TREES
AND SHRUBS
What do you get when you combine a traditional spring blooming azalea with the rare summer-blooming Rhododendron oldhamii? Well, after twenty years of hard work you end up with the Encore series of azaleas! What is so truly exciting about the Encore series is that in addition to the normal flush of blooms in mid-spring these performers put on a second, equally impressive show of color in the fall.
Encore azaleas are similar to other evergreen azaleas in all other aspects. They prefer partial shade, acidic soil and will grow up to 4' with a rounded form and are hardy to USDA zone 7. The Encore series comes in a variety of colors from 'Autumn Embers' (above) with its brick red blooms to 'Autumn Twist' with single white flowers splashed with purple (and some solid purple blooms thrown in as well). Plant some now and enjoy azalea blooms this September!
Every day that I walk out into the nursery I'm in awe of just how glorious the Japanese Maples are! Their foliage is glowing and vibrant. So I've decide to talk about two that keep catching my eye.
'Trompenburg' (left above) is an exciting and unique variety of red Japanese maple. It bursts forth each spring with bold red leaves maturing to an almost purplish-black. What's really cool about Trompenburg is the way its leaf edges roll under to give the appearance of a clawed hand. Trompenburg holds its dark red color well even in hot summers! In October it puts on a dazzling display in beguiling crimson. Trompenburg maintains a vaselike silhouette for many years, then eventually broadens (I can relate) to a more rounded 15' by 12' wide.
My description of ‘Villa Taranto’ (right above) can never do this lovely tree justice. It has deeply divided narrow lobed foliage which flushes out orange crimson each April. By June its color is predominantly green, but is still overlaid with red to pastel pink. Having such fine foliage, 'Villa Taranto' casts very delicate and dappled shade, great for underplanting with a range of perennials! A slower growing cultivar, this is also an excellent choice for containers, or plant it in the garden where 'Villa Taranto' will eventually reach 6 to 10' high and reward you each autumn with foliage in golden hues worthy of a poet, or some photographers I know!
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