I’m not sure about the rest of the country — because I didn’t grow up there — but here in South Carolina, the scent of Magnolias is as much a part of summertime as sweet iced tea, running though sprinklers, and fireflies.
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This week's plant of the week is a beautiful hardy fern. Dryopteris
'Brilliance', as the name suggests, is one of the showiest ferns on the
market. The color-changing properties of the foliage are what gives
'Brilliance' its unique appeal; the shiny leaves transition from a
bright copper color in early spring, through a soft green in the
summer, and finally into a vibrant autumn orange. This fern is the
perfect little spark of color to pop against the darker foliage of most
shade gardens.
This plant is not only exceptional aesthetically. Adaptable and hardy,
this particular cultivar of Dryopteris erythrosora makes gardening
easy, pushing the limits of most average ferns. It tolerates dryer
soils, resists pests, resists diseases, and is not prone to predation
by deer.
For fern lovers, this is a must-have item, and for those new to growing
ferns, this may be one of the prettiest and easiest ways to fall in
love with them.
Looking for some great foliage interest in your shade or filtered sun that isn't hostas or painted ferns? How about Lamium 'Purple Dragon?' It's a real survivor, thriving across six zones (3-8), and it produces big, beautiful clusters of purple flowers for many weeks. The eye-catching silvery-white leaves shade quickly to dark green around the interesting toothed edges. This groundcover perennial is drought-resistant and evergreen, too, so you'll have this beautiful foliage year-round.
For a different look, try Kolkwitzia amabilis 'Dream Catcher'. This Beauty Bush does well in filtered sun or part shade in zones 4-9 and is deer-resistant, so it's a great choice for many different gardens. It's rich coppery color seasons to bright yellow in Spring and Summer, and by fall it turns a rich golden-orange with interesting dark tips. It's amazing as a specimen, but even better in mass plantings for a really eye-drawing effect unlike any other.
Read MoreThis week's Plant of the Week is a real crowd pleaser and a plant that
I have personal experience with — it's been growing beautifully next
to my patio for almost three years. The foliage is what seals the deal
on Weigela My Monet™. The dense bright tuft of pretty pink,
green, and white leaves jiggles and dances in a light breeze. My Monet™
is a very pretty and graceful shrub that makes a perfect stand-alone
specimen or complement to plants with darker foliage. The cute purple-pink
blossoms make for a fun showy spring, and they attract hummingbirds
and butterflies.
My MonetTM is very reliable and perfect for formal landscaping
plans. It is a tough shrub — its strong, short branches stand up well
to rough and windy weather that might damage a lesser shrubbery. Short
and dense, this Weigela is never more than 18 inches tall and is perfect
for container and patio gardens.
Some roses smell nice, and others barely have a scent. Sometimes the fragrance can be lost when breeding roses for another purpose, and other times, fragrance is the sole reason that a particular rose breed exists at all. If you are looking to grow roses that smell nice, I am going to share a list of roses that only exist to make your nose happy.