Over the years, some of my most exciting garden visits have been spent walking through southern gardens and feeling enclosed in a cocoon of flowering dogwoods with azaleas in full bloom up to the waist. Last time I discussed a few of the problems with flowering crab apples, including leaf diseases, fungal attacks such as fireblight, suckering, and frequent need of pruning. Despite all of these concerns I know of no other way to come close to the sensibilities of those southern gardens, and that special feeling that accompanies them when they are in full bloom, than through the use of flowering crab apples. It is they that are dependably hardy in this climate and beautiful in resplendent bloom and heavy fragrance as well. Bottom line is that one needs to be careful in regard to which cultivars are planted and also location. I have found that my Spring Glory is completely disease free in one part of the gardens while the same cultivar suffers with scab in another, presumably because of more restricted air flow. Despite these concerns, I refuse to remove many of the 30 year old trees that have some problems because I simply can't be without their spring bloom, to which these photos attest.
Vanguard Flowering Crab
Lovely in bloom, bare in June
I've removed two of these as the amount of scab was
well in excess of what I could tolerate
(NO)
Sargent's Flowering Crab Apple
Spreading to 15'
Height 8' to 10'
later blooming
very small fruit
Extremely amenable to pruning and shaping
I have never had a sign of any disease concerns with this plant
and it's been in the garden about thirty years
(YES)
Tina Flowering Crab Apple
Mine is not a high graft and gets quite large over time so I prune it back every so often
With a sargentii background, there is no obvious apple scab
This plant is outstanding as it goes from dark pink buds,
to the 'in between stage' pictured here, to total white
This does get much larger than is sometimes suggested
(YES)
Mine is not a high graft and gets quite large over time so I prune it back every so often
With a sargentii background, there is no obvious apple scab
This plant is outstanding as it goes from dark pink buds,
to the 'in between stage' pictured here, to total white
This does get much larger than is sometimes suggested
(YES)
Mary Potter Flowering Crab Apple
Also with sargentii in the background
No disease problems here.
Always attractive but alternate years spectacular in bloom and fruit.
Because of where I have it, I keep it very well pruned.
Pruning is the secret to making flowering crab apples a four season plant.
(YES!!)
Lathyrus vernus
"Spring vetchling"
Hardy perennial of the pea family.
Clump former that is hardy to zone 3.
Native to Europe.
Difficult to divide...resents disturbance and grow a clump of roots like iron!
Plant where you want it to grow.
Seeds about some, but you'll never hear me complain.
Blooms with my Magnolia soulangiana 'Brozzoni', but it's difficult to get it into new locations
as I tend to forget to protect it from those rascally rabbits.
The darker plants seem to come in a variety of fine gradations of color but the pink ones are really special, and to my eye, more consistent in color.
Long bloom period, especially in cooler climates.
Easy, trouble-free other than being rabbit fodder,
although they don't seem to bother my larger clumps
(YES)
Clematis recta 'Purpurea'
"ground clematis"
very hardy
The blooms are plentiful and attractive enough.
2'- 4' x 2'- 4'
A flopper that without support lays on the ground.
If cutting back is forgotten after the main bloom period there will be seedlings,
copious in number... and as if that wasn't bad enough, they can be very difficult
to extract from the soil or the crowns of other more worthy specimens,
particularly if missed in their infancy.
Pictured immediately below to the left of the young fringe tree.
(NO)
See ya! Larry
"Spring vetchling"
Hardy perennial of the pea family.
Clump former that is hardy to zone 3.
Native to Europe.
Difficult to divide...resents disturbance and grow a clump of roots like iron!
Plant where you want it to grow.
Seeds about some, but you'll never hear me complain.
Blooms with my Magnolia soulangiana 'Brozzoni', but it's difficult to get it into new locations
as I tend to forget to protect it from those rascally rabbits.
The darker plants seem to come in a variety of fine gradations of color but the pink ones are really special, and to my eye, more consistent in color.
Long bloom period, especially in cooler climates.
Easy, trouble-free other than being rabbit fodder,
although they don't seem to bother my larger clumps
(YES)
Clematis recta 'Purpurea'
"ground clematis"
very hardy
The blooms are plentiful and attractive enough.
2'- 4' x 2'- 4'
A flopper that without support lays on the ground.
If cutting back is forgotten after the main bloom period there will be seedlings,
copious in number... and as if that wasn't bad enough, they can be very difficult
to extract from the soil or the crowns of other more worthy specimens,
particularly if missed in their infancy.
Pictured immediately below to the left of the young fringe tree.
(NO)
See ya! Larry
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