That Bush is Smoking!

Most people are familiar with the tree versions of Continus coggygria, with their 20 foot tall heights and powder puff flowers.  This is a dwarf version, named 'Young Lady' that I originally bought from the National Arboretum nine years ago.  It is only now reaching five feet.

I tried a few locations before it settled into this one, and has been quite dramatically blooming for a few years now.  In this shot the whole bush appears to be glorying in the light of the setting sun.  They grab onto the sunlight, glowing from within.

These massive and delicate clusters of fine fibers are soft to touch, while hiding almost all of the leaves in their 2-3 week height of bloom. Only a few new shoots with bright green leaves are visible.

Here you can see how the thousands of fine, translucent fibers float above the thin stems to create that effect. 

It is quite satisfying to have this eye catcher when most of the spring bloomers are trying to produce seeds.  Of course, I am cutting them off as soon as possible so the plants can build themselves up for next year.  The hardy hibiscus are putting up their tall stems, and getting ready for their display, but it is still a few weeks away.

New Growth

One of the advantages of a long cool spring like we have had this year is the slow-motion growth of new foliage.  Only seeing the garden on weekends, whole stages of growth have passed and gone away between my leaving on Sunday and returning on Friday.  But not this year. 

For example, on the left are the new tops of the Purple Milkweed, Asclepias purpurascens.  My mental image of milkweed is a lanky stem with large coarse leaves.  I have set them in a place where those awkward features get hidden by everything growing up around them.  But at this stage, these are the only plants showing above ground, and they are delightful.  The stems are flushed with maroon,the leaves held up at an angle, showing the short fuzz on the bottom side. 

Soon the nearby hardy hibiscus will grow up, and out shine these more humble, native species. 

But not yet.

Then there is the dwarf smoke bush, Cotinus coggygria 'Young Lady' which has made remarkable improvement after being moved only 20 feet.  I was ready to throw it away because it was so disappointing.  It was front and center, and looked bad most of the year.

In the new location, the flower buds are already showing at the top, all a bright, clean green.  You can see there will be actual flowers, long before the long thin threads that will soon cover the bush, creating that smoke effect. 

But not yet.

Finally, here are the emerging tips of Pheasant Berry,  Leycesteria formosa 'Golden Lanterns.'  The overly dramatic red frosting on the acid yellow-green leaves is so energizing after a long, cold, dreary winter.  Later in the season it will fade back, tone down a bit, against all of the other color.  But not yet.