Cait's Garden

Great new trend in shrubbery: miniatures! How often have you been in a garden center, seen a gorgeous shrub, and then had to pass because you don’t happen to have 6-8 feet of space left in your yard? If you’re like me, this happens a lot. Some newbie gardeners try to ignore the tag and assume they can just trim a shrub into submission for life. But that’s no way to treat a shrub! Thankfully, wonderful small hybrids of our favorite shrubs are available.

I am thrilled that there is now “Little Lime” Hydrangea (a 3-foot version of Limelight…perhaps the best hydrangea out there), “Little Devil” Ninebark (a 3-foot version of the gorgeous red Diablo Ninebark), and a few so-called “pillar” barberry bushes (like the brilliant-hued Orange Rocket, shown in the photo) that only get 18 inches wide, but 4 feet tall. I planted three of these in a corner of my flower bed just last summer. I think it’s a great idea to introduce small shrubs into flower beds. They add structure and fullness when your flowers are still growing, plus they are gorgeous in their own right. Definitely a trend to try! So say I, an aspiring gardening trend-setter.

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Like this squirrel, my garden is currently covered in snow. But after months  of hibernation and general sloth, this gardener is starting to get her game on again. It started small. Gazing longingly at the stack of flower catalogs I received before the holidays. But it was all a pipe dream. Until today, when the FIRST SEED PACKETS WERE PURCHASED. Yes, fellow gardeners, it’s on again. I have vegetable seeds at the ready. True, I can’t plant them until the ground can be worked, which is a few months off. But just having them makes me feel better. Before you know it, I’ll be posting about the first pansies of Spring.

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