'Donald Wyman' Lilac blooms late May

Lilac is an ever-popular spring bloomer that always seems to excite the homeowner. The large clusters of purple flowers are beautiful and combined with its well-known fragrance - it's a must have.  Most New Englanders are familiar with the common lilac (S. vulgaris), but consider the Preston Lilac hybrids (cross between S. villosa and S. komarowii subsp. reflexa) such as 'Donald Wyman' or 'James MacFarlane' for a change:

Flowers - Deep pink/reddish in bud and flower - large clusters measure 6"x4" for 'Donald Wyman' and 'James MacFarlane' which is similar but with clear pink flowers. They are not quite as fragrant as Common Lilac

Bloom time - Later than Common Lilac - late May

Foliage - Coarser than Common Lilac, 'Donald Wyman being less so and a darker green and more resistant to powdery

Habit - Non-suckering (which is nice), upright and dense staying fuller at the base than Common Lilac

Size - 8-10' tall

Hardiness - Zones 3-7

Plant them in soil that is well drained with a pH of near neutral.  Full sun for the best flowering. Trim back right after flowering to keep plant neat looking and to assure good flowering for next year.

It's a nice choice for a single specimen, and great for hedging or in a larger mixed border. Underplanted with Cranesbill such as Geranium 'Rozanne' or 'Biokovo' would give a nice two-toned splash of color later in May.  

For a succession of fragrant lilac blossoms, plant a mix of them starting with Common Lilac (S. vulgaris), Meyer Lilac (S. meyeri 'Palabin') Manchurian Lilac (S. patula 'Miss Kim') and the Preston Hybrids (S. x prestoniae).  Adding a Japanese Tree Lilac would lengthen this lilac series giving you bloom from May through late June. 

It's a great time to buy these B&B shrubs - They'll make an instant impact on the landscape, be showy this spring and your customers will enjoy them for many years to come.  

Stop in while they're in stock - they won't last long!   

Mark talks about the need for iron in plants

We get a lot of questions about yellowing leaves on many plants and the cause.

Here's a short video of Mark talking about iron and why it's important for plant health and how to recognize iron deficiency.

Hope you find it interesting! 

In This Week -please call for prices and sizes

Decidous Trees

'Dura Heat' River Birch

Amelanchier x grand.  (Serviceberry) 'Autumn Brilliance'

Betula nigra (River Birch) 'Dura Heat', 'Little King'

Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)

Cornus alternifolia (Pagoda dogwood)

C. florida (Flowering Dogwood) species & Cherokee series

C. x 'Constellation', 'Stellar Pink'

Cornus kousa (Korean Dogwoood) clump, 'Wolf Eyes'

Crataegus viridis (Hawthorne) 'Winter King'

Fagus grand. (American Beech)

Gledetsia t. var inermis (Honey Locust) 'Skyline'

Koelreuteria paniculata (Golden Rain Tree) limited

Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree)

Magnolia virginiana (Sweetbay Magnolia)

Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood)

Platanus acer. (London Plane Tree) 'Bloodgood'

Prunus serrulata (Flowering Cherry) 'Kwanzan', 'Snow Goose'

Quercus alba (White Oak)

Q. bicolor (Swamp White Oak)

Fruit Trees & Canes

Please note these are limited in quantity and first come, first served. No tagging, please. Click here for information on pollination and fruit set.

Apple ''Pink Lady', 'Red Fuji' & espaliered 15 g

Cherry 'Black York', 'White Gold' 15 g

Plum 'Methley' 15 g

Peach 'Belle of Georgia', 'July Elberta' 15 g

Pear 'Moonglow', 'Shinseiki' (Asian) 15 g

Pawpaw 7 gallon

Blackberry 'Chester Thornless' 2 gallon

Raspberry 'Red Heritage' 2 gallon

Deciduous Shrubs 

Cornelian Cherry

These are B&B sizes

Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'

C. barbinerbis (Japanese Clethra) limited

Cornus mas (Cornelian Cherry)

Euonymus alatus (Burning Bush) 'Compacta'

Forsythia 'Lynwood Gold'

Hydrangea paniculata (PeeGee Hydrangea) 'Tardiva', 'Snow Mt.'

H. quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea) 'Alice'

Ilex verticillata (Winterberry) 'Winter Red'

Syringa vulgaris (Common Lilac)

S. x 'Donald Wyman', 'James MacFarlane', 'Tinkerbelle' (Lilac)

Viburnum x burkwoodii (Burkwood Viburnum)

V. x carlcephalum (Fragrant Viburnum)

V. plicatum tom. 'Mariesii', 'Newport', 'Popcorn', 'Shasta'

V. x rhy. (Leatherleaf Viburnum) 'Alleghany'

Evergreens

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula' (Weeping Alaskan Cedar)

Juniperus chinensis (Juniper) 'Blue Point', 'Mountbatten', 'Robusta Green'

J. virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar)

'Lavender Twist' Redbud

Specimens
Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple) 5-6", limited!

A. palmatum dis. (Cutleaf Japanese Maple) 'Tamukeyama'

Cercis canadensis 'Lavender Twist' (Weeping Redbud seen here being off-loaded in Newtown) limited larger sizes, low grafts. An awesome specimen!

Questions? Give us a call!