The end of fall is the time to plan for the future of our gardens. Thinking about spring gets us through the upcoming cold, dark days. One of my more exciting discoveries while planning during last year’s downtime was Tuxedo™ weigela. I’m not a big fan of pink in the garden, and most weigelas have pink or red flowers. Tuxedo™ is an exception, with sassy black foliage backing beautiful white blossoms. It’s a favorite new addition to my stock of rugged plants.

Small, blackish green leaves emerge in midspring. They gradually expand and lengthen while becoming extremely lush. The foliage maintains a dark purple-black hue, unlike the red-blacks that are often the norm with so-called black leaves. White flowers on short purple stems soon join the party, hanging out in groups like debutantes waiting to be asked to dance. Hummingbirds and butterflies also come to dip into the fragrant, creamy, tubular blooms.

Sturdy stems help this shrub maintain its place in the garden; it’s the perfect size to add bulk, but not so big that it will take over. Tuxedo™ needs six or more hours of sun to maintain its dark and handsome leaves. Deer and rabbits are not included in its party, however, giving you yet another reason to love this plant. My plan is to add some other black-and-white plants with proven track records this year, such as ‘Espresso’ geranium (Geranium maculatum ‘Espresso’, Zones 3–8) and ‘Cappuccino’ astilbe (Astilbe arendsii ‘Cappuccino’, Zones 4–8), to get some color repetition throughout my beds and really rev things up.

Tuxedo™ weigela

Weigela ‘Velda’

Zones: 4–8

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil

Native range: North China, Korea, and Japan

Susan Calhoun is the owner and principle designer at Plantswoman Design in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Illustration: Elara Tanguy

Sources:

• Nature Hills Nursery, Omaha, NE; 402-934-8116; naturehills.com
• White Flower Farm, Litchfield, CT; 800-503-9624; whiteflowerfarm.com

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Plant Covers Freeze Protection 10 ft x 30 ft Floating Row Cover 0.9oz/yd²

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Lightweight and Breathable MATERIAL Good for protecting Plant: the plant frost cover material is 0.74 oz/sq non-woven polypropylene fabric, which is lightweight, breathable, and durable. The plant blanket frost protection allows sunlight reach the plants, perfect for protecting plants from the damage of freeze or frost. Wide Application In your Garden Work. The plant row cover not only can work as a barrier against frost, but also can be a great tool for germination and good for rapid seedling growth. By using the fabric plant covers over your plant, you can start the plant earlier in the spring and extending the growing season of your plants. How to Use the Plant Covers: you can cover the plant covers for freeze over your the plants loosely directly and then secure the plant frost blanket with soil, stones or staples. You can also support the floating row covers with a hoop, make enough room for plants to breath and grow. You could also cut the plant covers into different sizes for different purposes.

Buy at Amazon

The New Organic Grower, 3rd Edition: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener, 30th Anniversary Edition

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Since its original publication in 1989, The New Organic Grower has been one of the most important farming books available, with pioneer Eliot Coleman leading the charge in the organic movement in the United States. Now fully illustrated and updated, this 30th Anniversary Edition is a must-have for any agricultural library.

Buy at Amazon

DeWalt Variable-Speed Cordless Reciprocating Saw

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

You can fit a variety of blades to this saw to cut fallen branches or prune larger limbs from trees in a pinch. It’s fast, tough, easy to use, and extremely versatile.
- 18.31 x 6.13 x 4 inches
- 1-1/8-inch stroke length
- Variable speed trigger with 0-3000 spm

Buy at Amazon