Forsythia
plants exhibit flowers that precede their leaves. Forsythias
are fast-growing shrubs with an upright and arching form.
Border forsythia plants, as the name suggests, are often used
to demarcate property boundaries. They are also often used
as a privacy fence for summer and fall, after they have fully
leafed out. Forsythia plants can also be used as specimens
and for erosion control on slopes.
Forsythia plants do not need perfect soil, but will perform
best when planted in well-drained soil that is enriched with
organic humus. So the addition of peat moss or processed manure
or compost at planting time is really beneficial in getting
the plant off to a good start. Since forsythia is a deciduous
shrub they are best planted or transplanted during the dormant
season. However, with the advent of container growing many
nurseries and garden centers now carry the plants year-round.
Container grown plants can be safely planted at any time throughout
the year if the ground is not frozen.
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| The
forsythia plant is named in honor of William Forysth, director
of the Chelsea Physic Garden in 1770, maker of the first rock
garden in the UK and one of the founders of the Royal Horticultural
Society. The plant is native to China and was discovered there
by Robert Fortune, a great eighteenth century plant-hunter.
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