Pike Nurseries recommends top shrubs for Southern gardens

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Fall planting is in full swing! Planting these superhero shrubs in the cooler, fall months provides the optimum amount of time for healthy, robust root systems to develop for prime flowers and foliage next spring. For gardening beginners and seasoned green thumbs alike, Pike Nurseries has the expert advice to keep landscapes looking gorgeous all season long!

Nine Fine Shrubs for Southern Gardens

• Encore® Azaleas
  The series of re-blooming azaleas provides rich, colorful flowers spring, summer and fall! With 29 varieties in colors ranging from crisp white to fiery red and medium-green evergreen foliage, homeowners will enjoy this popular garden staple all year. Hardy and low-maintenance, these shrubs perform well in full sun to partial shade and typically reach three to five feet in height.
• Abelia ‘Kaledidoscope’
  This Abelia variety’s bright, golden yellow variegated foliage and brilliant red stems create a striking kaleidoscope of color. The foliage emerges green and yellow, turning gold in the summer, then orange and red in the fall and winter, with tiny white flowers that bloom in summer through early fall. Evergreen in this region and thriving in full sun, these compact, low-growing beauties are perfect in patio containers, in mass as groundcover, or as a low hedge.  
• Boxwood ‘Baby Gem’
  An exceptionally compact boxwood, the ‘Baby Gem’ is typically found in smaller gardens as border and focal areas. They are densely branched with tiny green foliage that retains color all year. The evergreen boxwood is deer resistant and, once established, tolerant of dry soil. Low-maintenance ‘Baby Gem’ can be planted in full sun to partial shade.
• Hydrangea ‘Limelight’
  Big, gorgeous cones of tiny, light green blooms make the ‘Limelight’ variety a real showstopper in the landscape! Unlike the traditional blue “mophead” hydrangeas that need shade and bloom in early spring, ‘Limelight’ can tolerate full to partial sun and its flowers bloom in a light green hue in the summer then fade to a dusky pink in fall. Use this deciduous hydrangea in a container garden, backyard beds or as flowering hedges and even enjoy the blooms in a centerpiece when cut from the garden!
• Gardenia ‘August Beauty’
  Nothing beats the alluring fragrance and beauty of velvety white gardenia flowers. The compact ‘August Beauty’ sports large double blooms that have more petals than some other varieties. Flowers bloom profusely throughout mid-spring to fall and the lustrous dark green foliage is evergreen and deer resistant. In this region, gardenias perform best with morning sun and afternoon shade. They also prefer acidic soil, so be sure to use a specially formulated planting mix for best results! Plant these beauties in containers or in the landscape near the patio, entryways or walkways to enjoy their aroma.
• Compacta Holly
  Often called the Japanese holly, this elegant, evergreen shrub thrives in full sun to partial shade and makes for an ideal foundation, hedge or specimen plant. A dense-growing, mounding plant that requires little trimming, the Compacta holly produces inconspicuous white blooms in spring followed by small black berries in winter. It is deer, insect and heat resistant and extremely waterwise.
• Indian Hawthorn ‘Snow’
  This Indian Hawthorn is accentuated with dark green evergreen foliage and abundant tiny white popcorn-like flowers that bloom in spring. Blooms are followed by dark blue berries that attract birds. ‘Snow’ has a mounding, slightly spreading growth habit that keeps its shape with little pruning. It’s also low maintenance, heat tolerant and waterwise. Useful in both small and large-scale landscapes such as foundation beds, low hedges or groundcover, these beauties do best in full sun.
• Ligustrum ‘Wax Leaf’
  The glossy foliage of the ‘Wax Leaf’ responds well to pruning into topiaries or small trees. In spring, they offer clusters of fragrant white blooms that attract butterflies and black berries in winter attract birds. These evergreen shrubs thrive in full or partial sun and are waterwise once established. Perfect for borders and tall spaces or as an informal hedge or windbreak around the garden, these plants are known to reach eight to ten feet in height quickly!   
• Loropetalum ‘Ruby’
  Most loropetalums offer purple, ova-shaped foliage to accent other greenery in the landscape. This mounding, moderate-growing variety’s young leaves start as a ruby-burgundy color and mature to green for a two-tone effect. Sweet pink fringy flowers bloom in early spring and may repeat throughout the year. This beautiful evergreen is the smallest variety of loropetalum, making it ideal for foundation plantings and smaller landscape areas. This shrub requires full sun and regular watering for best results!