In article , montana
wrote:

In article ,
(Nate Everden) wrote:

Thanks for the ideas! I really like the idea of putting something
that blooms mid season in front. As I said before, I am very new to
this stuff. When you say "spirea" do you mean this:
http://springhillnursery.com/product.asp?pn=09829

Our spirea looks more like this in color

http://www.veseys.com/store.cfm?product=2247

There are many kinds of spirea. Here are three of mine:

Spiraea cinerea "Grefsheim", Elf's Home Spirea:
http://www.paghat.com/spiraea.html
There are others similar to this, like "bridal wreath" spireas, very
green, often fountaining, with small white flowers all along the branches
instead of as coryms or lacecaps. Hardy as heck.

Spiraea japonica "Bumalda" Bumalda Japanese Spirea:
http://www.paghat.com/spiraeajaponica.html
This one is very persistent in blooming & reblooming right into winter,
but not all are quite so everblooming, or will rebloom only if you
deadhead a lot. This is a basic garden-store variety of which there are a
couple dozen cultivars very similar to it, some that are more unique
including dwarf, or with flaming yellow & orange leaf colors in spring &
in autumn, most mainly green-leafed but with bronzy or magenta autumn
color, most with lacecaps of pink flowers. Some can be weedy & spread all
over the neighborhood.

Spiraea densiflora, Mountain Spirea aka Rosy Spirea:
http://www.paghat.com/spiraeadensiflora.html
THIS ONE'S MY FAVORITE BY FAR. There are similar ones like Douglas's
Spirea. They're usually offered by native plant specialists rather than
regular nurseries, they are not cultivars. A really nice large nursery may
have them.

Could add as a footnote, Sorbaria sorbifolia, Ash Leaf Spiraea aka Ural
False Spiraea:
http://www.paghat.com/sorbaria.html
This suckers just awfully well & sends long thick underground stolons to
some distance & pops up as a huge colony, & does so rapidly. This can be a
nuisance or not, depending on if you want a colony or not, or can or can't
stand to often have to dig out suckering plants. When in bloom (twice a
year) it has a lot going for it, but it needs more care than real spireas,
pruning, watering, watch it for blackspot.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/