Now as a long-time shrubarian myself, I read that story title and thought, "Says who?" Thinking I know best, ya know. So let’s see what Fine Gardening recommends:
- ‘Ogon’ spirea, to 5′ by 6′, with apple-green foliage. (Photo right.)
- Oakleaf hydrangea ‘Snowflake" – to 6′ tall and 8′ wide. (Lower photo)
- Purple smoke bush to 15 feet tall and wide.
- ‘Emerald Gaiety’ Euonymus fortunei with variegated medium green and white evergreen foliage, 3′ tall, 5′ wide.
- Knock Out Roses, to 2-4′ tall and wide, with blooms into December in Zone 6 and warmer.
- Elegantissima redtwig dogwood to 10′ by 10′, has red stems and variegated foliage.
- Japanese skimmias, various grow 3-6′ by 3-6′, is evergreen and fragrant.
- ‘Blue Star’ juniper, another evergreen, is only16" tall with a spread of 3′, is consistently blue.
The kudos for ‘Ogon’ are even echoed in a second article in the same issue, with Chanticleer Garden’s Jonathan Wright suggesting it for cool mixes with purples (allium, Tropical smoke bush, etc).
My reaction? Kinda feeling the love – because I grow and recommend most of these myself. All, in fact, except the skimmia. And I notice designers all going gaga over the ‘Ogon’, massing them up the wazoo. I just have one, but it’s already in full bloom – nice and early. 
My other fave in the group if the oakleaf hydrangea, which I’ve noticed native-plant designers in this area recommending, also. It may not be native to the D.C. area but native to South Carolina is close enough, I suppose, especially with climate change plant ranges northward, anyway.
So what do YOU think of this list?
{ 15 comments }
I’d love to grow Oak leafed Hydrangeas, but alas, live in zone 4b. Thankfully other varieties available and will have to do.
Those are all well and good if you live on the East or West Coast, perhaps. But they won’t grow easily in central Texas, except for the Knock Out roses.
Susan,
Like you, I love the ‘Ogon’ spirea and oakleaf hygrangrea. Most of the other shrubs listed would be eaten in no time by the deer here in Southwestern CT. I was surprised not to see my all time favorite shrub listed – doublefile viburnum. I think every garden should have at least one if possible.
My favorite spirea is ‘Neon Flash’ because it fits in the mixed border with my perennials… in the color scheme that I love. I have enough chartreuse foliage in other plants and shrubs, that ‘Ogon’ probably won’t be here in my garden.
I love hydrangea, but I have deer outside the fence and no room inside the fence for the large hydrangea. My Knock Out roses are inside my cottage garden fence and are stellar performers. I have ‘Radrazz’ which is very reliable.
Cameron
The plants on the list are lovely, esp. as you say the Oakleaf Hydrangea. But I must admit I resent FG’s title and its implications — it feels anti-gardening to me. What gardener in his/her right mind would want to limit themselves to 7 shrubs in the palette? …And what if all gardens contained them — it’d be a sad, boring, ecologically vulnerable world.
I’m sure I’m being too literal, but I see this type of article as symptomatic of one of the main reasons I don’t like FG. …In grammar, people who subscribe to the ‘old’ ways of words are called prescriptivists — they prefer things to remain the same. Whereas descriptivists are open to the evolution of language — the evolution which might be called corruption by prescriptivists. I feel like the folks at Fine Gardening are like prescriptivists. More interested in standards and definitions of taste than they are in exploratory, emotional, “earthy” gardening.
invisiblebees- how insightful!
I’m not fond of the tone of fine gardening either. In fact, I’ve given up and crossed the pond, much as I did with decor magazines. Gardens Illustrated is where it’s at.
OutOfDoors, so funny you should call out Gardens Illustrated. I often pick up a copy from our local newstand, and I’m thinking of springing for a subscription… your endorsement helps gratify that desire. Thanks!
Susan, my reaction was the same as Pam’s. Most of those aren’t viable options for us here in south central Texas. That’s my main quibble with all garden magazines: it’s very rare that they speak to our needs.
That said, I do grow Oakleaf Hydrangea. It looks a bit shabby during summer, when our high heat and humidity take a toll on so many plants. KnockOut roses are becoming ubiquitous here … they’re way overplanted but they’re a heck of a lot better than Ligustrum!
Good list. Had not heard of this spirea and love chartreuse foliage, althought it it is a moderate water shrub and with water rationing here in California, I’m trying to stick with low water plants as much as possible.
I would only add that Knock Out roses can get much larger if planted in a climate with warm winters. Flower Carpet roses are a more reliable low grower if that is the effect you want. Conversely, even though reputable sources such as the Sunset Western Garden Book list ‘Emerald Gaiety’ as a 3′ shrub, it seems to act more like a ground cover, rarely growing above 2′.
A little disappointing not to see any salvias on the list. Maybe FG considers them a perennial, although they don’t all have to be cut down to the ground.
Great choices for gardens but, as with any list, somewhat limiting. The beginning gardener does need direction and a place to start. Lists always have value in that respect. Maybe a better question would be ‘What seven shrubs could you not do without in your garden?’ That would give a really varied response. ‘The Only Shrubs You Need to Grow’ doesn’t speak to plant addicts does it?
That is the problem with a National-scope mag — many readers will not be able to grow the choices or relate. For ourDC-area, all look good — though I find the red twig dogwood highly over-rated and am eyeing mine daily considering whther to yank them out and give them away or to re-plant them in an out of the way corner.
I like the list, for a starting place. I love Oakleaf hydrangea but may not have mine in the right spot. My pink diamond hydrangea is in the right spot, however, and it is one that I consider a ‘must have.’ I don’t know that spirea, though, and I will check it out–until and unless it becomes overplanted–I agree with Cindy about the Knock-outs.
I like them all— though I’m not a huge spirea fan—except the knock-out roses. If a rose does not have a distinctive flower form, the I can’t get excited about it. Those aren’t very interesting as roses, though they may perform well as shrubs.
Oakleaf hydrangeas are salad bars for deer in my MD neighborhood. I second the sentiment about viburnum.
Boo for this list!
Not that I don’t think the shrubs are great, but ENOUGH of this ZONE-a-phobia!
We who garden in the heat are forever left out of the ‘Top (fill in the number) Lists in garden mags – the focus on plant hardiness of the USDA Zone maps leaves us out in the … heat, again. And yes, there is a new heat zone consideration, but … sigh.
What about us? We’d like a little shrub love, too …
Thanks for the opportunity to vent a little!
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