Sesleria autumnalis

Sesleria autumnalis (Autumn Moor Grass) is a densely tufted evergreen perennial grass forming a neat clump of narrow, lime-green, linear leaves. In summer, conspicuous and attractive flower spikes are held erect above the foliage. They give way to lax, silvery-white panicles, 4 in. long (10cm), in late summer and fall. Easy to grow, cold-hardy, and tolerant of alkaline soils, Autumn Moor Grass is well suited for groundcover use, putting on a pleasing show.

• Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
• Grows up to 8-18 in. tall and wide (20-45 cm).
• Performs best in full sun to part shade in moderately fertile, neutral to alkaline, moist but well-drained soils. Be careful not to overwater this plant. Drought tolerant once established. Somewhat intolerant of high summer heat and humidity.
• Autumn Moor Grass is pest-free, disease free, requires very little care, and provides year-round interest
• The beautiful arching lines of Autumn Moor Grass help create magnificent and elegantly mobile combinations in the landscape. Highly versatile, it is perfect for borders where this grass will easily combine with other plants, cottage gardens , or in prairie plantings. Can be used as a ground cover or for erosion control.
• Remove dead foliage and old flowering stems in spring.
• Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in spring or fall or by division in spring.
• Native to southeastern Europe (from northeastern Italy to Albania).

Berberis thunbergii ‘Concorde’

Barberries are a wonderful foliage plant that can provide great contrast in the garden. They tolerate full sun to part shade although foliage color is always more intense in full sun. Barberries do well alone as a focal point and also make great sheared hedges. All of the barberries have sharp thorns so be careful when moving, pruning, or weeding around them. Pruning can be done at almost any time. Although they do flower in the early spring the flowers are not very showy, I grow them mainly for their foliage. Barberries are also drought tolerant and pest resistant.

Concorde has a rounded shape with deep burgundy-purple foliage that turns slightly reddish in the fall. A clipping in early spring after blooming, similar to that you would do to a boxwood, keeps Concorde growth dense and rounded.

Azalea Hino White

Snow white blooms cover this attractive dense compact shrub in mid-spring; foliage is tiny giving a fine texture; ideal when massed in borders, foundation plantings, or low screening; absolutely must have well-drained, highly acidic and organic soilHino White Azalea is covered in stunning clusters of lightly-scented white trumpet-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches in mid spring. It has green evergreen foliage which emerges light green in spring. The small glossy narrow leaves turn an outstanding coppery-bronze in the fall, which persists throughout the winter. Hino White Azalea is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage. This is a relatively low-maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry)

Bunchberry, Bunchberry Dogwood, Canadian Bunchberry, Creeping Dogwood, Crackerberry, Dwarf Cornel, Pudding Berries, Pudding Berry, Chamaepericlymenum canadense, Cornella canadensis, Cornus canadensis var. dutillyi

Attractive in flower or fruit, Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial forming a carpet of conspicuously-veined, oval, glossy leaves, 1-2 in. long (2-5 cm), borne in whorls atop erect stems. Medium to dark green, the deciduous foliage turns showing wine-red to purple shades in the fall. In late spring to midsummer, a heavenly array of star-like blooms appear. They consist of four narrowly pointed white bracts which surround the center cluster of tiny yellowish-green flowers. The blossoms give way to dense clusters of edible berry-like fruits in late summer, which ripen to bright red and persist into fall, unless devoured by hungry birds. Bunchberries can be added to puddings, preserves and sauces. This dwarf species of dogwood spreads by underground stems and makes an excellent ground cover in the moist, acidic woodland garden.

• Grows up to 4-9 in. tall (10-22 cm) and 6-12 in. wide (15-30 cm).
• Performs best in full sun to part shade, in moist, acidic to neutral, well-drained soils.
• No serious insect or disease problems. Keep an eye out for horse chestnut scale. Deer and rabbit resistant.
• Great choice as a groundcover, for woodland gardens.
• Propagate by seed or division. Sow seeds in fall or provide cold stratification. Plants will not flower until the third year.
• Native to Eastern Asia, Greenland, northern North America.

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Vaccinium Vitis-idea, commonly called lingonberry, is a short, mat-forming, evergreen shrub native to boreal pine forests, rocky barrens, bog edges, heaths, arctic tundra, and mountain slopes in the northern reaches of Europe, Asia, and North America. Mature plants will reach up to 1' tall and spread by underground rhizomes to form colonies 3' wide or more. The glossy, dark green, oval leaves are held on thin, wiry stems and can reach around 0.5" long and 0.25" wide. Loose, terminal clusters of 3-10 small, nodding, white to pink blushed, urn-shaped flowers bloom in spring and are followed by small, bright red, round, tart berries. The berries are eaten by birds including grouse, ravens, and migrating songbirds as well as mammals including voles, chipmunks, foxes, and black bears. The foliage is an important winter food source for moose, caribou, and hares.

Girard's Pleasant White Azalea

Girard's Pleasant White Azalea will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It requires evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth but will die in standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Girard's Pleasant White Azalea is an open multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low-maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.