Perennial Climbers to Start Growing Now
By Ava Green
Great garden design plays with height, and vines are among nature’s most elegant solutions. They transform a bare wall, a plain fence or an open pergola into something that feels alive and intentional. And because these are perennial climbers, they come back every year, a little fuller and more beautiful than the season before.
Start growing one of these beauties now, and you’ll be enjoying them for years to come!
Clematis
Clematis has earned its place as one of the most loved climbers in the garden, and once you discover the extraordinary range of flower shapes, sizes and colours available, you will understand why.
For a look that feels straight out of an English cottage garden, pair a Clematis with a climbing rose. The two intertwine beautifully, flowering together in a spectacular combination.
Honeysuckle
The sweet, heady scent of Honeysuckle wafting through the air on a warm summer evening is a good reason to include this climber in your garden. But its tubular or trumpet-shaped blossoms are also irresistible to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies, making it valuable to your local ecosystem too. Few vines reward you quite so generously for so little effort.
Climbing Hydrangea
It may be slow to start, but once it’s established, Climbing Hydrangea grows with remarkable vigour, covering walls, fences and structures in lush, deep green foliage. No trellis is needed; it produces its own aerial rootlets that allow it to cling independently to almost any hard surface. In summer, the entire plant is blanketed in elegant white lacecap flowers! It tolerates shade better than most climbers, making it an exceptional choice for a north-facing wall or a shady spot in the garden.
Porcelain Vine
This fast-growing climber is a treasure for its extraordinary ornamental berries. Clusters of small, jewel-like fruits that ripen through a stunning progression of colours, from pale pink and lilac to a rich purple and a remarkable, almost iridescent turquoise blue, all appearing at the same time in fall. Train it up a fence, trellis or structure to let it climb, or allow it to trail gracefully down a slope or over a retaining wall for beautiful low-maintenance ground coverage. Please note: the berries are strictly ornamental, and not for eating.
Graceful, Useful and Very Worthwhile
Vines provide something that few other plants can; they add height, softness, privacy, and beauty all at once. They can disguise an unsightly fence, cool a sun-baked wall with natural shade, frame a garden entrance, or simply bring a sense of lushness to a space that feels too bare or flat.
Find Your Perfect Vine at Eising Garden Centre
Not sure which vine is right for your space? Bring us your questions and, if you have them, a photo of your wall, fence, or structure. Our team will help you find the perfect climber for your light conditions, your soil, and your vision. We’d love to help you get growing your perfect vine!
By: Ava Green
One of the best things about living in southern Ontario is the beautiful show our deciduous trees and shrubs put on each fall.
Autumn is also the perfect time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. The sun is less intense, temperatures are slightly cooler, and with regular, deep watering, the plants are less prone to transplant shock, ensuring a successful planting.
As the leaves begin to change, they mark the arrival of autumn, a season full of colour and celebration. If fall is a special time of year for you, our staff have handpicked their favourite deciduous trees and shrubs with the most stunning seasonal displays. Here are their top recommendations.
Autumn Blaze Maple
Botanical Name: Acer x freemanii 'Jeffersred'
This tree is a cross between the fast-growing Silver Maple and the showy Red Maple - two very popular trees!
Autumn Blaze will provide a display of colour throughout autumn by starting earlier and lasting longer than most other trees. It’s large, with 5-inch leaves that begin by turning red at the top, then eventually shades of red and orange cascade down the length of the tree.
Even in the winter, this is a beautiful specimen because its shape is so symmetrical.
Seven-Son Flower
Botanical Name: Heptacodium miconioides
Considered a small tree or large shrub, Seven-Son Flower is popular for its year-round beauty!
Growing to a maximum of 6.1 metres (20 feet) tall and 3 metres (9.8 feet) wide, the leaves of this plant change from spring to summer, making it an interesting specimen plant in the garden.
The biggest attraction is the fragrant white blooms it produces late in summer, which are highly attractive to hummingbirds and other pollinators. As the blooms fall, they leave behind pink sepals, so it looks like it’s in bloom all over again!
Its unusual bark makes this tree beautiful year-round, but especially in the winter.
Washington Hawthorn
Botanical Name: Crataegus phaenopyrum
Leaves that turn vibrant shades of orange, purple or scarlet red in the fall are just part of the beauty of this small tree.
This is another specimen with year-round interest. In early spring, reddish-purple leaves emerge, which eventually turn dark green, followed by graceful white flowers. After its fall show, it produces bright red berries that last for most of the winter.
Maturing at 8 to 9 metres (25-30 feet) tall, Washington Hawthorn is also an important nectar plant for pollinators and provides food for birds in the winter.
Barberries
Botanical Name: Berberis thunbergii
Concorde Japanese Barberry
Rose Glow Japanese Barberry
Ruby Carousel Japanese Barberry
Depending on the type of Barberry these deciduous shrubs can grow ½ to 3 metres (1-10 feet) tall and have varied shapes and features as well. For example:
- Barberry, Concorde (Berberis thunbergii 'Concorde')forms a nice globe when it's mature. Leaves start out red and gradually turn a deep, dark purple as they mature.
- Barberry, Ruby Carousel (Berberis thunbergii 'Bailone') is a compact variety with vibrant, ruby-red foliage.
- Barberry, Rose Glow (Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow') which matures to 1 to 1 ½ metres (3-5 feet) tall, starts out with a combination of green, white, and deep rose-red foliage in the spring. In the fall, it produces bright red berries that persist into winter.
Beautyberry, Pearl Glam
Botanical Name: Callicarpa 'NCCX2'
While many Beautyberry are showy in the fall, Pearl Glam is an upright, small shrub that has all-season interest. Its dark purple foliage emerges in the spring that lasts until frost.
In late summer it’s adorned with white flowers which attract butterflies and bees. After blooming it produces hundreds of beautiful violet-purple berries which last long after the leaves have fallen.
Crepe Myrtle, Cherry Mocha
Botanical Name: Lagerstroemia 'Cherry Mocha'
Another small ornamental deciduous shrub with an upright growing habit, Cherry Mocha Crepe Myrtle has decorative appeal in every season.
Burgundy coloured stems with semi-glossy burgundy leaves makes this plant stand out. To add to that, new growth at the tips starts out glossy, deep red. If that’s not enough, in late summer and early fall, the blooms on this cultivar are large, cherry-red flowers which stand out from the burgundy foliage. Its flowers late in the season provide important food for bees. After flowering, green seed pods provide extra interest.
Note: Have you ever wondered why leaves on trees and shrubs change each fall? Here’s a simple explanation. During the long, sunny days of summer, trees and shrubs produce plenty of chlorophyll - the food needed to keep the leaves green. In autumn, as the days grow shorter and temperatures are cooler, there is less chlorophyll produced and the plant breaks down residual chemicals on the surface of the leaves which produces shades of red, orange and yellow.
You’ll find more information in our handy Eisings online Plant Finder!
The much-loved boxwood hedge has been a classic for centuries and is widely used in gardens worldwide. Neatly trimmed and manicured boxwood becomes the framework for containing everything from roses to riots of perennial blooms. From extensive estate gardens to small and modest yards, boxwood is a versatile shrub that earned its place by being easy to care for and prune.
Unfortunately, this staple shrub has trouble brewing, which impacts its leafy lifespan.
Since its first appearance in Ontario in 2014, the Boxwood Blight has become a significant concern for gardeners. However, the University of Guelph is not sitting idly by. They are actively researching this issue and working hard to find solutions to protect beloved boxwood shrubs.
Sometimes, being popular isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Because Boxwood is a widely planted favourite, a new pest attracted to it, the Boxwood Moth (from Asia), has easily spread and is infecting shrubs.
Beautiful Boxwood Alternatives
Boxwood Blight and Boxwood Moth do pose severe threats to Boxwood shrubs, but here's the good news—many shrubs make great alternatives! Using a similar shrub is one of the simplest solutions to Boxwood's issues. You have lots of options to protect and diversify your garden.
Inkberry Holly
The closest Boxwood lookalike is the Inkberry holly. It naturally grows in a rounded evergreen mound, can be trimmed like a traditional boxwood hedge, and has other enticing bonuses! Not only is it native to North America, but unlike boxwood, it blooms. In the spring, Inkberry holly is covered in showy white flowers, making it a standout alternative to boxwood. Here at Eising Greenhouses, look for Gem Box Inkberry Holly.
Upright Junipers
Blue Arrow and Moffat Blue Junipers make beautiful hedges and stand-alone accent trees. Both have an elegant upright form, striking blue evergreen foliage, and silvery blue berries from late spring to late fall. If that isn’t enticing enough, add drought tolerance to the list of features!
Showy Shapes and Standards
Consider a standard evergreen or a dwarf variety that has been pruned and sculpted to become a piece of art if you want to add something even more unusual. What’s a standard? It’s usually a single trunk with a plant at the top, like a compact evergreen shrub.
Standards and shaped dwarf evergreens can make a bold statement or add wonderful whimsy to your garden. We have lots to choose from, but here are a few examples to get your imagination going!
When it comes to replacing boxwood, there are many creative solutions and beautiful plants to choose from!
For more information:
Landscape Ontario - Boxwood Blight and Boxwood Moth
Toronto Master Gardeners - Rethinking Boxwood
Canada.ca - Box tree Moth
You're probably not alone if you’ve never heard of Haskap berries. Haskap, Honeyberry, Swamp Fly Honeysuckle and Edible Honeysuckle are just some of the many names for one outstanding fruit shrub! Let’s stick with one name, Haskap.
Nutritious and Delicious
Haskap fruit looks like an elongated blueberry but has a unique taste similar to that of a raspberry. It’s juicy, flavourful, and full of nutrition. This berry is high in vitamin C, A, potassium, and fibre and has triple the antioxidants found in blueberries!
Growing Haskaps
Unlike blueberries, Haskaps do not require highly acidic soil or any special soil at all.
Haskaps are drought tolerant, extremely cold tolerant, need very little pruning, have no thorns and don’t sucker. This means they are well-behaved and don’t spread beyond their globe-shaped bushes.
To produce fruit, Haskaps need:
- at least one other Haskap shrub nearby
- the shrubs must be of at least two different varieties
- the varieties must bloom at the same time for cross-pollination to take place
Haskaps do not like chemical fertilizers. Compost or composted manure near the base of the shrub will provide all the nutrients new plants need, and an application of the same each spring afterward.
For optimal fruit production, Haskaps love full sun and open space. Their shallow roots do not like to be crowded by weeds or other plants. A wide circle of mulch should be placed at its base to prevent weeds or other plants from growing around the shrub. However, be sure to keep the mulch away from the stems. That tip is important for all mulched plants, trees, and shrubs.
Harvest Time
Before the fruit on your Haskap shrub begins to form, it’s a good time to cover it with bird netting. Birds love Haskap berries as much as we do! Even if the fruit is under-ripe, birds will eat it.
Figuring out when the berries are ripe is a bit of an experiment, as they can be dark blue on the outside for several days before they are fully ripe on the inside. Because the fruit does not ripen after picking, it is best to taste a berry to see if the inside is still green. Ripe fruit will be completely purple on the inside.
Haskaps may begin producing a few berries their first year, and the amount of fruit will increase yearly. A little initial patience will pay off in spades because a mature shrub will produce 6 to 10 pounds of fruit—enough to eat, freeze, make jam, ice cream, juice, wine, or maybe even share!
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