April Showers............. Bring May Flowers
Nothing says spring more than the flowering trees and shrubs that seemingly appear out of nowhere after a long cold winter. Soft pinks, cool lavenders, bright fuchsias are popping up everywhere as we drive to work, to school, or for groceries. Whether along the roadsides, or in our neighbor's  yard there seems to be something flowering around every bend in the road. This week at Gemmell's it's all about the flowers as we celebrate the beginning of another gardening season...... so let's cover some of the  gorgeous spring flowering shrubs available...
 
TREES
 
Flowering Crabapple Malus                         

this group of hardy ornamental trees have an incredible variety of flower colours and fruit.  They range in size from 4m - 8m in height.  All require full sun. Excellent accent tree in any yard.
 
Newport Plum
Prunus cerasifera 'Newport'    
a small pretty tree with purple-red foliage all summer long, covered in single light pink flowers in mid May. Hardy to Zone 3. Grows 6m x 6m.
 
Schubert Chokecherry
Prunus  virginiana 'Schubert'    Oval shaped tree with green foliage in spring that gradually turns deep purple as the season progresses. Long panicles of white flowers appear in May followed by burgundy-red fruit in September that the birds love. 
 
Korean Sun Pear
Pyrus fauriei' Korean Sun'      
Outstanding finely textured foliage and brilliant red fall colour. This small tree has a compact rounded form and is covered in white blossoms in spring. Hardier than other Pyrus varieties.  
                      

 

SHRUBS
Northern Gold Forsythia         
Forsythia ovata 'Northern Gold'       
First out of the starting gates, this early spring flowering is so anxious to show off that it flowers even before the leaves have budded out.  Golden yellow flowers with rich dark green leaves, this particular variety is very hardy (Zone 3) and has even flowered in Manitoba! Grows 200cm x 200cm.

The hardiest of all azaleas, these brightly coloured shrubs are the most exotic looking of the spring flowering shrubs. Available in an array of colours ranging from bright orange to apricot yellow, soft lavender to dark rosy pink and many shades in between. Similar to the forsythia, these small deciduous shrubs flower first before leafing out. Zone 4. Grows 125cm x 100 cm depending on variety.
 
Lilacs
Syringa x                                

With so many varieties to even begin to list, there are Dwarfs to French Hybrids, Common to Standards. All beautifully coloured flowers in pink, deep purple, lavender and white. There is a lilac to fill every gardener's wish list. A new variety we are carrying this season is 'Prince Charming' which has wine-red buds that open to lavender-pink blooms in late May - early June and again in the fall. Grows only 150cm x 125cm. Zone 4.
 
 
Magnolia    
Coveted by many a gardener, this large shrub which also grows as a tree has a stunning display of saucer-like blooms  in spring.  Saucer magnolia is a hardier variety (Zone 4) and probably the most popular. Large purple-pink flowers in early May followed by green foliage and bright yellow fall colour. A bit more rare but grown in this area successfully by a few of Gemmell's gardeners is the Yellow Bird Magnolia. Canary yellow tulip-shaped flowers are 3" wide and longer lasting than other magnolias. Vigorous upright growth. Zone 5. This variety was a show stopper at the garden centre when it was in bloom the last couple of weeks! Magnolias survive better in gardens that are protected from harsh winter winds.