It's been a year of extreme weather. First, the heat dome burned the living tweedle out of our plants, especially ones that were growing in more sunshine than they were suited for, then the unexpected and long-lasting cold snap did in plants that weren't equipped to handle the frigid temperatures. If your garden is like mine, a number of shrubs bit the dust due to all of momma nature's shenanigans.
Don't dismay, the nurseries are well stocked with really tough, yet attractive plants that can take the heat and cold and are even drought tolerant.
Here's a selection of shrubs I'm putting in to replace the ones that kicked off in my garden. I got these at Swanson's nursery, but most nurseries should have a great selection as well.
Senecio Greyi: The name has been changed to Brachyglottis greyi, but the plant is still one of my favorite drought-tolerant shrubs. This broadleaf evergreen shrub grows to 5 feet tall and 6 feet wide but can be cut back hard in spring if it's getting too big. It has highly attractive silvery fuzzy leaves that look good in all seasons. The only problem with this plant is that its flowers are an ugly yellow color. Just chop them off. You grow this plant for the lovely foliage, not the flowers. Give it full sun and once established, it rarely even requires watering.
Podocarpus Lawrencei 'Blue Gem' (Blue Gem Mountain Plum-Pine): An adaptable evergreen conifer, easy to grow and colorful. In spring this native to Tasmania has new growth that emerges a bright blue-green that deepens in tone as the summer progresses. It is very hardy and loves hot baking sun. It has a beautiful blue tinge, and this plant has a low, spreading habit. It can take pruning well and it can even be sheared to create a spectacular low blue hedge. Once established it is drought tolerant as a rock.
Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety' (winter creeper): Deep, emerald green, evergreen leaves edged in sparkling white are tinged with pink in winter. A mounding evergreen shrub with a dense, erect habit. Excellent for use in small clipped hedges and foundation plantings. Stems may root where they touch the ground, and if given support may be trained to climb. Likes a hot sunny location and requires only moderate watering once established.
Nandina domestica 'Lemon-Lime' ('Lemon-Lime' heavenly bamboo: This is for the gardener who doesn't want red in your garden. 'Lemon-Lime' heavenly bamboo has chartreuse new foliage that fades to a nice dark green. It won't turn red even in winter. It gets 3 feet tall and wide. Takes full sun as long as it gets a bit of water in the hottest weather.
Lonicera nitida 'Twiggy' ('Twiggy' box leaf honeysuckle): Compact yellow-leaved sport of 'Baggesen's Gold' a much larger growing honeysuckle. This variety typically matures over time to only 2-3 feet tall. This shrub features drooping, twiggy branches clad with tiny, golden yellow, evergreen leaves. White flowers in spring. Purple black berries in fall. Yellow leaves take on bronze tones in winter. This plant is quite hardy and thrives in full-sun. Looks fantastic contrasted with plants with red foliage.
Cryptomaria japonica 'Mushroom' (Mushroom Japanese Cedar): The finely textured, soft green foliage of the mounding Cryptomeria japonica ‘Mushroom’ turns a dramatic russet with mahogany highlights in winter. Its thin, evenly spaced needles on delicate branches create an open, airy look that requires little to no pruning to maintain. Slowly turns into a 10 foot tall and wide soft fuzzy mushroom over many years. Full sun and needs little water once established.
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.