However, one shrub that I always return to is weigela. If you are looking for a container shrub with bright and brilliant trumpet-like blooms, weigela is the plant to pick.

Weigelas can get big, but the time to prune them is right after they're done flowering in spring. Whack them in fall and you'll cut off the flower buds that would've opened next spring.

Lots of new choices in shrubs are available in sizes that top out in the 2- to 3-foot range, including 'My Monet' weigela, 'Blue Chip' butterfly bush and 'Filli' crape myrtle.

A beautiful dwarf with variegated leaves is Weigela florida ‘My Monet’. This one sports cream, pink and green leaves and attractive purple-pink flowers on a 10-inch-tall-by-16-inch-wide plant.

Q: I planted several weigela shrubs in front of the house 18 years ago. My neighbors’ vinca has invaded that area. We have a bunch of pretty, large blue rocks and a lot of Mexican pebble rock ...