| My husband and I are building a home in central Vermont in zone 4. I need to know what conifers are most attractive and hardiest there, and which shrubs and small trees will be attractive and, if possible, bloom in June or later. |
| There are so many choices, it's hard to know where to begin. First of all, you'll be moving to zone 4, so there are some things you've grown in Mass. that won't do well up in Vermont. Good conifer choices include red and white spruce, red and white pine, various junipers, arborvitae. Shrubs include shrub dogwood, euonymus (burning bush), hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'*, hydrangea paniculata Grandiflora (Pee Gee hydrangea)*, winterberry (Ilex verticillata), bayberry, mock orange, potentilla*, some spirea*, lilacs, viburnum, rosa rugosa*. (Starred plants bloom in summertime; others are spring bloomers. Fruit trees like flowering crabapples make nice small trees. Hope this helps. |
