Every week we’re publishing a NEW Plant Picks of the Week story, showcasing our Plant Specialists’’ top plant picks. Get ready to be inspired!
We recently asked Leslie Hammond to share her top plant picks. Here’s what she had to say:
Green Cascade Maple
Acer japonicum ‘Green Cascade’
Makes an exceptional landscape accent; may need staking when young to encourage weeping habit; keep moist as leaves tend to scorch in heat; brilliant yellow to orange/red fall color; attracts nesting birds; water more if grown in full sun
Lemony Lace® Elder
Sambucus racemosa ‘SMNSRD4’
A refined yet durable garden shrub featuring beautiful, threadlike golden foliage all season; creamy white flowers in spring followed by bright red berries; compact and upright habit, a reliable color accent for the garden
Ruby Red Horse Chestnut
Aesculus x carnea ‘Briotti’
A hybrid small tree with very prominent upright panicles of red flowers in spring; ideal for many landscape applications, makes a great accent tree for smaller landscapes; spiny seeds are few and far between for easier maintenance over other varieties
Pink Knock Out® Rose
Rosa ‘Radcon’
The blooms on this hardy shrub are individually small but are in such big clusters the visual impact is stunning; beginning in spring and continuing throughout the summer and fall, even to the first frost, this shrub will deliver glorious color
Cat’s Pajamas Catmint
Nepeta ‘Cat’s Pajamas’
A very showy catmint producing masses of indigo blue flowers from late spring to mid-summer; rosy purple calyxes extend color when blooms are spent; shear after flowering to promote re-blooming