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Dwarf shrubs for smaller borders

As our urban residential lots decrease in size, homeowners are looking for smaller shrubs to use in their borders.
shrub

As our urban residential lots decrease in size, homeowners are looking for smaller shrubs to use in their borders. But along with size, there are other criteria to consider: Are the shrubs hardy to zone 2? How much water will they require? Are they well behaved or will “suckering” or untidy growth become a perennial problem? Is their foliage attractive? Does the foliage have colour through the growing season or in the fall? Are the leaves unusual (finely cut; compound; variegated; etc.)? Do these shrubs flower? Do they have interesting bark? Do they have fruit or berries that stay on for the winter adding to their seasonal landscape value?

Here are some deciduous shrubs to consider:

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) has a range of heights and foliage colour. All are drought-tolerant once established. They are called “barb” berry for a reason. The sharp, needle-like spines along the stems mean they are lovely to look at but decidedly not huggable. Their bright red berries sometimes persist through the winter. For best colour, plant in full sun on well drained soil. The following are all about 2 ft. in height. ‘Burgundy Carousel’ has purple summer foliage, becoming deep purple in fall. ‘Concorde’ is a deep red-purple. ‘Golden Nugget’ is compact and mounded. New spring growth is golden with orange tones, becoming golden in summer and orange-pink in fall. ‘Royal Burgundy’ has burgundy foliage, turning a deeper colour in fall.

Potentillas (Potentilla fruticosa) form a large group of shrubs, many of which work well in a smaller border. My favourite is ‘Yellow Gem’, hardy, long flowering, forming a graceful, low mound of grey-green foliage of only 1 ft in height. The yellow flowers have ruffled petals. Other potentillas to consider are ‘Fargo’ (also called ‘Dakota Sunspot’), 2-3 ft. with large, deep golden blooms throughout the summer; ‘Gold Drop’ with small lemon flowers, bright green leaves and only 2 ft.; and ‘McKay’s White’ with creamy-white flowers, soft grey-green foliage and a height and spread of 2 ft. Potentillas do best in full sun on well drained soil and are drought-tolerant once established.

Spireas (Spiraea) are best placed in full sun but will tolerate partial shade. ‘Crispa’ (2 ft. in height) was selected for its deeply toothed, almost cutleaf, twisted and fluted foliage. The leaves are reddish-purple when young, maturing to dark green. It has reddish rose flowers in flat clusters in June. ‘Goldflame’ is a dwarf, compact, densely mounded shrub of 3 ft. with small pink flowers. The new growth emerges reddish orange, becoming soft yellow, then green, with intense red fall colour. ‘Mini Sunglow’ is a very dense, dwarf, and mounding spirea of 2.5 ft. with pink flowers and brilliant yellow foliage.

To give substance and colour to your borders through winter, consider using dwarf evergreens. ‘Mops’ and ‘Slowmound’ mugo pine (Pinus mugo) are both mounded and under 3 ft. ‘Little Giant’ cedar (Thuja occidentalis) is dense and slow growing with soft, rich green foliage.

To learn more about prairie-hardy shrubs, take in “Colour and Design in the Perennial and Mixed Borders” at the University of Saskatchewan’s Master Gardener Program’s “Spring Renewal” on Saturday, March 5th. Also included in this full day program are ”New  Research and Introductions” from the University of Saskatchewan and the local horticultural industry, “Canada’s Most Beautiful but lesser known Gardens”, and the “Backyard Greenhouse.

For more information, phone 306-966-5539 or go to the Gardening at the U of S website at http://gardening.usask.ca.

Sara - author of the newly expanded and revised Creating the Prairie Xeriscape; Gardening, Naturally: A chemical-free handbook for the Prairies; and several other prairie garden books - will be hosting a garden tour to England this May. For more information, contact Ruth at 1-888-778-2378 or [email protected].

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (www.saskperennial.ca; [email protected]; NEW www.facebook.com/saskperennial). Check out our Bulletin Board or Calendar for upcoming garden information sessions, workshops and tours: March 23, 7:30 – Irises (with Brian Porter) at Emmanuel Anglican Church, Saskatoon.

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