Anyone who knows me, knows that I do NOT follow fashion trends. In no way am I a fashionista! In fact, according to my wife I should go on one of those TV shows where the Dad gets a makeover on his wardrobe. On the other hand she knows all of the fashion trends. As a hair stylist, she keeps up on what is hot, what is not, and what is coming back around.

So how are landscape plants like the fashion industry? Well, new plants are constantly being introduced, replacing older models. Other plants fall out of use, some for good reason. We have watched flowering pear go from the tree that everyone planted everywhere, to one that goes on a landscape only rarely. Or how about creeping junipers? Anyone remember those? One of our veteran employees and I were recently lamenting how we used to get a semi-load of creeping junipers almost every week “back in the day”. Now we get them about once a month, and never a full truck load. They are still a great option but it seems that people are planting other things instead. I am betting it won't be long before they come back around.

So plants are like pants. They come into fashion, they go out of fashion, and sometimes they come back in again. And sometimes to be different, you have to look at what is old or out of fashion. For instance, Kolkwitzia (Beauty bush) is a cool plant that no one uses anymore, but should. You see them often where an old farmhouse once stood, or in older neighborhoods like downtown Plymouth. The masses of pink flowers in the spring are really striking and the dark green leaves turn an awesome yellow in the fall. A great plant to use in areas where viburnum or forsythia would go.

So change your p(l)ants! Look at using something old or different and your designs can appear fresh, new, and not like everyone else's. I would still avoid the pear, though.

The first time I saw a plant reversion, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. A customer had called and said there was a TREE growing out of her Dwarf Alberta Spruce. I had never seen this before, so I had to get my Dad involved. He said it was a classic! One of the buds one year cast off the dwarfing gene and the regular white spruce began to grow instead. I have to admit it was pretty cool looking - the white spruce growing straight and tall - but the customer wasn’t thrilled. The reversion is always more vigorous and would eventually take over the plant if not addressed.

Many of the most interesting and unique plants in the trade come from a spontaneous mutation, like a witch's broom or a variegated sprout. The mutation is discovered, a cutting is taken, and the variety eventually propagated and introduced. Some of these mutations aren’t that stable, and you will see parts of or entire plants reverting to the original form. I would like to point out that this is different than when the rootstock takes over a grafted plant, in that case you can see the growth is coming from below the graft.

Reversion can be brought on by many factors, but environmental stress seems to be a common cause. If you are observant when you are out on landscapes, you can see reversions all the time. That spruce example happens now and again, and loss of variegation is another one that’s fairly easy to find.

So getting back to my “Classic” scenario, my Dad suggested to our customer that we should prune it out immediately, as it was only going to get worse. There was a good chance the plant would survive and eventually fill in around the removed portion. If we didn’t, the reversion would dominate, and the resulting tree was never going to be an attractive specimen. I’m a tree hugger and my Dad’s even worse so of course we recommended trying to save the tree. In the end, we replaced the plant - because of its location and visibility the recovery time was unacceptable.

Each case is a judgement call. If you catch it while the reverted growth is fairly small, a simple pruning may be sufficient to eliminate it. Perennials such as hosta can be dug up, split, and replanted.

So be on the lookout for reversions. They are kind of cool, sometimes a little weird but definitely more common than you think. Take some pictures, share with us what you are finding and I will pull together a follow up discussion on this topic. Remember: Prune out all you can to “nip it in the bud” - if it’s too late replace it - and get a picture for our discussion.

In 2006 Nintendo introduced its new home video game console called "Wii". Six years earlier the Austrian company Redbull introduced the advertising campaign “Redbull gives you wiiings!"  No, “wiiings” is not spelled wrong and it doesn’t really make you fly - my guess is that it mimics its German equivalent “flügel” which has an umlaut above the “u” - or two dots. And it does give you wiiings to soar, if caffeine and taurine work for you. A multi-sensory metaphor unparalleled in its success.

In 1753 Linnaeus introduced his binomial nomenclature system for plants in Species Plantarum. His system consisted of Genus - usually expressed as a noun in the Latin nominative case - and species expressed adjectivally. Simple enough! Then comes along the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature which spells out in rigorous detail its do’s-and-don’t’s.

In Division II Rules and Recommendations, Chapter III Nomenclature of Taxa, Section 4 Naming of species, Article 23 it describes in nauseating detail how to describe one plant within a Genus from another. Its awful! But this finally gets me to my point. On more than one occasion (but not many) a contractor has asked me “What’s with the double i?"

You’re probably going to be sorry they asked.

Using the Genus Viburnum because it happens frequently there, you will see V. x juddii, V. x burkwoodii, V. x sieboldii, et al. The double “i” is used with proper names of people and places giving credit to them as discoverer, propagator, caretaker, or in honor of. For example, in 1924 William H Judd of the Arnold Arboretum planted his hybrid seedling, observing its first bloom in 1929, and naming it in 1934. Viburnum x burkwoodii was introduced by the Burkwood and Skipworth Nursery in Kingston-on-the-Thames, England in 1924. Philipp Franz von Siebold was a German doctor who went to Nagasaki, Japan in 1823 acting for the Dutch government as physician, botanist, and political spy.

It is a simple but tedious process to Latinize English names and places. Adding “us” to masculine names converts an English noun to Latin. For species, inserting a long “i” before the “us” can turn a name into an adjective; similarly in English adding an ”y” ( or “ly”) to the word - “bump” becomes “bumpy” and “friend” becomes “friendly.” Finally, the adjectival species name must be in the possessive or genitive case to show ownership or origination which is “i.” Ergo, “us" becomes “ius” which becomes “ii” (which is pronouced long e, long i). In English we would add ”-’s” as in “Judd” which becomes “Judd’s.”

Hopefully that wasn’t too painful!

The usuage of “-ii” is so rare in English that it makes us stop and take notice. The advertisers of Redbull probably knew this and Linnaeus, by accident, makes us pause to wonder about some of the great contributors to horticulture and to many of the plants we commonly use but take for granted!

Selecting plants that can grow under dry conditions can be challenging. Selecting plants that can grow in the shade can be challenging as well. Finding plants that can grow well under both conditions? Well, that narrows your plant selection down a bit, but there may be more options than you think.

It must be realized that even though a plant is considered drought tolerant, this is only the case once their root systems are firmly established. Until that point, they must be watered regularly. This could take up to a year or more of effort before you can cut back on the watering, but during extended droughts, even established plants need a little help to survive. Using mulch will help by retaining water that is provided by you or mother nature.

Also, there is a difference between shade loving and shade tolerant plants. Some plants that grow well in full sun can tolerate shade, but they will be a bit thin and wispy and not blossom as much. If these plants are to survive, all of their other needs must be met to compensate for the lack of sun.

I will start with shade tolerant varieties. The one selection which, can in some cases, be considered a small tree, is hamamelis (witch hazel). Shrubs include buxus (boxwood), taxus (yew), aronia (chokeberry), and diervilla (bush honeysuckle). Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea) are surprisingly drought tolerant once established, and of all the shrubs mentioned will tolerate the shade best as they are considered shade loving.

Shade tolerant perennials include campanula (bellflower), hemerocallis (daylily, especially stella d’oro), digitalis (foxglove), geranium sanguineum (cranesbill), liriope (lilyturf), euphorbia (spurge), and phlox subulata (creeping phlox).

You may have better luck with these shade loving varieties. Hosta (plantain lily), ajuga (bugleweed), pachysandra (spurge), vinca (myrtle or periwinkle), tiarella and huecherella (foamflower), hellebore (lenten rose), brunnera (bugloss), lamium (dead nettle), athyrium niponicum (painted fern), and bergenia (pigsqeak).

It may be difficult to plant a shady dry area, but if you put the time in to make sure the plants will be healthy and establish a good root system, I think you’ll do fine. It’s not the biggest plant list, and may not cover every possible candidate. Hopefully you don’t also have deer around making the list even smaller (as well as your hostas).

Designers need to consider many factors when choosing plant material. Evergreen, herbaceous, deciduous? Foliage or flower color, bloom time, preferred growing conditions and so on. One of the most important considerations is plant habit and "ultimate size".

What does "ultimate size" mean?

• Complete in natural development or growth.
• A tree or plant that has reached a desired size or age for its intended use.

Like the old saying goes “Right plant, right place”. Planning and research is vital when evaluating ultimate size to avoid future problems. In addition to knowing how large a given plant may grow, you also should factor in the growth RATE. Dwarf plants aren't always that small at maturity but if it takes them 50 years to get there is that really going to be an issue? On the other hand, popular plants like Colorado Spruce or Weeping Cherry tend to outgrow their siting in a decade or two.

Research is important, and not just on the habit and size of the plant but also the root system, which is often overlooked. For example, don’t plant a Willow tree over a septic tank. Yes, someone I will call ...John Doe... did this to get back at his landlord. Now that might be an example of someone who knew what “ultimate size” would do with the wrong intentions but, planning is everything.

Is it going next to the house? Sidewalk? Driveway? Near power lines? If it’s a row of pine, are you planting them too close to each other making them susceptible to needle diseases in the future? Will the property owner be able to shimmy past the planting bed to get to the building entrance a few years from now? These are just a few examples of what to consider when choosing the right plant.

Above image courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation (www.arborday.org)

Of all the questions I get about growing hosta the most common one is: which varieties will take sun - and how much sun is too much sun? Many shaded areas get SOME sun and choosing the right varieties for the conditions will be the difference between success and...

Maybe we won't talk about that.

All hostas prefer to have morning sun and maybe some late afternoon sun. It is that midday sun that is the challenge. Sun tolerance, is to some degree, leaf-color related.

Most hosta with whitish variegation will burn in hot afternoon sun. Those that have more green to chartreuse variegation will handle some of that midday sun as long as they are getting plenty of water. You should avoid putting blue hosta in the sun as the blue color is a waxy coating on the leaf and will melt off, turning your blue plants green. Golden hosta WANT sun. If they don’t get enough sunlight they will turn that sickly greenish-yellow chartreuse color. You know the one. Green hosta will typically take some midday sun, and I have found that the thicker the leaf the more sun they will take.

Do you have a shady area that merges into a more sunny area and looking for some continuity? Here is a list of sun-loving hostas to fill in the sunny areas. Remember, soil moisture is key to keeping the plants looking good.

Rhododendrons are considered among the more difficult plants to trim. Many sources of information about pruning Rhododendron come from the Southern and Western states. The usual complaint about Rhododendron is that they get too large. That is not a big problem in the Midwest.

"Disbudding" refers to two aspects of pruning Rhododendrons. The first is simply removing spent blossoms. I’ve heard arguments over the years that, unless removed, the old flowerbuds will inhibit production of new flowers. I found absolutely no reference to this in my research travels. Also, to me this makes no sense. Mother nature put those flowers there and she can take them off – the shrub will bloom again! The best reason to remove them is one of aesthetics.

The second aspect of disbudding is pruning a Rhododendron for shape, compactness, and size of planting area allowed. Most pruning recommendations include removing dead or damaged branches as well as removing branches along the ground. These danglers can be more easily affected by fungus and can be a highway for weevils.

Now for the tough part – pruning a Rhododendron for shape and size. In essence, any pruning one does is shortening the distance between growth years. You can prune the current year’s growth back by hand right after blooming when the new growth is sticky or by mid-June with pruners when new growth has hardened off a bit. Pruning deeper on bare wood does not usually give good results. That limb will often die back or result in new shoots that may be spindly. One aside is my own observation that some of the newer grafted Rhododendrons are producing growth buds on low, woody branches which may develop if apical branches are damaged or removed.

Rhododendrons also include PJM types and Azaleas - both evergreen (kaempferi) and deciduous (Exbury and Northern Lights series). Most of the pruning rules are the same, however, you can prune much deeper into secondary wood and even lightly shear with good results. Compactness for shape is encouraged but avoid the meatball-effect. Also, hard pruning can reduce respiration and recovery.

Pruning aside, the best results for Rhododendron will be had from good soil preparation (i.e. moist, well-drained conditions), the addition of organic matter, and application of acid fertilizers.

Boxwood blight is a fungal disease of boxwood that results in the defoliation and decline of boxwood plants. Once it’s in the landscape it is very costly and difficult to control with fungicides. The boxwood blight fungus has a short life cycle and infections can spread quickly between plants, especially under humid, warm and wet conditions that favor disease development.

The main way that this disease is spread is through the movement of infected plants, cuttings, and boxwood debris. The sticky fungus spores are also spread on contaminated tools and equipment, worker's clothes, and water. The spores are unlikely to travel long distances through the wind. All plants infected with the fungus should be destroyed, as the chance of further spreading the fungus is highly probable. Limiting the spread of this sticky fungus is very difficult and can only be accomplished by following good sanitation practices.

Boxwood blight has been found in Michigan. Because of this we will NOT accept any returns on boxwood once they have left the nursery. We will also ask that you do not bring any boxwood plants, leaf litter, or clippings into our nursery. We reserve the right to not load any vehicle that has boxwood or debris from outside of our nursery. Please do not bring in any samples of boxwood that you are trying to match - take several pictures of the plant you are trying to match and we will help the best we can.

Boxwood blight can look like many other issues that boxwood can have, such as leaf spot, winter burn, and other non-threatening fungal diseases. This means that:

The only way to confirm whether a plant has boxwood blight is to submit samples to a professional plant disease diagnostic lab.

...and I don't mean cider or donuts. No, it's COLOR TIME! 

Mums. Burning bush. Maple trees! You can probably name a dozen fall color plants without even thinking about it. But what about choosing from some of the lesser-known plants that also shine every autumn? Here are my top ten favorite fall color plants that may not be on your radar.

• Hydrangea quercifolia and cultivars: The large, rough-textured leaves are especially striking as they turn shades of red and purple every fall.
• Viburnum x juddii: Beloved for it's sweetly-scented spring flowers, this medium-sized shrub has great burgundy-purple fall color accented by blue to black berries.

• Itea virginica cultivars: This medium-sized native shrub deserves to be planted more often. The orange, red and burgundy fall color is outstanding and is extremely long lasting.
• Epimedium cultivars: An underused perennial tolerant of dry shade that gets brilliant red to purple fall colors.
• Amsonia hubrectii: This North American native perennial grows to about 3x3'. The fine, feathery foliage turns a striking golden-yellow in the fall.
• Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’: Usually planted for the amazingly fragrant flower spikes in mid-to-late summer, this smallish shrub turns a gorgeous golden yellow each fall.

• Fothergilla ‘Mount Airy’: This is a handsome 3-5’ shrub that gets wonderful fall color in hues of red-purple, orange and yellow.
• Amelanchier: OK, so this one is not that obscure but it has to be in my top ten.
• Vaccinium hybrids: These ericaceous shrubs (best known are blueberries) will surprise you with their beautiful red-orange fall color.
• Panicum virgatum cultivars: ‘Shenandoah’ and ‘Hot Rod’ are two that turn beautiful red or burgundy.

Various parts of the country are known for their vibrant displays of fall foliage colors, none more so than the Midwest, and in particular, Michigan. It seems odd that we get such joy from the annual death of leaves from deciduous trees, shrubs, and even some perennials. Why do leaves change colors in the fall, and why can’t we guarantee that fall color to our customers?

I'm going to super-simplify the scientific part of this explanation so here goes:

• Chlorophyll produces carbohydrates (sugars) plants need for growth and is responsible for the green color in leaves and stems.
• Carotenoids express as yellow and orange and are generated during the growing season alongside the green.
• Anthocyanins are only produced in the fall after sugars are trapped in the leaves, and create reds and purples. More reds, and earlier reds, can come from plant stresses, low nutrition, and near-but-not freezing temperatures. Freezing stops the process of making red pigments.

During spring and summer chlorophyll masks the other pigments so you pretty much just see green, however shorter days, longer nights, and cooler temperatures trigger an abscission layer to form, cutting off the flow of sugars and replacement chlorophyll. As the green color fades, the underlying yellow and orange colors are revealed, and reds and purples develop. Eventually all the colors break down, leaving brown tannins.

What colors are produced, and in what amounts, and when in relation to other plants, is due to the genetics of a particular plant, growing conditions, and weather.

Similar environmental conditions as those causing red color in leaves also may cause fall colors to come sooner, or later, or to last longer some years than others. Drought during spring and early summer may signal the plant to form the abscission layer early, shutting down growth and causing color change sooner than usual.

So while moisture is good earlier in the season, too much late in the season means more clouds, less sun, and more muted colors. Too much rain in fall plus strong winds, may cause many leaves to fall prematurely. Cooler temperatures in late summer, and plenty of sunshine, often leads to brighter colors sooner. Cool is good, but too cold (freezing) can be bad, killing leaves early.

So ideal for fall color would be a moist growing season early, dry late summer and early fall, with sunny warm days and cool nights during the latter.

Choosing cultivars with known fall color-producing ability will certainly help, but as you can see there are other factors that come into play, and you really cannot guarantee fall color.