Evergreen Dogwood / Hydrangea, Bamboo & More (GardenDesignOnline)

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I can't really imagine a spring-flowering dogwood with evergreen leaves, but this breakthrough plant is now on the market, and let's hope it lives up to its billing.

Cornus angustata 'Empress of China' is said to be a prolific bloomer (6-7 weeks!) with blooms of lime green that open to pure white. According to Dirr, this would actually derive from a variety of Cornus kousa -- which he lists as C. kousa var. angustata. Dirr says the leaves take on a red-purple-green coloration in winter, so I assume this one is the same. In late summer, this tree is covered with strawberry-like fruits, which, by the way, are edible and quite tasty. Zones 6-9, takes sun to light shade, and reaches 20' high by 20-25' wide.

Try this and let me know how you like it.

I'm a sucker for plants with chartreuse leaves, so I can't wait to put Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Daddy' in a shady spot in my own garden. This picture doesn't quite do justice to the leaves, which are a true lemon yellow. So even when the flowers fade, the plant should stand out in almost any border. Lemon Daddy is said to thrive in hot and humid weather, but it's also cold-hardy to zone 5, so it's a great candidate for northern states where global warming is allowing gardeners to try new species that, in the past, they didn't dare plant. Size about 4' x 4'

(photos: Novalis)

These plants are all from Novalis growers in South Carolina. They're also distributing two new Knockout roses -- the shrub roses that just keep on blooming and keep on blooming until frost finally takes them out.

The one pictured here is Rosa x 'Pink Double Knockout' -- looks like a very deep pink, zones 4-9, and with superb disease resistance like the other Knockouts on the market. The grower says this rose does not need deadheading, but I've found with my plain old Knockout that the blooms are better if you do go ahead and deadhead. Novalis is also marketing Rosa x 'Double Knockout' which is like the one above, only with deep red flowers.

Finally, there are some very nice clumping bamboos, and you might want to try one if you live in an area where Nandina domestica is on the invasive list. This bamboo, Fargesia rufa, like Nandina, does not spread by underground runners. And unlike Nandina, it has no flowers or berries, so you don't have to worry about birds spreading seed. This bamboo is also hardy to zone 4, so you can get that Nandina-like vase-shaped look in colder regions.

F. rufa gets about eight feet high, and there are other ones -- F. murieliae and F. denudata -- that reach about 12 feet high. They might make a good screen. All of the fargesias have soft, arching foliage, and all require partial shade.

Check the Novalis website for other attractive bamboos.

(photos: Novalis)