The heat of summer has arrived and so has the spectacular bloom show we all know and love. The blooms of summer can be found in many colours, shapes and sizes. There are so many summer blooming shrubs and perennials but don’t forget the trees!

• Hydrangea – can be found as a shrub or standard in various cultivars

The beautiful blooms of hydrangea come in many shapes and sizes. From panicle or cone shaped blooms to globular or airy, there is a hydrangea for every gardener’s preference. Some blooms can range in colour depending on cultivar and your soil pH. The higher the acidity, the more blues and purples you can achieve. A lower pH will provide bright pinks and reds. For more information about hydrangea types, check out our Hydrangea Pruning Guide.

• Coneflower (Echinacea) – we grow several cultivars but be sure to check out the Kismet® and Cara Mia® series, as well as the tried-and-true PowWow® series.

Coneflowers can range in height from 30-90cm tall. The vibrant blooms come in a range of colours such as white, yellow, red, orange, pink and purple. Blooms appear in late June and reoccur until frost. An all-summer bloomer that is sure to bring attention!

• Weigela – we carry a variety of reblooming selections from Bloomin’ Easy® 

Blooms appear in early summer and will rebloom until September. Both the blooms and foliage come in a range of colour combinations. Foliage can be bright green to deep purple, and the blooms can range in colour from white to deep red.

• Clematis – we grow many different cultivars in various colours and pruning habits.

Clematis are a vining plant that requires a structure to climb, they do not self cling. Some cultivars bloom on new wood, some on old wood and some will bloom on both old and new. Be sure to pay attention to this when choosing the right cultivar for your garden. From vibrant blues and purples to bright pink or white, there is a colour for every garden.

• Rose (Rosa) – we grow the Flower Carpet® Series from Tesselaar® roses among others

Roses not only bring colour to a garden, they also provide a wonderful smell. Blooms come in a variety of colours and sizes. 

• Daylily (Hemerocallis) – from the tried-and-true sunny yellow ‘Stella d’oro’ to the deep red ‘Chicago Apache’, we provide a variety of different cultivars.

Daylilies provide unique grass-like texture to the garden with blooms appearing throughout the summer months. They come in many different heights and colours.

• Chinese Flowering Dogwood (Cornus kousa) – while the original is beautiful, check out some of our other cultivars as well, like ‘Scarlet Fire®' and ‘Summer Fun’.

Chinese flowering dogwoods produce bracts in late spring to early summer that look like flowers in shades of pink or white. The foliage can come in a variety of colours and variegations with shades of green, white, yellow and even pink! The foliage also turns beautiful shades of red and orange in the fall.

From the beautiful blooms of summer, we progress into the vibrant colours of fall! The cooler weather brings in the beautiful colour show we all know and love. Bright reds, oranges and yellows dance throughout the landscape when you remember to add in some fall vibrancy plantings.

• Ornamental Grasses – such as Flame Grass (Miscanthus ‘Purpurascens’), Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum), and Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Ornamental grasses add wonderful structure to the landscape, and they truly shine in the fall. Between beautiful plumes of graceful seed heads and the vibrant change of foliage colour to the shades of red and orange we all love, an ornamental grass is an excellent choice to create some fall vibrancy.

• Dwarf Winged Burning Bush (Euonymus altus ‘Compactus’)

A compact form of Burning Bush, this cultivar truly shines in the fall with it’s stunning bright red foliage. A true showstopper as a standalone shrub or when used as a hedge.

• Red Maple (Acer rubrum) – we grow many cultivars of Red Maples

Whether you’re in search of a narrow tree or a large shade tree, red maples are perfect for providing dense shade with great cold hardiness. They absolutely shine in the fall, changing into bright shades of red, orange and yellow.

• Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)

A slow growing tree with fan shaped foliage. The green foliage turns a vibrant golden yellow in the fall. They simply glow!

• Azalea – we grow both deciduous and evergreen cultivars.

Both the deciduous and evergreen cultivars provide a colour show of deep reds in the fall. Deciduous cultivars lose their leaves after they change into their fall colour, but the evergreen cultivars retain their foliage for longer. They also provide beautiful blooms in various colours depending on the cultivar, in the spring.

• Ivy (Parthenocissus) – we carry a few cultivars of different ivy

Look for cultivars like Engelman’s Ivy, Boston Ivy and Virginia Creeper. All of these cultivars are self-clinging and provide dense coverage of whatever structure they climb. The green foliage turns bright fiery red in the fall. 

• Chokeberry (Aronia) – check out cultivars like ‘Low Scape Mound’ from Proven Winners® or the tried-and-true Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)

Chokeberries give multi-season interest, but their deep red fall colour is stunning. White flowers appear in spring and give way to berries that range from red to black depending on the cultivar. They are adaptable to many soil types and great for naturalizing areas.

Winter usually gets a bad rap about being blue but planting some winter interest can really help brighten up the landscape. From colourful bark to evergreen foliage and berries, there are several ways to fend off those winter blues.

• Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) – check out the red and yellow cultivars we have from the Arctic Fire® Series from Proven Winners®

Arctic Fire® Red or Yellow both provide beautiful winter interest with their brightly coloured stems. To ensure the stem colours stay vibrant, be sure to prune them back every other season or remove about 1/3 of the branching every year.

• Holly (Ilex x meserveae) – we grow ‘Blue Princess’ and ‘Blue Prince’

Female cultivars produce vibrant red holly berries amongst their deep blue-green, glossy foliage. Remember to place a male cultivar within a few meters to ensure proper pollination. 

• Heath (Erica carnea) – we carry a variety of cultivars in various colours.

Heath generally bloom in the winter months between November and February. They are stunning when mass planted and provide a pop of colour when most other plants are dormant. Heath come is various colours, we generally carry pink, white and red cultivars.

• Snowberry (Symphoricarpos) – have a look at ‘Pink Posy™’ from Bloomin’ Easy®

Snowberries produce beautiful berries in shades of white to bright bubblegum pink. The berries are toxic to humans but create forage for birds. Berry production can start in late summer to fall but they persist into winter.

• Juniper (Juniperus) – from upright to spreading, there are several cultivars to choose from.

Junipers are great for adding some blue-green evergreen interest in the garden. They come in many different forms like upright and narrow to widely sprawling or arching. Some cultivars even turn a bronze-burgundy colour in winter, like the Compact Andorra Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis ‘Plumosa Compacta’). There truly is a juniper suitable for nearly any space.

• Cedar (Thuja) – we carry many different cultivars

Whether you’re looking to create a windbreak or hedge, or looking for an evergreen specimen, cedars make an excellent addition to the winter landscape. They have green, fan shaped foliage that can sometimes take on a bronze hue in the winter.

• Pine (Pinus) and Spruce (Picea) – we grow several cultivars of each to provide you with ample choice

Pine and spruce are both excellent choices for bringing in some winter evergreen interest. Their needles range in colour and texture from blue to green or even silver, and from soft to hard. If you’re looking for a smaller evergreen, check out cultivars like Dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’) or Dwarf Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo var. pumilio). Looking for a large specimen? Try Baby Blue Spruce (Picea pungens ‘Baby Blue’) for a bright pop of blue, or Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) for a native option with soft green needles.