Southern Gardening
Japanese Rose plants thrive when planted in partial shade, making it useful where other plants struggle. (Photo by MSU Extension/Eddie Smith)
Yellow-blooming plants make gardens cheerful
Dr. Eddie Miles Louis Smith
MSU Extension Service
Yellow-blooming plants bring a bright, cheerful energy to my garden. There’s something about that bold splash of golden color that lifts the spirit and catches the eye, especially after the gray tones of winter.
In Grenada, Mississippi, Devo and Rosemary Lancaster have a couple of showstopping yellow bloomers in their landscape.
The first is the Lady Banks’ Rose, known scientifically as Rosa banksiae. It is an old-fashioned climber with timeless charm and exceptional resistance to pests and diseases. This vigorous, rambling rose is nearly thornless, making it easy to train over fences, arbors, or trellises.
As spring settles in, Lady Banks puts on one of the most breathtaking floral displays I’ve ever seen. In early to mid-spring, the long canes are smothered in clusters of soft yellow blossoms, each about an inch across.
The rose blooms range from semi-double to fully double, and their sheer number creates the illusion of a golden waterfall spilling down the garden structure. These have a delicate, sweet fragrance and completely transform the plant for a few glorious weeks with their abundant blooms.
Lady Banks is relatively low maintenance once established. It thrives in full sun but tolerates light shade, especially in hot Southern gardens. Well-draining soil is a must, and a layer of mulch around the base helps retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.
You can give this rose a light pruning after it blooms to shape the plant and remove any dead wood, but this is not necessary. In Mississippi, it holds its deep green, glossy foliage nearly year-round, providing a lush backdrop for other plants, even when it’s not in bloom.
Another standout I noticed is the Lancaster’s Japanese Rose plants, which are scientifically known as Kerria japonica. These graceful and adaptable shrubs bring a completely different but equally delightful presence to the garden.
Japanese Rose plants have elegant, arching stems that create a soft, fountain-like form. In early to mid-spring, they are covered with bright, golden-yellow double flowers that look like tiny pom-poms or ruffled miniature roses. Each bloom measures about 1 to 2 inches across and glows against the fresh green foliage.
This plant thrives when planted in partial shade, making it useful where other plants struggle, like under trees, along woodland edges or in mixed borders with dappled light. Its slender green stems remain eye-catching in winter, adding structure and color to the dormant landscape when most plants fade into the background.
Japanese Rose is a hardy and low-fuss shrub that thrives in average, well-drained soil. It is especially tolerant of shade, drought, and even some neglect. Rejuvenate it by pruning it hard every few years right after flowering to encourage fresh growth and more blooms the following season.
Both of these yellow bloomers bring brightness to the spring garden. Their glowing flowers, graceful growth habits, and reliable nature make them standout plants in the landscape.
Yellow-blooming plants make gardens cheerful
Dr. Eddie Miles Louis Smith
MSU Extension Service
Yellow-blooming plants bring a bright, cheerful energy to my garden. There’s something about that bold splash of golden color that lifts the spirit and catches the eye, especially after the gray tones of winter.
In Grenada, Mississippi, Devo and Rosemary Lancaster have a couple of showstopping yellow bloomers in their landscape.
The first is the Lady Banks’ Rose, known scientifically as Rosa banksiae. It is an old-fashioned climber with timeless charm and exceptional resistance to pests and diseases. This vigorous, rambling rose is nearly thornless, making it easy to train over fences, arbors, or trellises.
As spring settles in, Lady Banks puts on one of the most breathtaking floral displays I’ve ever seen. In early to mid-spring, the long canes are smothered in clusters of soft yellow blossoms, each about an inch across.
The rose blooms range from semi-double to fully double, and their sheer number creates the illusion of a golden waterfall spilling down the garden structure. These have a delicate, sweet fragrance and completely transform the plant for a few glorious weeks with their abundant blooms.
Lady Banks is relatively low maintenance once established. It thrives in full sun but tolerates light shade, especially in hot Southern gardens. Well-draining soil is a must, and a layer of mulch around the base helps retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.
You can give this rose a light pruning after it blooms to shape the plant and remove any dead wood, but this is not necessary. In Mississippi, it holds its deep green, glossy foliage nearly year-round, providing a lush backdrop for other plants, even when it’s not in bloom.
Another standout I noticed is the Lancaster’s Japanese Rose plants, which are scientifically known as Kerria japonica. These graceful and adaptable shrubs bring a completely different but equally delightful presence to the garden.
Japanese Rose plants have elegant, arching stems that create a soft, fountain-like form. In early to mid-spring, they are covered with bright, golden-yellow double flowers that look like tiny pom-poms or ruffled miniature roses. Each bloom measures about 1 to 2 inches across and glows against the fresh green foliage.
This plant thrives when planted in partial shade, making it useful where other plants struggle, like under trees, along woodland edges or in mixed borders with dappled light. Its slender green stems remain eye-catching in winter, adding structure and color to the dormant landscape when most plants fade into the background.
Japanese Rose is a hardy and low-fuss shrub that thrives in average, well-drained soil. It is especially tolerant of shade, drought, and even some neglect. Rejuvenate it by pruning it hard every few years right after flowering to encourage fresh growth and more blooms the following season.
Both of these yellow bloomers bring brightness to the spring garden. Their glowing flowers, graceful growth habits, and reliable nature make them standout plants in the landscape.