Reblooming shrubs aid landscape, birds, pollinators

Though seed planting won’t be on our dockets for some time yet, hardy shrubs with good rootballs can be considered in places where the sun has warmed the soil enough to accept them.

Shrubs are one of the most important aspects to the landscape, since their branches can shelter nesting birds, and those with lavish bloom are lifesavers for hummingbirds and pollinating bees and insects as well.

As always, native plants and/or their cultivars are to be given prime consideration, and in the past few years, amazing developments have taken place that not only strengthen cultivars but provide for repeat blooming throughout the season. Today’s column will point out a few of these, including some non-native but valuable and hardy beauties to provide a knockout display in your landscape. We’ll focus on Viburnum, Hydrangeas, Weigela and Azaleas, with more to follow in a series of later columns that will explore possibilities for mixing and matching for a fabulous spring/summer/fall show.

Viburnums don’t seem to get a lot of notice in the landscaping world, and I admit to having ignored them in my columns as well. Today I intend to make up for that with a special look at their versatility, practicality and beauty. Our native Viburnum edule, or Highbush cranberry (not to be confused with bog or edible cranberries (vaccinium), has clustered white flowers and berries appreciated by birds. Actually the fruits of Viburnum were once gathered by the earliest settlers and stewed, sugared and eaten as a sauce similar to cranberry sauce. From that humble beginning there are now literally hundreds of Vibernum cultivars , many of which have been trained for re-blooming. Our illustration of V. carlesii shows only one possibility; another successful repeat bloomer is V. plicatum, (var. tomentosum) “Summer Snowflake” which produces its first and most dramatic show in spring, but follows with blooms popping out throughout the summer and fall.

Hydrangeas range from short to mid-sized to tall, and boasts the classic old “Snowball” blossoms in pink as well as white, as well as pannicle and lace-cap choices in white, lime, pink, red-pink and now a lovely lavender (“Endless Summer”), and leaf variations from honey-green to brilliant emerald. Many can now form additional flowers on the current season’s growth for a long-lasting show into fall. “Fire Light” (pictured) is especially hardy in cold climates to Zone 4 – that’s us, gang! It likes full sun but accepts partial shade and forms a 4 to 6-foot tall shrub that blooms from midsummer into late fall.

Weigela (Wy-GEE-la), are not a native based shrub here, but are so gorgeous they must be considered. Our illustration “Sonic Bloom” shows why it appeals to hummingbirds, butterflies and bees of every ilk while offering lot of stem/branch protection for nesting birds and glory to the garden. Many Weigela varieties boast repeat blooms, but our featured picture along with brilliant red-flowered standout “Red Prince,” and the red-budded, rich pink-blooming “Java Red” with its purple and red-tinged green foliage, offer bloom throughout summer and into late fall. There are many other choices of equal beauty and color in this hardy tubular-bloomed shrub in which unexpected leaf color can also be a surprising focal point.

Azaleas generally produce a flush of blooms in the spring, with some also producing fall blooms. Breeders have worked hard to enhance these traits by crossing the rare repeat bloomers with summer blooming species to develop shrubs that will bloom reliably in spring, summer and fall. The Encore series was the first result and includes numerous varieties chosen for their repeat blooms. The “Bloom’nAgain” series followed, and now plantspeople can choose from a plethora of choices for all season bloom. True Rhododendrons (with the exception of white “Pohjola’s Daughter” and pink “Soladarity” among a few other Zone 4-hardy choices) are not too dependable here, but the R. Azaleas are surviving beautifully and provide glorious bloom. Some are “My Mary” yellow with lovely long stamens, bright pink “Westons Lollipop”, and the fabulous Northern Lights series that were bred in Minnesota for hardiness, beauty and scent. They include a variety of vibrant color choices along with the delight of long-lasting bloom

Next time, we’ll continue our search for repeat bloomers as well as landscape ideas that show off your shrubs to their best advantage.

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com. or by phone at 208-265-4688.