Flowering trees and shrubs add so much to a landscape. Not only do they bring color and texture to a garden, but walk by a special one in bloom, and the fragrance can transport you back to wonderful childhood memories – whether it’s sweet cherry blossoms declaring the arrival of spring or the memory of a summer evening sweetened by the intense fragrance of gardenia. Indeed, many researchers believe that color and fragrance stir our two most primal and instinctive senses.
Flowering crabapples will get your garden blooming early – soon after leaves appear.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/Donna Krischan
Lilac has long been a favorite spring bloomer, beloved for its fragrant, clustered blossoms that are ideal for cutting.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/Donna Krischan
Crape myrtle is a showy midsummer bloomer for areas with mild-winter climates.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/Donna Krischan
The simple white blooms of some shrubs and trees provide an elegant contrast to the many brightly colored blossoms of a typical garden.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/Donna Krischan
Depending on the cultivar, rhododendrons may have azalea-like clustered blooms or large, showy pom-pom-like flowers. Mature specimens can reach 50 feet tall.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/Donna Krischan
When planning for color in the landscape, remember that the blooms on most flowering shrubs and trees are seasonal, lasting at most for several weeks or perhaps a month. But by selecting plants that bloom in sequence, you can create a garden that shines with color throughout much of the year.
The range of bloom colors is wide, stretching from the pure white of a ‘Bradford’ pear to the vivid reddish-purple blooms of ‘Herbert’ azalea. Be sure to select a color palette that not only appeals to you but that looks good against the backdrop of your home. For example, the white blooms of an oakleaf hydrangea nicely echo the white trim on a house, while the carmine blooms of certain spiraeas complement a home with red shutters.
To make your garden a treat for the senses, consider adding at least one fragrant plant for each season. From spicy to sweet, from citrusy to musky, fragrance can transform any garden into an enchanting place. You might try Korean spice viburnum in spring. They exude delightful, lingering scents. The highly perfumed flowers of gardenia, magnolia and sweetshrub are good choices to make summer nights memorable, while sweet olive radiates an intoxicating fragrance in fall. In winter or very early spring, when color and scent are particularly welcome, winter daphne and showy witchhazel open small but aromatic blooms.
Another way to plan your garden is to plant for the seasons you enjoy most. If you’re out mostly in spring and fall but avoid summer’s heat, include plants that cover your garden in color during those cooler times of the year. But if you seek summer’s warmth, lean heavily toward summer-bloomers. You’ll find estimates of bloom times on plant tags, as well as in the Learn2Grow Plant Database, but be sure to factor in local knowledge, too: Talk with your local Cooperative Extension agents or nursery/garden center staff, and make your own observations of bloom times. Remember that because climates vary so widely, a plant that blooms in winter in one region may bloom in late spring in another part of the country. (An azalea that blooms in February in Florida, for example, may bloom in April in Vancouver or May in Virginia.)
Before selecting any tree or shrub for its bloom, be sure to note the plant’s sun and light requirements, which are also usually given on plant tags. While some trees and shrubs bloom well in shade, others flower most abundantly when they receive full sun. Match each plant’s needs with your site’s characteristics to achieve the best effect.
Finally, since bloom color is ephemeral while foliage is long-lasting, you’ll want to make sure that you select trees and shrubs that will be as attractive when they’re out of flower as when they’re in full bloom. Study the shape, texture, color and overall quality of the foliage of each tree or shrub you’re considering. When you find the flowers, foliage and fragrance that meet your needs (and your site), you’re ready to plant!
