| I want to plant some colorful low growing shrubs across the front of my house. I have a french drain just outside the perimeter and don't want shrubs to grow into it. Need small root balls if possible. What do you suggest for this? Thanks Andy |
| There are several for you to consider. How about: Dwarf Chinese Holly (Ilex cornuta 'Rotunda') has small white flowers in the spring and glossy, dark green evergreen leaves. Dwarf Chinese holly reaches between two and four feet with a spread of up to four feet. Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parvifolia) is a Texas native that only grows to three feet tall but may spread to five feet wide. Hesperaloe parvifolia begin blooming in spring and continue until early fall with tall red flower spikes that attract wildlife such as hummingbirds and butterflies. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) has small blue flowers throughout the spring and summer seasons in spite of the heat and humidity of Texas. Rosmarinus officinalis can reach five feet tall but can is best kept trimmed back to around three feet in height. R. officinalis foliage is scented. Little Princess Spirea (Spiraea japonica 'Little Princess') has a mounding habit reaching only 2 1/2 feet tall and up to three feet wide. Flat-topped pink blooms appear from late spring through summer. Spirea Crimson Glory (Spiraea x bumalda 'Coccinea') is a red-flowering spirea that packs a lot of punch for a small plant. The shrub has small blue-green leaves and deep red flowers. Crimson Glory Spirea only reaches three feet tall. Spirea 'Shirobana' (Spiraea Japonica 'Shirobana') has a mounding habit with a height of between two and three feet and a spread of no more than three feet. Blooms vary from white to pink and pink-red, and sometimes two to three colors appear within the same bloom. Shirobana will bloom from late spring through summer. Weigela Minuet (Weigela florida 'Minuet') is a hardy shrub with fragrant, yellow-throated red flowers in the summer. Weigela florida Minuet remains under three feet tall at maturity. Weigela Rumba (Weigela 'Rumba') is a semi-dwarf shrub that sometimes grows to four feet tall. This hard shrub blooms from early summer through early- to mid-fall. Hope these work well in your garden. Enjoy! |
