Blue Suede Blueberry

At a continuing education conference this week at the University of Georgia, I obtained lots of good stuff: new landscape design knowledge, signed copies of Vince Dooley’s books, and a new blueberry bush! Vaccinium x ‘Blue Suede’ is a new highbush variety introduced by UGA which boasts large, early ripening fruit and the ability to self-pollinate.

While ideal for edible gardens, blueberries also do well among other acid loving plants such as Rhododendrons, Camellias, and Hollies. Other native highbush blueberries that do well in our area include: Blue Jay, Jersey, Legacy, Patriot, and Sunshine. A few of these varieties are currently available at local garden centers.

Between the spring flowers, summer fruit, and outstanding red fall color, Blue Suede will provide three seasons of interest in the garden. Researchers anticipate it will perform well in zones 6a-9a. (Most of Tennessee is now squarely in zone 7a, according to the new USDA Hardiness map). Now I just have to find a sunny spot to place the new addition!

Image is from the American Society of HorticulturalScience

Top 10 Plants For Fall Color

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower."

--Albert Camus

Blue star (Amsonia hubrichtii) yellow

Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensiblis) yellow

Summersweet Clethra (Clethra alnifolia) yellow

Fothergilla (Fothergilla major) yellow-orange-red

Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) orange-red

Maple (Acer rubrum & A. saccharum) yellow-orange-red

Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculua parviflora) yellow-red

American Smoke Tree (Cotinus obovatus) yellow-orange-red

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) yellow

Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) yellow-orange-red

This past week was the peak of fall color in my part of the world and I had the pleasure of attending a wedding that wholly embraced the spirit of autumn. By no means is this an all-encompassing list for fall color, but the perennials, shrubs, and trees above are show-stoppers.

In many respects this time of year is the most colorful; and it’s the best time of year to add new plants to the garden. Be sure to keep newly transplanted plants well-watered as it also tends to be the driest time of year in the south with little rain and windy conditions.