Looking for something different? Consider two shrubs for your summer garden

    If you want something different in your landscape, here are a couple of very underused and hardy shrubs for our area. Summer Wine Ninebark, Physocarpus opulifolius, and Beautybush “Pink Cloud,” Kolkwitzia amabilis, both have stunning features.
    Ninebark is a shrub that has branches with exfoliating papery bark with brown hue. The flowers are a white or pink against either a green or striking dark purple foliage.  Here is a brief selection of varieties:
    — With Diablo® Ninebark, the foliage is burgundy with white flowers.
    — With Center Glow Ninebark, the foliage starts out as rosy red with golden highlights turning deep burgundy in summer and bearing pale pink flowers that turn into bright red berries.
    — With Summer Wine Ninebark the foliage is burgundy with white flowers, a cross between Physocarpus “Nana” and Diablo. It has a more compact and graceful branching habit over Diablo.
    Ninebark takes watering weekly and during times of drought takes a little more water to do well. They do tolerate some drought. In extreme heat, the burgundy leaves may turn a more green color. All the Ninebarks are hardy in our area.  That means they are hardy to zone 3a and 4. We are in zone 5, so they will survive.

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