Grape – Swenson Red
The Swenson Red Grape, ‘Vitis ‘Swenson Red has large, round red fruit with a fine, sweet flavor and high sugar content. This is a delicious, crisp table grape, hardy dessert grape, or a distinctive white wine can be made from juice pressed without the skins. The Swenson Red has vigorous productive vines that are hardy to -30F. It ripens in early September. Its pleasant mild flavor is closer to that of vinifera than labrusca grapes. The leaves are shiny and free of pubescence, making Swenson Red an attractive vine for a high visibility area. This grape tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, but must have good drainage. Grapes are primarily grown for fruit production in home fruit gardens where they provide good ornamental value: bold summer foliage, showy fruit, some fall color and shaggy, twisted trunking and branching often best seen in winter. Grapes need a good support system like fences, walls, trellises, arbors or other structures. The grape vines can be quite attractive year-round and can provide good cover, screening, or shade to areas around the home. Grapes need full sunlight and high temperatures to ripen, so plant on southern slopes, the south side of windbreaks, or the south sides of buildings. Considered to be a good grape for juices and jellies. Birds love grapes, so be sure to plant some to share.
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Bellflower – Acaulis
The Bellflower Clustered Acaulis, ‘Campanula glomerata ‘Acaulis is the perfect perennial for edging paths and borders. This small Campanula fits into places the lager ones don’t. It is called Clustered Bellflower because of the tightly clustered flowers at the top of the short stems. When planted in groups of five or more, they provide a dramatic effect. The 1 inch long, bell-shaped, dark blue flowers flare at the mouth and are clustered at the top of short, rigid stems. Clustered Bellflowers bloom in early summer for 3 to 6 weeks. Campanula are not picky about soils but prefer well drained soils that are neutral to slightly alkaline. Soil should be moist but not soggy. They like cool roots so mulch is recommended where soils or exposures are hot. Plant in the spring 2 weeks before average last frost date or early fall, and at least 2 months before first frost. This Bellflower is used in rock gardens, borders, edging for paths, borders and for ground cover.
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Salvia – Sensation Rose
The Salvia Sensation Rose, Salvia nemorosa ‘Sensation Rose’ (PPAF), is loaded with pink flowers that bloom from May to August. It is a sister plant to the great salvia Marcus. Sensation Rose is a new introduction in 2007 and has a plant height of 12 and a spread of 12 and stays in excellent compact form. It should be planted in full sun in a moist well-drained area. Sensation Rose is a magnet for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds and is deer-resistant. It is hardy for container gardening and provides excellent cut flowers.
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Rose of Sharon – Diana
The Diana Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus Diana, is an upright, deciduous shrub that is a vigorous, erect, multi-stemmed shrub that typically grows 8-12′ tall. This shrub may also be trained as a single trunk tree or espalier. Leaves are diamond-shaped, dark green, slightly palmate and toothed. ‘Diana’ bears whiteflowers with yellow stems from late summer until mid-fall. This plant really requires no pruning, unless you need to remove a dead or damaged branch. Long, early-summer to fall bloom period. This cultivar is a sterile triploid that produces very few if any seed pods. Excellent flowering shrub that may be massed, planted in groups or used as a specimen. Very tolerant of summer heat and humidity. Larger flowers may be obtained by pruning back hard to 2-3 buds in early spring. Otherwise, prune to shape.
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