My 3 favorite shrubs

They say that a parent has no favorites when it comes to their children, and really when you are a landscape designer, horticulturist or gardener your plants are kind of like your kids. 

You patiently nurture them to help them reach their own pinnacle of performance and potential.  Like parenting, sometimes the road is challenging and frustrating, but ultimately all of the effort is worth it when you achieve your end result.

The difference is though...you can choose your plants. 

I have three shrubs that I adore, covet and try to use whenever I have the application.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva'
There are a lot of great paniculata varieties, but I'll stick with this avid performer that does well in both full sun and light shade.  It has very showy white flowers that turn pinkish in August.  Its structure is upright which makes it perfect for hedges or as a structure piece in a perennial garden.  My experience is that it is much more drought tolerant than its arborescens and macrophylla cousins.  Plus you can use the flowers in arrangements, fresh or dried.

Rhus 'Gro-Low'
A lot less sexy than Tardiva, Gro-Low Sumac is my go to plant when you are looking to create a fluffy pillow of green in hard to grow areas.  It is extremely drought and salt tolerant.  But utility isn't its only attribute.  As most Sumac its fall display of red is spectacular and not to be missed.

Viburnum prunifolium

I have a long list of viburnums that are battling to be in my top three list, doublefile, koreanspice, judd, but there is something so elegant about the vase-like structured blackhaw viburnum.  They provide this great filtered quality.  And the flowers are almost a layered look.  We used them as screening in our yard underneath a Honeylocust and we have not pruned them in 4 years because we love their natural form, they are perfection.