Download Fruiting and flowering trees and shrubs delight the senses

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Fruiting and flowering trees and
shrubs delight the senses
Trees and shrubs that produce fruit and flowers are a delight to the senses of everyone who has
the pleasure of being nearby. The bright-colored blossoms on flowering trees and bushes are a
delight to the eyes. Quite often, these same flowers also send sweet perfume through the air,
which is a delight to the nose. And the ripe fruit picked from fruiting trees is a delight to the taste
buds, eyes and nose!
Trees and shrubs that produce fruit and flowers are the unsung heroes of the landscape for other,
more practical, reasons. Trees and shrubs, with their large woody shapes, form the structure and
the framework of many a garden and landscape. Without these large plants anchoring the
landscape year after year, there would be no continuity from season to season.
Rose bushes, such as the new varieties from Jackson & Perkins that are described below, offer
long-lasting color for weeks at a time. The blue-flowering wisteria from Nature Hills Nursery
brings a new color and a surprising tree form to a landscape favorite. And fruit trees such as the
Dwarf Red Banana from Logee’s and the Urban Apple trees from Nature Hills Nursery make it
possible to grow fruit where it was once impossible.
Flowering Shrubs and Trees
‘Beautiful Dreamer’ named 2014 Rose of the Year
Every year there are a few new rose introductions that capture the attention of gardeners because
of the exquisite color of their flowers. ‘Beautiful Dreamer,’ Jackson & Perkins’ 2014 Rose of the
Year®, is a new rose that offers coral-toned flowers with a light, licorice scent. Beautiful
Dreamer gets its name from the classic parlor song by Stephen Foster (“Beautiful dreamer, wake
unto me, starlight and dewdrops are awaiting thee.”) The simple beauty and timeless appeal of
each Beautiful Dreamer flower is a fitting tribute to a well-loved American song.
The elegant, 5-inch-wide blossoms are packed with 35 to 40 pink-to-coral petals that display a
slightly lighter reverse. The flowers open slowly and evenly from attractive peach-colored buds.
Once the flowers open, they hold their form and petals very well, simply improving with age. As
if the blossoms were not enough, ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ impresses with its lovely habit of thin,
dark green, 1- to 2-inch leaves. And this new variety is proven to be highly disease resistant,
especially to powdery mildew. It’s no wonder why ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ was selected as the latest
Rose of the Year®.
Beautiful Dreamer Hybrid Tea Rose bushes are cold hardy in zones 5 to 9. Each plant sells for
$29.95, or three plants sell for $26.95 each from Jackson & Perkins, 800-292-4769,
www.jacksonandperkins.com. Plants are shipped in spring at the proper time for your planting
zone. ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ is also available as a 24-inch tree rose and a 36-inch tree rose, which
make a perfect accent for patios, balconies and decks—and also stand out in pairs flanking a
doorway or garden entrance.
Grow a blue-flowered wisteria tree
Wisterias are fabulous vines—vigorous, easy to grow and resplendent with their spring
lavender-pink blossoms. Now you can grow a totally different kind of Wisteria that will
become a unique focal point in your yard. The Chinese Blue Wisteria Tree Form has been
trained to grow in an upright tree shape, and its profusion of violet-blue flowers will have a
head-turning effect on passers-by.
A mature Chinese Blue Wisteria Tree Form will burst into violet-blue color every spring.
One-foot-long flower clusters will dangle from its branches, swaying gently in the breeze
and drawing pollinators with their subtle, sweet fragrance. The deep green, pinnate leaves
are a perfect complement to the delicate flowers and provide a vibrant appearance all
summer long. By the time autumn approaches, the flowers will have developed into 6-inch
long, velvety seed pods—resulting in a decorative addition to the winter landscape.
Blue Wisteria Tree Form will grow to about 15 feet in height, but it can easily be pruned to
control its height and spread. It blooms best in full sun, but it is shade tolerant. There are no
significant insect or disease issues, so you won’t need to treat it with expensive, messy
sprays. The tree thrives throughout USDA Zones 5-9. Chinese Blue Wisteria Tree Form
normally sells for $89.90, but it is on sale for $44.95 at www.naturehills.com, (888) 8647663.
‘Crush on You’ rose is a bright red winner
Is it possible to have too many red flowers blooming in the yard? Not if there’s any room left in
the garden or flower bed, and not if you’ve seen a new rose bush variety called ‘Crush on You.’
The 2014 Floribunda of the Year® from Jackson & Perkins, ‘Crush on You’ produces perfectly
formed, 3½-inch flowers featuring 15 to 20 spice-scented petals. The blooms arrive in summer in
brilliant clusters that make perfect cut flowers for displaying in vases.
The glossy, dark green foliage is very attractive even when not adorned with the brightly colored
flowers. ‘Crush on You’ grows to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide at maturity, making it ideal for a
variety of uses and locations—including sunny beds, flower borders, low hedges and even large
patio containers. The bright red blossoms that cover a ‘Crush on You’ rose bush make a great
focal point in the garden, and these are exactly the roses to put in a classic cutting garden.
Plant ‘Crush on You’ in moist, loamy, well-drained soil in full sun. Spring pruning is
recommended. Old and dead wood should be removed, and canes that cross each should be cut
back. Gardeners in warmer climates should cut back the remaining canes by about one-third,
while those in colder areas will probably want to prune a little more than that. ‘Crush on You’
Rose is cold hardy throughout USDA growing zones 5 to 9. Each bareroot plant sells for $24.95,
or three plants sell for $22.95 each from Jackson & Perkins, www.jacksonandperkins.com, 800-
292-4769. Plants ship in the spring to arrive at the perfect time for planting in your growing
zone.
Fruit Trees
Petite red bananas are a visual and tasty delight
Small red bananas are popular in food markets because their petite size makes them an ideal
healthy snack for children and adults with small appetites. The banana fruit is sweet with a
creamy, delicious texture. Now you can grow ‘Dwarf Red’ bananas at home on your own banana
tree. Musa ‘Dwarf Red’ will fruit when the plant is 6-8 feet tall, which usually takes a couple of
years of growing.
Instead of the more traditional yellow skin, the skin of a Dwarf Red banana turns a deep red
when the fruit is ripe enough to eat. This banana variety is cold hardy in USDA Zone 9—and
maybe even in Zone 8 with some cold-weather protection. In colder growing zones, plant ‘Dwarf
Red’ in a large pot that can be moved outdoors during the summer and brought indoors during
the colder months. ‘Dwarf Red’ banana leaves are a fun culinary addition to barbecues, and they
can be used to wrap fish or meat for cooking. Plants in a 4-inch pot are $19.95 from Logee’s,
www.logees.com or (888) 330-8038.
Plant these skinny apple trees almost anywhere
A standard-sized apple tree grows to a mature size of 20 feet wide, which is far too large for
many suburban lots. The new Urban Apple® trees were bred specifically for growing in tight
spaces where a standard apple tree simply would not fit.
Urban Apple® trees are loaded with fruiting spurs along the main trunk, and branches are
short and upright. This growth habit produces straight, upright-growing, cylindrical apple
trees that only reach two feet wide. These trees are cold-hardy to USDA Zone 4, diseaseresistant and boast a vigorous growth rate. Plant Urban Apple® trees in the ground, or
transplant them to large containers for growing crisp, fresh apples on decks, patios,
balconies or any other narrow spaces.
Two varieties of Urban Apple® trees, Tasty Red and Blushing Delight, are sold together to
ensure optimal cross-pollination and fruit production. Tasty Red, just as the name implies, is
a gorgeous, bright red apple. It’s a perfect complement to the leafy-green, rose-blushed hue
of the Blushing Delight apple. Both apples are sweet, juicy and just as large as an apple
from a much larger tree.
The Urban Apple® Combo from Nature Hills Nursery includes two trees ready for
planting—one of each variety. The combo normally sells for $199.90, but it is now on sale
for spring planting for $99.95 at www.naturehills.com/urban-apple-combo, (888) 864-7663.
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