Pieris – NANCY WITH THE LAUGHING FACE

November 15, 2019January 22, 2020

Colorful Winter Interest for Home and Garden

Winter interest in the yard and garden can be many things. For some, it’s as simple as a piece of standing sculpture, an archway or a birdbath decorated with evergreens. For others, it can be rugged conifers or bare trees with striking bark or branch patterns. Left standing in the garden, dried flowers, seed heads, pods and tall grasses add drama when they catch the first snow. Creating interest is all about drawing our winter-weary eyes to something beautiful in the landscape, but many of the plants and shrubs we grow can also be used in crafting wreaths, swags and seasonal arrangements.

*Dogwood branches and berries in holiday arrangements (Photo by Proven Winners)*

I’m fortunate to have quite a bit of winter greenery around my yard. There are several large rhododendrons, mountain laurel and andromeda shrubs. Hemlocks and Eastern white pines grow everywhere and range from huge trees towering in height to round little youngsters just filling out and perfectly sized for outdoor pots. I use the evergreen branches of all of these for fresh holiday decorations; but next year I’d like to add some bright colors to my winter landscape, not only to create more interest outdoors but to add some excitement indoors as well.

*Dried astilbe flowers and winterberry sprigs in a simple potted arrangement (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)*

Since deer love to browse on holly in my area, I have to look elsewhere for those bright pops of color. One hardy native shrub that is deer-resistant and produces abundant berries is the deciduous holly, ilex verticillata, commonly known as Winterberry. Some varieties to consider are ‘Berry Heavy’ and ‘Berry Heavy Gold’ which grow to about six feet or ‘Berry Poppins’ which grows to about four feet tall. These female winterberries need a male pollinator such as ‘Mr. Poppins’ planted nearby to ensure lots of colorful berries come fall.

‘Berry Heavy Gold’ (Photo by Proven Winners)

Native to North America and deer-resistant, dogwoods make a bold statement in the winter landscape. Red-twig dogwood ‘Arctic Fire’ is another deciduous shrub whose stems turn a fiery red in fall and winter. Its cousin, cornus sanguinea ‘Arctic Sun,’ produces stems in shades of coral, orange and gold. These remarkably bright shrubs actually benefit from the yearly pruning that takes place when we gather their branches for holiday decor. Super hardy, they’re also tolerant of some shade and a wide range of soils. They also easily fit into smaller yards and gardens at three to five feet tall.

Cornus ‘Arctic Sun’ (Photo by White Flower Farm)

Evergreen Pieris or Lily of the Valley Shrub is one of my winter favorites and a new kid on the block has recently caught my eye. Becoming available from Proven Winners in 2020, ‘Interstella’ is described as a compact variety that blooms in late winter with abundant dark pink dangling flowers. ‘Interstella’ is also deer-resistant, very shade tolerant and hardy to zone 5. If you’d like to learn more about growing Pieris, check out my earlier blog https://nancymarieallen.com/pieris-a-shrub-for-all-seasons.

‘Interstella’ Lily of the Valley Shrub is a late winter beauty! (Photo by Proven Winners)

These are only a small sampling of the many varieties of plants and shrubs that can brighten our winters inside and out with their beauty. I’m looking forward to adding a few to my own yard this spring and hope I’ve inspired you to do the same!

The dangling flower buds and shiny leaves of this old-variety Japanese Pieris are stunning combined with other greens in holiday arrangements (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

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May 19, 2019January 24, 2020

Pieris – A Shrub for All Seasons

Pieris goes by many names including Andromeda, Japanese Pieris, and Lily-of-the-Valley bush. Whatever you prefer to call it, Pieris is a hardy shrub that’s worth getting to know better.

Pieris japonica is the perfect woodland shrub (photo courtesy thegardenlady.org)

One of the earliest blooming shrubs, well before the familiar yellow forsythia, Pieris blooms with white or pink flowers in late winter to early spring. In fact, it actually sets its flower buds in late summer for the following spring so that they remain on the bush through the fall and winter. Dark seed pods can also persist into the winter months creating an interesting look of old and new flowers hanging out together at the same time.

Pieris japonica showing berry-like seed pod clusters and new bronze growth (photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

Evergreen Pieris remains attractive all winter with its glossy dark green leaves, but it’s the fresh bronzey-red growth of spring combined with the delicate, lightly scented flower clusters that really make this shrub a standout. The large, white-flowered varieties look particularly lovely brightening areas at the edge of woodlands.

Pieris “Mountain Fire” (photo courtesy Planting Tree)

When we moved to our home 25 years ago, I discovered a long-neglected old shrub of Pieris japonica growing in the woods just beyond our lawn. By clearing out the area around it and letting in more light, the shrub was revitalized and came back to life. In a couple of years I was able to take a nearby young volunteer and move it to another area. Thus began my love affair with Pieris!

Pieris are well suited to woodland gardens (photo courtesy Oakland Nurseries)

Since that time I’ve discovered that small, volunteer Pieris are amazingly easy to transplant to other areas or share with friends. Large shrubs slowly spread and the “babies” are easily spaded up and relocated. This spring I moved three small shrubs next to a larger one to create a deer-resistant hedge of sorts and a backdrop behind an established shade garden. It will take several years for these new shrubs to fill out but the overall woodland garden effect is worth waiting for and is particularly suited to our woodsy, partially shaded landscape.

Pieris “Katsura” (photo courtesy McLarens Nurseries)

There are many new varieties now available such as “Mountain Fire” with vibrant red spring foliage and bright white blooms or “Katsura” with pink to red flowers. There are even those with stunning variegated foliage! Although the old-fashioned Pieris japonica in my yard grows to about 6 feet tall with an equal spread, there are modern dwarf varieties that will fit easily into smaller garden spaces.

Variegated Pieris “Ralto” (photo courtesy Ashwood Nurseries)

Pieris grow well in Hardiness Zones 5 to 8 and enjoy moist acidic soil enriched with leaf mold or compost. They can tolerate full sun but prefer some afternoon shade and a location that’s somewhat protected from the wind. Once established, these beautiful shrubs are relatively drought-tolerant and, best of all, very deer resistant!

This January photo shows Pieris with ivory flower clusters just waiting for spring (photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

January 7, 2019January 27, 2020

Forever Green

“All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey,” from the classic California Dreamin’ song, seems such an apt description of winter here in New England. Indeed, winters here can be so harsh that many of us feel the need to flee to warmer climes for some tropical respite! But, all is not as bleak as one may think, because upon taking a closer look the landscape is filled with myriad exclamation points of green.

Pond View with Evergreens in Early January (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

The color green symbolizes life. It’s the first color we notice in spring as tiny green leaves begin to unfurl on trees and shrubs; it’s the color of early flower bulbs just poking through the warming soil of our gardens; it’s the color of lawns and fields turning verdant again. Green is the color of renewal and rebirth and yet remains with us year round, even in the dead of winter.

January White Pine — Eastern White Pine (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

The old German song, Oh Tannenbaum, expresses our love of evergreens perfectly:

“Thy leaves are so unchanging
Not only green when summer’s here,
But also when it’s cold and drear.
Such pleasure do you bring me!”

January Pieris 2 — The lacey flowers of Pieris patiently await spring (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

It always amazes me just how much green can be found in the cold and stillness of winter! The most well-known of the evergreens here is the Eastern White Pine with its towering straight trunks and canopies of green branches that reach towards the sky. They are so abundant that the fresh fragrance of pine permeates the air! There are also hemlocks and spruce with their more familiar, Christmas-tree shapes. Large rhododendron shrubs grow closer to our homes, their fattening buds just waiting for warmer weather. On the coldest days, the leathery leaves curl up to protect the shrubs from moisture loss and serve as a visual warning that we need to bundle up before heading outdoors!

January Azalea — Purple-bronze Azalea adds drama to the winter landscape (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

Smaller evergreen shrubs also dot the winter landscape. Pieris already sports sprays of tiny flower buds in readiness for spring. Mountain laurels remain a dark, shiny green along with spiky hollies. Some azaleas keep their purple-bronze leaves, providing a bright spot of contrasting color. At ground level, blue-green vinca shines along the edge of the road while velvety mosses abound on rocks and shaded paths. Last but not least are the few tough perennials that remain green in our flower gardens – heucheras, lamb’s ears, iris, and ajuga.

January Lambs Ears — Soft Lamb’s Ears huddle in a blanket of oak leaves (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

Where there is green, there is life! And the color green is never more appreciated than in the dark months of winter when it reminds us that the promise of spring lies just around the corner!