We all know that a garden needs more than just perennials and annuals to make it look great all year round. A garden isn’t complete without the ornamental shrubs. These are the workhorses of my garden along with the trees. Ornamental shrubs provide something interesting to look at when the flowers aren’t blooming yet. They look great in the winter with a layer of snow resting on top like icing on a cake. Some shrubbery provides a place for birds to build nests or berries for them to eat. These backbones of the garden provide a permanent structure when the herbaceous perennials die back in the fall. What would we do without these vital parts of our yard. Here are a few of my personal favorites:
I think this is Aucuba japonica “Variegata” which is the female plant. “Crotonifolia” is the male. The difference is that the female has leaves densely spotted with yellow, while the male has leaves heavily splashed with yellow. This plant gets 4-6 ft and produces clusters of red berries in the early fall and sprays of red flowers in the spring. It’s hardy in zones 7-10. I have it planted under the Pecan tree in my yard in filtered shade. Full sun will burn the leaves and turn them black. It looks great in the shade with the mottled foliage.
Berberis thunbergi “Dwarf Crimson Pygmy” is a tough little foundation plant. It will grow in Sun-Part Sun. I have mine planted in part-sun. It needs some sun to get the best color leaves which are bright red mingled with burgundy and green. Dwarf Crimson Pygmy gets 18″-2 ‘ tall and 2′-3’ wide with a nice compact shape. In the fall, the foliage turns an orangish-red. The hardiness is Zone 4-7. It looks great next to my large Hostas in the fountain bed.
Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo or Sacred Bamboo) is a evergreen plant that grows 5-6′ tall and has great winter color. It produces sprays of white flowers in the summer and red berries in the fall & winter. The hardiness is zones 5-10. This plant is overly planted in my area but the evergreen foliage and the fact that it will grow in Full Sun-Full Shade make it very easy.
Spiraea japonica “Goldmound” is one of my favorites. The foliage begins the year a reddish tone that fades to yellow and then to this lime green. It produces clusters of tiny pink flowers that are a wonderful contrast to the green leaves. It can grow up to 3′ tall and spread 2-4′. I have three of these wonderful little shrubs and they are only 2′ tall and about 2′ in width. The hardiness is zones 4-8 and it is deciduous.
Perennial Garden Lover 