Rich Wall Covering for the Great Outdoors

Soften the harsh look of any masonry structure with the Boston Ivy plant.
Brick, stone and concrete walls are without a doubt the ones that will withstand the elements for the longest span of time. Sometimes, too much of a good thing is too monotonous. You can add ambience a towing brick building. Or add warmth to the barrier presented by privacy walls.

You can rapidly add ageless beauty to even the most unattractive walls.
Boston Ivy will quickly climb and fill in large areas with dark, glossy green leaves from spring to fall. When the chill of autumn fills the air, the entire plant will be radiant red. Imagine this striking accent against the bright yellows and gold fall foliage of shade trees. This easy to grow climber will hold onto those showy leaves longer than many other deciduous plants.

Boston Ivy plants are easy to grow.
Sometimes called Cottage Ivy or Boston Creeper, this beautiful plant does well even in poor soil. Once established, it has good drought tolerance and can adapt to a wide range of climate conditions. In the northern reaches of its hardiness zone, Boston Ivy can be late at leafing out. The richness of those large, shiny leaves makes it well worth the wait. This plant is very popular for disguising unattractive building designs in many locations.

You won’t need to invest a lot of money to soften or cover a cold or ugly wall.
When given the space to spread without restriction, one plant can get up to 50 feet wide over time. You don’t want to grow this on painted surfaces. It is best to plant at least 15 feet away from any such area. The chemicals in the roots of the climber will destroy the paint. In some design themes, this age-old appearance may lend great flair to a time worn patina. Shabby chic is just as wonderful inside as it is in your outdoor living areas.


When shopping for Boston Ivy, you will want to look for larger plants.
Some nurseries will state that you should plant one every two feet for quick coverage. In truth, you will have much more pleasant results if you buy Boston Ivy plants that have well developed root systems. To enjoy the beauty faster, you will want to start out with plants that already a 1-gallon size and plant them at least 10-12 feet apart.

Opulent Spring Bloom Queen

The beauty of spring is enriched with these big, beautiful flowers.
Professional designers will often find a spot for the Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum opulus) in almost any landscape they work on. This large shrub has many points of interest. Beginning with the white ball-type flowers up to 5 inches across. Flowering so thickly, the plant will look like a late spring snow bank.

The foliage of the Snowball Bush offers good textural interest.
All plants are attractive in flower, but those that have outstanding leaves can heighten the any landscape design. The foliage of this Viburnum resembles three-lobed maple leaves. The coloring will be rich, attractive green over the summer months. As cooler weather arrives in fall, each leaf will turn to sun kissed gold.

For a long-lived shrub where height is needed, this is an excellent plant.
The Chinese Snowball Bush is not only attractive; you will find it very easy to grow. This Viburnum will adapt to a wide variety of soils and growing conditions. These shrubs are quite drought tolerant once established and mature to 8-10 feet tall and wide. You will get the best flowering results when planting this bush in full sun, though it tolerates quite a bit of shade. Viburnums grown in a mostly shady situation will not flower at all.

The Snowball Viburnum works well with many other plants in your landscaping.
To establish a really dazzling early season display, you can pair this beautiful shrub up with almost any other same time bloomer. Consider creating a planting that also features Encore Azaleas and some low growing purple leaved shrubs such as Crimson Pygmy Barberry. To really heighten the beauty of such a landscape planting, add a few perennials to extend the beauty through the season.

You will love the changing beauty of this deciduous shrub in your yard.
The hummingbirds will be most delighted with your choice in plants and feed on the blossoms. Once spent, the flowers of Snowball Bush produce brilliant red berries as a bonus color point. Birds are attracted to the berries as a source of food.

It’s hard to find a landscape plant with so many benefits to offer your yard.
Now you can easily understand why a professional designer will seek out the right spot to include this shrub in almost every yard. The Snowball Viburnum is wonderful as a tall specimen plant or planted as a hedge. It grows rapidly and will fill to offer warm season privacy where it many be needed.