Globosa blue spruce (Picea pungens ‘Globosa’) provides a pop of color in a green, green, green landscape. Contrast is important in landscape design. Globosa blue spruce is a cultivar of Colorado blue spruce, so it has that characteristic bright blue with greenish blue undertones. Where … Continue readingGlobosa Blue Spruce | Picea pungens globosa
If you were to tell me that you don’t like Virginia native plants, I’d say to check out Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) and then see if you feel the same way. It’s at home in all sorts of landscapes, from formal to wild. Here’s what … Continue readingSweetbay Magnolia | Magnolia virginiana
When I was a kid, with a very active imagination, my friend’s parents bought a new fridge. Seeing that cardboard monolith that I could turn into a fighter plane. I couldn’t help but say “dude, sweet box!” Nowadays, when I say Sweetbox I’m talking about … Continue readingSweetbox | Sarcococca
Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja ‘Green Giant’) actually has nothing to do with the jolly green giant, which is kind of a bummer. I used to love those commercials as a kid, although I wondered how “ho ho ho” could sound so different coming from him … Continue readingGreen Giant Arborvitae | Thuja ‘Green Giant’
Emerald Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’) is one of those trees that everyone seems to know. They’re a really popular screening tree, which is why you see them all over neighborhoods in Virginia. As I’ve been researching plants for these blog posts, I’ve been digging around … Continue readingEmerald Arborvitae | Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’
Little Gem Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’) may just be the tree you didn’t know you were looking for. If you’ve spent any time in the South, you’ve most likely seen massive Southern magnolias. At places like George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the magnolias are so … Continue readingLittle Gem Magnolia | Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’
Here at Revolutionary Gardens World HQ, we refer to Judd Viburnum (Viburnum x juddii) as “the drunk dial plant.” Here’s why: Way back when I first started the business, we did a Culpeper landscape installation in the springtime. The clients have a curved deck, and … Continue readingJudd Viburnum | Viburnum x juddii
Starting a few years ago, I went on a pretty huge Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’) kick. I think this mass planting I saw at Barren Ridge Vineyards is partly to blame. The thing is, Annabelle hydrangea has a lot going for it. Those white … Continue readingAnnabelle Hydrangea | Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’
Every time I plant a Pin Oak (Quercus palustris), I feel like the subject of a Buzzfeed article. “This designer planted a Pin Oak and you won’t believe what happened next.” What happened next is it did great! They’re just great trees that I think … Continue readingPin Oak | Quercus palustris
Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia ‘Lynwood’) is somehow underappreciated and overused. How does that even happen? The first yellow blooms you see in Virginia, often as early as February, are Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum). They’re a pale, sort of washed-out yellow. The next set of yellow … Continue readingForsythia | Forsythia x intermedia ‘Lynwood’