Neon FLASH spirea....I'm going to go make a strong cup of tea now! LOL

Now see. I do not need any more bushes of any sort, but I do love purple! Might have to have one. Wonder if butterfies like it.
kay

I have never noticed any butterflies interested in any of the spireas. Bumble bees like them though.

LL, I have had Goldmound in zone 5 and Goldflame ( a sport of Goldmound) in zone 3/4. I think all of the small shrub spireas are pretty much the same. In zone 3/4 the Goldflame winter kills. It doesn't loose it's branches like a perennial flower would so it simply looks like a deciduous shrub. It still gives plenty of winter interest. The branches of that one are red during the winter. In the spring, it shoots all new branches up from the crown of the plant. I never have cut back the old branches and the new ones completely encompass the old ones so one would never know that the previous years growth is within the shrub. I imagine if there comes a spring when they don't fill in well, that I will have to go ahead and cut them back. They have been in my garden out at the ranch for five years now.

The Goldmound seemed to be a much more vigourous grower but it was in a warmer zone (5). That one is a bright chartruse green with pink flowers. In spring I always cut it back into a little ball shape because if I didn't it would spill outside the bed and make mowing difficult. It recovered and filled back in with a week or so and looked as wonderful as it did before had cut it back. I could then let it just grow at will the rest of the summer.

I think the smaller shrub spirea's are the perfect size for mixing into a perennial bed and they also make very attractive foundation plantings. I'm sure that Neon Flash would work out fine for you in your zone. Hope this helps.

MeMo

I love my Goldflame. Have rooted cuttings and got them growing here and there. Love the bright chartreuse new growth in spring and then the dainty little pink flowers. In the fall, it turns crimson and gold with reddish branches and is very pretty.
I just break off a branch, stick it in the dirt in the shade and it roots! I keep two of mine pruned, but the rest I leave natural.

I saw a photo of Neon in a magazine. It was so pretty. I love spirea in with flowers. Flowers like them as they hold moisture and provide a little shelter.

You all just can't keep tempting me like this! I am running out of room to plant trees and shrubs! :)
I have more room to expand, but can't take care of more, and then you go and tempt me like this.

When we have droughts, I have to water twice a day, and that just is too much walking. I had to reduce my gardens to two areas. I had seven gardens at one time. People used to come by and tour them. Now they drive by and say, "I wonder who used to live there?" :/

~Annie

Kay- I can't resist anything even remotely lavender/purple LOL.

Rita- I'm always looking for shrubs that will attract bumblebees. They are the main pollinators we have out here, so I like to keep them happy.

MeMo- Thanks for the info on the spirea. I finally got some pictures taken (I'm going to take more this weekend) so I will be e-mailing you soon about trying to post them. Thanks again for offering to help me with that :)

Annie- My mom has had the same problem. When it's hot here, you have to water almost every day or things start to wilt. We're thinking of trying soaker hoses and using those "y"s that you can hook to the faucets to direct water to different areas. We joke it's the very cheap alternative to a sprinkler system. Your property is probably much larger, but is there anyway you could put in some soaker hoses or drip irrigation to help with your watering? Then you'll be able to sit out on your new deck (in the near future) and enjoy the garden, without quite as much work :)

I grow Neon Flash, and it spreads. If you need something to stay in place for the fairy garden, how about trying little elf or golden elf. It doesn't spread so much and forms a fairy sized mound.

GGG,
Bridles Wreath spreads like crazy too, but I love it anyway. Anything that grows that easily and flourishes here in Oklahoma is on my LIST of hopefuls. It is a pain to chop out though, that's for sure.

I want this Neon, anyway. I love purple!
I suppose it might be contained by burying a bottom-less metal drum. Wish I had done that with my Golden bamboo and dwarf bamboos. They took over the pond area...and the pond!

I love the color of the Neon Flash Spirea in the link you posted, LL but when I did a google images search to see where I might buy it most of the bloom colors are different - more pink than lavender. Bluestone describes the color as "Electric reddish-pink flowers". http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/SPNFP.html

Can anyone explain this? How would one know which color the nursery would send?

Here is a link that might be useful: Neon Flash images

On the image search you just posted. The purple color is not accurate. The first picture (first row) is accurate as is the second picture second row.

Oh, well, in that case, I don't want it.
I noticed one in that link called, Little Princess. It has pink flowers on purple foliage. Is that a good representation of its true colors, I wonder?
Darn! I just looked that one up and no purple leaves as in that link photo. What a pile of steaming hot poo to mislead people like that.

"What a pile of steaming hot poo to mislead people like that."

That is my most favorite quote of the day. Perhaps of the year. YEAH YOU!!

I didn't think any spireas had purple foliage? Just green and limegreen and lime green with a touch of orangey/burgundy like magic carpet. I wish Magic Carpet was slightly lower growing here. I have it under the purple smoke bush. I LOVE that combo!

It would actually be okay if it were hot pink or more of a purple color (although I would prefer more purple). I have the same problem with color accuracy, when I'm looking at roses. When you can't see them in person, before you buy, how do you know what color you're getting? I have one rose I hope is going to be more purple than crimson and another that could be cream, white, light yellow or medium yellow, depending on which website you check. It can be a little frustrating.

Annie- Great quote of the day! :)