Seven Sun Flower
 A rather fast-growing shrub with beautiful  foliage and large, lovely clusters of pink or white flowers, Seven Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) is an impressive presence in any garden or landscape. In sun or partial shade it tolerates drought and can grow as tall as 15 feet with a similar spread. Multi-stemmed, it can be left to grow naturally or can be pruned into an elegant vase shape. Bonus: Removing the lower branches will reveal very attractive pale, peeling bark.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Annabelle' Hydrangea
Many gardeners consider the 'Annabelle' Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle') the most beautiful hydrangea for its huge white flower clusters, which can reach 12 inches across. This low-maintenance deciduous shrub can grow as tall as 5 feet with a 6-foot spread. It loves part shade and blooms from June into September. Its common name is Smooth Hydrangea.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Limelight' Hydrangea
The 'Limelight' Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight') is a genuine marvel. Developed in Holland, this absolutely unique shrub produces an abundance of gorgeous white flowerheads that in fall change to chartreuse and deep pink. The flowerheads are huge, 8-12 inches tall, and can be used as cut flowers. The plant can grow as tall as 10 feet with a 6-foot spread.
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Enlarge photo | | Variegated Hydrangea
Variegated Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Variegata') is an unusually beautiful shrub that features bright green foliage with vivid white margins. In spring and summer it adds clusters of very attractive pink-lavendar flowers. Grown in partial shade in well-drained soil, the plant grows quickly to 6 feet tall and as wide. This one is a superb addition to the garden or landscape and is especially effective in bringing color to shady areas.
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Shrubby St. Johnswort
Shrubby St. John's Wort (Hypericum prolificum) is a native s hrub, a deciduous perennial that features very attractive foliage and a great abundance of gorgeous bright yellow flowers  from June into August. The multiple stamens of the flowers give them a special airy, delicate appeal as well as bright color. In full sun to part shade this shrub can grow as tall as 5 feet and 4 feet wide. In sum, it's an excellent low-maintenance plant for the garden or landscape.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Candida' Weigela
'Candida' Weigela (Weigela
florida 'Candida') is a spreading, dense, rounded shrub with
arching branches, light green leaves, and pure white buds and flowers.
It grows in sun to light shade and tolerates a wide range of soil types
but prefers well-drained soils. A moderate to rapid growers, it can
reach 6-10 feet tall with a similar spread.
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Enlarge photo | | Rumba Weigela
Rumba Weigela (Weigela
florida 'Rumba') is an unusually showy shrub that features
reddish-purple leaves and a profusion of gorgeous dark-red flowers from
June through September. It blooms best in full sun but will also do well
in light shade. The plant prefers moist soil and can grow to 6 feet
tall and as wide. Rate it outstanding in the garden or landscape.
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Enlarge photo | | 'White Knight' Weigela
This bizarre, floweroid being is the ''White Knight'
Weigela (Weigela florida 'White
Knight'), an eye-grabbing presence in any garden or landscape. This
marvelous plant grows 5-6 feet tall with a 5 foot spread. Blooming all
summer long, it bears light pink buds in spring that yield flowers of
pure white. It likes sun full to mostly sunny and normal soil. If
pruning is necessary, wait till after blossoms have faded.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Kopper King' Hibiscus
'Kopper King' Hibiscus (Hibiscus x 'Kopper King') strikes a subtly dramatic note
in any garden or landscape with its maple-like, coppery red-purple
leaves and 10-12-inch-wide pink "dinner plate" flowers. The blossoms are
pale pink with red veining and deep-red centers. 'Kopper King' likes
average garden soils but soil must not dry out. It will also do well in
light shade but blooms most spectacularly in full sun. The plant can
reach 3-4 feet tall with a similar spread. It's also one of the Hibiscus
commonly called Rose Mallow.
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Enlarge photo | | Golden Cutleaf Sumac
Golden Cut-Leaf Sumac (Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger') is most often sold under the
trade name Tiger Eyes Sumac. Its new growth foliage is fern-like and
chartreuse in color changing quickly to a brilliant yellow, as shown
here. The stems are rose-pink and the leaves drape downward for a most
appealing effect. The flowers are showy greenish-yellow plumes and in
the fall the leaves turn vivid orange-scarlet for spectacular effect.
The plant needs good drainage and prefers full sun but will do well in
partial shade. It can grow to 6 feet tall with a similar spread. A sport
of the green-leaved Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac, it is sometimes referred by
that name or as Staghorn Sumac.
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Enlarge photo | | Blue Butterfly Bush
We're not sure which "Blue Butterfly Bush" this is, but there are at least three blue varieties on the market--'Adonis Blue', 'Empire Blue', and 'Nanho Blue'. Whatever the correct varietal name, the plant is a winner with its blue-violet flower clusters, which are 6-8 inches long, sweetly and richly fragrant, and make excellent cut flowers. It grows to 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide and like all butterfly bushes loves the sun and is terrifically attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Potters Purple' Butterfly Bush
'Potters Purple' Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii 'Potters Purple)
features 6-8 inch flowerheads (panicles) that are fragrant and purple in
color. The plant may grow as tall as 8 feet and, as with all butterfly
bushes, are a great source of nectar and therefore very attractive to
butterflies and hummingbirds. The flowerheads also make excellent cut
flowers.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Silver Frost' Butterfly Bush
'Silver Frost' Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii, Buddleia
x wyeriana 'Silver
Frost) is a woody perennial shrub that grows to 6 feet tall and 5 feet
wide that bears beautiful white flowerheads (panicles) 6-8 inches long
from July till season's end. The flowers are fragrant and highly
attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. The foliage may range from
silvery gray to dark green. The plant is deer-resistant, easy to grow,
and naturalizes easily. The flowerheads also make excellent cut flowers.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Purple Emperor' Butterfly Bush
The 'Purple Emperor' Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii 'Purple Emperor', also 'Pyrkeep') is one of the English Butterfly series of Buddleias. The series includes three plants developed to be extra bushy and loaded with flowers, smaller, and much more compact than other varieties, which in time can become rangy and sprawling and unattractive. 'Purple Emperor' grows to 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide and stays neat even if unpruned, making it ideal even for the small garden. The flowers are bright purple and fragrant. Others in the series are Adonis Blue, with very deep purple flowers, and Peacock, with rich pink flowers.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Rubidor' Weigela
'Rubidor' Weigela (Weigela florida 'Rubidor') is a marvel of a deciduous shrub that mixes bright yellow foliage with a profusion of vivid rosy-red flowers. It grows to 6 feet tall with a similar spread and has an attractive arching habit. the flowers appear in May. The leaves gradually turn chartreuse by fall.
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Enlarge photo | | Diabolo Ninebark
Most striking in any landscape, the Diabolo  Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Monlo') is a strain of the Ninebark deciduous shrub, native in many states. Developed by the Monrovia company, it stands out for its deep purple foliage and great abundance of creamy white flowers in summer. Given full sun it can reach 10 feet tall and as wide. In shade or partial shade, the foliage can turn green.
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Enlarge photo | | Copper Red Ninebark
Copper Red Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius Coppertina), often called simply "Coppertina," features beautiful orange-copper spring foliage that becomes a bright, rich red in summer and white summer flowers that turn into showy red seed capsules. Ideal for pondside plantings, woodland gardens, and wetlands, this marvelous shrub prefers full sun and medium moisture. It grows quickly and can reach 8-10 feet in height with a similar spread.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Diane' Hibiscus
For the life of us, we can't find any cultural information on the 'Diane' Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos 'Diane'), so we'll just have to wait to see how it does in this beautiful garden. (Clearly it's off to a good start.) Note: This is definitely NOT the much-loved variety 'Diana', which is all white without an eye.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Lavendar Chiffon' Hibiscus
This isn't the best specimen to be found, but remember, this is its first year in the garden. The pale lavender flowers of the 'Lavender Chiffon' Hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus 'Lavender Chiffon') are unique for their curious lacy, frilly centers. The plant prefers full sun and can grow to 12 feet tall and 7 feet wide. It blooms in late summer. Bonus: It can be pruned as desired and even trained and trimmed into an attractive standard tree form.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Golden Bells' Forsythia
'Golden Bells' Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia 'Golden Bells') is another marvel of a shrub for garden or landscape. We were too late to catch its bloom this first year, but it's said to be densely branched and extremely floriferous (one of our favorite words), producing a huge abundance of briliant golden-yellow flowers. In full sun or partial shade, it can be a spectacular attraction.
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Enlarge photo | | False Spirea
False Spirea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) is a deciduous shrub with visually arresting compound foliage and, in June and July, beautiful, dense clusters of tiny white flowers. In full sun it can grow as tall as 10 feet with a 10-foot spread. Most striking in the garden or landscape, it can also be used for erosion control, as it spreads by suckers. Another common name is Ash Leaf Spirea, due to the similarity of its foliage to that of Mountain Ash.
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Enlarge photo | | 'Old Yella' Hibiscus
Although this is a perfectly awful picture and we hope
to take a better one soon, it should at least give some sense of the
character of 'Old Yella' Hibiscus (Hibiscus
x moscheutos 'Old Yella'). The
flower is actually more creamy white than yellow and very large--up to
12 inches wide. The plant is a hardy perennial, grows to 4 feet tall and
2 feet wide, and blooms in July-September.
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Enlarge photo | | Mockorange
Mockorange (Philadelphus species) is a deciduous native shrub with small, attractive white flowers that resemble orange blossoms and have an exceptionally lovely fragrance. Grown in sun or partial shade, the plant can ultimately reach 12 feet tall and as wide. Species and cultivars are available in the nursery trade that offer modifications of various features, including size. Common names include Mock Orange (two words), Sweet Mock Orange, and English Dogwood.
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Enlarge photo | | Dwarf Mockorange
Dwarf mockoranges may go by various varietal names. They bloom less profusely than standard mockoranges but are nonetheless attractive and have very fragrant blossoms. Their shorter stature makes them more versatile in the landscape than the standards, as they grow to about 4 feet tall, as compared with the 10-foot height of the latter. Their size also makes them ideal as container plants.
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Getting Ready for Winter
 This bumblebee busily gathers pollen from the very last flower head on one of the Garden's hydrangeas. This was on October 10th, just five days away from the average date of the first killing frost in the Ozarks around Springfield, Missouri. Did you know that bumblebees hibernate during the winter? The honeybees keep busy throughout the season, but bumblebees take a break.
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