Sculptural shrubs

We’re on the cusp of a new season in the garden. As the snow begins to retreat over the coming weeks, gradually revealing your garden, it’s an opportunity to study the woody framework.

Will your garden be a blank slate until perennial plants start emerging from the ground? Or are there enough sculptural elements to make the spring garden look interesting even without perennials? Shrubs, with their distinct shapes — round, spiky, columnar, pyramidal, weeping, vase-shaped or ground-hugging — add structure, nuance and character to the garden.

If you’re shopping for shrubs this spring, there are endless options to choose from that will do the job beautifully. But there are also some unusual newcomers to look for this spring.

Quirky, but elegant

Whip It Good (Thuja occidentalis) from Proven Winners is a quirky but elegant new introduction for 2026. With layers of long, thread-like evergreen foliage that cascade like a waterfall, Whip It Good is an ideal specimen plant. A grouping of this unique evergreen will have eye-catching appeal in the landscape.

If you have a nondescript area in your garden, make a bold statement with the addition of Whip It Good. Its distinctive shape and bright-green foliage will bring a standout contrast to the upright shape of surrounding perennials.

Classified as hardy to Zone 3A, Whip It Good has a mature height and spread of 91 centimetres to 1.5 metres. In our cold climate, mature size is likely closer to 91 cm. Whip It Good requires little or no pruning but if needed, it may be trimmed in early summer. Suitable for areas in part- to full-sun.

A few weeks ago, at the annual Grow26 conference hosted by the Manitoba Nursery Landscape Association, John Leperre said demand by retailers has been strong for Whip It Good. Leperre is the regional sales representative for Bylands Nurseries, a wholesale supply nursery located in Kelowna, B.C., that ships plants throughout North America.

Mugo Pine is a dense evergreen with ornamental value, but some dwarf cultivars can reach 1.5 metres in height. Valley Cushion Mugo Pine from Iseli Nursery is a very compact, dense pine that stays low and flat. Its prostrate habit hugs the ground, growing just 30 cm tall with a mature spread of 1.2 metres. Hardy to Zone 2, it grows very slowly, however (seven to 12 cm a year), and requires little or no pruning. Valley Cushion prefers a full-sun location and soil with good drainage. It is not a new introduction but rather a noteworthy shrub option.

Burly Blue Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) is another unique evergreen shrub. Introduced by Monrovia in 2019, Burly Blue is prized for its blue-green foliage. Useful as a specimen accent or large-scale ground-cover, Burly Blue has a moderate height (60 cm) and an impressive spreading habit that reaches 1.8 to 2.4 metres wide.

Useful for erosion control, Burly Blue is an easy care, disease resistant evergreen shrub that is hardy to Zone 3.

Soaring cedar

Looking for a tall, but extremely narrow cedar? Sting (Thuja occidentalis) is a most intriguing cedar with unique architectural interest. It has a tight, columnar habit. A Proven Winners introduction in 2024, consumers will find greater availability this year at garden centres. Sting can reach a soaring height of 3.6 to 4.5 metres but maintains a seemingly implausible width of just 30 to 45.9 cm. Seeing is believing, but definitely this architectural selection with its sword-like shape will make a statement in your landscape.

Sting is listed as hardy to Zone 3A but like any plant that is new and untested in our harsh climate, choose a sheltered location with full- to part-sun. Ensure even moisture during the growing season and mulch for winter protection.

Flowering shrubs like roses and hydrangeas bring colour and excitement to the garden.

Expect high demand for Always Together Rose, a new release this spring. At the Grow26 conference, Andrew Ronald or Jeffries Nurseries (Portage la Prairie), Garth Aubin or Aubin Nurseries (Carman) and John Leperre of Bylands Nurseries, each sang the praises of this hardy new rose.

“The Always Together Rose is a new rose that represents not just beauty,” said Aubin, “it is a symbol of community and support.”

A collaboration between the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, the Never Alone Cancer Foundation, and Communities in Bloom, the Always Together Rose has undergone seven years of stability trials and two years of propagation by select Canadian growers.

“The Always Together Rose is a sport of the well-known Never Alone Rose,” said Aubin. “It features a much brighter, vibrant red colour. It also has glossy foliage and prolific blooms, making it very eye-catching whether it’s grown in a container or in the garden.”

Charitable rose

But what makes the Always Together Rose really special, said Aubin, is its purpose. “Royalties are donated to the Never Alone Cancer Foundation who help support Canadians who are living with cancer.”

The Always Together Rose is expected to be widely available this year.

With their highly ornamental blooms, hydrangeas are the queen of shrubs. New varieties are introduced every year, and this year is no exception. Panicle hydrangeas are easy to care for and deliver reliable performance. Here are two standout varieties to look for this year.

First Editions Spring Sizzle Panicle Hydrangea is one of the earliest blooming panicle hydrangeas on the market. Hardy to Zone 3, it features white flowers that quickly transform to deep-red. It features strong stems, an upright vase shape and medium size (1.2 metres in height and width).

“Spring Sizzle delivers exceptional colour,” said Aubin. “The flowers are prolific and continuous. The foliage starts with a subtle red tint before transitioning to deep green. It is unlike any other panicle hydrangea.”

Powerball Panicle Hydrangea from Proven Winners is another unique variety to look for this spring. “It has unique, dense, globe-shaped blooms that start out lime-green and then change to white in summer,” said Andrew Ronald of Jeffries Nurseries. In fall, the colour transitions to a soft pink.

Hardy to Zone 3, Powerball grows to a height and width of 91 cm to 1.8 metres. For optimum bloom performance, plant in a full- to part-sun location.

If you need a tough shrub for a challenging location, potentilla delivers. Super hardy, deer-resistant, drought-tolerant — what’s not to love? OK, so you’re not exactly crazy about potentilla shrubs, but new varieties are bred to pump out more larger blooms to help change your mind.

First Editions Pineapple Tart Potentilla from Bailey Nurseries has a tidy habit (maturing at 60 to 91 cm tall and wide) with bright-green foliage. The vibrant yellow semi-double blooms continue from summer through fall.

“Pineapple Tart is low-maintenance and disease-resistant,” said Aubin.

It’s important to keep in mind that supply of new plants or plants new to our market may initially be limited or moderate in quantity. But the probability of finding the specific plants you want increases with the number of garden retailers you visit.

The thrill of the search is just one of the many pleasures of spring.

colleenizacharias@gmail.com