10 Favorite Shrubs for Mid-Century Landscapes

By Mark Osgerby, Spring Meadow Nursery
Photographs courtesy of Proven Winners

Mid-Century landscaping and gardens are very diverse, yet simplistic and relaxed. Mid-Century homes (1945-1965) typically feature clean lines, flat or gabled roofs, and large picture windows. The goal is to work with plants that accent these features without overshadowing them. My mantra is less is more when working around my brick home.

Double Play® Blue Kazoo®  Spiraea
The blue foliage and crisp white blooms contrast perfectly with the many red and yellow brick Mid-Century homes. This shapely and well-mounded plant is a must-have for my landscape…and it’s deer resistant. 

Golden Ticket® Privet  Ligustrum
If you’re looking for a hedge for your Mid-Century home, this is the shrub for you! Enjoy the fragrance and color of golden privet without the guilt of growing an invasive plant. This seedless variety will give you season-long color for the landscape and spring flowers.

Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip Jr.' Butterfly Bush Buddleia
Butterfly Bush is a classic plant for attracting butterflies and bees to the garden. Enjoy this improved smaller version with beautiful blooms and attractive silver-green leaves. This charmer flowers from midsummer to frost. 

Celtic Pride™ Siberian Cypress Microbiota
Evergreens have always been a staple in Mid-Century landscapes. This low growing gem will give your landscape color all season long. 

Soft Serve® False Cypress(Chamaecyparis)
Here’s another evergreen, but this one has some height. This compact and conical shaped shrub grows to 6-10ft and is an excellent way to add some height in the yard. Soft Serve is also a good substitute for Dwarf Alberta Spruce.

White Album™ (Euonymus)
This groundcover is an eye-catcher. With its brightly variegated foliage and low mounding habit, it’s ideal as an accent throughout the yard and is low maintenance. 

Castle Gold™ Blue Holly (Ilex)
I love this shrub because it’s so versatile. It works well in group plantings, borders, and as a replacement for pyramidal yews. The foliage flushes a bright and attractive lime-gold in spring. Plant near Castle Wall for pollination so it will produce its bright red berries. 

Sunny Boulevard™ St. John's Wort (Hypericum)
Add a splash of gold to your Mid-Century home with Sunny Boulevard, which blooms with bright yellow flowers that really pop against the green foliage. This tightly branched shrub is noted for its long bloom time beginning in July and continuing until September. Perhaps best of all, it’s native!

Bloom-A-Thon® White Reblooming Azalea (Rhododendron)
What a classic plant! It’s one of my favorites because of the continuous blooms. It blooms in April, early July and early fall, lasting until a hard frost. Once the flowers are gone, you'll be left with a beautiful evergreen shrub that will give you attractive green foliage all year long. 

Sprinter® Boxwood
Here's another great hedging plant. Highlight your entryway with a row of hardy boxwoods…that’s the plan for my house. This variety grows fast and fills in quickly making it a win-win for your landscape.

Contributor bio: Mark Osgerby lives in Michigan and serves as the public relations contact for Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Shrubs. He loves all things Mid-Century and recently bought a 1950’s styled home. Mark has a degree in advertising and public relations from Michigan State University, along with a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

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