Plant of the Week- Coppertina Ninebark {Physocarpus opulifolius}

I’ve been obsessing over maroons and reds lately.  It could be because it’s officially September and I’m craving all those warm fall colors, it might be because my husband and I are moving and I’m trying to reconfigure my home’s color scheme or it could be because we are taking family pictures this weekend and I’ve been debating between olive greens, deep blues, and dark reds.  Whatever the reason, I’d love to share one of my favorite “woodland” themed shrubs in my currently color choice.

Coppertina ninebark {Physocarpus opulifolius} is the perfect shrub for a natural or woodsy feel.  The maple-shaped leaves emerge in an orangey-copper color in spring, and mature to a lovely red just in time for autumn.  In summer, this ninebark sports soft pink blossoms on its arching branches that contrast beautifully with the rusty colored foliage.  In fall, it’s known for its bright red seed pods.  Another attractive feature is the bark, which peels similar to a paper birch or paperbark maple.

USDA Zones: 3-8

Height: 8-10’

Width: 5-6’

Light Requirements: Full Sun

Water Requirements: Moderate moisture until established

photo: Monrovia

Fleur de Jour: Black Lace Elderberry {Sambucus nigra 'Eva'}

Let’s talk texture. Landscape texture is not solely limited to the feeling of the foliage.  It encompasses so much more.  Landscape texture can vary with light, shadow and viewing distance.  A combination of textures is best. An abundance of either fine or bold textures will become overwhelming.

I love the texture of lace-leaf Japanese maples. The foliage is unique, light, and airy.  In addition to the finely cut leaves, Japanese maples are available in bright greens, reds, and dark purples.  These slow-growing trees aren’t for every garden though.  They can be fairly tender here in my zone, making them susceptible to winterkill and they’re leaves can burn in the scalding summer sun. Also, Japanese maples are acid lovers, and require soil amendments.

So, I’d love to share with you a more maintenance friendly version of lace-leaf texture: the Black Lace Elderberry.  Unlike a Japanese maple, the elderberry will thrive in full sun. It prefers a moist soil, but will tolerate drier conditions as well.  In addition to the delicate, dark purple leaves, this elderberry will flower with creamy pink blossoms each spring.  Yet another bonus, if the blossoms are left they will produce fruit in the fall, perfect for harvest and a batch of elderberry jam. 

Although this elderberry can reach up to 8 feet, it can be heavily pruned for a more formal garden setting.  This shrub can be treated like a perennial and be cut clear the ground every fall, however heavy pruning could compromise the number of blossoms. For more texture, check out last week's Japanese forest grass post.  

USDA Zones: 4-7
Height: 6-8’
Width: 6-8’
Exposure: Full Sun
Water Requirements: prefers moist, well-drained soil

photo: Monrovia

Lilacs And Memories

For the first five years of my life I grew up next door to my grandmother, and then she passed away. She was a happy faced woman who greeted me and my bare feet with a hug that seemed to envelope me into her very being.  I don't actually remember much about her except that she was always so kind to me.  

There was a long row of lilac trees that lined the south side of her front yard, probably eight or so, and in the springtime the air would be so sweetly pungent with their cheery fragrance that you fairly needed a spoon to breath.  This is where I fell in love with lilacs.  I love the bright evenly hued leaves that are shaped like hearts and I love the lively colors of each individual blossom, but most of all I love their sweet smell.  
I remember fondly bounding out the front door of my home and running barefoot up the path, through the ditch to her front porch.  There she would great me with all the love her little body would hold.  Drying her hands on her apron she would take me by the hand as I begged her to "whistle a leaf", and we would walk to the long row of lilacs.  She would pluck off a leaf, fold it in half and somehow make that heart shaped leaf come to life in a lovely little whistle.  I miss her.  I miss the fact that I never really got to know her and have her in my life and in the springtime I miss her most.

I have this little yellow scooter now.  I want a Harley Davidson but it has taken me 28 years of marriage to convince my husband to let me have a small scooter so my hopes are not awfully high for a "hog".  But this morning I went to run a few errands around the neighborhood and the soft lilting fragrance of lilac was in the air.  I immediately thought of her..my grandmother...I thought how much she would love my family and how hard it is to let go of people that you love.  And then I found something interesting--the faster I went the more pungent the lilac fragrance became!  I circled the block over and over drinking in the smell of my young childhood, thinking of a woman who raised the lady I call mother.  Maybe it's because mother's day is just around the corner or maybe it's the scent of vintaged lilacs, but I found myself steering that little yellow scooter with just one hand as I wiped away a tear or two caused by the loveliness of lilacs and the memories of a sweet grandmother and the lady I call Mother.
Grab a spoon, breath deep and plant a memory or two.