Best Landscape: Flowering Shrubs

Landscapes often take place as years pass by and the gardener is constantly adding and moving plants. By adding a few flowering shrubs to your landscaped areas, you will provide a bit of stability as well as a beautiful plant to look at. Many flowering shrubs flower for only a piece of the season, but the beauty they behold while flowering is worth every day. I'll list some wonderful flowering bushes that you can add to your landscape to beautify and sustain the area. Bushes add depth, width and height to your landscape so by planting a few, you'll add an interesting dimension to the area.

My favorite flowering bush is the Hydrangea. There are many types of hydrangea bushes, ranging in color from white, blue, purple, red and even green. They large flower clusters demand immediate attention from any onlookers eyes, and will steal the glory from any other plant. If you want a stunning landscape, you need to add some hydrangea bushes. Hydrangeas can generally withstand full sun, but if you have a partly shady spot, they will flourish there. Some favorite varieties include: Limelight, Annabelle, Endless Summer and Nikko Blue. The greenery of hydrangea bushes will also provide an excellent backdrop for smaller plants in front of it. Hydrangeas do get tall, so you should always place them in the back of the landscaped area.

Spiraea is also a great choice for a flowering bush. They generally bloom in the middle of the summer and bloom for up to a month. You can find a spiraea in almost any color and shade of foliage. Some favorite varieties include: Little Princess, Goldmound, Goldflame, and Snowmound. Spiraea blooms are dainty clusters of mini round flowers. The famous Bridle Wreath bush is a variety of Spiraea too.

Weigela is another common flowering bush used in American landscapes. A Weigela bush generally will flower in the late spring, into the early summer months. Sometimes a Weigela bush will randomly flower in the summer. Some common varieties include: Java Red, White Knight and the Variegated Weigela. Weigela bushes should be grown in full sun.

Azalea and Rhododendron bushes are spring highlights across many landscapes. Their bright blooms are sometimes the first flowers we see after a long winter. Though many are only hardy to zone 5-6, there are several new varieties that have proven to be hardy into zone 3. Some common Azalea varieties include: Satin Robe: Bob Hill and Kobai. Their elegant flowers are often a highlight in many spring gardens. Some Rhododendron varieties include: Cosmopolitan, Minnetonka, Lord Roberts and Holden. Their deep colors often bloom in May just in time for Mother's day. They can be grown in full sun for the best results.

The Lilac is a favorite in many landscapes. One of the oldest and most naturally found flowering shrubs, this plant has been breed for many decades. The standard light blue to purple color has been named after this bush. The Lilac blooms also smell delicious and are a favorite reminder of spring. Lilacs can be found in many colors ranging from white to pink to a deep purple, with almost every color in between. Lilacs prefer full sun and bloom best when picked often.

One last flowering bush that is great in many landscapes is the Potentilla. This bush flowers in the summer and the flowers can be found in many colors. Some varieties include: Mount Everest with white flowers, Tangerine with bright orange flowers and Sutter's Gold with yellow flowers. Potentillas begin flowering in the summer and continue setting blooms for the rest of the season. Though they do not flower heavily, the flowers of a Potentilla bush make a great backdrop for any landscape.

As you can see there are many choices for flowering shrubs. Planting time is best done in the early spring before the plants begin to grow or late fall after the summer growth is complete. Always be sure to provide adequate water for your shrubs and they should reward you with many years of beautiful blooms!