Milan Havlis - gardening

European elder is the father of a very new variety called “Black Beauty”, introduced in 2002 by the Dutch. It has the darkest leaves available – deep burgundy, and with its striking pink panicles of flowers it is undoubtedly the jewel in the group. Its vigorous growth helps this sh ...

Laciniata is an expression used in dendrology for foliage that is deeply and finely lobed, just like Dissectum for Japanese maples. This variety of European elder offers the same foliage quality: finely lobed leaves of mid green colour. Panicles of white flowers appear in May. Its vigo ...

Black Lace is a variety of European elder that has lace-like, deep burgundy leaves that look like those of dissectum Japanese maples. Flowers are striking pink panicles that appear in May. Its vigorous growth helps this shrub soon make a dense cover of leaves that are vivid purp ...

Red elderberry received its name thanks to its coral red fruits hanging mature in dense racemes on this short shrub. And what makes it even more exquisite is the foliage that looks just as if stolen from golden Japanese maple. If you stand this elder and Japanese maple next to each other you will ha ...

Plumosa Aurea is an attractive variety of red-berried elder. It has striking foliage that will perfectly contrast with dark green or purple-leaved shrubs. The deciduous, pinnate leaves are finely cut and may look like a short fern frond. Their colour is bright golden yellow with ...

This variety of elder comes from England. It has striking golden-yellow fern-like foliage. New leaves have pink to reddish-purple margins. Flowering panicles are not too showy but are followed by very attractive fruit: bright red glossy berries in late summer. For best appearance we suggest pruning ...

Sassafras is a beautiful tree, originally from China, Taiwan and North America, with attractive leaves. It has irregular growth making each one a specimen. The leaves are fresh green, mostly 3-lobed with rounded ends, however on one plant you will also find leaves with 2 lobes, and also le ...

Chinese sweetshrub is only one species of its own kind, closely related to calycanthus floridus which originates in America. This one comes from China where it belongs to endangered species. In European nurseries it is still very rare. It is cultivated for beautiful flowers and attractive ...

If you went looking for a tree typical for every city you would find jacarandas in Buenos Aires, London planes in London, and in Prague you would be struck by the beauty of Japanese pagoda trees. Numerous specimens were planted there many years ago. Now they have skyscraping trunks and huge c ...

False spirea is a valuable plant for small sized gardens as it quickly fills limited space with mass of beautiful leaves. It is a woody plant spreading with suckers like some perennials. Its leaves are fresh green during summer, pinnate, and look like service-tree leaves but are finer and ...

Mountain ash is a common tree in our country. In the 19th century a variety with edible fruit was found in Moravia, Czech Republic, it is called Edulis. It bears deciduous, pinnate leaves composed of deep green leaflets, serrated at margins. They change to orange, red and ye ...

This meadowsweet is a neat, compact shrub with plentiful of deep pink corymbs of tiny flowers from mid to late summer. On sunny and warm days of September and October it keeps making new buds. Mid green glossy leaves are small, serrated and slightly curled. It does best in full sun and slightly mois ...

Chinese spiketail is a lovely shrub from China with handsome racemes of pale yellow, bell-shaped flowers in early spring. Flower buds are beginning to form in late summer and in case of Celina variety they open up in end March or early April, contrasting beautifully with the pur ...

Bladdernut is a native plant to our climate and country, though it seems a little endangered now. It is popular for its pendent panicles of fragrant, white flowers with light pink stripes. They are followed by fruit hidden in unusual capsules. The hard, spherical seeds were used for makin ...

It is our utmost pleasure to offer this summer-blooming beauty: false camellia. It comes from moist woodlands of North America and eastern Asia (Japan, China, Vietnam, Nepal). It belongs to the same genus theaceae like camellia and tea. Its main attraction are the flowers. They are 6-7 cm ...

This false camellia – Korean stewartia is very similar to its Japanese sister stewartii pseudocamellia. It comes from moist woodlands of Korea and it is a tall shrub flowering in summer and has beautiful autumn foliage. Flo ...

We like offering less usual plants which are beautiful and fully hardy at the same time (we are in zone 6). This Japanese snowbell is one of them. It is a graceful, spreading, deciduous tree with almost horizontal branches that form nearly a flat canopy when mature. Its main attraction ar ...

Pink Chimes is a rare variety of Japanese snowbell with pink, bell-shaped flowers that hang on short stalks underneath the leaved branches. Leaves are glossy, ovate to elliptic, mid to dark green, turning yellow or red in autumn. It can be pruned at the end of winter. Grow it ...

Hungarian lilac has its origin in Rumania and obviously Hungary. It prefers cooler climates to perform well. Its sweet scented flowers are formed in upright panicles that are not as clustered as on common lilac. Their colour is pink. The individual flowers are longer and tubular and look some ...

Meyer lilac comes from China and is a dwarf plant. Palibin variety bears a little larger flower panicles as opposed to the species. The colour of the flowers is lavender pink, the buds are burgundy purple. It grows very slowly, forming a dense mound with profuse flowering every ...

This variety was first introduced in the UK in 1954. The seeds came from Korea hence its name: Miss Kim, Kim being the most common name in Korea. The scented flowers are pure lavender-lilac colour, opening from darker purplish buds. They are formed in upright panicles that are not as ...

Nodding lilac bears pure pink flowers that are formed in hanging panicles. Individual flowers are tubular and open from deep pink buds. They have a sweet scent. Oval leaves are mid green, 15 cm long, deciduous. This lilac grows about 3m tall and has arching branches so give it some space i ...

Lilacs are famous shrubs with showy flowers from May to June. Rich and dense upright panicles of tiny fragrant flowers last for 3-4 weeks. Variety Primrose has yellow-green buds and light creamy yellow flowers. Stiff leaves are heart-shaped, upto 10 cm long, mid to dark green. Lilacs are popular for ...

Sensation is a variety with a perfect name. Its individual flowers are deep purple to violet with rich, white margins = an eye-catcher even for those who consider lilacs far too usual. They are strongly fragrant. Stiff leaves are heart-shaped, upto 10 cm long, mid to dark green. Li ...

Lilacs are famous shrubs with showy flowers from May to June. Rich and dense upright panicles of tiny fragrant flowers last for 3-4 weeks. Variety Esther Staley has single, lilac-pink flowers opening from mauve-red buds. Stiff leaves are heart-shaped, upto 10 cm long, mid to dark green. Lilacs are p ...

Agnes Smith is an elegant variety of Canadian lilac with snow white flowers. They are sweetly scented, tubular, formed in more or less upright panicles. The difference between these and common lilacs is that panicles of Canadian lilac are not as clustered as on common lilac, flo ...

James McFarlane is a popular variety of a Canadian lilac. It has salmon pink to bright pink flowers, formed in clusters where individual tubular flowers hang down from the main stalk whereas the panicle sits upright on the shrub. They have a sweet scent. The difference between t ...

Miss Canada is a big seller among Canadian lilacs. It bears brilliant pink flowers opening from red buds. Individual flowers are tubular and sweetly scented. Thanks to very compact growth it is ideal for grafting on half-standards as a small tree for small gardens. The differenc ...

Miss Japan is another variety of Canadian lilacs with Miss in its name. It recalls young and beautiful girls looking their best on stages where awards are given for the best appearance. Which is exactly the same case of this lilac – its flowers are light salmon-pink and op ...

Redwine is a Canadian lilac of so far the deepest burgundy red colour. It sweetly scented flower are tubular, and formed in partially pendent panicles. The difference between these and common lilacs is that panicles of Canadian lilac are not as clustered as on common lilac, flow ...

Among Canadian lilacs you can also find one whose colour resembles common lilacs – thanks to its lavender or bluish-lilac flowers. Its name is Royalty.They are tubular, sweetly scented, formed in upright panicles and appear in abundance every year. The difference between t ...