Shannon Downey

shannon@springmeadownursery.com
Office: 616-223-3368
Twitter: Shannon_PW

Searching for inspiration and information for your next story? Through the Greenhouse Glass, a blog for garden writers, is your place for tips to hone your craft, resources to make it easier, and a behind the scenes look at what life is like through the greenhouse glass at Spring Meadow Nursery and Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs.

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• Garden Variety: Hydrangeas add burst of midsummer color
  Lawrence Journal-World
  June 17, 2017
  Hydrangeas have a long bloom time, with flower heads that can also be dried for fall arrangements. more
• Hydrangeas bring color and consistency to landscape
  The Telegraph
  June 9, 2017
  If your landscape doesn’t already boast at least one of these showy and reliable plants, consider adding some this fall. more
• How to Grow Clematis this Summer
  Renton Reporter
  May 31, 2017
  The beginning of June is summer clematis season. This queen of the vines grows better in our cool summer climate than anyplace e more
• How to Pick the Perfect Hydrangea Variety
  The News & Observer
  May 27, 2017
  Hydrangeas are one of the stars of summer landscapes. They’re so easy to grow, so dependable and so beautiful. more
• You Can Grow Small Shrubs in Containers too
  Omaha World-Herald
  May 26, 2017
  There are now many smaller varieties on the market sized just right for large containers. more
• Versatile Viburnums Easily at Home in Landscape
  The Courier
  May 20, 2017
  Viburnums are very versatile and useful in the landscape more
• High-Impact Native American Shrubs
  Ecological Landscape Alliance
  May 15, 2017
  In recent years homeowners have developed a consciousness about the need to include more native plants in their gardens. - See m more
• Go Native with Landscaping
  Akron.com
  May 18, 2017
  The interest in natives is increasing and for good reason, as many native plants are showy, compact and make terrific landscape more
• Hydrangea in Minnesota
  The Journal
  May 14, 2017
  Beautiful hydrangea bushes reward you each year with magnificent blooms more
• Plants that Please the Pollinators
  San Diego Union-Tribune
  May 12, 2017
  Bees, butterflies and birds are as much a part of a garden as the plants. more
• 10 Great Plants for the Shady Spots in Your Garden
  Country Living
  April 18, 2017
  Dress up the shady places in your garden with splashes of color. These shade-loving plants will make those dark corners shine! more
• Scents & sensibility: Lilacs are wonderful additions to the landscape
  The Courier
  April 23, 2017
  Scent and Sensibility Pink,” introduced last year by Proven Winners, is the newest in the reblooming lilac series. more
• Small Garden? These Shrubs Won’t Crowd You Out
  Wall Street Journal
  March 30, 2017
  It's the dream many a homeowner: a property full of mature trees, endless flower beds overflowing with English-Country-Garden more
• Taking the mystery out of pruning hydrangeas
  Kansas City Star
  March 17, 2017
  Hydrangeas have long been popular in the landscape. They have an allure. more
• New crop of hydrangeas fill gardens with blooms
  The Daily Herald
  March 5, 2017
  Diminutive in dimensions but colossal in character, hydrangea arborescens Invincibelle Wee White is the first dwarf Annabelle. more
• Colorful storm brewing in the spring garden
  Killeen Daily Herald
  February 25, 2017
  There has been a storm brewing in North Carolina and it is one that will prove to beautif landscapes across the country. more
• Plant of Merit: Clematis ‘Brother Stefan’
  The Daily Herald
  February 11, 2017
  Clematis “Brother Stefan” is named for the renowned Jesuit priest Brother Stefan Franczak more
• Ninebarks adaptability make for an appealing choice by gardeners
  Daily Herald
  February 10, 2017
  Adaptability to their growing conditions, cold hardiness and their dense growth habit make ninebarks an appealing choice for gar more
• Plants add color and interest to winter landscape
  TRIBlive
  December 16, 2016
  Red twig dogwoods and other plants can help get gardeners through the winter, by adding some color to the gray landsca more
• A shrub to brighten the dog days of summer
  The Washington Post
  August 3, 2016
  The rose of Sharon likes heat and sun, another reason it's so valuable in summer more
• Meet two heroes of the plant world
  Charlotte Observer
  September 21, 2016
  Stellar performance with excellent blooms through a very hot summer. Limelight, suited for light shade to full sun, has not been more
• Location key to growing lush hydrangeas
  Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
  August 26, 2016
  Little Lime Hardy is a small but mighty shrub reaching a height of 36 to 60 inches. Blooms appear on old and new wood. more
• All the Dirt on Gardening: Hydrangeas are carefree, colorful
  Muskogee Phoenix
  June 15, 2016
  Hydrangea shrubs began blooming a month ago and, depending on the variety, will be in bloom through the fall. more
• Want flowers? Think of smaller, compact shrubs
  Buffalo Niagara Gardening
  May 31, 2016
  When you’re shopping for plants for your garden, don’t overlook shrubs. more
• Red, White and Blue Flowers for Memorial Day
  Good4Utah
  May 26, 2016
  'Blue Chip Jr.' is a drought tolerant and deer resistant garden plant. more
• There are plenty of new trees and shrubs this year to tempt you
  The Seattle Times
  April 14, 2016
  Trees AND shrubs grow up to form the architecture of the garden, so are best selected with care. more
• When you love lilacs, but they don't love you back
  The Washington Post
  April 18, 2016
  Some flowering plants have an irresistible nostalgia quotient, something as emotionally potent as it is indefinable. more
• Landscape: Fresh Faces for Your Garden
  LaDue news
  April 14, 2016
  As weather warms and the spring bloom surrounds us, a gardener’s itch takes hold. more
• Late summer color a harvest for eyes
  The Olympian
  August 30, 2015
  This is the time to celebrate the shrubs that offer late summer color. Take a look. more
• 18 Bigleaf Hydrangea Blooms
  HGTV
  September 9, 2015
  Who doesn't love hydrangeas? Fill your garden with popular lush bigleaf hydrangeas for classic crowd-pleasing blooms. - See more more
• 10 New Hydrangeas You'll Want to Grow Now
  This Old House
  August 21, 2015
  Updated versions of summer's favorite shrub offer an expanded range of colors—and blooms that add interest through fall more
• Stunts pulled by hydrangeas wow garden watchers
  The News Tribune
  July 15, 2015
  The leaves may be smaller but the flowers are bigger on these tough, more cold-hardy hydrangeas... more
• 7 Shrubs for Shade Gardens
  HGTV
  March 11, 2015
  See our favorite shrubs that flower and flourish in the shadows. more
• New Trees, Shrubs, and Vines for 2015
  Better Homes and Gardens
  February 1, 2015
  Add beautiful color and texture to your landscape with the newest picks for 2015. more