Click to see a close-up of the foliage.

plant pick

‘Golden Ring’ barberry
Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea

‘Golden Ring’ has burgundy leaves that don’t fade or bleach in hot summer sun and are not susceptible to rust, like other barberries. In fall, the leaves, especially in the center of the plant, turn bright orange-red, so the entire plant seems to glow. It may look like any red barberry from a distance, but it has a special touch — a thin, green-gold band on the edge of the leaves.

Speaking of color, that band around the leaf edge sometimes doesn’t show up at first on new leaves. As the weather warms up, you’ll start to see it. But make sure your ‘Golden Ring’ barberry gets at least 8 hours of sun per day for the best foliage color.

Barberries aren’t known for their flowers, but they do have small yellow spring blooms. Glossy red fall berries dangle under the branches even after the leaves drop. These berries often last into winter, as they’re not a favorite food for birds. One note of caution though, barberries can be invasive on the East Coast, so avoid them if they’re a problem in your area.

TYPE Shrub SIZE 4 to 5 ft. tall and wide BLOOM Small yellow in spring LIGHT Full sun SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS None serious, a rust-resistant cultivar HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 8; Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1

There’s a conifer for almost any landscaping situation. They can be mixed into perennial gardens or foundation plantings. Some make wonderful hedges, shrub borders and even specimen plants. But sometimes you need to prune conifers to keep them looking their best and in scale with their surroundings.

Timing is important when pruning conifers. Spring is a good time to prune many of them. But within that, some recover best if you prune before new growth starts, and others do best if you prune just as the new growth is starting: With many junipers, false cypresses, yews and hemlocks, prune in early spring, before new growth stretches. That way the new foliage will cover up where you’ve cut so you’re not left all season with a plant that looks as if it just had a haircut. Pine, spruce and fir are best pruned just as new tips, the candles, begin to stretch in spring. All you need to do is nip back the shoots before the new needles form.

PHOTOS: © Richard Bloom

The ‘Prostrata’ spruce (Picea pungens) in the top photo is beginning to get too large for its place in the garden. Rather than remove it, prune it. The first step is to cut back the branches that are forming leaders. Click on the photos for larger images.

Next, shorten the longest side branches. Never cut the stem back to a point where there’s no foliage left. If you do, some, such as yew and hemlock, will leaf out again. But most won’t, and you’ll be left with lots of bare stubs. The spruce in the second photo still has a natural-looking form, but now it fits better in its surroundings and new growth will quickly cover the cuts.

For more information on pruning all kinds of plants, check out The Pruner’s Bible at right.

problem solver

Heat stress symptoms

Summer heat can be as damaging as winter cold. Here are some symptoms of heat-stress damage and some strategies for surviving the summer.

WILTING AND STUNTED GROWTH — Plants that exhibit these symptoms, such as fuchsia, are in need of water and shade. If a plant is exposed to prolonged periods of heat stress, the new growth will be smaller than the old and eventually the root system will shut down.

DROOPING OR ROLLED FOLIAGE — Another mechanism plants employ to protect themselves from heat is to roll their leaves and let them droop. Commonly seen on rhododendrons, this allows the plant to reduce its leaf surface area that is exposed to the sun. If left under these conditions for a long time the plant will eventually die.

To prevent these types of heat stress, place plants appropriately in your garden. If you have plants that are sensitive to summer heat, put them in a location that receives morning sun and afternoon shade, like an eastern exposure. This placement is also good for plants that suffer leaf scorch, like hosta.

Keep plants well mulched; organic mulch shades root systems and retains soil moisture. Rock mulches tend to add heat to the root zone and don’t conserve moisture as well. Also keep plants well watered. Using drip-irrigation lines can increase moisture without requiring you to stand out in the heat.

shrubby st. john’s wort
hypericum prolificum

Sometimes it seems that all the best shrubs either flower in the spring or have fabulous fall color, leaving the summer bare. Here’s a shrub that’s showy in the summer. Shrubby St. John’s wort has bright-yellow fluffball flowers that bloom for four to six weeks in midsummer. The foliage is clean, dark green and sets off the flowers nicely.

Although this shrub is showiest in summer when it’s blooming, it does have some winter interest too. Brown seed capsules dot the plant and usually last until late winter. They’re a great addition to dried flower arrangements too.

Shrubby St. John’s wort may need to be pruned hard to tidy it up. It also tends to be short-lived, so you may have to replant it after four or five years. The blast of summer color makes it worth what little added trouble it is to replace occasionally. ‘Hidcote’, in the photo, is a popular, widely available hybrid that has large, slightly fragrant flowers.

TYPE Shrub SIZE 1 to 4 ft. tall and wide BLOOM Midsummer LIGHT Full sun SOIL Well-drained to dry, alkaline PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 9; Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

bridal wreath spirea
spiraea x vanhouttei

Truly an old-fashioned favorite, this shrub has appeared in many a hedge around an old farmhouse. But with loads of white flower clusters in late spring and exceptional toughness, this is still a great choice.

Even when it’s not flowering, small blue-green leaves on arching branches make a great background planting for perennial beds. You can prune or shear this spirea, but it looks best when it has room to spread out into its natural fountainlike shape. However, if you need to rejuvenate an old, ragged plant, you can cut most of the stems back to the ground and let the plant regrow.

Like most members of the rose family, spirea are susceptible to several diseases, however newer cultivars, like ‘Renaissance’, have improved resistance to disease. At 3 to 4 ft. tall, ‘Pink Ice’ is a shorter spirea with pink, cream and green variegation and light pink flowers. These and other cultivars are available from specialty nurseries or mail-order catalogs.

TYPE Shrub SIZE 6 to 8 ft. tall, 8 to 10 ft. wide BLOOM Late spring LIGHT Full sun to part shade SOIL Adapts to most soil types PESTS Occasional powdery mildew HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 3 to 9 Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1

Even the hardiest trees and shrubs need a little help when they’re living in containers. Roots get colder and dry out more quickly when they’re surrounded by such a small amount of soil. Containers are also vulnerable to freezing and could crack as the soil inside expands. To prevent this, once you’ve wrapped up your container, you might move it into your garage and raise it on a brick or two.

Step one — Wrap the container with a couple layers of insulation, such as this bubble wrap — its air cells are great insulators. Burlap or even an old quilt will do, too.

Step two — Drape the branches with burlap. This fabric helps to cut the drying effects of harsh winter winds and protects the bark against uneven warming, which can cause sunscald. Secure the burlap with twine in a spiral from top to bottom. The twine shouldn’t squeeze the branches too tightly — just enough to hold the burlap in place.

plants deer avoid

While there’s no such thing as a deer-proof plant, there are definitely ones that deer don’t crave. Generally, they shun plants with fuzzy, tomentose foliage or ones with lemon, sage or spicy flavors. The plants below are some of deer’s least favorites.

Bulbs
Allium Allium spp.
Autumn crocus Colchicum spp.
Daffodil Narcissus spp.
Fritillaria Fritillaria spp.
Grape hyacinth Muscari spp.
Squill Scilla spp.

Perennials
Adam’s needle Yucca filamentosa
Agastache Agastache spp.
Blue cardinal flower Lobelia siphilitica
Catmint Nepeta xfaassenii
Foxglove Digitalis spp.
Speedwell Veronica spp.

Annuals
Angel’s trumpet Brugmansia spp.
Canna Canna spp.
Forget-me-not Myosotis spp.
Firecracker plant Cuphea ignea
Heliotrope Heliotropium arborescens
Larkspur Consolida ajacis

Trees, shrubs and vines
Butterfly bush Buddleja davidii
Clematis Clematis paniculata
Dwarf Norway spruce Picea abies
European white birch Betula pendula
Holly Ilex spp. (except thornless varieties)
Honeysuckle Lonicera spp.

oakleaf hydrangea
hydrangea quercifolia

Most flowers become less attractive as they age, but oakleaf hydrangeas just get better. Flowers start out white and age to the pink you see in the photo. Eventually, they turn papery brown, clinging to the plant well into winter. Flower buds on oakleaf hydrangeas are damaged by temperatures lower than 10 degrees below zero, so it’ll need a sheltered spot in USDA zone 5 to flower reliably. Red-purple fall color and peeling bark give great three-season interest. This shrub likes cool soil, so mulch around it to keep the ground from heating up. Because it flowers on year-old wood, don’t prune until right after it blooms. The cultivar ‘Pee Wee’, at only 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, is a good choice for small gardens. Snow Queen has lots of large flowers that stay upright.

TYPE Shrub SIZE 4 to 6 ft. tall by 6 to 8 ft. wide BLOOM Midsummer, but persist into late summer LIGHT Full sun to part shade SOIL Moist, well-drained, acid PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 5 to 9 Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

butterfly bush
buddleja davidii

If there’s one plant that should be in every butterfly garden, this is it. Its fragrant spikes of pink, purple or white flowers will draw in almost any passing butterfly.

Butterfly bush can grow tall and lanky. But you can keep it looking neater and blooming at a height where you’ll enjoy watching the visiting butterflies. Simply cut it back to 6 to 12 in. each spring and it’ll still reach 3 to 5 ft. or more by midsummer and bloom beautifully. Wait to cut until you see some signs of new growth. Be patient. You may have lots of perennials up and blooming before butterfly bush decides to finally show its silvery gray foliage.

TYPE Shrub or woody perennial SIZE 3 to 10 ft. tall and wide BLOOM Purple, pink, white and yellow in mid- to late summer LIGHT Full sun SOIL Well drained PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 5 to 9 Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1