Flowering cherry trees remain popular, from old mainstays to new selections, with more on the way It’s March, and soon showy displays of Japanese flowering cherry trees will trumpet their annual announcement that spring has arrived. Thus, consumers will be prompted to head to garden centers with hopes of adding the ephemeral beauty of these […]
Tough and beautiful
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Spireas are mainstays of the shrub world, thanks to their gorgeous blooms and steadfast demeanor Timing is everything with Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica). The time is now — as in no later than early March for a hard pruning — for this tough, summer-flowering shrub that blooms on new wood. Yet, pruning can be a […]
People’s Choice Award winners announced for the 2020 Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase
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Three plants and four runners-up were chosen as People’s Choice Award winners this year for the 2020 New Varieties Showcase, presented by the Oregon Association of Nurseries and the Farwest Show, and sponsored by Hip Labels. This year’s Farwest Show did not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting closure of host […]
Can-do conifers
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As home gardening booms, these unheralded trees shine as wise, low-maintenance investments In a northwest region surrounded by forests of Doug fir, Ponderosa pine, grand fir and hemlock, people could easily take conifers for granted. However, many gardeners recognize the versatility and minimal care that make them a staple in the landscape. Even before COVID-19 […]
The rise of the tupelo tree
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With the steady introduction of new cultivars, Nyssa sylvatica gains prominence in the trade Nyssa sylvatica — commonly known as sour gum, black gum and black tupelo — is a shade tree to watch in the 2020s. Right around the turn of the century, several factors came into play, including successful breeding programs, the tree diversity […]
Reblooming is booming
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Consumers are drawn to new annuals, perennials and shrubs offering easy, continuous interest When many consumers approach a garden designer or visit a garden center, they know two things for sure: They want low maintenance, and they want color from spring till fall. “I’m looking for successive bloom,” said Jenna Bayer, owner of Jenna Bayer Garden […]
Creative crape myrtles
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Covering many climates and color options, Lagerstroemia is a reliable seller for growers Lagestroemia (crape myrtle) is thought of as a southern U.S. plant, yet it is on the City of Portland street tree list and has grown in Oregon for more than a century. A pair of crape myrtle Portland Heritage Trees can be […]