An Elegant Shrub to Add a Little Garden Drama

The end of fall is the time to plan for the future of our gardens . Thinking about leaping get us through the upcoming cold , sinister daytime . One of my more exciting discoveries while planning during last year ’s downtime was Tuxedo ™ weigela . I ’m not a gravid fan of pinko in the garden , and most weigelas have pink or red flowers . Tuxedo ™ is an exception , with sassy contraband foliage backing beautiful white-hot heyday . It ’s a favorite new plus to my stock of rugged plants .

Small , blackish green leave egress in midspring . They gradually expand and lengthen while becoming extremely lush . The leaf conserve a dark regal - black hue , unlike the blood-red - inkiness that are often the norm with so - called black leaves . White flowers on short purpleness stems soon link the party , hanging out in groups like debutantes waiting to be necessitate to dance . Hummingbirds and butterfly also come to duck into the fragrant , creamy , tube-shaped blooms .

Sturdy stems facilitate this bush maintain its post in the garden ; it ’s the perfect size to supply majority , but not so big that it will take over . Tuxedo ™ needs six or more hours of sun to maintain its dark and handsome leaves . Deer and rabbits are not admit in its party , however , giving you yet another reason to know this plant . My plan is to add some other black - and - snowy plants with examine track book this year , such as ‘ Espresso ’ geranium ( Geranium maculatum‘Espresso ’ , Zones 3–8 ) and ‘ Cappuccino ’ astilbe ( Astilbe arendsii‘Cappuccino ’ , zone 4–8 ) , to get some color repeat throughout my bottom and really rev up things up .

Tuxedo™ weigela

Weigela‘Velda’

Zones:4–8

Conditions : Full Lord’s Day to partial shade ; well - drain soil

Native orbit : North China , Korea , and Japan

Susan Calhoun is the owner and principle clothes designer at Plantswoman Design in Bainbridge Island , Washington .

Illustration : Elara Tanguy

Sources:

Fine Gardening advocate Products

DeWalt Variable - Speed Cordless Reciprocating check

o.k. Gardening incur a deputation for items buy through links on this site , including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programme .

flora Covers Freeze Protection 10 ft x 30 ft vagabond course Cover 0.9oz / yd²

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade , entrench Shovel

Get our latest pourboire , how - to article , and instructional videos mail to your inbox .

Signing you up …

This Fast-Growing, Drought-Tolerant Shrub Is Great for Hedges and Screening

Purple Shrubs and Trees for Drama in the Garden

A Variegated Shrub With a Long Season of Interest

Fall Fragrance From a Little-Known Shrub

conjoin Fine horticulture for a free plight live webinar have Dr. Janna Beckerman , a renowned plant diagnostician as well as prof emerita at Purdue University and the ornamental technical manager …

When I spotted a particular sand dollar cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few months ago , I get it on I was in trouble . With a delightful colour pattern …

When we only prioritise industrial plant we want over plants our landscape needs , each season is filled with a never - ending list of chores : pruning , pinching , watering , treating , repair , and fertilizing , with …

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be measured when you enter the backyard of garden decorator Jeff Epping — not because you ’re likely to trip on something , but because you might be dive - bombed by a pair …