Forsythia 'Citrus Swizzle'

I think, since most of them are blooming right now, that I'll write about Forsythias for the next few posts. I know lots of people don't like them because they can become large obnoxious bushes, but maybe you don't know about some of the newer ones on the market that are great garden additions even when they're not flowering. This one is Citrus Swizzle and is our newest addition. I don't think this is an intermedia since the leaves are quite tiny, but the variegation is great. I think it will probably be a smaller plant, though all can be kept in bounds with some occasional pruning. This one has but one flower this spring, but I expect more next year. The forsythias around here can be somewhat weird in their blooming patterns. We almost always have a bit of bloom (sometimes quite a lot, actually) in the fall which seems to cut down on our bloom in the spring. This winter, when it stayed cold and we had lots of rain, seems to have been good for forsythia because we're having the best bloom in years on most all of our varieties. We've added some across the creek in the back to allow them to do what forsythias do best - make huge bushes with lots of tangle. This is yet another effort to discourage the deer from using our garden for a salad bar. Will it work? Probably not totally, but maybe it will help some. Even if it doesn't work it will sure be pretty in the spring.