After four years of disappointment, this color guard yucca finally bloomed this month. The blossoms were so heavy that I had to prop up the stalk with a stick.
I’ve been growing color guard yuccas in my garden for about eight years. Each summer, I hoped that one of them would produce the stunning blooms that I’ve seen in photographs. But it never happened until now.
This year was very unusual, in terms of Colorado weather. It rained almost every day during June, which is normally a hot, dry month. But I doubt that the moisture had much to do directly with the blooming of this drought-loving organism.
Perhaps the excessive rain encouraged the development of small, whitish yucca moths, which may have pollinated the plant, causing it to bloom. I’m just guessing here.
Another factor may be that the four-year-old plant, which was a pup from my eight-year-old plant, reached the appropriate level of maturity for blooming. This happened with my mini-man viburnum, which bloomed for the first time this spring after four years in the ground.
Also, my blooming yucca is in a hotter, dryer area of the yard than are my other, more mature yuccas.
I’ve read that you can try fertilizing yuccas with a phosphorus-rich fertilizer, such as bone meal, to encourage them to bloom. Too much work for me.
It hasn’t been all bad, though. After all, color guard yuccas are beautiful and evergreen even without their blooms. But whoa, momma! When those blossoms start popping out, a yucca turns into a real show-stopper.
Allium schubertii puts on a show even after the growing season is over with its Star-Wars-inspired growth habit.
September and October are prime months for planting spring-blooming bulbs and summer-blooming poppy seeds in Colorado. With this in mind, you may want to consider installing bulbs and poppies that produce not only stunning flowers, but also decorative seedheads. That way, you can bring the seedheads inside and enjoy them during fall and winter.
Some of my favorite plants for their showy dried seedheads:
Ornamental onions, including Allium schubertii, A. ‘Globemaster,’ and A. aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation.’ All of these varieties are sun-loving and drought-tolerant. Globemaster is sterile, whereas schubertii and purple sensation are spreaders.
Allium schubertii is a rose-purple show-stopper with dramatic spikes, resembling a Star Wars character. This easy-to-grow plant blooms in late spring and reaches about two feet high, which includes its 14-inch-wide seedhead. I wonder what it would look like with holiday lights on it. Too much? Maybe.
Allium ‘Globemaster’ is a lavender beauty that grows about 18 to 30 inches high and 12 to 18 inches wide, and will tolerate part shade.
Purple sensation allium’s airy eight-inch seed head adds a nice touch to a fireplace mantel or other site in your home.
Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’ generates bright purple blooms and grows about two feet high by eight inches wide. Its seedhead is particularly attractive right after blooming because the ripening seeds are deep green.
Certain varieties of Papaver somniferum, such as Hungarian breadseed poppies and Lauren’s grape breadseed poppy.
Hungarian breadseed poppies come in a variety of remarkable colors, including pink, purple, blue, and white. The seeds can be used for breads, cakes, muffins and other baked goods.
Their large rounded seedheads display an attractive flat rosette at the top.
Lauren’s grape breadseed poppy, name for Fort Collins garden designer Lauren Springer Ogden, produces four-inch velvety, deep purple blooms and grows about three feet high.
Poppies bloom in the summer and self-sow freely if you let them, so be prepared for an influx.
After you’ve enjoyed all these plants during the growing season, display the seed heads around your house, such as on a fireplace mantel, table, or dresser.
A carpet of blue Veronica pectinata (upper left) appears in early spring to provide a backdrop for bulbs and serviceberries.
I love brightly colored plants in the garden, such as red fire Meidiland rose, yellow Genista lydia bangle, and neon orange carpet hummingbird mint.
If my garden consisted entirely of these gob-smacking colors, though, the effect would be overwhelming.
That’s why blues are so important. Unlike bright colors which advance toward you, cool blues recede. This receding quality creates depth and provides a calming effect in the landscape.
Blues also add interest because blue plants are much rarer in the garden than other colors of plants. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for them.
Some of my favorite blue flora include:
Veronica pectinata. This low-growing groundcover transforms into a carpet of cornflower blue blossoms the size of a pencil eraser in early spring. The carpet offers the perfect backdrop for vividly colored tulips and white serviceberry trees and shrubs. Other favorite veronicas are V. prostrata (another groundcover) and V. austriaca ‘Crater Lake Blue.’ Crater Lake Blue, which grows about a foot high and wide, produces electric blue blooms. It’s more of a show-stopper than a backdrop.
Siberian squill (Scilla siberica). If you live in places like Wisconsin or Minnesota, avoid this plant because it’s considered invasive. In Colorado, however, Siberian squill behaves itself. It’s a beautiful, delicate-looking bulbous perennial that grows three to six inches high in early spring. Sprinkle it among your miniature daffodil and iris bulbs.
Hardy plumbago offers gorgeous blue blooms complemented by copper-colored seedheads. This easy-to-grow groundcover handles root competition well from shade trees.
Hardy plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides). This stalwart groundcover produces stunning azure blue blooms with contrasting copper-colored seedheads in July. The first time I saw a photo of this plant, I thought the blooms couldn’t possibly be this gorgeous in person. But they are. It’ll grow in both sun and shade, but prefers shade from afternoon sun. Plumbago grows six to eight inches high and 18 inches or more wide.
Blue avena grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens). Also called blue oat grass, this graceful, arching grass grows two to three feet high and wide. With its steel blue leaves, this grass blends well with just about anything in the garden. In June, it sends up tawny flowering spikes. In the fall, the grass becomes wheat-colored, providing interest throughout the fall and winter. Cut blue avena down to the ground in early spring so new growth can emerge.
Electric blue penstemon wows passers-by with its outpouring of intensely colored blooms.
Electric blue penstemon (Penstemon heterphyllus ‘Electric Blue’). Electric blue describes this bloomer perfectly. The plant produces a profusion of intensely blue blooms in June, and it lasts several weeks. Electric blue grows about 15 to 18 inches high and 12 inches wide. Deadhead it when it’s done blooming.
Narbonne blue flax (Linum narbonense). There are several species of blue flax. Narbonne, introduced by Plant Select in 2013, performs pretty well in my amended clay soil even though it’s supposed to prefer sandy or loam soil. Photos often make the blooms look purple, but mine are intensely blue. Narbonne grows 16 to 18 inches high and wide.
Other blue plants worth mentioning are:
Hostas. These broad-leaved plants come in an array of colors. Blue varieties include June, blue Hawaii, fragrant blue, blue heaven, and many more.
Irises. The American Iris Society offers remarkable photos of blue varieties, such as babbling brook, Baltic Sea, cloud ballet, and color me blue.
Rocky Mountain Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea or A. caerulea). This iconic treasure is the state flower of Colorado. It’s a short-lived perennial that reseeds prolifically and grows one to two feet high and wide.
Delphiniums. These upright, architectural plants generate cobalt blue blooms. Be aware, though, that annual dephiniums, or larkspur, reseed like crazy. It’s possible to have too much of a good thing.
Morning glories. Be prepared for aggressive reseeding if you plant morning glories. But if you have room for them, they’ll reward you with heavenly deep blue flowers.
So there you have it—lots of choices for adding blue to your garden. I encourage to try some if you haven’t already.
This simple arrangement of Prince Tut sedge, sweet potato vine, white snapdragons, and purple petunias makes a strong statement and is suitable for strong sunlight. You can pay $70 or more for an arrangement like this. Or you can just plant your own for much less. Use high-quality potting soil and make sure you have holes in the bottom of the pot for good drainage.
Chances are, you’re ready to start potting up your container plants for this growing season. Although it’s too early to stick the plants outside in Colorado, now is a good time to buy plants so you can begin hardening them off before putting them on display in your yard.
Let’s say you have a spot that gets hot, blazing sun all day long. Which container plants will withstand that kind of environment?
Garden magazines and blogs publish articles with all sorts of gorgeous specimens. I’ve learned not to put too much stock in those articles, however. I have, for example, tried growing recommended Lobelia and Angelonia in sunny locations, only to be disappointed.
So I’m here to share what I’ve personally grown in pots that have really stood up to extreme sunlight in Colorado, where we’re closer to the sun than many of you in other parts of the country. The flowering plants mentioned here bloom throughout the growing season and require little, if any, deadheading. As for the grasses and sedges, they always look good.
These stellar performers include:
Blue Avena Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens). Perennial. This stalwart grows about 2.5 feet high and wide, excluding the feathery plumes which shoot up in late spring. The plumes add another foot or so to height. You won’t likely keep blue avena grass in a pot more than a season or two before it will outgrow the pot. Then you can plant it in the ground.
Peruvian petunias are lined up for sale at Fossil Creek Nursery in Fort Collins. Because they trail nicely, they’re ideal for hanging pots, but work well in upright containers, too. Notice the blooms’ showy colors.
Peruvian Petunia (Calibrachoa, Million Bells). Annual. If I have a container that holds only one plant, Peruvian petunia is my go-to plant because it fluffs up about eight inches and trails over the edge of the pot. The colors are sensational. One of my favorites is purple with a neon yellow throat.
Cordyline (Cordyline australis). Annual. Native to New Zealand, this purplish spike can serve as a thriller (as opposed to filler or spiller) in pots.
Lantana. Annual. This broad-leaved stunner with verbena-like, multi-colored flowers is relatively compact, although there are larger, shrub-like cultivars (some of which are invasive weeds in Hawaii, Florida, Texas and other areas). Photographs generally make lantana look garish; they’re more attractive in person.
Nemesia (Nemesia caerulea). Annual. This hard-working plant is a member of the snapdragon family. It comes in just about any color except green and also includes some two-toned cultivars. I’ve grown the trailing variety. It didn’t turn scraggly on me, but in case it does, just cut it back so it’ll be lush again.
Pentas (Pentas lanceolata). Annual. I discovered this darling at the Colorado State University Trial Gardens. Its bright green leaves and showy star-cluster blooms make it a solid standout. Pentas has a dome-shaped growth habit, which contrasts nicely to the other plants mentioned here.
Prince Tut dwarf Egyptian papyrus (Cyperus papyrus). Annual. What a showpiece this sedge is! It grew about 18 inches high in my pot, towering over fillers and spillers. Prince Tut’s father, King Tut, grows about twice as tall.
Zonal geraniums, with their brilliant blooms and attractive foliage, pop in any floral container arrangement.
Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas). Annual. A long-time favorite, sweet potato vine comes in various shades of purple or chartreuse. I prefer chartreuse because it blends well with so many colors. You usually have to snap them up at garden centers because they sell so quickly. Mine grew about two feet long.
Zonal Geranium (Pelargonium). Annual. Another long-time favorite, zonal geranium features large, flashy blooms against dark green leaves. Blooms can be red, pink, white, orange, purple, or bi-colored.
There are other plants that I think would do well in containers in sunny Colorado, but I haven’t actually tried them. Some of them are:
This blue avena grass mother clump was cut back in late February. As you can see, new growth has come in since then. But the clump is still compact enough to allow for convenient dividing.
Are your ornamental grasses too fat? Have they grown three to five times the size they were when you planted them? Are they looking unkempt? Are the centers dying out? In other words, are they getting sassy?
If so, it’s time to divide them. Late February to early April is the best time to divide grasses in Colorado. Cut them back to the ground in late February before new growth starts. Then sometime in the following six weeks, dig up the root ball for dividing.
Late winter/early spring is best for all of this activity because the new grass clumps will have time to grow additional roots and adjust to their new locations before the drought of summer and cold of winter.
Last week, I divided my three-year-old blue avena grass. Here’s how it went.
First, I dug holes for the new transplants so the roots wouldn’t have time to dry out once the new clumps were created.
After digging up the mother clump, I flipped it over so I could see the roots while sawing the clump apart. Between sawing with my reciprocating saw, chopping with my mattock, and digging at the clump with my shovel, I was able to break the clump in two.
Second, I dug up the mother clump and flipped it over so I could see the roots as I sawed the clump in half with a reciprocating saw. That way, I made sure each half had plenty of roots. Then I sawed each new clump in half, ending up with four new plants.
As you can see at the top of the photo, each half of the mother clump has a well-developed root system, which is essential for successful transplanting. I kept a bucket of water nearby to hold the new clumplets and keep the roots moist.
My original clump was 16 to 18 inches wide after being cut back in February, which means it would be considerably larger when all fluffed out. There was no dieback in the middle of the clump.
If you have a clump with dieback, just remove healthy chunks of grass from the outer edges of the clump for transplanting.
Third, I took the first small clump, transplanted it in a hole and watered it. I did the same with the remaining three clumps.
This new clump has been successfully transplanted and awaits watering and mulching.
Finally, I mulched all four new plants and watered again lightly to help keep the mulch in place.
Then I took a second mother clump and divided it into five pieces for more transplanting around the yard.
As for my third clump, I’m sharing it with friends.
I wanted a more upright grass to replace the three blue avena grasses I removed. So I planted a new variety, Lightning Strike feather reed grass(Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Lightning Strike’). It’s a variegated grass that will grow 2.5 to 3 feet high. So far, it looks terrific with backlighting.
Tiger eyes sumac grows in full sun to part shade, is drought-tolerant, and reaches six feet high and wide. You can grow it as a tree or shrub. It’s a stunner in the landscape. The one downside is that it suckers. So when you plant it, don’t amend the soil because rich soil will encourage suckers.
If you’re like me, you’re always looking for ways to spiff up the curb appeal of your home. In my case, that often means buying new plants.
A key component of the landscape is shrubbery, and now is a great time for installing these woody additions.
It’s important, however, to select shrubs carefully because they’re expensive, and they frequently constitute a major part of your overall design. So when you need a new shrub, ask yourself several questions before heading to the nursery.
How long, deep, and high is your planting area? If I want to fill a border that’s, say, four feet deep, don’t select large shrubs, such as rose of Sharon, flowering quince or Cheyenne mock orange. Instead, aim for shrubs that are four feet wide or less at maturity, such as small shrub roses (example: Bonica) or dwarf varieties of Japanese barberry. Take shrub height into consideration, too, especially if you have windows that you don’t want obscured by plants.
How much sun/shade does your planting area receive? If your area faces south or west, you’ll need full-sun plants unless the area is shaded by trees, buildings or other structures. If your area faces east, your plants will likely be in sun part of the day and shade the other part unless you also have sun streaming in the side from the south or west. If your area faces north, you’ll likely need shade-loving shrubs unless there are mitigating factors.
Some top-performing shrubs for Colorado include:
Spring bloomers, such as autumn brilliance and regent serviceberry (full sun to part shade), Cheyenne mock orange (full sun), Carol Mackie daphne (part shade), black elder (part shade), viburnum (full sun to part shade), Pawnee Buttes sand cherry (full sun to part shade), and red chokeberry (full sun to part shade).
Summer/fall bloomers, such as hardy hibiscus (full sun to part shade), Annabelle hydrangea (full sun to part shade), tiger eyes sumac (full sun to part shade), dogwood (full sun to part shade), ninebark (full sun to part shade), and roses (full sun to part shade, depending on the cultivar).
When it comes to fall color, hedge cotoneaster is hard to beat. It’s easy to grow, and birds love the berries.
Is fall color important to you? If so, select plants known for their stunning fall foliage, such as autumn brilliance and regent serviceberry, tiger eyes sumac, Pawnee Buttes sand cherry, red chokeberry, hedge cotoneaster, and purple smokebush.
Do you have a working sprinkler system? If you do, you can select shrubs with high, medium or low water needs. Conversely, if you need to water by hand, consider low-water users, such as barberry, cotoneaster, serviceberry, Cheyenne mock orange, Pawnee Buttes sand cherry, Siberian pea shrub, potentilla, and sumac varieties.
Purple smokebush, nestled here in a bed of prairie winecups, can be grown as either a tree or shrub. When backlit by the sun, this plant just glows. Smokebush will produce summer blooms that resemble puffs of pink smoke. For smaller gardens, I recommend the Winecraft Black cultivar, which grows 4 to 6 feet high and wide.
How much maintenance are you willing to do? If you want to do as little maintenance as possible, stick with barberry, serviceberry, cotoneaster, viburnum, Cheyenne mock orange, purple smokebush, and Pawnee Buttes sand cherry. If you’re all right with moderate maintenance, such as occasional deadheading, install hardy hibiscus and Annabelle hydrangea. If, however, you enjoy pruning your shrubs at least once a year, look at roses, dogwoods, and tiger eyes sumac (which requires cutting back suckers).
Lily-flowered Merlot tulips and Alexander’s white candytuft create a striking combination in mid-spring.
October is an ideal time to scope out fall color and plan for next spring in your garden. Items you might want to add include:
Spring-flowering bulbs. It’s not too late to order and plant tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, corydalis, and such. October is a great time to plant them, and you can even plant in November as long as the ground isn’t frozen.
Big-headed Darwin hybrid tulips and lily-flowered tulips are my favorites. Just plant them in clumps or drifts around your yard.
If you want to add a complementary ground cover, try woolly speedwell (Veronica pectinata, not the invasive V. repens) or candytuft (Iberis sempervirens). These two stellar plants have evergreen foliage, providing a carpet for both early-blooming and later-blooming bulbs.
For outrageous fall color, tiger eyes sumac is tough to beat.
Plants with vivid fall color. Walk or ride around to check out the fall color displays in parks and gardens. Then you can figure out what to plant now or next spring to increase autumn excitement in your own garden.
I love red/orange fall displays. That’s why I’ve planted tiger eyes sumac (Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger Tiger Eyes), autumn brilliance serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’), and Pawnee Buttes sand cherries (Prunus besseyi ‘Pawnee Buttes’). Then there’s always the complementary golden glow of regent serviceberry (A. alnifolia ‘Regent’).
Other plants that provide striking fall color include hedge cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lucidus), hot wings maple (Acer tartaricum ‘Garann), Ginnala maple (Acer tartaricum subsp. ginnala), Washington hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum), purple smokebush (Cotinus coggrygia), burning bush (Euonymus alatus), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), gro-low sumac (Rhus aromatica ‘Low-Gro’), and leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides).
Plants that add winter interest. Trees, shrubs and ornamental grasses provide structure to your garden to prevent it from looking like a moonscape in the winter.
And of course, evergreens lend color. I’m not just talking about pines, spruces and firs. I’m also talking about “evergreen” groundcovers, such as candytuft (brilliant green all winter), dwarf brooms (such as bangle genista, green all year long), Veronica pectinata (purplish winter foliage), and Angelina sedum (orange/red winter foliage).
In my winter garden, dogwood shrubs transform into a red twig forest, complemented by the white bark of my miniman viburnum and the green branches of the bangle genista. It’s beautiful on a carpet of fresh snow.
It may be too late to snag bargains this fall at garden centers. But in late April every year, Fort Collins Nursery sells its gallon-sized perennials for half price, so sign up for their newsletter to stay informed.
Last July, I posted Meet Bob, announcing that my tiger eyes sumac, (Rhus typhina ‘Baltiger’ Tiger Eyes) had its first bright red baby.
This July, at five years old, my sumac now has ten, count ‘em, ten babies (or bobs). Tiger also is suckering some, but she’s not out of control. While other varieties of sumac sucker to the point of weediness, Tiger is better behaved.
My friend and fellow plant geek, Steve Aegerter, points out that planting tiger eyes sumac in unamended soil will reduce suckering.
Tiger is currently five feet high and wide. Her mature size is reportedly six feet high and wide.
This drought-tolerant specimen really pops in the garden, both during the summer when she’s chartreuse and in the fall when she’s fiery red. Right now, her lacy chartreuse foliage contrasts beautifully with her bright red, almost maroon, bobs.
The bobs will last until next year, providing winter interest to the garden.
If you’re looking for a showy tree or shrub that’s easy to grow, take a look at Tiger. She won’t disappoint, whether in sun or part shade.
Alexander’s white candytuft groundcover offers a brilliant white backdrop for vivid merlot tulips.
It’s not unusual for me to get compliments from people walking by my garden. But this year, things ramped up. People in cars started pulling to my curb to tell me how much they loved my tulips. In particular, they liked my killer combo—Merlot tulips and Alexander’s white candytuft.
This mid-spring duo attracted more attention than any other pairing I’ve ever tried. Unfortunately, the merlot tulips developed botytris blight, probably from too much rain. So there were small brown patches on some tulips, but not enough to detract from their beauty. Next time, I’ll buy my bulbs from someone other than John Scheepers. My bulbs from other suppliers were fine.
I’ve also planted bloody cranesbill near the candytuft, so when the tuft pooped out this week, the bloody cranesbill was taking off with its fuchsia blooms. In a couple of weeks or so, the fire meidiland groundcover roses nearby should start flowering, as well.
Bright red tulips peek out beneath regent serviceberry. Blue Veronica pectinata provides a carpet for spring-blooming bulbs.
In early to mid-spring, I have many white-blooming plants—autumn brilliance serviceberry, regent serviceberry, Pawnee Buttes sand cherry, and candytuft. I was concerned that so much white going on at the same time would be monotonous. Quite the contrary. I’ve found that the white blooms provide a delightful backdrop to more colorful plants, such as fluffy blue Veronica pectinata groundcover and multi-colored Darwin hybrid tulips. Once the tulips start to fade, the purple alliums begin opening up and little Trudy catmint is in full swing with its purple-violet flourishes.
Although the merlot/candytuft combo was intentional, some of my other favorite combinations have been accidents. Take blue avena grass and spring-blooming soapwort as an example. Last year, a river of pink soapwort streamed between two of my avena grasses. It was stunning. So I made sure it happened again this year and added some alliums close by.
In the summer, Sonoran sunset Agastache blends nicely with upright Karl Foerster feather reed grass. Complement this pair with yellow evening primrose as a groundcover in sunny areas.
In the shade, try mixing periwinkle with sweet woodruff and variegated Solomon’s seal for a lovely purple and white spring display.
When experimenting with plant combinations, it helps to remember that the vast majority of plants are easy to move around. So if one medley doesn’t work, transplant those babies in the fall or early spring for a different look next year.
Mojave sage has an appealing growth habit and beautiful foliage, not to mention its colorful bracts and flowers when in bloom. But either this plant isn’t cold-hardy enough for my yard or its roots rot, causing it to die over the winter.
Have you ever grown a highly touted plant, only to have it poop out on you? Have you carefully provided correct sunlight, appropriate watering, and even talked to it periodically, only to be disappointed?
It happens to all of us. That’s not to say a particular plant is an utter failure or that you are, either. It’s just that the plant may not be a good fit for your yard.
I’ve had my share of misadventures.
Take Mojave sage (Salvia pachyphylla), for example. After listening to a fellow gardener in Denver rave about this plant’s virtues, I planted three of these beauties in my front yard. I love this sage’s silvery evergreen leaves, mauve bracts, and violet flowers.
Mojave’s cultural requirements:
Moderate water during establishment.
Full sun.
Loam, sandy or dry clay soil. Dry clay. I amended the soil for better drainage, planted the shrublets in the driest, sunniest section of my yard, and virtually ignored them after establishment.
Every year for three years, I would go out in the spring to find one or two of them had died over the winter.
I suppose I could have mulched them heavily for winter, but then I would have run the risk of retaining soil moisture that would rot their roots in my clay soil. So I’ve concluded that I probably would be better off growing this sage in only loam or sandy soils (if I had them), even though High Country Gardens says it can be grown in dry clay.
I’ve replaced my Mojaves with blue avena grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens). The grasses offer stunning blue color with no maintenance other than cutting these darlings back each spring.
Then there’s Miss Molly butterfly bush (Buddleia x ‘Miss Molly’). When I spotted this shrub at the nursery, I had to have her. Molly’s blooms are so intensely pink.
But our relationship hasn’t been good over the past four years. Instead of growing 4-5 feet high and wide, Molly has become scrawny, growing 4 feet high, but only 2 feet wide. I’ve pruned her to the ground each spring, which is what we do with butterfly bushes in Colorado. But she refuses to fluff out, so I’ve given up on her.
I’ve noticed that butterfly bushes are more difficult to grow in Fort Collins than they are in Denver. Then again, maybe I haven’t found the right cultivar yet.
In spring when plants come alive, purple pillar rose of Sharon begins producing leaves at her base. But the top part of the plant looks like ugly sticks for a good part of the spring. She doesn’t flower till September, and her blooms are sparse. You can see purple pillar’s twigs sticking up just to the left of the serviceberry tree.
Purple pillar rose of Sharon (Hybiscus syriacus ‘Gandini Santiago’) looks like she would make a perfect specimen or small hedge with her columnar growth habit and splashy red-and-pink blooms.
But Sharon has issues. First, she’s extremely slow-growing. Second, she takes forever to leaf out in the spring. Third, her blooms are sparse compared to other cultivars of rose of Sharon. Fourth, she’s a late bloomer. Last year, she started blooming around September 6. On September 8, a snowstorm with record cold temperatures blew into Fort Collins for two days. You can guess what happened to Sharon’s blooms.
I’ll likely grow tiger eyes sumac (Rhys typhina ‘Bailtiger’ Tiger Eyes) in Sharon’s place as a specimen. Tiger’s leaves are slow to emerge in the spring, but once they do, Tiger looks spectacular and stays that way till fall.
Finally, there’s Zinfin Doll hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘SMNHPRZEP’). I planted Zinfin in part shade with amended soil. Like all hydrangeas, she requires lots of water, so I watered her regularly. Her blooms are spectacular. But the blooms didn’t start showing up until September in 2019. And in September 2020—well, you know what happened.
Although Zinfin Doll is a gorgeous plant, she’s not a good fit for my yard.
These disappointing experiences won’t stop me from experimenting with new plants. After all, I’ve had far more successes than washouts.
Last July, I posted 
Blossoms & Blueprints 