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- November
- 27
Shrubs with multiseason appeal can be a gardener’s best friend. Once established, they rarely need extra water or much attention at all.
Some shrubs, like roses, hydrangea and butterfly bush, have specific pruning needs, but so many others are indifferent — cut them back hard if they’re getting leggy or taking up too much space, or just let them ramble if you’ve got a big hole to fill.
A shrub called ‘Ogon’ spirea has been on my list of favorite plants for a few years now.
In May, it’s covered with tiny white flowers that are wonderfully fragrant. In summer, the foliage stays a vibrant chartreuse that mixes particularly well with purples and maroons.
In November, the willowy yellow-green leaves explode into a kaleidoscope of fall color — orange, red, yellow, olive green and salmon — and stay that way for weeks.
Known botanically as Spirea thunbergii ‘Ogon,’ this hardy shrub prefers full sun but will tolerate a fair amount shade.
It will grow in any kind of soil as long as the drainage is good. Over time, ‘Ogon’ will grow 5 to 6 feet tall.
Spireas in general are low-fuss shrubs that grow quickly and easily. Deer have never bothered any of mine. If you’re looking for a hard-working but undemanding new plant, ‘Ogon’ may be just the one for your garden.
This entry was posted
on Friday, November 27th, 2009 at 4:26 pm by Bill Cary.
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Bill Cary grew up in Louisville, Ky. His gardening was limited to growing parsley and impatiens on the windowsill of Manhattan walkups until the mid-1990s when he bought a rundown old chicken farm on 8 acres in the Hudson Valley. Now he spends his weekends chasing deer, hacking away at invasive shrubs and vines and wondering why he doesn`t have more meadow and less lawn.
