Flowering shrubs are easy care, low maintenance subjects for the garden. They provide a wonderful display and companion planting to the later dowgoods. They are versatile and of many size ranges from dwarf and smaller cvs. to large arching fountanous bushes. If you prune them correctly once a year during or immediately after blooming, they flower profusely. Deutzia pulchra is a rare ornamental and gives us lavish blooms in profusion, with numerous upright clusters of pendant bells in white, the backs tinted grey pink. A superb plant of great quality. Bark peels in papery patches and new wood is reddish when mature. You never see this around, but I have it and it is wonderful. Think of it as a specimen, anywhere you would use a larger shrub or small flowering tree. Very easy culture, sun to shade, more sun = more flowers and more water needs also, but spectacular results.
Philadelphus (the mockorange) are old fashioned plants, most people remember them as large shrubs, flowering in white and fragrant. There are many selections now which are wonderful accents for the garden. There are also small forms which fit nicely into smaller landscpapes. The large P. coronarius is an arching shrub of profuse floral display, with many clusters of fragrant white flowers. Easy care, and average water needs. The smaller P. microphyllus is a wonderful plant, not often taller than 4 ft with arching stems. Additionally, it blooms much longer, Flowers dotting the plant until frost. This one is a gem, the scented blooms are reminiscent of grape soda or bubble gum and the fragrance carries on the breeze. Being of lower stature, it fits nicely into any landscape and can even be used in containers.
Unusual forms of mockorange are yellow leafed ‘Yellow Hill’, ‘Aureus’, the variegated E A Bowles/Variegata which is also very small growing
Fallbrook is a wonderful large shrub, it repeats as well, but very often the individual blooms are semidouble, so they last longer.
Indigofera incarnata(I. decora) is a true gem. There are two main forms avaiable if you look. None are common, mainly these are rare plants. Shrublets of small size, they provide a very long season of bloom. Clusters of pea flowers hang from a low umbrella shaped bush, not often taller than 2 ft. Pink is the more common form and the white is very rare and choice. Think elegant plant, shaped like an acacia on the African plains, and then add drooping wisteria clusters of blooms… all in miniature. Truly wonderful, and always a gem to plant in a prominent spot in the garden. It makes a wonderful container subject as well. Choice and rare, and easy care, only average water needs, average feeding, and it blooms its head off until frost! sun to part shade.