Most Precious Blood of Jesus Priory Landscape.
BOXWOOD: This is one of the most popular shrubs in America. It is a stately form found in the gardens of royalty. With a tidy growing habit and small, glossy leaves easily shaped into a topiary ball, cone, or rectangle, it lends an air of European formality to any garden. English boxwood in particular is a multi-stemmed, shallow-rooted shrub covered with small, rounded, glossy, dark green leaves. It is very undesirable to deer and can emit a urine odor at times. Flowers tend to be insignificant, but the plant has a very compact, tight habit which gives it a thick, even form when it is clipped.
The English box is extremely slow growing and therefore more expensive than its American and Asian counterparts. Today many gardeners are having to re-think their use of English boxwood. Besides pests like box tree moth, leaf miners, mites, scale and diseases such as rust, and root rot that have traditionally plagued this plant, there is now a major scourge attacking boxwood's throughout the world. Boxwood blight is a virus that causes plants to turn brown and defoliate. It thrives in warm, humid conditions and will pass to a healthy plant if an affected one merely touches it. It can therefore easily wreak havoc on hedges where plants are grown close together or have poor air circulation. This blight is caused by the fungus Cylindrocladium buxicola.
Boxwood is one of the oldest plants to be cultivated by humans. It is thought to have been planted by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. It is believed that the Romans brought boxwood with them as they conquered Europe. The shrub can be seen in designs for their courtyards. Boughs of boxwood were used in religious ceremonies such as weddings to fend off evil spirits. It was brought from Europe to the United States in the colonial period, possibly by the Dutch, as early as 1653.
Hardiness Zones: 4-8 Low pollen: when kept trim
Gold Mop Cypress: The Gold Mop Cypress is very hardy and requires little to no maintenance. Very insect and disease resistant and can grow from zones 4-8. One of the few insects to disturb this shrub is the Bagworm moth. This Cypress bush likes to be in full sun but will grow in some shade. The more sun it has, the brighter yellow it will be.
It's a slow grower but will reach heights up to 3 feet and about 4 feet wide. If you plant the Gold Mop Cypress around your home, you can keep it trimmed and it will maintain its size. Or for a more natural look, just plant and let it be and they will look like an upside-down, golden mop. If you prefer a more manicured look, shear twice a year.
The Gold Mop Cypress looks great planted around camellias, trees, and also in natural areas where they can get larger. They are a great addition to the landscape and really bring a lot of color
Hardiness Zones: 4-8 Not Low pollen: Bad for allergies
Ornamental Grasses: Many gardeners like ornamental grasses because they are drought tolerant and are rarely bothered by pests. They seldom need fertilizing which may actually cause them to flop over. But low maintenance does not equate to no maintenance. “Summer is the best time to keep an eye on watering needs, especially during the plant’s first year while it’s establishing roots. It is recommended that you put down a natural mulch because it mimics natural conditions and feeds the plants as it breaks down. Just don’t put the mulch up against the plant’s base because it can cause the crown to rot. Once established, ornamental grasses have few needs. The big thing for success with grasses is cutting them back once a year and dividing once every four or five years. Most gardeners leave their ornamental grasses in place for winter interest and to provide food for birds. The time when you should cut back ornamental grasses is in late winter or early spring. Cut them back to within a few inches of the ground. “Cut back before the new shoots grow up through the old. You’ll know it’s time to divide grasses when a ring of living grass surrounds a dead center. It’s easier to divide most grasses when they are still short from their post-winter haircut so there’s no foliage to get in the way.
Hardiness Zones: Depends on variety. Not Low pollen: Bad for allergies
Hydrangea Macropholia: Hydrangea macrophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae, native to Japan. It is a deciduous shrub with some varieties growing to 7 feet tall by 8 feet broad. They boast large heads of pink or blue flowers in summer and autumn. Common names include bigleaf hydrangea, French hydrangea, lacecap hydrangea, mophead hydrangea, penny mac and hortensia. It is widely cultivated in many parts of the world in many climates.
Hardiness Zones: Depends on variety. Very Low pollen: great for allergies
Cherry Explosion Hydrangea explodes with long lasting color and makes a bold statement in any garden! With incredibly large, bright, cherry red florets, this lacecap variety is very unique and different from other Hydrangeas on the market. Hardy to Zone 4 with a longer bloom window, this variety performs well in a wide range of conditions.
Wedding Gown Hydrangea produces beautiful, bridal bouquet-like flower heads of double pure white, Wedding Gown starts as a lacecap and fills into a mophead, adding elegance to any garden. Earlier than most other varieties, it will bloom early spring and re-bloom all summer into the fall. The purity of the white blooms is not affected by pH, so the flowers will not turn pink or blue.
Nikko Blue hydrangea is one of the most popular blue hydrangea varieties around. This variety has beautifully rounded heads of overlapping flowers, creating a stunning blue mophead. Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’ tends to grow to a mature size of 4-6 feet tall by 4-6 feet wide in a rounded shape. It grows best in partial shade, and should be placed in a protected spot that does not get harsh direct sunlight in the afternoon, but also does not get too cold at night or during the winter. ‘Nikko Blue’ is not particularly tolerant of overly hot or cold climates, and grows best in Zones 6-9. This variety does best in acidic soil. The pH should be in the range of about 4.5 to 5.5 for a deep blue tone. A soil acidifier can help to bring the pH of alkaline soil down to a good level for blue flowers. Adding aluminum sulfate can also help, as can limiting the amount of phosphorus in the soil.
Hyacinth: Hyacinth grows from bulbs, each producing around four to six linear leaves and one to three spikes or racemes of flowers. In the wild species, the flowers are widely spaced, with as few as two per raceme and typically six to eight in H. orientalis which grows to a height 6–8 inches. Cultivars of H. orientalis have much denser flower spikes and are generally more robust.
Hardiness Zones: Depends on variety. Low pollen: safe for allergies
Muscari: Muscari is a genus of perennial bulbous plants native to Eurasia that produce spikes of dense, most commonly blue, urn-shaped flowers resembling bunches of grapes in the spring. The common name for the genus is grape hyacinth; they should not be confused with hyacinths. A number of species of Muscari are used as ornamental garden plants.
Hardiness Zones: Depends on variety. Low pollen: Safe for allergies
Phlox stolonifera: Creeping phlox or moss phlox is a species of flowering plant in the family Polemoniaceae. It is a perennial herbaceous plant that is native to the eastern United States. It occurs in woodlands and stream banks in the vicinity of the Appalachian Mountains from Pennsylvania south to northern Georgia. Naturalized populations occur as far north as Québec, Canada. Its flowers are pale purple, pink, or white. The Latin specific epithet stolonifera means having stolons or rooting runners.The creeping phlox flowers typically have 5 petals, but there could also be 6 or 7 petals.
Hardiness Zones: Depends on variety. Low pollen: Safe for allergies
Pink Pewter Lamium, Dead Nettle: is a great groundcover for shady areas with bright blooms from late spring into summer. The Lamiums are called by the somewhat alarming name, Dead Nettle. Dead Nettles are related to stinging nettle but they do not sting, so being a dead nettle is a good thing.
The strange name aside, these short plants grow 6-10 inches high. They can add glistening sheets of color to shady areas where color may be missing. They can be planted with Hosta, Bleeding Hearts, and other shade-lovers. They cover the ground so completely they smother out any invading weeds.
Hardiness Zones: Depends on variety. Low pollen: Safe for allergies
Hosta: Hostas are herbaceous perennial plants, growing from rhizomes which are sometimes stoloniferous,with broad lanceolate or ovate leaves varying widely in size by species from 1–18 inches long and 0.75–12 inches broad. The smallest varieties are called miniatures. Variation among the numerous cultivars is even greater, with clumps ranging from less than four inches across and three inches high to more than six feet across and four feet high. Leaf color in wild species is typically green, although some species are known for a waxy leaf coating that gives a blue appearance to the leaf. Some species have a white coating covering the underside of the leaves. Natural mutations of native species are known with yellow-green, gold colored leaves or with leaf variegation either white/cream or yellowish edges or centers. The flowers of hosta are produced on upright stems that are woody and remain on the plant throughout winter, they are generally taller than the leaf mound. The individual flowers are usually pendulous, with six tepals, white, lavender, or violet in color and usually scentless.
Hardiness Zones: Depends on variety. Low pollen: Safe for allergies
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