Two Garden Show Finds

Spring is in full swing and we all know that gardener’s everywhere are flocking to garden shows across the United States. This weekend is the Bloom ‘N’ Garden Expo in Williamson County presented by the Williamson County Master Gardeners. It’s hard for plant nuts to restrain themselves at these festivals and like everyone else I always bring home something – it would just seem wrong not to!

Here’s what followed me home on Friday:

Heuchera ‘ Midnight Rose’

‘Midnight Rose’ is a sport of Heuchera ‘Obsidian’. This heuchera’s dark foliage with speckles of burgundy-pink drew me in and said “buy me, plant me!” I’m a sucker for heucheras as it is and just had to add this one to the collection. What I like most about heucheras is that they are never bothered by deer or rabbits – at least I’ve never seen it in my garden and both those animals have been through our yard multiple times. Heucheras are also very easy to care for and survive in tough spots where other plants would fail – like dry shade. ‘Midnight Rose’ Heucheras like to grow in zones 4-9. I mix our heucheras with hostas.

Cornelian Cherry (Cornus Mas)

Cornus mas or Cornelian Cherry is a relative of our native dogwood (Cornus florida) with edible fruit. It blooms with yellow flowers in late winter and early springtime and produces cherry like fruit that many people like to make into jellies and jams. I’ve been looking around for one and finally found this little tree for $10. It may take a few years before flowers and fruit but in the end it will be worth the wait. I haven’t seen larger trees for sale in any local nurseries so this one will have to do. It grows up to 30 feet high and 20 feet wide. It’s the second member of the cornus family I’ve planted this week perhaps the second week of April should be cornus week?

What have you brought home from the Garden Shows this year?