All the Dirt on Gardening

We have a grove of trees on our back acre and have planted dozens of plant varieties back there. Based on our soil type, rainfall amount, and lack of attention (zone 7 NE OK) I can recommend some real winners. We've gardened on these 2 acres for 20 years now and these are the plants that have thrived with minimal attention. All of these are blooming now - photos taken yesterday. Viburnum shrub Daffodils planted under shade trees return every year Flowering quince in half shade  Native Phlox blooms, spreads Shasta daisies do quite well around shrubs Iris of course bloom before trees leaf out Rue Anemone spreads very slowly and blooms every spring Spicebush shrub blooms every spring and feeds Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars Virginia bluebells - native - incredible! Spanish bluebells - thrive here Native violets feed bees, butterflies

Viburnums are work-horses in residential landscapes. They come in all sizes; many have white, cream or pink flowers in the spring followed by fall berries, and autumn leaf color that ranges from gold to red and purple. Viburnums are insect and disease resistant, making them low-maintenance. Out of the 150 species most are USDA cold hardy in zones 4 to 9. There are selections for wet or dry, shade or sun. Dwarf Viburnum opulus nanum matures at 2-feet tall without flowers or fruit – ideal for foundation plantings. Its full size parent, European cranberry bush, grows to 8 or 10 feet. Viburnum opulus variety Roseum, European Snowball Viburnum, grows to 10-feet tall and has red leaves in the fall. Evergreen and semi-evergreen varieties include: Leatherleaf Viburnum rhytidophyllum (cream flowers) and Viburnum Pragense (pink flowers). V. rhytidophyllum thrives in heavy shade. Semi-evergreen means that they will hold their leaves until temperatures dip below 10-degrees F. For...