Model Homes - Columbia4 - 6

Before








After




















































* photos taken on June 10 2011


* photos taken on July 18 2011


* photos taken on Aug 18 2011


* photos taken on Sep 15 2011

* photos taken on April 4 2012 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on June 7 2012
* photos taken on June 28 2012 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Aug 17 2012

* photos taken on Oct 6 2012

* photo taken on May 15 2013

* photos taken on June 16 2013

* photos taken on Dec 7 2015

* photos taken on Apr 29 2016

* photos taken on July 9 2016

* photo taken on Aug 17 2016

* photo taken on June 5 2019

* photos taken on June 26

* photos taken on June 20 2024

Model Homes - Columbia5

Before

* I'm not a huge fan of groundcover Juniper, especially with Phormopsis Blight and couldn't wait to rip it all out!



After old Juniper ripped out


* after photos taken on Sep 13 2011
Sangria Encore Azaleas, Pocomoke ( dwarf ) Crape Myrtles, Variegated Liriope and everblooming Kalimiris ( Japanese ) Asters add an explosion of multi-season color to the existing Garnet Japanese Maple, Blue Holly Hedge and Globe Blue Spruce that were pruned and saved on this 1985 built home makeover. Along the driveway, I used Globe Cryptomeria as a more exotic looking replacement for a Spider Mite infested Birds Nest Spruce as well as White Drift Roses to show off the red Jap Maple.





























* photos taken on Sep 9 2012

* photos taken on Sep 28 2012

* photo taken on Apr 9 2016

* photos taken on Apr 29 2016

* photos taken on June 15 2018

* photo taken on June 5 2019

* photos taken on Aug 29 2019

* photos taken on May 21 2020

MODEL HOMES - COLUMBIA 6



* photos taken on June 10 2011 in Columbia, MD


* photos taken on Aug 3 2011
* photos taken on April 4 2012

* photo taken on Oct 3 2017

* photos taken on June 3 2019

* photos taken on Aug 16 2019

* photos taken on Aug 23 2019

* photo taken on Mar 6 2020

* photos taken on Mar 27 2020

* photos taken on Apr 22 2020

* photos taken on May 11 2020

* photos taken on May 27 2020

* photos taken on June 9 2020

* photos taken on July 8 2020

* photos taken on Aug 9 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Oct 8 2020

* photos taken on Apr 5 2021

* photos taken on Apr 22 2021

* photos taken on June 16 2021

* photos taken on June 20 2021

* photos taken on Aug 9 2021

* photos taken on Apr 30 2022

* photos taken on June 26 2022

* photos taken on Aug 4 2023

Beautybush

Kolkwitzia amabilis

The one and only species in the Kolkwitzia genus which is however related to the Weigelas and Deutzias. It is a rare native to the mountains of central China. The Beauty Bush is a fast growing, large shrub reaching up to 12 x 12 or rarely 20 x 20 feet with long arching branches. Some records include: 5 years - 6.5 x 6.5 feet; 10 years - 10 x 8 feet.
The tapered, broadly-oval leaves are up to 3 x 2 inches in size. The foliage is reddish at first, quickly turning to dull green then to dull red during autumn. The leaves are oppositely-arranged on the stems.
During late spring the shrub is covered in masses of medium-pink, bell-shaped flowers, up to 0.5 inches wide, with yellowish throats. The fragrant flowers are borne in corymbs ( clusters ) up to 3 inches wide.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 and very heat tolerant. Prefers full sun on fertile, well drained soil. Tolerant of limestone soils and temporary drought. Beauty Bush is rarely bothered by pests or disease and is rabbit and deer resistant. Pruning is typically nothing more than tidying up after blooming. It is easy to turn a Beauty Bush into an ugly bush by shearing. This is NOT a hedge. Only plant it where it has room to be itself. To renovate an aging shrub; simply cut to ground immediately after blooming; it will grow back. Propagation can be from removed suckers or softwood cuttings taken late spring to early summer. Seed can be sown as soon as it ripens. It can be soaked in water for 24 hours before sowing at 0.25 inches deep but no pretreatment is required.

* photos taken on May 5 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.


* photo taken on May 16 2010 @ Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD

* photos taken on May 8 2012 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on May 7 2014 @ London Town Gardens, Edgewater, MD

* photo taken on Apr 17 2016 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on June 17 2016 in Columbia, MD

* beautybush in Ontario, Canada

* historic archive photo

'Dream Catcher'
Very attractive with bronze-red spring foliage turning soft golden yellow in summer then to to golden-orange in autumn.
Reaches up to 8 x 6 feet in 10 years; eventually to 9 x 10 feet. Unlike the species; this cultivar is best in dappled sun in woodland gardens.

* photo taken on June 12 2014 in Clarksville, MD

* photos taken on Apr 24 2016 @ U.S. National Arboretum, DC

* photo taken on Nov 19 2016 @ London Town Gardens, Edgewater, MD

* photo taken on Aug 15 2024 in Kincardine, ON

'Pink Cloud'
Flowers are slightly larger and deeper pink.

* photo taken on May 15 2018 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on May 13 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on May 11 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken by Milan Havlis ( havlis.cz )

* photo taken on Apr 27 2023 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on May 15 2024 in Columbia, MD