Mid-Southerners are lucky to live in a climate that is friendlyto a wide variety of broadleaf evergreens.
Hollies, wax myrtles, nandinas and camellias are common becausethey are tough and require little care.
Members of the Mid-South Hydrangea Society learned about manymore evergreen trees and shrubs from Sean Hogan, an Oregonnurseryman who spoke at to the group Monday night.
Hogan, owner of Cistus Nursery near Portland, is a plantsmanalways looking for distinctive, unusual and challenging plants.
"He's the Tony Avent of the Pacific Coast," said Dale Skaggs,director of horticulture for Dixon Gallery and Gardens. "He'ssometimes in zonal denial."
That means he will install plants that are not suited to hisclimate in hopes of a long run of ideal and out-of-zone conditions.
For extra measure he will pamper those with wind protection neara wall or next to mature shrubs and trees and provide extra water sothey have a chance to make it through Portland's summers.
We could roll those dice, too, betting on a winter withtemperatures that don't plunge into single digits or a summer withtemperatures never topping 95 and rainfall that comes just as soilis drying out.
We all know the odds are firmly against that happening. And sincethere are thousands of plants that thrive without all that angst,why bother?
He also likes to be on the cutting edge of horticulture, whichmeans many of his recommended plants are not widely available, evenon the Internet.
Skaggs, a native Memphian who lived and worked in Oregon forseveral years, helped whittle Hogan's list of about 130 plants to afew that should grow well here:
The mottled evergreen leaves of aucubas make them popular plantsfor shady places. Look beyond the common varieties to new cultivars,such as Clear Picture, whose leaves are boldly blotched with yellow.
Skaggs, who is building a collection of aucubas at the Dixon,likes the winter berries of the females and the low growth habits ofone or two varieties.
The evergreen dogwood Hogan recommends, Cornus capitata , isdifficult to find. But we can grow Empress of China from Tennesseenurseryman Don Shadow.
We grow dozens, if not hundreds of hollies, including Hogan'spicks. American and luster leaf, which has non-spiny, long leavesand a columnar shape, are just a couple of hundreds we know andlove.
Florida anise, Illicium floridanum is not only evergreen; itsleaves also release a pleasant scent when crushed. Hogan's choice,Woodland Ruby, has showy red-pink flowers. It grows 4 feet to 7 feettall and about as wide.
Jack Fogg, a magnolia that grows to just 15 feet, has small whitefragrant flowers. Though still difficult to find, it might be justthe diminutive magnolia to use in residential landscapes.
Osmanthus, which are sometimes mistaken for hollies, grow wellhere. Skaggs and Hogan recommend Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacusfor its showy and fragrant orange flowers, and variegated Osmanthusheterophyllus .
Mahonias are also good in our climate. The Dixon has a collectionof about 20 varieties including Winter Sun, a Hogan recommendationthat grows 8 to 15 feet tall and has scented yellow flowers in thewinter.
Fatsias are big shrubs with large-fingered leaves that add atropical look to our landscapes even in the winter. Needham's Lace,a new variety, has thin "digits."
Most scheffleras are tender houseplants, but Schefflera delavayiis thought to be hardy in our zone.
Skaggs said he would "love" to have the 20-foot-tall tropical-like tree at the Dixon.
Flowers for Valentine's Day
Local florists are working hard to accommodate their customersfor Valentine's Day, even the worst of the procrastinators.
But you can give them and yourself a break by ordering today.
"We're offering free delivery for those who order flowers fordelivery today," said Michael Doyle, owner of Lynn Doyle Flowers."That means the recipient can enjoy their flowers at work today andthen take them home and enjoy them all weekend long."
The average price for a dozen roses is $85 plus a $9.95 deliverycharge at Lynn Doyle and other florists.
With a new computer system and expanded space, Holliday Flowersis ready to serve all of its Valentine customers.
"They can call on Monday for delivery on Monday," said Mark Long,who co-owns the business with his wife, Judy. The company deliverswithin a 50-mile radius of Memphis for $8.95.
The majority of its Valentine's Day orders are in the $50 to $100price range.
"Of course, we sell more roses than anything," Long said. "But wealso like to sell orchid plants because they are elegant and theblooms last for months."
Doyle, Long and most florists also stock ready-made bouquets forcustomers who want to drop by their stores to pick them up. Manywill be open on Sunday.
You can also be thoughtful with a modest assortment from asupermarket. Roses arranged in a vase with greenery and fillers cancost about $50 to $60 per dozen.
If your Valentine enjoys fiddling with flowers, you can presenther with a dozen cut roses for about $20 or a small bouquet of mixedflowers for about $10.
"The important thing is to buy from your local professionalfloral retailers," Doyle said. "We have more flexibility than themystery people online."
Questions or comments? E-mail Christine Arpe Gang atchrisagang@hotmail.com, or call Lifestyles editor Peggy ReisserWinburne at 529-2372.
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