The High-Heeled Gardener | Beautiful Branches and Blooms

Beautiful Branches & Blooms

A Monthly Calendar

By Annapolis Home

 

Do you want your garden to shine every single month of the year, not just spring and summer? Your worries are over! We have interviewed 12 professionals and learned their personal favorites for each month of the year. We list them for you here, month by month. Happy Planting!

 

JANUARY

 

‘Paper Plant’ Edgeworthia chrysantha

 “ Edgeworthia is a beautiful, symmetrical semi-circular plant with a flower that sits and teases us through January.” – Jay Graham, Moody Graham Landscape Architecture

CARE: part shade, well-drained soil

 

FEBRUARY

 

‘Eastern Red Cedar’ Juniperus virginiana

 “ This evergreen tree provides dense, needle-like foliage and blue berries, offering habitat and food for wildlife.” – Matt Ciminelli, Ciminelli’s Landscape Services

CARE: full sun or partial shade, water regularly the first year 

 

MARCH

 

‘ Virginia Bluebells’ Mertensia virginica 

 “ Beloved across the East as one of the most beautiful spring ephemerals, the pale green leaves emerge through the browns of winter to reveal pinkish buds soon opening into tiny blue bell-shaped flowers.” – Yoli Del Buono, Barks Road Landscape Architecture

CARE: shady, moist location, well-drained soil

 

APRIL

 

‘Winterglow’ Bergenia cordifolia 

 “ It has a vibrant, colorful flower that is one of the few blooming perennials in early spring. The blooms last about two months and then rebloom in the fall.” – Kate Ries, Clinton+Ries Landscape Architects

CARE: part shade to full shade

 

MAY

 

‘Smooth Hydrangea’ Hydrangea arborescens

 “ The joy of this Hydrangea is its long-lasting flower that keeps turning color with an old-fashioned, timeless beauty.” – Grace Schneider, landscape architect, McHale Landscape Design 

CARE: four hours of sun per day in well-drained soil

 

JUNE

 

‘Pineapple Sage’ Salvia elegans

 “ It is beautiful, drought tolerant, edible, and works well in the herb garden!” – Carlina Diggs, greenhouse supervisor, Homestead Gardens

CARE: full sun in moist, well-drained soil

 

JULY

Photo courtesy lotsofplants.com

 

‘Butterfly Bush’ Buddleja ‘Pugster Pinker’

 “ To name a few bonuses, ‘Pugster Pinker’ is deer resistant, drought tolerant, and I’m usually cutting blooms to bring inside the home all month long.” – Ben Rankin, landscape architect, Walnut Hill Landscape Company

CARE: full sun for six hours, blooms summer through fall

 

AUGUST

 

‘Purpletop Vervain’ Verbena bonariensis

 “ Verbena is tall, graceful, and airy but stands reliably upright due to its structural stems and is topped by the prettiest purple flowers that pop against any backdrop, whether it’s other plantings or hardscape.”  – Meredith Forney Beach, principal, Campion Hruby Landscape Architects

CARE: full sun

 

SEPTEMBER

 

‘ Autumn Bride’ Heuchera villosa

 “ Autumn Bride provides strong, bold basal foliage throughout all seasons, including winter. However, this durable, native plant is truly a showstopper during the early fall when it showcases a white, spike flower that persists through frost.” – Michael Dziennik, senior designer, Oehme, van Sweden 

CARE: partial shade or full sun with adequate moisture

 

OCTOBER

 

‘ American Persimmon’ Diospyros virginiana 

 “ I love this native tree! It supports native bees, 45 butterfly and moth species, and provides food for fox, deer, raccoons, quail, wild turkey, and other wildlife!”  – Elizabeth Elliott, owner of Himmel’s Landscape & Garden Center

CARE: needs full sun to produce fruit

 

NOVEMBER

 

‘ Southern Arrowwood’ Viburnum dentatum

 “ This is a native shrub that requires very little maintenance while producing a creamy white flower in spring and then bluish-black berries that are a great source of food for birds and other wildlife.”  – Jeff Crandell, president, Scapes, Inc. 

CARE: moist, well-drained soil, tolerates both full sun and partial shade

 

DECEMBER

 

‘Common Winterberry’ Ilex verticillata 

 “ Its leaves and flowers are small, but winterberry provides a big splash of color with its red berries that persist into early spring.” – Heike Nolker, Heike Nolker Landscape Architect

CARE: full sun to partial shade, needs male and female plants for pollination

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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