Southern Indiana Living

MAR-APR 2014

Southern Indiana Living magazine is the exclusive publication of the region, offering readers a wide range of coverage on the people, places and events that make our area unlike any other. In SIL readers will find beautiful photography, encouraging s

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T oo many Southern Indiana gar- deners ignore the possibility of having something new, diferent or architecturally interesting in their yards every month of the year, be it fowering, fragrant or just fun to own. Actually, if you add some garden art, you can have something to enjoy every day of the year. The maintenance isn't difcult because there are very few weeds from October to March. All it takes is some thought, plan- ning and a sharp shovel. You don't even need a big yard, and many of the seasonal plants are way un- derused giving you neighborhood brag- ging rights. So get out of your gardening rut and consider these plants for your Twelve-Step Landscape List to horticul- tural happiness. January Italian Arum (Arum Italicum) — This amazing plant ofers shiny green, mot- tled leaves all winter and melts away in the summer, but only after spouting tiny towers of orange-red seeds. Plant it alongside the front steps or garage to see every day. It's ridiculously fun to own, especially in January. February Witch Hazel (Hammamelis) – A beauti- ful and fragrant shrub that blooms from late winter to early spring. Our 'Wisley Supreme' cultivar – planted along the driveway as a "Welcome Home" plant – blooms a luscious yellow in late Decem- ber and continues until March. You're not a real gardener unless you have a witch hazel. March Buttercup Winterhazel (Corylopsis pauci- fora) — No relation to the witch hazel, it's the most underused plant in world history. It's a leggy shrub with hundreds of pale yellow dangly fowers that glow like little lanterns in early spring. Sup- posedly borderline hardy, we've had it blooming every March at Hidden Hill for 15 years. April Dwarf Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii) — A truly fun plant with white, funky, heavily fragrant fowers and bright red, orange and yellow fall leaf color. It will take a wetter site in the landscape, but will be fne in normal soil. May Kousa or Japanese Dogwood (Cornus Kousa) — We're all very familiar with the American dogwood (Cornus forida) but the joy of the Japanese dogwood is that it blooms a few weeks after the American, extending the season well into May. It has very distinctive, pointed fowery bracts, is more disease resistant and has bright red berries for the birds. It comes in pink and white bracts with great fall leaf color. Bob Hill owns Hidden Hill Nursery and can be reached at farmerbob@ hiddenhillnursery. com. Get out of your gardening rut March/April 2014 • 8 Far left: Japanese anemone. Left: Beautyberry. // A Walk in the Garden with Bob Hill MarchApril 2014.indd 8 2/23/14 8:31 PM

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