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Be sure to read the latest news from Digging Dog2010 CatalogOrder the 2010 Catalog printed on genuine paper for $4. Free with plant order. Digging Dog Nurserya mail order plant nurseryon the Mendocino Coast of California p.o. box 471 Albion, CA 95410 phone: (707) 937-1130 fax: (707) 937-2480 Customer Comment:“I got my order yesterday and it is planted and looks great.” ~Mark in Oregon view Digging Dog's comments with Dave’s Garden (The Garden Watchdog) |
Shrubs at Digging Dog
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Purple BeautyberryA beacon for the fall border, this deciduous Korean species is considered by many to be the most refined Beautyberry, and its boldly hued early September fruit occurs well before other varieties. Small and shiny, rounded berry clusters achieve an astonishing, almost electric lavender hue. Flowers are delicate, diminutive and pink, quietly dressing up its handsome, very green leaf mass and gracefully rounded form. ‘Early Amethyst’ prefers well drained soil, tolerates some drought, appreciates a late winter pruning and produces more fruit when planted in groups. Blooms August. Size: 3'–4' high x 3'–4' wide; hardy to zone 5. Callicarpa dichotoma Early Amethyst (S-0587) Heaths and HeathersHeaths (Erica) and Heathers (Calluna) are best en masse. Drifts of their varied forms and flower and foliage colors blend beautifully. They’re also fine companions for Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Pieris and other acid-loving plants in the evergreen shrubbery. The timid might try adding a few winter bloomers to the herb or perennial border for year-round interest. But be forewarned—to plant one is to want them all! Requiring good drainage and poor, acidic soil, the Heaths and Heathers are ideal for the coastal garden. Some will perform well inland, preferring light shade, but they're sensitive to extremes of heat and cold. Wind and salt spray are tolerated as long as the plants are away from the front lines. Prune annually, with a shearing after the blooms are spent. CallunaHeatherCallunas’ tiny, scalelike leaves range from deepest green to silver, gold and bronze, with some changing color after a frost. Flowering from mid-to-late summer in cool whites, pinks and purples, the small, bell-shaped flowers are frozen in graceful repose on one-sided spikes. Heathers are marvelous fresh or dried. Calluna vulgaris ‘Corbett’s Red’ |
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The large, glossy green foliage of this relaxed-looking Ceanothus creates an excellent foil for the profuse powdery blue flowers. More so than other species in the genus, this one will tolerate summer irrigation. Try it in the mixed border with white Lavender or yellow blooming Buddleja ‘Honeycomb’ and you’ll see why it came to be called the ‘Glory of Versailles’. Blooms June–September. Size: 6' high x 6' wide; hardy to zone 6. Ceanothus x delileanus Gloire de Versailles (S-0191) Ceanothus x pallidus ‘Marie Simon’ |
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Red CestrumBeloved by hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, this lush Central and South American member of the Potato family has a colorful allure nearly all year round. Arching stems coated with mahogany-colored fuzz showcase profuse nodding clusters of waxy, deep red tubular flowers and purplish red berries dramatically set amid burgundy-tinged leaves, which are soft as velvet and taper to a point. A tall-standing vigorous evergreen shrub well-suited for a container, ‘Newellii’ blooms summer through winter and in some instances much longer, appreciating a protected wall or overhang, a light or heavy pruning to maintain its shape, moderate moisture and where its warm, partial shade. Blooms May–November. Size: 6'–8' high x 3'–5' wide; hardy to zone 9. Cestrum Newellii (s-0689) ChaenomelesQuinceChaenomeles speciosa ‘Cameo’ |
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Created and named by British Cistus aficionado, Eric Sammons, this Cistus ‘Little Gem’ and Cistus laurifolius cross celebrates not only showy blooms but a low comely mound, which responds well to pruning. The gold-centered, 2-½ in. white papery flowers are engraved with striking, nearly triangular burgundy marks at each petal’s base, while gracing long, matt-finished, dark green slender leaves and somewhat lax, wine-infused stems. Full of vigor, ‘Jessamy Beauty’ merits her name especially when set against Melianthus ‘Antonow’s Blue’s large blue-tinged foliage. Blooms June–July. Size: 3' high x 5' wide; hardy to zone 8. Cistus Jessamy Beauty (S-0690) Cistus ‘Little Gem’ |
| The name ‘Snow White’ surely refers to the multitude of orange-centered, papery white flowers that embellish this choice mounding Cistus. Perhaps even more noticeable are the large, intricately-winged buds. Deep red in color, and covered with a downy fuzz, they nearly obscure the bright green, undulating foliage for most of the season, adding to its soft, alluring appearance. Blooms April–August. Size: 6' high x 8' wide; hardy to zone 8. Cistus Snow White (S-0401) Cistus creticus f. albus ‘Tania Compton’ |
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Indigenous to China and the Himalayas, the Glory Bower grows into a vigorous suckering, semiwoody shrub that rouses a lot of spirited appeal, especially late in the season. Numerous, straight-backed deep purple-red stems stand in sharp relief to a dark green sea of large, coarsely textured heart-shaped foliage. Ruggedly bold and handsome, the somewhat reflective, paired leaves are toothed and patterned with wine-tinged midribs, while ample-sized, fragrant clusters of loosely arranged rose-red florets float overhead. Flourishing in the shade of larger woodies as deer pass it by and dying to the ground during cold winters, Clerodendrum’s compact form must be maintained in warmer climates by a hard, early spring pruning and subsequent pinchings, and where it’s very hot, shade is a must. Blooms August–mid-October. Size: 4'–5' high x 3' & spreading; hardy to zone 7. Clerodendrum bungei (S-0625) ClethraSummersweetClethra ‘Sixteen Candles’ |
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Evergreen Dogwood
An elegant, large evergreen shrub or small tree, this slow growing Dogwood is a perfect anchor for the shrubby border. Handsome, curved leathery leaves with light green veins provide a pleasing texture and turn bronze in the winter months. Buttonlike flower heads surrounded by creamy yellow bracts precede the long lasting, prominent, pinkish red strawberry-shaped fruit that appears in November and can be brought inside as a colorful complement to holiday greenery. Blooms June Size: 16' high x 8' wide; hardy to zone 8. Cornus capitata (S-0364) CorreaAustralian FuchsiaCorrea alba ‘Western Pink Star’ |
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As the name implies, this is a magnificent hybrid that comes to us via the famous Lemoine Nursery in France, where many Deutzia and the closely related Philadelphus were hybridized between 1894 and 1927. It is a vigorous, upright shrub with a dense branching habit. Its exfoliating bark and pure white double flowers, carried in tightly clustered sprays along the branches, create much interest, especially in a shrubby or mixed border with a dark background. In our garden, we contrast the white flowers with purple-leafed Cotinus ‘Grace’ and summer blooming Hydrangea ‘Blue Wave’. Blooms June–July. Size: 6'–8' high x 6' wide; hardy to zone 6. Deutzia x magnifica (S-0196) DiervillaDiervilla rivularis |
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Asian Spindle TreeWhile wooing us all year long, this impressive, yet slow growing oriental jewel really struts its stuff in autumn. Hailing from Sakhalin, a northern Japanese Island, the Asian Spindle Tree’s arching branches show off plentiful pendant, purple-red flowers, and by late summer waxy, five-pointed scarlet pods open to reveal bright orange seeds. The whimsical-looking fruit ornament bare limbs even after the somewhat broad, thick lustrous leaves have transmuted their fiery autumnal reds and yellows. Thriving in a partially shady, moist, well drained locale, Euonymus sachalinensis requires little care, and when combined with the red berries of Arctostaphylos ‘Wood’s Compact’ a fervid late season fiesta is yours to enjoy! Blooms May–June. Size: 8'–10' high x 10'–12' wide; hardy to zone 5. Euonymus sachalinensis (S-0606) Eupatorium
Eupatorium ligustrinum |