Pretty in Purple
By Ken Lain, The Garden Guy

In predicting one inch of rain from the storm this past week the weather service underestimated the amount of precipitation we would get. My rain gauge measured 2.11" of moisture at our house, which will be more than enough to keep my landscape healthy for the next few weeks. The weather now is perfect for completing our outdoor cleanup and pruning. Time to cut back perennials and get those trees and shrubs pruned as mentioned in last week’s column.

Our goal is to start the growing season with perennials as clean as possible. It's amazing how many bugs and bacteria can survive the winter ready to haunt our landscapes the next season, so we should do what we can to put a serious kink in their voracious spring onslaught!

Last week I mentioned the wisdom of post-pruning spraying with either 'Dormant Oil' or 'Lime Sulfur', or both, depending on the plant. Even though roses should not be pruned back until March, I do spray my roses with ‘Dormant Oil’ at this time. This is really convenient to do now while the hose-end sprayer is powered up anyway. ‘Lime Sulfur’ is used on plants that during the growing season exhibited signs of mildew, black spot, shot hole or any other disease. Last year’s leaf scorch was really bad on aspens so I definitely would spray all aspens.

These sprays do not have to be applied at the same time as the pruning, but they should be completed within the next few weeks. I have seen the spring season take off as early as the last part of February. It’s a wise gardener who has all the spraying finished by then.

I’m giving you a heads up about some fun plants that show off their purple colors during our winter months. They look great right now, are ready to plant outdoors right now, and are available at your favorite garden center right now.

EMERALD GAIETY EUONYMUS, Euonymus fortunei, is a hardy shrub that does really well in hot climates yet is very cold hardy. The evergreen leaves are a deep green edged in sparkling white and tinged with a pinkish purple color throughout the winter. This small, dense shrub has an erect habit that makes it an excellent choice for small hedges and foundation plantings. It withstands full sun to shade and can be trained to climb with the right supports. With its waxy foliage, cool mint color in summer, and moderate water usage, this plant stands up well during our hot weather. I especially like this one in earth tone clay containers. The contrasting colors complement each other well and make for continued interest as the plant undergoes its seasonal changes. It is ideal for planting along the edges of retaining walls where its cascade of colorful branches is really eye-catching against the hardscape material. Because of the waxy nature of the foliage I rate this plant as a moderate water user even in the heat of summer.

EICHHOLZ COTONEASTER, Cotoneaster dammeri, is an excellent plant for low growing erosion control on hillsides, or for filling in long planting areas near a walk or driveway. This one does well in blistering hot sun to part shade, so it works easily near trees and other large shrubs. Although it only grows to about 10 inches tall, it has an 8 foot spread. You can understand why it is effective for erosion control.

The most exciting attribute of this low grower is that the large, bright green leaves turn to orange and then to purple in the fall, and the vivid autumn colors remain until the start of the following spring. In spring the plant is covered in flowing white flowers that will eventually produce a showy carmine red berry in late summer and fall. Members of the cotoneaster family are low water users and fast growers, and require very little maintenance. Consequently, I like to use this plant for hillside gardens and as ground cover to soften the sterile look of an all rock yard. This plant likes to spill over walls, boulders, and hillsides. It really looks great right now.

BLACK BEAUTY CORAL BELLS, Heuchera, is a true evergreen perennial that grows ankle high. This variety of coral bell is unusual because of its glossy dark purple leaves with unique ruffled edges. I like to use this stunner in my winter container gardens because of the great foliage contrast it presents with other cold lovers like violas, pansies, and kale. Coral bells are exceptional perennials for small gardens where color from foliage is essential for off-season beauty. Use them for edging, in mass plantings, or in smaller, natural-looking groups. They tolerate full sun to part shade, but need some soil amending to thrive. And, yes, it actually does have bell-shaped flowers that emerge through its foliage each spring. I have several coral bells in stock in varying colors, so have fun with them, mixing and matching colors. This is a great mountain plant, especially for its winter character.

EMERALD 'N GOLD EUONYMUS, Euonymus fortunei, is a very brilliant plant that really cheers up dreary winter landscapes. This colorful evergreen shrub has bright green foliage with gilded edges that turn from pink to purple in cold weather. It grows to chest high with a dense mounding habit that makes it an excellent choice as a border plant or for a small barrier hedge inside existing gardens. It grows very well in our clay soils and, once established, stands up to our summer sun and winds with only one weekly drip irrigation watering.

I have three other plants to suggest that look good now in their winter purples, but I’m out of column space. Listen in to a new garden show on the radio this Sunday from 9:00 to 9:30am on KJZA 89.5 FM. Gerald Rogers is hosting this half hour of timely garden information. He is interesting, funny, and a down-right good gardener.

Until next week, I’ll see you in the garden center.

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