A Shrub for Any Size Garden- Part 1

One family with Small, Medium and Large Options

You’re walking through your neighborhood and you see a shrub that you just love, but then it hits you, I don’t have a spot for something that large. Let me tell you just because the shrub you fell in love with is out of your ‘league’, doesn’t mean that there isn’t a smaller more compact option.

Let’s start off Big and end Small, small in size not in beauty! The largest of the three shrubs I am featuring today is the ‘Limelight’ Hydrangea. ‘Limelight’ had been around for quite some time, and is a tried and true shrub found in many landscapes. Standing upwards or 8 foot tall, this is no compact shrub. Blooming midsummer off of the new seasons growth are Huge cone shaped blooms that are white in color and as they age turn to a blush pink color. ‘Limelight’ is a great cut flower as well as adds seasonal interest if you leave the dried blooms on in the winter. ‘Limelight’ is perfect for those who have space for a plant that puts on a large show.

The big brother, so to speak, is Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’. Hydrangea ‘Little Lime‘ has major similarities to its ‘dad’ ‘Limelight’ with the exception of size. Standing 3-5 foot tall this is a great selection for gardens that maybe do not have the space or for places you just don’t need all that height. The blooms of ‘Little Lime’ are slightly smaller than those of ‘Limelight’, but still put on a great show. Again, in midsummer the flowers emerge as a lime green color and turn white. As the season progresses the white fades to shade of dusty pink. ‘Little Lime’ makes a great cut or dried flower for indoor floral arrangements. For an extended season of interest, leave the dried blooms on the plant through the winter. In the early spring you can remove any unwanted dried flowers that remain.

The baby of the family is as cute as can be, ‘Bobo’. ‘Bobo’ is a compact flowering shrub that can fit into just about any garden space. Standing 2 foot tall and wide, ‘Bobo’ is great in containers, used as a border, or as a specimen to your garden, landscape, or courtyard garden. Blooming mid to late summer off of the new seasons growth, ‘Bobo’ maybe small in height but it sure is not small on flower power. ‘Bobo’ is eye candy both for the expert gardener as well as for someone who ‘knows nothing about plants but can spot a pretty one when they see it.’ Like the other two, ‘Bobo’ is loaded with lime green blooms that turn white as they mature, as the flowers fade a pink hue over comes the plant. Again, this is a great specimen for cut and dried flowers. If you are in a location that gets snow in the winter, the dried out blooms look amazing as they catch and hold the snow.

Now you can ohhh and ahhh over the plant you love, and there is one that is the right size for your garden.