Tubular flowers range in color from pink and red to orange and white.
When planting in masses, use the same selection in the same hue for maximum impact.
Gardenia
This tender white flowering shrub makes any garden look classic and timeless.
Credit: Ralph Anderson
Gardenias bloom in spring and summer and individual flowers can last several weeks in bloom.
Plant gardenias where they can get four to six hours of sunlight.
In warmer climates, they’ll prefer morning to midday sun with afternoon shade.
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In cooler climates, they can grow in full sun.
Because sadly, they are more finicky to grow in the South.
(Experienced gardeners will like the challenge.)
Credit: Ralph Anderson
If you take the chance, you might just have the showiest shrubs on the whole street.
Hibiscus
Add a healthy dose of the tropics to your garden with these funnel-shaped blossoms.
Camellia
This classic flower has a longblooming seasonand loves the climate here in the South.
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
We are in the heart of camellia country, after all!
Pink, white, and red blooms can be single or double and look similar to roses or peonies.
In general, camellias grow and bloom better in partial shade, with shelter from hot afternoon sun.
Credit: Photo: Van Chaplin, Ralph Anderson
The reward is a table-worthy display of pink and white blossoms.
One plant, three colors.
And who said you needed to pick!
Credit: Ralph Anderson
Peony
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a prettier flower than peonies.
Peonies' fragrant flowers come in red, pink, orange, yellow, purple, and white.
Plant in the fall or winter in well-draining, loamy soil with afternoon shade in hotter climates.
Credit: Alison Miksch
This low-maintenance shrub grows 3-6 feet high and wide and blooms in late spring and early summer.
Weigela comes in a variety of flower and foliage colors.
They tolerate dry soil but have better growth and flowering with some water.
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That’s a whole bunch of bologna if you just pick them correctly and give them a little TLC.
Old Garden Roses, for example, are tough as nails and bloom like crazy.
They can grow 3-8 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide.
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
Give them at least four hours of direct sun each day and organic-rich soil.
Abeliaattracts butterfliesand blooms spring through fall.
Blooms of this easy-to-grow shrub come in pink, purple, red, and white.
Credit: Amy Mikler
Viburnum
For a look-alike alternative to hydrangeas, try viburnum.
This spring-flowering shrub has large, round clusters of flowers that look similar to hydrangea blooms when in bloom.
While hydrangea blooms come in a wide variety of colors, viburnum flowers are white or pink.
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Before you choose aviburnum variety, check the maturity height, which can range from 2-30 feet high.
Plant in rich, well-drained soil in a sunny location for the best blooms.
Flowers can appear from late winter into early summer.
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Grow them as specimen plants, hedges, borders, or screens.
Plant in rich, loose, loamy soil.
Plant winter jasmine in well-draining soil with full sun.
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‘Knock Out’ roses like full sun and well-draining soil.
(They can fall victim to rose rosette disease, a virus that kills the plant.)
As self-cleaning roses, they don’t require deadheading.
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Butterfly Bush
Long arching stems hold long panicles thatattract butterflies to your yard.
Check the plants mature size before buying.
Grow in clay, loamy, or sandy soil in USDA Zones 5-9.
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Drift Rose
Drift roses put on a continuous show from spring through fall.
These low-maintenance shrubs dont need pruning, like full sun and well-draining soil, and are drought-resistant.
They grow in USDA Zones 4-11.
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Flowering Quince
The more sun, the better for this flowering shrub.
Good sun exposure makes flowering quince produce more blooms from late winter to spring.
Grow in moist, well-drained soil with high organic matter.
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Forsythia
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Bright yellow forsythia blooms are a sure sign spring is here.
With upright, arching branches, the shrub matures at 8 feet.
Prune after the spring bloom if you want to control size and shape.
Credit: Hector Sanchez
Choose acompact varietyfor a small space.
They thrive with plenty of sun and some humidity.
Tea Olive
Tea olive adds color anda sweet scent to the garden.
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Small fragrant white flowers bloom in spring, summer, and intermittently throughout the year.
Glossy green leaves remain all year on this evergreen shrub.
Plant in a sunny area that gets plenty of moisture but thats not soggy.
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Use it as a hedge, privacy screen, shrub, tree, or container plant.
