Five for Friday

 

 

Need five reasons to love this deciduous shrub?

§  Its spring bell-shaped flowers of creamy yellow with delicate red to purple veins look beautiful in rain or sun.

§  It loves acidic, well-drained soil and partial shade but can handle full sun. Just one word of caution – it doesn’t like it dry.

§  Placing this shrub adjacent to evergreen foliage make its spectacular fall color of red, yellow and orange pop. And when I say spectacular fall color, I’m not overstating that characteristic one bit.

§  It doesn’t have many known pests or diseases. This is always a big plus in my book.

§  And it’s a great structure planting to enhance your property. This slow-grower can ultimately reach heights of 10’ depending on its location. In other words, it’s like the wee bear’s porridge, just right.

For those who don’t recognize this multi-faceted shrub, its name is Enkianthus campanulatus, Redvein Enkianthus. I wanted to give you five reasons to love it before I gave it away. Yes, it’s a quick five for Friday for those of you who might still be lingering around this holiday weekend. If you find the soil a tad soggy for loads of planting, why not shop around for some new additions. Maybe the Redvein Enkianthus can be put on your ‘must-have’ list to spice up your landscape menagerie.

It’s a wrap to another week but this one is a bit different. It’s the start of a busy holiday weekend so with that said, I choose this wonderful quote penned by Roman Payne. “It’s not that we have to quit this life one day, but it’s how many things we have to quit all at once: music, laughter, the physics of falling leaves, automobiles, holding hands, the scent of rain, the concept of subway trains... if only one could leave this life slowly!” How beautifully put. So whatever you do this weekend, be safe and try to linger; not rush. And if you can unplug, wherever you may be, always make room to plant!

To our fallen heroes, we honor you this weekend and thank you for your sacrifice and service.

Image by Ann Bilowz © Enkianthus campanulatus, Redvein Enkianthus 

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