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I need attractive shrubs (flowering/evergreen of some sort would be nice). I need them to grow no more than 3 feet high maximum, and to be able to survive Kansas City winters. They would be planted in a full-sun site.
No little path though.
I know nothing about gardening, nothing about shrubbery, but I do know about Monty Python and The Holy Grail! You rock! (And good luck with the shrubs!)
Yews are very nice. They're a bit slow growing but they're tough, well-behaved and take been trimmed well. I like the somewhat delicate look of yews.
I have several and they take Tennessee winters with no problem (you might be a bit colder in KC but not so terribly much).
I see yews here in Denver, and some look sort of yellowy, while others are nice and green all winter. I'm assuming they like acid soil and the ones that aren't as green just need a little acidic fertilizer?
Floridata: Prunus caroliniana
cherry laurels are pretty but can grow to become the mightiest tree in the forest unless you keep cutting them back, with....
I see yews here in Denver, and some look sort of yellowy, while others are nice and green all winter. I'm assuming they like acid soil and the ones that aren't as green just need a little acidic fertilizer?
Could be that they're iron deficient? A liquid iron could be helpful in the spring.
Roamin Red,
As far as plant ideas, how about mugo pines? The would add some greenery up against your house in the winter. I believe they're good in zones 2-7. Sinlur Stoneworks Garden: Pinus mugo mugo
I just got some loropetalum. It's very pretty...but this is Texas, so not sure about hardiness for you. I think it's 7-10.
http://http://www.scenicnursery.com/archives/loropetalum.jpg (broken link)
Hey, what about heather? I saw some at the nursery this weekend and it looks nice. Well, nice now...but does it get all sad-looking after a while? The tag said it grows up to three feet high, which would be good for the spot I have.
Camelias are evergreen and bloom beautiful flowers in the winter months. They can grow to be larger than 3' but you can control that with pruning. They make amazing hedges.
I am partial to hibiscus. They have lovely flowers during the spring and ummer, come in white, pale pink, pink, red and oragne flowers that are about as wide as the average baseball. They can grow to 6' in two years.
I also like azaleas. I bought a couple of the smaller shrubs for my yard this spring and the dwarfs will mature at 3.5 feet.
Both specimens are hardy to -20F
Don't overlook apple trees. If you get them young enough, leave the lower branches on and during the autumn, snip the primary branch (that's the branch that grows upward, bringing to tree to it's mature height) right at point it connects to the next highest branch. This will prevent the tree from getting much taller and will fill out in bush format, and still produce fruit and flowers. Never take off the lowest branches and it will provide extra depth. It doesn't kill the tree, just prevents it from reaching full height at maturity.
You can do the same thing with flowering cherry trees.
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And you shall have a..
