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| Spirea is an easy-to-grow butterfly plant. The flowers can be trimmed off for repeated blooms. |
When some blokes walked into the rose garden, without being asked, I felt a need for some kind of fencing. Almost Eden had spirea on sale, so I surrounded the entire rose area with small spirea plants: Neon Flash.
One wag called it "Pepto Bismal colored," which is a bit unfair.
The plant - like many shrubs (KnockOut roses) - is neglected because of its hardiness. The spirea can tolerate drought, like crepe myrtle. The bush reblooms easily if pruned but seldom is. Some call this dead-heading.
I was dead-heading some drying up flowers for one guy, and he was ready to slug me. I said, "Do you want them to re-bloom?" He did not budge because he knew so little about plants.
This variety should remain about three feet high and spread to that width as well. The little fence has made a difference in defining the rose garden, without a low fence to trip over - and I would definitely do that.
In the spring I will cut it back low to the ground to renew it.
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| Crepe Myrtle is so productive and beautiful when pruned and watered. Its tolerance of poor care seems to encourage neglect, which I can see all over our neighborhood. |
