Diamonds and Pearls In the Garden

From In the Garden

'Pink Diamond' Hydrangea paniculata

"Do you like diamonds and pearls?" asks Mr. Fix-it.

"Diamonds and pearls? Hmmmm, I have a ton of these already, and they are in my garden. They are the best diamonds and pearls and I love them dearly. How lucky are you honey that I grow my own diamonds and pearls?"

"Diamonds and pearls in the garden?" he says.

"Oh yes, there are the 'Chardonnay Pearls' and the 'Pink Diamond' hydrangea-so there you have it-diamonds and pearls!"

What a good laugh he got out of that. Now don't tell me I don't have my priorities right-diamonds and pearls are precious but sitting in a closet collecting dust is not my idea of value. Give me some plants in the garden any day....

in the garden....

Any precious gems in your garden?

From In the Garden

'Chardonnay Pearls' (Deutzia gracilis) **Spring Bloomer**Not blooming now.

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden

Plant of the Month-May 09

'Chardonnay Pearls'

'Pink Minor'

I have chosen Deutzia as May's Plant of the Month. Deutzia scabra 'Pink Minor' is a fairly new acquisition to my garden but it is a star. I purchased this particular plant last summer when it was on clearance and in sad shape. I planted it in a fairly sunny area on the edge of one of my gardens and left it alone. This spring I trimmed it up to make it neater. I really was not sure if I should do this or not as I've read where deutzia blooms on old wood, but as you can see from the pictures this deutzia has bloomed wonderfully with no ill effects of a late trim. A very important criteria I use when choosing my Plant of the Month is that the plant must bloom for a long period of time and be easy to care for. I will also prefer that more than one cultivar be commonly available. This deutzia fits the bill to a T.

Here is a long shot of my 'Pink Minor'. There are tons of deutzia and surely there is one to fit any need a gardener may have in their garden. Deutzia are usually small and compact shrubs. They literally cover themselves with blooms in the spring and are not picky about soil. Mine has been drought tolerant even in the first year of planting, does not require pruning or fertilizer (with well amended soil), and plays well with its neighbors.

In fact, I am liking deutzia so very much since it is easy to care for and very reliable that I have added another cultivar to my garden. I recently purchased 'Chardonnay Pearls' , aka Deutzia gracilis 'Duncan' . This cultivar has lime/chartreuse foliage and just look at the 'pearls' on the shrub. I know Catherine really likes this stage, and it is pretty cool. The 'pearls' are actually the buds of the flowers. To see it in full flower, look at the first picture. I am looking for good things from this plant just like I have received from 'Pink Minor'.

Deutzia are winners all around and I am thrilled it is in my garden this wonderful month of May. Some back up choices I considered for my choice for May's Plant of the Month include: clematis, iris, bleeding hearts, peony, 'Darling' daisy, dianthus, and salvia. It was a hard choice, but I wanted to spotlight the Deutzia as many may not be familiar with it, so it won out.

What is the May Plant of the Month in your garden?

in the garden....