"Abelia!" That's what my gardener advised when someone was looking for a plant that could thrive on a sunny bank too steep to mow. 

Of course! I am Abelia, a go-to shrub with beautiful, long-lasting blooms and evergreen foliage. I know how to be all things to all people, the one folks turn to when they need reliability. Butterflies and hummingbirds like me too.

Let me tell you one of my secrets. My blooms are the little white flowers on the end of my branches. Whenever one falls, it leaves behind a pink calyx. The more I bloom, the more pink shows behind the white flowers, until I have long, showy clusters in fall. Clever, huh?

The old-fashioned abelia in grandma's garden was pretty big, but now you can find several smaller varieties of Abelia, including ‘Kaleidoscope’ Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'), maturing at 2-3' high and 3-4' wide with colorful new foliage. Just look at what the plant breeders are coming up with here and here. But the best varieties? Often it is ones you can find in your area nurseries. If you need several plants, talk to your nursery or landscaper. They can scout around and see what the growers have available. 

Think about it - if you have a large bank to cover wouldn't investing in plants that cover a four-foot circle make a lot of sense? Who says a groundcover can't be a couple of feet high?  Also, if there is a lawn at the top of this slope, low shrubs can catch a rolling ball or be a visual stop for a running child. 

Guess what my gardener recommended to grow beside me on this slope? Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata), a low, dense, evergreen groundcover with pink, blue or white blooms in spring. And a grouping of three grasses would add vertical interest and winter plumes. Together we offer spring blooms, summer blooms, winter plumes and evergreen foliage - and we have some amazing traits in common. We are all deer-resistant. We are also weedchokers - plants that grow so well and dense that weeds have a hard time finding space to grow. Of course, when we are young, there will be space for weeds, but as we mature maintenance will get lower. 

Love,
     Abelia

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