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Gardening and Landscaping Tips: Multi-tasking Plants

Contributed by Rick Vuyst at Fruit Basket Flowerland

“Multi-tasking” Plants

In today’s day and age we knew it would become a natural tendency; it was only a matter of time. Sooner or later the gardening public would demand the plant material in their landscapes to “multi-task.” It’s a world where we eat lunch in the car and cell phones are attached to us like a ringing appendage to be answered no matter where we are or what we’re doing. It makes me think of the lyrics of Paul Simon’s “One Trick Pony.” Simon seems sad about how complicated life is and needing a bag of tricks to get him through a working day. He seems to admire the one trick pony for its resistance to a “multi-task” tendency:

He’s a one trick pony
He either fails or succeeds
He gives his testimony
Then he relaxes in the weeds
He’s got one trick to last a lifetime
But that’s all a pony needs.

Today we ask more and more from our landscapes while due to time constraints often want to give less and less. This has given rise to landscape methods employing strategies like “hardscaping.” A statue, path or boulder provide interest year around and don’t need to be watered, covered for frost or pampered.

Asking more from our landscapes has had a positive affect on attitudes as it regards to monocultures. In dealing with insects, disease and other problems in the landscape, diversity is a positive thing. When insects, disease and other problems arise as they always do, a diverse landscape of healthy plants is far better able to handle problems naturally. In a monoculture where one type of plant is widely planted, when problems come along it spreads like wildfire. Diversity has naturally caused the landscape to “multi-task” in its presentation. Each plant has its season. The spotlight is shared throughout the seasons. The landscape “multi-tasks” and provides a colorful production for us to enjoy all year long.

Taking it a step further, I like to use plants that give 3 to 4 seasons of interest. You could call them Type A personalities that multi-task on their own! A good example is the woody flowering shrub ‘Fothergilla Gardenii’ or “Bottlebrush” shrub. This is a flowering shrub that asks so little and gives so much! It is full of unique bottlebrush shaped flowers in spring that are show stoppers! In summer the leathery foliage on well-behaved growth provide a great backdrop for your flowering annuals. Finally, in fall the color blend of yellows, reds and oranges make it one of the best plants in the landscape for fall color. This hard worker is no one trick pony. It multi-tasks to provide 3 full seasons of interest.

The general gardening public has a growing desire for plants that provide more than just a week or two weeks of color and interest. Simultaneously they want plants that don’t require a lot of maintenance. Good examples of this demand and how it’s being met is a plant like ‘Endless Summer Hydrangea’. An example of a category of plants would be “own root” or shrub roses. Roses like ‘Knockout’ or ‘Carefree Delight’ are absolutely floriferous for 3 seasons and low maintenance.

I have so many favorite “multi-task” plants that my list would be pages long!

I know you’re busy just like me, (I’m eating lunch and have my cell phone on speaker phone while I write this article), so as difficult as it is, I’ll provide a short list of some favorites for the sake of time and space. If you want more, feel free to call me on my cell phone!

Some of Rick’s favorite multi-task plants

• Witch Hazel or Hamamelis. This plant is one of the first to flower, often in late February, and its fall color is spectacular!
• Helleborus Orientalis or Lenten Rose. One of the first to flower in the landscape. Interesting rugged foliage all year long that is resistant to deer damage!
• Carex. I get 4 seasons of interest out of this tough perennial sedge. Many great varieties and performs well in the shade!
• Heuchera or Coral Bells. So many great varieties and so little time! My favorite is ‘Amber Waves’ for 3 to 4 seasons of foliage color. The flowers are an added bonus!
• Deciduous Azaleas. Azaleas that lose their leaves in fall like the ‘Northern lights’ series are easy for winter care, bloom beautifully in May and have great fall color!
• Nepeta. Fragrant foliage and reliable bloomers from spring all the way well into fall!
• Agastache. Varieties like ‘Blue Fortune’ have very fragrant foliage, long lasting flowers and provide interest for 3 full seasons!
• Bergenia Cordifolia. This tough glossy foliage perennial blooms with the tulips in spring, has fun “pig-squeak” foliage in summer and gorgeous fall color!
• Itea ‘Little Henry’. Long “sweetspire” flowers in early summer and long lasting red fall color that beats a burning bush any day!
• Hydrangeas. From the new Macrophyllas like ‘Endless Summer’ to the panicle Hydrangeas like ‘Kyushu’ or ‘Limelight’. Oakleaf Hydrangea is always a winner providing a full 4 seasons of interest!

There are so many more from Ornamental grasses to trees like Ginkgo and Paperbark Maple or Tri-color beech to the Fothergillas and own root roses mentioned earlier in this article. Start planning now to demand more from your landscape with multi-tasking plants! Until next time, I’ve got to run!