering colour to the spring landscape, crabapples, apples and flowering crab apple trees should all be considered. The Malus ‘Courageous’ is covered in pink flowers. The new leaves come out a bronzy colour and turn to green.

Parkland Pillar Birch is the perfect tree for smaller yards as it is tall and slim, growing 30 feet tall and 6 feet wide. The dark green foliage turns a beautiful yellow in the fall.

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden Centres in Prince George:

Highway 16 west at Kimball Road

Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road