Hibiscus moscheutos 'Lady Baltimore'

Every year during the winter months, growers start parading their new introductions through gardening magazines and catalogs. It’s the annual horticultural fashion show. And the horticultural models that hit the catwalk usually tell us a great deal about current trends and market demand.

As I peruse the pages of magazines this year I am struck by the balance of practicality and aesthetic. We all love beautiful plants–there is no denying it. This year, however, beauty is amalgamated with functionality.
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Hydrangeas are pretty common, so it’s easy to forget just how beautiful they are.

Photos by Ivo M. Vermeulen

The peonies that line Perennial Garden Way are getting set to explode into a riot of color and aroma. There are a few out, and hundreds more just waiting for the perfect weather to burst forth into a profusion of petals. Here’s a few of the early peonies to get you set for peony prime time!

‘Do Tell’

‘Kevin’ – Isn’t it great that there’s a peony named Kevin?

‘John Harvard’ – This peony which bears the colors of the Ivy League school founded by the man it is named for was one of the first to open this year, and is still going strong.

‘Carina’

‘Golden Wings’

‘Firelight’

‘Cythera’

Photos by Ann Rafalko.

Witch-Hazel isn’t just cheery in the winter, it’s also a welcome addition to the chorus of colors early spring brings.

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Birgit'

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Aphrodite'

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Barmstedt Gold'

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Angelly'

Witch-Hazel isn’t just an effective folk remedy, it’s also a beautiful, early-blooming plant that can provide fabulous color to your late-winter garden.

Hamamelis mollis (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Orange Peel’ (Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)

Hamamelis vernalis (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)

Looking down the main pathway of the Perennial Garden.

(photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)

No, we’re not bioengineering treat-dispensing shrubbery. It’s just snowing a lot this winter, coating everything in what, on some days, looks like a thick layer of Marshmallow Fluff.

Snowy Shrubbery (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen).

A burst of color to enliven your winter morning.

Lindera erythrocarpa Japanese spicebush in the Azalea Garden (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)