When selecting plants for our gardens, we usually consider the flowers they bear or their fall color. As we head towards winter, perhaps we should think of an often ignored aspect of the plants - those that bear colorful berries. Not only do they add to the look of the garden, many provide food for wildlife - especially to birds. Now let us look at some good selections of berry bearing plants. These are grouped according to when the fruits are borne.

Summer Fruiting

Amelanchier spp (shadblow, serviceberry and Juneberry) are woodland, understory trees. One of the best is A stolonfera which grows four feet high with a cloud of delicate white flowers in April, blue fruit in June and spectacular autumn color that typifies members of the genus. Vaccinium spp (blueberries, hackberries and kin) are definitely the most versatile summer berries, ranging from groundcovers to eight footers with white or pink blossoms, delicious berries and stunning fall color. But all require acid soil. Prunus spp include black cherry, pincherry and chokeberry provide gourmet fruits, although the ones that birds like are usually native species that thrive in poor soil.

Most of us know the Rubus spp (i.e. raspberries blackberries, dewberries, etc) provide countless species both natural and hybrids. These also provide shelter for ground birds, when grown in a bramble in unmowed grass. Among the buckthorns (Rhamnus spp) cascara buckthorn (R. purshiana) is a small hedgerow tree and coffeeberry (R. californica) a more shrub-like species. Both are important wildlife food plants.

Fall Fruiting

Among mountain ashes (Sorbus spp), S Americana grows to 25 feet while green mountain ash (S. scopulina) is a tall shrub. Both will be loaded with orange berries from late summer to fall. Most gardens do have some samples of the Cornus spp (i.e flowering dogwood, gray dogwood). C. floridus is the best known ornamental. C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood has blue berries which ripen first. Gray dogwood, C. racemosa can be grown in sun or light shade. Also common in most gardens are Malus spp. crab apples and apples that provide ample food for birds.

Often overlooked but steadily growing in popularity are the Viburnum spp (arrowwood, witherod, cranberry bush, blackhaw). Four well-suited to our area are the Koreanspice viburnum (V. carlesii) which have scented pinkish-white flowers with a spicy, sweet scent. V. dilatatum (Linden viburnum) is an upright, open shrub with profuse bright red fruits that remain on the branches into December. The American cranberry bush viburnum (V. trilobum) has a dwarf 'Compactum' form with excellent flowers and fruits. One of the most outstanding is the Doublefile viburnum (V. plicatum var tomentosum) with its profuse white flowers in May borne on horizontally tiered stratified branches. Bright red berries open in July and are attractive to birds.

Persisting in Winter

Rosa spp (roses) can provide many species with rose hips. These must be small to be attractive to birds. Some examples are swamp roses(R. pallustris) shining rose (R. nitida) and Virginia rose(R. virginianna). Many species of hawthorns (Crataegus spp) have gorgeous blooms and berries in summer and autumn. Some do not have sharp thorns. Hawthorns range in habit from small, neatly shaped trees to multistemmed shrubs.

The quintessential winter-persisting berry-bearing plants are undoubtedly the hollies (Ilex spp). Hollies can be either evergreen or deciduous). Inkberry (I. glabra) is the hardiest broad leaved evergreen available to northern gardeners. The fruits are black but not showy. Winterberry (I. verticillatas) is a tall deciduous shrub of excellent form that holds berries almost until spring. America holly (I. opaca) has cultivars 'Greebleaf' and 'Jersey Princess' have bright green leaves and berries are red or sometimes yellow. For all hollies, one needs to plant both male and female specimens to get berries. Chose a site with part sun as full sun may scorch leaves. Most prefer slightly acidic soil.

- Sunita Shastry

A common question around the Extension office this time of year is "Can I prune now?" The old adage is, "Prune when your pruners are sharp." Light pruning, just removing small or broken or diseased branches, can be done anytime. However, major pruning requires a little thought to keep plants healthy and blooming. One key to pruning is to do a little pruning every year that way you won't have shrubs eating the garage or knocking on the front door.

Timing is especially important when pruning spring blooming shrubs. Early blooming shrubs develop their flower buds during the summer and fall of the previous year. It is sometimes referred to as blooming on old wood. Therefore, as a general rule, shrubs that flower before June 15 should be pruned immediately after flowering. Pruning these shrubs in late summer, now or early spring will remove the flower buds for the season. Generally, the shrubs don't die, they just don't flower.

Spring flowering shrubs are generally pruned by the renewal method. Each spring after flowering, prune out the largest stems to the ground to stimulate new growth from the crown and remaining stems.

Shrubs that should be pruned immediately after flowering include lilac, deutzia, kerria, mockorange, weigela, forsythia, arrowwood viburnum, St. johnswort, and redtwig and yellowtwig dogwood. Shrubs that bloom after June 15 can be pruned in early spring, generally February and March. These generally bloom on new wood. Many of these shrubs can be pruned by the rejuvenation method. Rejuvenation is the complete cutting of all stems down to 4 to 6 inch stubs.

Rejuvenation is used when multistemmed plants become too large with too many stems to justify saving any one to two year old growth. In other words, the shrub is a tangled mess of stems. The following respond well to rejuvenation pruning: Anthony Waterer sprirea, abelia, honeysuckle, beauty bush, snowberry, slender deutzia and privet.

Evergreens can be pruned lightly in winter to provide holiday decoration. However, the majority of pruning should be delayed until late winter, early spring or summer depending on the species. For arborvitae, wait until mid-March and early April. Junipers can be trimmed in April. For yews, it is best to prune between late March and mid-June. Yews can also be pruned again in September. If pruned now the cut stubs may turn brown.

Pines such as Scotch, white, or mugho, are best trimmed in mid-tolate June just as the candles have elongated. Spruce, including blue, can be done in early July.

Most deciduous trees should be pruned while they are dormant, especially oak and elm. Pruning wounds on oak and elms can attract borers and beetles that are carriers of diseases such as Dutch elm disease and oak wilt. Winter also allows a good view of the branch structure. Dormant pruning of maples and birches is also recommended, since these species will often "bleed" if they are pruned in the spring. Ideally, deciduous trees should be pruned in February or March once the severe cold weather has passed.

Pruning paints or wound dressings are not recommended. These products make us feel better but really do not help the plant. The bottom line is we are entering a stressful time for plants so pruning may be best left for later in the season or next spring.

- Sandra Mason

For two and a half years I have nursed, hovered, yearned over, fed, and cosseted an orchid that I bought at the Missouri Botanical Garden Orchid Show. It was blooming when I brought it home, a delightful pale Phalaenopsis. I've always been one to follow directions exactly whether it's a recipe, oil change, or a doctor's orders. When it comes to plants, I read all materials I can find, ask experts for advice, and probably err on the side of caution rather than "daring do." The flowers bloomed for two and a half months and then gradually faded, the foliage stayed fresh and I waited anxiously, watering, misting and fertilizing as I had been told and to this day I haven't had another bloom.

Last Saturday in the middle of snow flurries that left one and a half inches on the ground my daughter, Gina, and I went to the Orchid Show at Greenview Nursery and I have a new set of instructions, completely different than what I've had before, and Gina has an orchid for the first time. Gina has a wonderful, natural way with plants and landscape. I'm by the book. We both have the same instructions. We both have Phalaenopsis. Anyone want to bet who has the first re-bloom?

I have been planning, sketching and erasing since January. As soon as I think I have the yard plotted I hear about another plant and decide to try it. Two weeks ago I was at Riverplex and another "exerciser" told me about Verbascom. I've decided to try it since it does well in poor soil, and I have some of the poorest soil in Peoria County. I think I'll keep a section of the front yard as an experimental garden. What works I can transplant to other areas, what doesn't I'll write off as I did my chem. lab experiments years ago.

This has been such a long winter. Weather wise it hasn't really been winter, but time wise a season is a season. I don't trim back or clean out all the last leaves in the fall. I like to leave a little protection for the base of the early sprouting plants. This year I've been tempted to start clearing so many times when the temperature has hit 50 degrees only to be thankful that I restrained myself when the temperature dropped below 20 degrees. My mother and grandmother always said "Never do Spring clean-up before the middle of Lent and don't plant until after Mother's Day." They were wise about many things and I quote them to my children and grandchildren so....here's to March 25 all you sowers and gatherers.

- Terry Finan

The Perennial Plant Association has named Dianthus gratianopolitanus "Feuerhexe" (commonly known as "Firewitch") the 2006 Perennial Plant of the Year. The genus Dianthus contains annual, biennial and perennial species and includes plants with the common names of carnation, sweet Williams and pinks. Cheddar Pink is the common name of this excellent sun-exposed perennial.

"Firewitch" is an evergreen selection with bluish-gray, silvery foliage. The flowers have been described as purplish-pink to magenta-pink, but regardless of which descriptor you feel fits, the flowers are bright and prolific lasting for weeks! Being a member of the carnation genus, the flowers have a spicy, clovelike fragrance. The first peak bloom time is mid-spring. Promptly shear off old blooms and you will be rewarded with a second flush in summer. Shear again, and you should see flowers again in fall.

"Firewitch" is a low growing, mat-forming, alpine plant with narrow bluish-gray foliage that remains evergreen. The foliage height is 3 to 4 inches with flowers stems reaching 8 inches. At bloom time, the brilliant flowers cover the plant. Hardy from USDA zones 3 to 9, it will perform well in Illinois gardens as long as it has well-drained soil. Plants placed in poorly drained soils will eventually deteriorate. Dianthus "Firewitch" should be placed in full sun or in light shade if the garden is in a hot microclimate.

This Cheddar Pink will be at home in many garden spots. It is excellent as a border edger, as a rock garden plant, planted in wall crevices or as a ground cover on a sunny slope. It will easily fit in an herb garden, a formal border or a cottage garden. The Perennial Plant Association suggests a few plant combinations where "Firewitch" will shine. Try it with Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica) in the spring followed by threadleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis verticiallata 'Moonbeam' or 'Zagreb'), and in the fall match it with plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides). This fall combo will offer you a double bonus. First, the bright blue plumbago flowers will compliment the color of the Dianthus foliage. Plus, the bronze/red fall color of plumbago looks great with the silvery foliage of "Firewitch."

The Perennial Plant of the Year program promotes the use of perennials. Four perennials are selected by the Perennial Plant of the Year committee from an extensive list of nominations made earlier by PPA members. Each year members cast their vote for one of the four selected plants with the following attributes:

1. Suitable for a wide range of climate types;
2. Low maintenance;
3. Easily propagated (easily comes true from seed or vegetative propagation);
4. Exhibits multiple seasonal interest.

Look for Dianthus gratianopolitanus "Feuerhexe" ("Firewitch") at your local garden center this spring. Let it prove to you that it is truly an award winner.

• Perennials: This is a good month to double dig your perennial garden...as soon as the soil is dry enough (does a ball of earth crumble in your hand). Add as much as 40 percent organic matter (This is home to your perennials for several years and they will respond and grow more vigorously to a well prepared bed). You can just spade a part of your garden - the part where you plan to plant this spring.
• Cut back those perennials that you did not cut back last fall. On chrysanthemums, wait until you see green growth at the base of the plant. Wait on lavender until April and growth has begun in earnest.
• Cut back Type 3 clematis almost to the ground (Sweet Autumn, Polish Spirit, Jackmanni, etc.)
• Fertilize your perennial garden with one pound of 10-10-10 per 10x10 square feet of garden. (A one pound coffee can hold two pounds of fertilizer.)
• Shrubs: This is the time to plant small shrubs. Again, make sure soil is dry enough. On a day when the temps stay above 40 degrees, apply deer repellent-if deer like to visit your yard.
• Yews are especially susceptible to wet soil. When planting a yew, set ball one-third above ground and hill soil around it.
• Rejuvenate privet, dwarf spirea and red and yellow twig dogwood by cutting back to ground. (My personal experience has been that my spirea still bloomed after I did this.)
• Prune forsythia after it finishes flowering. Prune all spring blooming shrubs after they have finished flowering so that new flower buds can set on wood formed this growing season.
• If a shrub is overgrown (too tall or bare stems below) prune back one-third of the oldest stems to the ground. If it is a flowering shrub such as a lilac, you will lose some bloom, but not all.
• Rejuvenate old yews by pruning now. New growth will spring from old wood. You have an entire season for new leaves to grow. You can reduce the height of a yew that has grown too tall by this method. I selectively prune an old hedge by each year removing some of the "long arms" of branches that only bend over in a heavy snowfall. Such pruning keeps the hedge full with leaves to the ground, and less likely to be bent over by a heavy snowfall.
• Prune raspberries and blackberry vines .
• Trees: Any tree can be planted now. Again, the soil should be on the dry side. Oaks, birches, crabapples, and dogwoods are best planted in the spring.
• Stake any newly planted trees that are planted in an exposed location. Remove supports after one year. Staking helps the trees roots take a firm hold.
• Pruning of trees can continue with the exception of oaks and yellowwoods.
• Ornamental grasses: Cut these down to ground level. Do not fertilize.
• Mow winter damaged vinca, epimedium, eunonymous, pachysandra, ginger, and all other herbaceous ground cover. Pruning not only removes the ugly foliage, but it serves to thicken the plant.
• Fertilize woody ground covers which grow in sun (10-10- 10), but not those growing in shade.
• Lawns: On a nice day, rake your lawn to remove accumulated trash & leftover leaves. Make sure ground is sufficiently dry enough when you do this. If you do not leave footprints when walking on the grass, it is dry enough.
• Snow mound and leaf spot may affect your lawn as it begins to grow in the spring. The disease will disappear when the weather improves. However, if this is a problem every year, overseed with improved cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass when you reseed (preferably late August).
• Vegetables: On March 15, sew indoors seeds of early tomatoes, Swiss chard, endive and leaf lettuce. Outside plant peas, and seeds or plants of spinach, dill, fennel and thyme. Plant onion sets and radish seeds.

- Nancy Crawford