This beauty grows 10-15' high and will spread the same distance. It produces showy, fragrant white star-like flowers in late winter to early spring, before the foliage apears. The buds themselves are fuzzy and look a bit like pussy willow catkins. Later in the season, it produces pretty pink fruit. It also provides winter interest with its attractive bark and branches.

Full sun, full shade, part sun, part shade. How’s a gardener supposed to know and understand the best place in the garden for these plants?

This determination can be an interesting proposition! Let us begin with the definitions of the terms. Then we will digress into the nuances of gardens.

Exposure refers to sun, shade, part sun, part shade, etc. Information tags on plants from the nursery will indicate which of these exposures is recommended for that particular plant.

Full Sun or Sun: the plant grows at its optimum with full sun all or most of the day. An hour of shade in the morning or afternoon would be ok.

Part Sun/Part Shade: the plant needs shade for about 3 hours of the hottest time of the day. It also means that a plant may succeed in full sun in more northern areas that do not get extremely hot sun.

Full Shade/Shade: the plant prefers little to no direct sun. This exposure can be provided on the north side of the house or under a large dense-foliage tree.

Now that you have the definitions (as provided by the Sunset Western Garden Book), don’t be surprised to learn that there are exceptions to the rules.

The effects of full sun on a plant are quite different in cooler and warmer climates. Full sun in a very hot climate may be too much for the same plant that loves full sun in a cooler climate. That plant may need to be in part shade or even indirect sunlight in the hotter climate. Conversely, a plant that requires full shade in warmer climates may grow quite nicely in partial shade, if the climate is cool.

Physical structures can contribute to these exposure issues. Think about where in your garden this new plant is located. If you plant near a white or almost white building, along a concrete sidewalk, a plant that may normally take full sun may find that it is too hot and bright in this location. Light-colored buildings, light-colored sidewalks, and pools all reflect much light and generate more heat that might prove to be too much for some plants.

Alternatively, if your white house, light-colored walk and pool are in full shade, that same reflected light could allow you to grow otherwise sun-loving plants in the part shade or shade.

What happens if you grow a plant without following the exposure recommendation?

Flowering plants or variegated plants that love sun but are grown in the shade may not flower to their full potential. The variegation may revert to a solid green color, and the plants may become leggy and less attractive than they could be.

Plants that love shade but are grown in the sun may wilt, especially in the warmest time of the day; flower color may fade; and foliage color may bleach and dry out. The plant will live under constant stress.

There are very good reasons for the exposure recommendation on each plant tag, but many plants have built-in flexibility in a garden. Look around your neighborhood and take note of the light exposure for the plants you like. Get to know your own garden and discover whether or not you can slightly bend these rules. And above all, trial and error is the best way to learn! Happy Gardening!

April 22-25 Earth/Arbor Day!

Pass on the legacy of clean air; plant a tree today. Receive a FREE seedling tree with any purchase.

For our full year calendar of events, please click here. (pdf)

Arbor Day was the idea of one Julius Sterling Morton (1832-1902), a Nebraska journalist and politician. Morton thought Nebraska's landscape and economy would benefit from the wide-scale planting of trees. He set an example himself by planting orchards, shade trees and wind breaks on his own farm, and he urged his neighbors to follow suit. When he became a member of Nebraska's State Board of Agriculture, he proposed that a special day be set aside dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness of the importance of trees.

Arbor Day was officially proclaimed by Gov. Robert W. Furnas of Nebraska on March 12, 1874, and the day was observed April 10, 1874. Nebraska's first Arbor Day was an amazing success. It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in Nebraska and April 22, Morton's birthday, was selected as the date for its permanent observance. Morton first worked to improve agriculture in Nebraska. He then did the same for the whole United States when he served as President Grover Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture. But his most important legacy is Arbor Day.

In the years following that first Arbor Day, Morton's idea spread beyond Nebraska to other states. Today all 50 states celebrate state Arbor Days with dates that vary in keeping with the local climate--from Hawaii's first Friday in November to Alaska's third Monday in May. The National Arbor Day of the last Friday in April was chosen because many of the states celebrate theirs on that date.

Arbor Day is also now celebrated in many other countries, although they have different names and often weeks instead of days. For instance, it is called 'Greening Week' in Japan and 'The Tree-loving Week' in Korea. Planting a tree is a good idea anywhere in the world!

For the homeowner, National Arbor Day is a great day to look over the trees on the property and plan for the future. Check your trees for damage, disease and pests. Think about planting a new tree as a windbreak, for shade, or just for looks. If you are a parent, National Arbor Day is a great opportunity to share some family activity, by choosing a tree and planting it with your child (or children). If you have no space to plant a tree, consider a small, slow-growing tree in a pot — or give a tree as a gift to someone who needs some trees on their property.