Simple Space Saving Solutions-

Compact Flowering Shrubs

When space is limited we recommend compact plants. That being said compact space can be a little different for those who live in the big city who may be lucky to have a 10×10 garden or those who live in an urban area with a slightly bigger back yard. I am going to concentrate on shrubs that have been breed to take less than 3 foot of space, where in the past may have reached heights and widths of 5-8 foot.

For many urban gardeners the thought of shrubs is just not even a thought, shrubs just get way to big! In the past that may have been true, but now there are several ‘old’ shrubs that have been breed to have compact/dwarf habits. Again I will remind you “You don’t have to give up your dreams, you can just shrink them.”

I am going to tell you a little bit about my top 3 picks for small flowering shrubs, they are Buddelia(Butterfly Bush), Weigela, and Hardy Hydrangeas.

Up until a few years ago the only options you had for Butterfly Bushes were varieties that stood 4-6 foot tall and wide. Although they are very nice varieties, they take up a lot of space. A couple years ago the small flowering shrub series Lo & Behold® Buddleia were introduced. As of this writing there are 3 varieties in this series, ‘Blue Chip‘, ‘Ice Chip‘, & ‘Lilac Chip‘ all of which get no larger than 2-3 foot tall and wide. ‘Lilac Chip’ is the most compact in this series. Also as a side note, for those of who have a ban on buddleia, these varieties are not included in this ban as they are sterile.

The next variety that I will feature is Weigela. Weigela can be as short as 18 inches and reach upwards to heights of 5-6 foot. You will find reblooming Weigela as well as species with different foliage colors, there are lots of options for this plant. The ones that I will feature are the small flowering shrub varieties such as My Monet™ and My Monet™ Sunset. The My Monet™ series offer variegated leaves with pink trumpet shaped blooms, they only grow to 24 inches tall. A great plant to add to the garden not only for the pretty flowers but also for the interesting foliage that lasts all growing season. The next three that I am featuring are part of the WINE™ series, they are Spilled Wine™, Fine Wine™ and Midnight Wine®. Each of these varieties offer a dark purple almost black foliage from spring through fall. In late May early June they are adorned with bright pink trumpet shaped blooms- watch for hummingbirds! The smallest of this trio is Midnight Wine® reaching only 12 inches tall and 12-24 inches wide. (We recommend pruning these varieties if needed, after they bloom)

Saving one of my favorite small flowering shrub varieties for last, Hardy Hydrangeas! You may be familiar with shrub names such as ‘Limelight’ or Pinky Winky™ but know that they get much too tall (6-8 foot) for your garden. Now you can enjoy the looks of the hardy hydrangea in a small shrub size, let me introduce to you Bobo™. Bobo™ was introduced in 2012, this unique compact hardy hydrangea only gets 30-36 inches tall! Don’t let the size fool you, Bobo™ has flower power that in incredible. The large white blooms add a crisp and refreshing splash to your garden or landscape. As the blooms age they start to turn a dusty rose color adding even more excitement to Bobo™ the compact Hardy Hydrangea.

We offer many varieties in the small flowering shrub line, some additional varieties include: Miniature Rose Bushes, Itea, Caryopteris, Barberry, and Forsythia to name a few.