The Finding Nemo exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show 2015.
After a cold and brutal February, it was a real pleasure to go the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society’s flower show in Philadelphia for a brief glimpse of spring-like things to come.
As always, the flower show did not disappoint. The theme for this year’s event was “at the movies” with predominate overtones of Disney movies. My children’s favorite garden vignette was Finding Nemo, with the underwater scene of succulents representing coral, the bottom view of a boat suspended from the ceiling and birds on a dock looking down at the crowd for a tasty morsel. The garden vignette that I found intriguing was one that had old abandoned cars placed throughout the garden, with one car turned into a chicken coop with live chickens. A stop I always make is to check out the PHS booth to find out what plants were chosen as the PHS Gold Medal winners for 2015.
PHS Gold Medal plants are evaluated and chosen for their superb eye-appeal, performance and hardiness in the growing region of Zones 5-7; the Trenton-area is rated as a zone 7. When gardeners use a Gold Medal winner plant in their landscape, they can be assured that the plant will exhibit standards of excellence for pest and disease resistance, as well as ease of growing, when planted and maintained by recommended methods.
The first selection is Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’, better known as Fernleaf Full Moon Japanese Maple. This maple is a dwarf variety that has delicate, almost fern-like foliage. It will grow 8–10 feet tall and just as wide. In spring, the leaves emerge chartreuse green and are deeply divided into 9–11 lobes. Leaves turn brilliant crimson red in the fall before falling and revealing the multi-stemmed, mounded habit of the small tree for winter interest. It likes well drained soil and should be planted where it receives afternoon shade. This is a great small tree to provide interest as a four season plant and is wonderful as a focal point in the garden.
The Weeping Alaska Cedar is an evergreen tree that grows 20–35 feet tall and 8–12 feet wide. The botanical name of this cedar was once known as Chamaecyparis, and has been changed to Xanthocyparis nootkatensis ‘Pendula’. This long-lived weeping conifer is native to the Northwestern U.S. and will make a great addition to any garden along the East Coast. This is a slow-growing tree that has an outstanding weeping habit with widely spaced side branches and blue-green needles. The Alaska-cedar would be a perfect specimen tree for your landscape. This evergreen tree likes well drained soil and will grow in full sun or partial shade.
Leatherleaf mahonia is one of my favorite evergreen shrubs to be planted in the landscape as a deer resistant plant. This plant’s botanical name is Mahonia japonica and will grow to be a medium sized shrub with glossy pinnately compound leaves similar to holly. In early spring, it will get long arching fragrant yellow flowers that will develop into attractive blue fruits in early summer. This evergreen shrub will grow 5–8 feet tall and 7–10 feet wide. This plant is great for naturalized landscapes or to provide color in the winter months. Mahonia grows well in partial to full shade with moist well-drained soils. It is advisable to plant this shrub in areas protected from strong winter winds.
Using PHS Gold Medal plants will help you take the guess work out of trying to select a plant for your landscape. You can go on the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society’s web site and view the past Gold Medal winners and chose a plant that will fit your landscaping needs.
“One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.” –W.E. Johns, The Passing Show
Craig Dupée is a garden-design consultant. He lives in Ewing with his wife and daughters. Send him your email questions at hort1014u@aol.com.
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