Hot picks for 2012

The staff here at Garden Center is going out on a limb—pun intended—with this prediction: Tree and shrub sales should be robust in 2012.

Defense Exhibit No. 1: We’re finally seeing some improvement in the housing market—and nothing makes a house into a home like some showy trees and shrubs.

Defense Exhibit No. 2: Homeowners in Texas and other Southern regions will be looking to replace trees and shrubs that succumbed to last summer’s drought. (Recent rain will make watering/establishing these new specimens in the landscape possible!)

So, which woody plants will be top-of-mind this spring? Take a look at this roundup:

Flirt Nandina
Flirt Nandina, part of the Southern Living Plant Collection, has been making headlines. This versatile plant was featured in the Alabama Gardener, Triangle Gardener magazine, Tulsa World and other media venues. And for good reason. The stunning, deep-red new growth shines above the evergreen leaves of this nandina. The color persists through summer. (Bonus!) USDA Zones 6-10. http://bit.ly/flirtnandina

LA Dreamin’ Hydrangea
This shrub from the Biltmore collection offers immediate gratification for gardeners who love blue AND pink blooms. LA Dreamin’ is a showstopper with trusses of tri-colored blooms from summer through fall. Pink, blue and mixtures of those hues are set off beautifully against the shiny foliage that is nearly translucent when backlit. Hardy to Zone 5. http://biltmore.com/products

Autumn Fest Maple
Homeowners desiring a beautiful bounty of fall leaves should look no further than Autumn Fest Maple from J. Frank Schmidt & Son. Deep-green summer foliage and brilliant fall tones make this vigorous and fast-growing maple a multi-season standout. Learn more at www.AutumnFestMaple.com

Urban Columnar Apple Tees
Nothing, it seems, has captured consumer imagination like the prospect of a backyard apple orchard. The Urban Columnar Apple line from Garden Debut aims to make that dream a reality. Each tree in this collection has a bottle brush shape, short branches, and grows straight up, creating an elegant, stately, fruiting tree for small landscapes and patios. These apple trees mature to 8 to 10 feet tall and less than 2 feet wide, are hardy to USDA Zone 4, and prefer full sunlight. A choice of two varieties is required for cross pollination. http://bit.ly/urbanapple

Razzle Dazzle Crapemyrtles
Razzle Dazzle Crapemyrtles—a dwarf series from Gardener’s Confidence Collection—continues to turn heads. Cherry Dazzle, pictured here, evolves into a compact, mounded shrub. Cherry red blooms appear from summer into fall. It’s great for mass plantings, containers and borders. Zones 6-9. http://bit.ly/razzdazz