Red in spring? We think roses.

Red in fall? How about burning bush?

Burning bush - it's on fire? No, but the name and appearance might lead you to that conclusion. Euonymus alata compacta 'Burning Bush' is a deciduous shrub that gives an impressive fall color. The dark green leaves turn flaming red in the fall. A dense, flat-topped shrub with horizontal branching, burning bush (sometimes called Winged Euonymus) can grow to 6 feet tall. This plant is low maintenance, often used in commercial sites where water isn't as available. Plant it as a hedge for a burning effect or against dark evergreens for greatest color impact.

Burning bush is a most rewarding plant in the fall, and its value in the spring and summer is to provide texture and leaf color contrasts to the everyday garden.

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One of the most useful additions you can make in your garden is to plant a tree. A tree adds scale and structure to a garden and pulls together the various elements that create the overall look and feel. The tree's foliage throughout the seasons, and flowers when they are significant, will also add impact to your garden design.

Yet today, many gardens do not have the space for large spreading trees (along with their imposing trunks). But most of us have a small garden--or even a courtyard--that still can use a smaller tree to give balance to the landscape.

Sometimes gardening isn't limited by space, but by time and interest. If you love the idea of being surrounded by a garden, but you can't see yourself spending countless hours with a pruning shear in your hands, a wonderful option is to create a garden paradise on your patio or terrace in containers. And small trees will add balance and make a great addition to any patio collection. If you plant in containers, be sure to use a high-quality potting soil for best results.

Small trees are sometimes called patio trees and are usually defined as slower-growing and ranging in height from six to fifteen feet. Most produce an incredible display of blooms at some time of the year, and have non-invasive roots as an added landscape benefit.

When selecting a patio tree, allow adequate width to keep walkways, entryways, driveways or buildings clear of overhanging branches. Many small trees, although short, can spread as much laterally as vertically.

We offer a large selection of small-space trees that will be perfect for that special place in your garden or patio. Come on in and look them over--we are sure to have some you'll love!

Do all of your garden plants look like statues or mounds? If your garden looks somewhat mundane and doesn't excite you anymore, it might be time to add a little motion to your garden. Plants that sway in the breeze not only soften the look of one's landscape, they also add movement that helps remove the stiffness of many background and foundation plants.

There are a number of ways that flexible plants can soften up the landscape. Some perennials like buddleia, daylilies, salvias and penstemon offer flowers on long stems that move in the wind. With other plants, such as grasses and fine-foliaged plants, the entire plant sways. Some trees also have foliage that not only moves but even shimmers in the wind.

The key to softening up your landscape is to strategically place these swaying beauties where their movement can be seen and enjoyed from many angles. The idea is to break up your landscape and use these plants as focal points to draw attention. Unless they are trees, never use these in the background, because their softening effect will be lost to the eye.

Even if you have shady areas you can still add character to your garden with plants such as ferns and heuchera when they bloom in spring and summer. We have many great plants that will add movement to your garden. Gardens don't have to be boring, so add a little excitement to your landscape today!