Osmanthus armatus means “armed” sweet olive. Quite a funny name for a plant, don’t you think? It obviously refers to the shape of its leaves which are toothed at the margins but not prickly and I would definitely not say dangerous. They might cause a ladder but cannot bite a calf. They are dark olive green to mid green and quite large for an evergreen plant, on the other hand, 7-10 cm long, up to 4 cm wide. The leaves look very similar to chestnut leaves or ilex x koehneana.

Leaves of this chinese holly with their 3 lobes look like sugar coated, they are very glossy. The flowers will produce a load of bright red berries which will bring the ideal Christmas feeling in the winter.

Rose-of-Sharon deserves more attention for its abundant flowering in summer. These maintenance-free shrubs come from eastern Asia and are the inevitable ingredient of every summer garden which they highlight with a wide range of coloured flowers. There has been a number of cultivars available since its discovery. They have various bloom colours, shapes and sizes, as well as varigated leaves.

Eastern redbud is a lovely, deciduous, small tree or a large shrub where the word “love” is the key feature. Why? Because its leaves are in a perfect shape of a heart that we are used to draw as an icon. Moreover, Forest Pansy variety has burgundy red to deep burgundy brown foliage. If placed in a location with reduced sunlight the leaves will turn dark green.

Tree form

This trumpet creeper is really trained into a small tree. 1 or 2 meter tall trunk with a blooming crown gives this exotic looking plant a new glamour. Beautiful, golden-yellow flowers grow at the ends of new branches. They come out in July and don’t stop till the first frosts.

If you are looking for an architectural plant that will attract passers-by’s eyes but will require zero maintenance at the same time, and on top of that will be hardy enough not to worry about it in winter, have a look at this devil’s walking stick. Wondering why such a beauty is called a name like that? Keep reading, we will soon tell you and we will also assure you that this plants is a must have for those who love exotic appeal in their gardens.

Bloodgood is an extremely commercially successful variety with deep burgundy leaves. They have 7 lobes and hold the colour reliably. The leaves turn bright scarlet red in the autumn. The bark is blackish-red.

Japanese maples are the „créme de la créme“ of every garden. A majestic looking tree needs no pruning at all and we recommend to let it form its own shape.

Firethorns are thorny evergreen shrubs, planted mostly for their abundant fruits, which rippen in the autumn, have amazing colours, pending variety. The hybrids are objectively selected to prevent pests and diseases.

God bless all botanists who restlessly create new and yet more beautiful crosses and hybrids of plants, so we can enjoy splashes of colours and abundant flowering in our gardens.

Just like many beautifully flowering trees or shrubs, this flowering cherry too comes from China. It even bears a name of an ancient tendai buddhist temple.

Spring in the garden is announced by flowering Japanese cherries. Amanogawa is a fantastic variety with narrowly columnar growth. In early spring it produces masses of double or semi-double, light pink flowers that may turn to clear white later. Young leaves are bronze, changing to green in summer, and yellow with purple veins in the autumn. It never spreads to sides which makes it ideal for even the smallest of gardens. Being an early bloomer we suggest placing it in front of evergreen shrubs and trees that will provide a solid green background.

Rotundifolia is one of the most popular cherry laurels in Great Britain, Belenux, and southern Europe. It has mid green to dark green, widely ovate leaves as opposed to most cherry laurels whose leaves are more narrow and elongated and usually very dark. It makes a neat, compact habit because new shoots grow along the sides in the way that newly emerging leaves fill up the plant on its sides that you can hardly see the branches themselves. It is usually densely leaved from the ground.

Need a tree flowering in summer, ideally with an exotic look? Then chitalpa is the best choice! This beautiful and hardy hybrid was created in 1964 in Uzbekistan. It is a cross between Desert Willow with rather exotic flowers and northern Catalpa.

Strawberry ground covers, blueberry hedges, grape arbors, and 39 other luscious fruits to make your yard an edible paradise

Fruit trees, shrubs, and vines are true two-for-one plants. Many varieties are strikingly beautiful — well suited to doing double duty as delicious sources of sweet, organic fruit and as ornamental additions to the home landscape. Backyard fruit plants also tie in perfectly with the growing locavore movement. It's difficult to find food that's more local than one's own backyard!

The Common Medlar is a large shrub or small tree. In Middle Europe it grows up to 3 m tall. It has luxuriant dark green foliage, elliptic, 8–15 cm long and 3–4 cm wide. The leaves turn a spectacular red in autumn before falling. The five-petalled white or pinkish flowers are produced in from May to June.

The black mulberry is generally considered the best tasting of the various mulberry species. It is grown for its delicious, raspberry-like fruit, mulberries. They have a unique tart-sweet taste and are eaten fresh or can be used just like any berry.

Practical Steps To Create A Self-Sustaining World

The Permaculture Way shows us how to consciously design a lifestyle which is low in environmental impact and highly productive. It demonstrates how to meet our needs, make the most of resources by minimizing waste and maximizing potential, and still leave the Earth richer than we found it

Osmanthus is a genus of about 15-20, while only a few ones are hardy enough to grow down to zone 6. Those are often mistaken for hollies owing to their foliage appearance. Osmanthus is native to Japan and China, some species originate in the south of USA.

Garden Ponds, Fountains & Waterfalls for Your Home provides essential information on designing and installing all types of home water gardens, from naturalistic to formal, plus fountains, waterfalls, streams, and bog gardens.

Britain is famous all over the world for its gardens. In this book Helena Attlee focuses on twenty of the finest gardens in the country. Her choice encompasses a rich selection of sites all over England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, ranging from famous eighteenth-century landscapes such as Stourhead to quirky modern gardens such as Charles Jencks' Garden of Cosmic Speculation in the Scottish borders. Her lively text provides a brief history of each garden combined with a vivid account of its main features.

Campsis radicans - tree form

This is the species of north-american trumpet creeper trained into a tree with a real stem. It bears terminal cymes of rich red, trumpet-shaped flowers from early summer until the first frosts. Pinnate leaves are deep green and enhance its tropical appearance.