Conifers Create Interest

the gardener — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 19:49:31 +0000

Conifers are a whole category range of woody plants, so there are many, but the numbers are small in comparison with deciduous types. Usually evergreen, they have needle or scalelike leaves and bear cone seedfruits. There are the usual iconoclasts which blur the lines, like Larch trees which are both deciduous (lose their leaves seasonally) and classified as conifers with all the other characteristics. But basically a conifer will provide a different texture and usually an evergreen appearance in your yard.

Why Plant?

It is for that reason the they provide interest. During winter especially, they stand out from the bare landscape of the Northern dormant season and supply some greenery and “life” to the scene. Aside from that they also provide shelter from blasting winds and freezing cold for bird friends.

Conifers are, thus, both decorative and practical in value. The same protection that birds seek out will guard the edges of a garden, provide windbreak for a home, and make a strong visual outline, called the “bones” or structure of the garden. That seems to add up to reason enough to plan for planting a number of them in your yard. Where to start? Make your plan and then find your sources for the plants you are looking for, then prepare the place you wish to plant with your evergreen. Bear in mind that almost all of them like lots of sun, and none do well in strong shade.

When to Plant?

When is a good time to plant? The same time that most living plants establish well will suit conifers. Early to mid spring and late summer to early fall, not while in full growth, but with time to get the roots growing well to endure the more taxing conditions of summer or winter. While it is possible to plant conifers as long as the ground is unfrozen, a good start for the roots results in better success.

The same procedure that works for deciduous woody plants, works for the conifers. Select, and plant a shrub or tree with these directions. Planting in after Christmas, with the Living Christmas trees you purchased? Check this post. Remember to dig a good hole, first.

More than an Accent

A whole garden can be made of a combination of conifer plants, usually using the dwarf sizes. If you have the room, full size evergreen can be chosen, but remember these are often very large trees. Still, if you have a smaller garden with choices of dwarf conifers or filling a very large landscape with acreage to spare, conifers offer a number of color variations and shapes and textures which create a tapestry effect when grouped in proximity to one another.

It is good to note that most evergreen conifers are of a medium to deep green color and too many in the garden can give a “heavy” somber look, which may not be the effect desired. The consideration of that fact might influence a wider experimentation with some of the more unusual varieties, some with golden foliage, some with blue tints or even white variegation in the needles.

My Favorite Dwarf Evergreens

Dwarf Hinoki Cypress
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Bird’s Nest Spruce
Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Cyano-viridis’ AKA Boulevard cypress
Juniper ‘Blue Rug’

If you read here very often you probably know how much I like the Hinoki Cypress, but the Mugo Pine is another conifer that is very useful in the landscape. One caveat is the fact that sizes might vastly differ according to whether you have the correctly named variety or not. This is especially true of the Mugos. I would be careful to situate it where it won’t present a problem if it gets larger than expected – and prune it, as a further precaution. Alberta Spruce is popular, with the drawback of spruce mites marring the foliage. One solution I found was to underplant with Nepeta Mussinii, Catmint, which seems to repel the mites.

Conifers may be used as

foundation plantings
specimen plantings
full stop at the end of a garden border
within conifer collections
as a windbreak or to create a microclimate

I’ve often seen a selection of “micro” sized evergreen conifers sold in places like Lowes or nurseries. If you have (or make from Hypertufa) a stone sink for a rock garden collection remember that the roots may not be as hardy in an above ground container as in the ground, and some of the varieties of conifers sold may not be as hardy as those sold for general landscaping. give them the necessary protection from the heavy frosts of winter. but this is another way to include small evergreens for additional interest in your garden… on a patio or sidegarden.

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Landscape Interest: Hinoki Cypress

the gardener — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 20:30:00 +0000

How to Use Dwarf Hinoki Cypress in Landscaping

Next To Your Home, The Dwarf Hinoki Cypress Is Well-behaved

Chamaecyparis obtusa

With a maximum size of only 8 to 9 feet high and 4 feet wide, this dwarf evergreen is an excellent choice for planting near your home in a foundation planting; much better than the popular Arborvitae which will out grow its space and crowd windows and entry ways. The False Cypress is a slow grower, and will remain very compact for years.

It still is a tree, so some thought should be given for exactly where it is situated, along with the consideration that it needs plenty of sunlight to look its best. No foundation plants should be planted too closely to the house, at any rate. The soils close to the house foundation are often poor and dry. Placing the shrubs far enough from the house to receive moisture and better soil conditions is better for the plant and better for the house. Most plants will spread enough to fill in the space.

Out In The Garden, The Dwarf Hinoki Cypress Is A Fine Specimen

These evergreen shrubs make fine accents in the garden, but don’t let other plants crowd them. A low trimming of perennials or shrubs that stay small – like spirea ‘Little Princess’ work well with the Chamecyperis obtusa. I grow it as one of a group of plantings in this way, but feel that it is even more effective if grown as a specimen without any competing plants or shrubs, perhaps simply with the addition of stone mulch and a Japanese garden accent, such as a natural bamboo fountain and a small rugged bench.

The Hinoki Cypress, especially the ‘Gracilis‘ variety, would be a fine choice in a rock garden. Its evergreen branches and dwarf stature making a year-round highlight at the edge of the rock garden. It would lend height and the whorled branching would feel like a tree that is windswept in an alpine environment. If you don’t have a full rock garden feature, maybe the addition of one of these dwarf trees would create the impression of one, in tandem with some larger well-chosen rocks. It could be a real focal point in many types of features: contemporary, meditation, entry gardens.

If your soil pH is acidic in nature, consider underplanting the Hinoki Cypress with Erica carnea ‘Winter Beauty’ , or heathers of some type. Their texture and color would complement the tree and stay low so as not to compete.

In A Grouping, The Dwarf Hinoki Cypress Is A Fine Companion

A favorite way to grow dwarf conifers, especially among collectors, is in groups. As long as each one is given space, this is a very effective way to show off contrasting colors, foliage textures, and shapes. It is a big plus in the winter landscape, with an impact visually in the stark leafless surroundings. It would also provide cover for birds.

If evergreens with variation of gold or white foliage are chosen, situate the group in a place sheltered in summer from the brunt of the brightest sunshine. These color variations, which are available in the Chamaecyparis spp. and other evergreens are subject to sunscaldplant injury caused by exposure to bright sunlight especially in winter. It seems like a good corner group in a “Look-into Garden” so that it can be enjoyed all year.

See the plant profile for this shrub, Hinoki Cypress.If you live in a cold climate area where the survival seems ‘iffy’ for the Chamaecyparis, why not look for a sheltered “mini-climate” that might be more protected from the cold temperatures and winds? Borderline hardy plants often survive farther North when grown this way.