(NAPSA)—Small lots provide an unusual challenge to home landscapers: creating a colorful and vibrant landscape in a small space so that it appears larger than it actually is, without looking crowdedor overgrown. Smaller lots demand bright, z multihued flowers, shrubs and bushes to balance the impressive scale of the home; yet traditional varieties of garden plants often grow too large for modern yards. Fortunately, plant breeders have developed many new varieties of plants that will stay small and compact, yet add months of color in verylittle space. One fresh option for home landscapers is a new breedof butterfly bush. Known for its fragrant flowers that attract hordes of butterflies, the new English Butterfly series is a compact alternative to the older varieties, which can grow up to 8 feet high and several feet across. This scaled-down model growsonly 4 to 5 feet tall yet still attracts butterflies of all kinds. Hydrangeas, another tradi- tional favorite, also have a ten- dency to take over smaller spaces. The Cityline hydrangea series developed in Europe, where small plots are the norm, grows only 3 feet tall. Four new varieties have the color of old favorites such as Pink Beauty, but require less than half the space. og y Wine ninebark is a disease-resistant alternative to the overly popular, purple-leafed sand cherry. Of all the new “scaled-down” varieties, Weigela is perhaps the most exciting. Old-fashioned Weigela, a longtime staple of grandma’s country garden, has endeareditself to generations of gardeners with its adaptable nature and stunning spring flower display. But today’s homeownersare reluctant to give up 5 to 7 feet of space for a plant that has little visual appeal after Z 4 So ens gardens long after its rosy pink spring flowers have bloomed, as its unique green and white variegated foliage often blushes pink as the season progresses. If garden space is extremely limited, My Monetstill provides with maximum color with minimaleffort. Fine Wine, a more compact selec- The most stunning new Wei- it’s also quite narrow and extremely cold-hardy,too. It’s easy to put colossal color into today’s smaller spaces—without planting oversized varieties. A garden center can help you select colorful, easy-to-grow plants that fit perfectly into your small yard and your jam-packedlife. For its spring flowers are gone. The new generation of Weigela offers nostalgic homeownerscolorful spring flowers andfoliage in a smaller space. tion of the breakthrough purple Weigela Wine & Roses, matures to just 2 feet in height. Its sister plant Midnight Wine is even smaller— just 10 to 12 inches tall. Compare these smaller sizes to the original Wine & Roses, which may get up to 5 feet tall; yet all three have rich purple foliage and pink flowers. more compact Summer Winevari- gela variety is My Monet. At just ety grows only 6 feet tall and has rich purple foliage for summerlong color. Better yet, Summer LMLON, Although many new varieties have been selected to grow shorter, there are also new varieties of plants with narrower widths. Homeowners looking for an easy way to add someprivacy to the backyard should take a look at Castle Spire and Castle Wall holly. These narrow, upright plants will form an attractive living wall along the property line and need only a few feet of growing space. Another excellent choice for Homeowners who want to use native plants in smaller gardens should look at the dwarf Itea Little Henry, which reaches just 3 feet in height, has fragrant summer flowers and vibrant orange fall foliage. Ninebark, another popular native plant, has also been tamed. While older ninebark varieties often grew to 10 feet, the Lf An excellent choice for screening, Fi ne Line buckthorn(left) is narrow and extremely cold-hardy. If a garden space is limited, My Monet Weigela (right) provides maximum color with minimal effort. 12 to 18 inches in height, this compact charmerfits into a garden or patio container. It bright- screening is Fine Line buckthorn; more information on Proven Win- ners ColorChoice plants and to find the nearest retailer, visit www.colorchoiceplants.com.
