Looking sharp in the garden

One of the great native trees to my area in the Pacific Northwest is the Sitka Spruce. Picea sitchensis is the largest growing of the spruce family and has a history rich in the folklore of the native peoples in this area. One very large old specimen near the Oregon Coast had been known as the largest Sitka Spruce in the United States until the storm of December 2, 2007 brought the tree down. It was reported to be 200 feet tall and estimated to be 500 to 750 years old. A beautiful forest tree, but a little too large for the average home garden, Picea sitchensis has “mothered” slower growing cultivars that are more garden friendly.

 

 

Picea sitchensis ‘Papoose’ is one dwarf form of the Sitka Spruce worthy of a place in any garden. Its needles are bi-colored giving the overall plant a nice blue-green appearance. Upon closer inspection the bi-color nature of the needles is revealed. Be careful, those needles are very sharp to the touch. When the new growth emerges, the outer sides of the needles are visibly bright green. As the foliage matures and hardens through the season, the green color becomes darker and the needles expand and curve outward exposing their waxy coating on the undersides giving a bluish appearance. Growing only 2-3 inches per year, ‘Papoose’ remains compact and tidy in the garden. The beautiful specimen pictured here is approximately seven feet tall, eight feet wide and nearly thirty years old.

 

Ed-

Conifer Lover

 

Thanks to my friends at Iseli Nursery for the photo links.

Mounding and sprawling and looking good

I find weeping conifers to be particularly attractive. Even though they have the broad label of weeping, there can be differences in weeping forms even amongst plants within the same genus and species. For example, a few weeks ago I described some of the attributes of Tsuga canadensis ‘Pendula’. This is one of the first weeping plants that I remember being introduced to and remains one of my favorites today. However, the Canadian Hemlocks have other notable cultivars that are worthy of discussion. One great selection is Tsuga canadensis ‘Kelsey’s Weeping’

When young, ‘Kelsey’s Weeping’ and ‘Pendula’ can be difficult to distinguish from one another. As the plants mature, their unique characteristics become more obvious, and with age, both of these Weeping Canadian Hemlocks make desirable contributions to the garden. What makes ‘Kelsey’s Weeping’ stand out from ‘Pendula’ is it’s natural form. ‘Pendula’ requires staking when young to achieve any significant height. Without staking, ‘Pendula’ will grow as a very low mounding groundcover. ‘Kelsey’s Weeping’ should also be staked when very young, but it will mound upon itself, layer after layer while its branches reach outward in all directions forming a wider than tall mound with great character.

Some may also notice that ‘Pendula’ has darker green needles throughout much of the season, but with the onset of winter its needles will begin to “washout” and take on a yellowish hue. Although ‘Kelsey’s Weeping’ foliage is a lighter green color, it consistently holds its crisp green all year-round.

I love both these Weeping Hemlocks and I believe every garden should have at least one of each!

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Thanks to Iseli for the photo link to this great 30 year old specimen!

Higher wattage conifer

I recently planted seeds so that my wife will have her colorful flowers this summer and the Japanese maples will be in full glory in four or five weeks. In the meantime, my conifers provide the pizzazz needed to make our gray cloudy days a little brighter. Even though we are still a few weeks away from the explosion of color that the conifers will provide as they begin their push of new growth, one in particular really stands out right now.

Abies nordmanianna ‘Golden Spreader’ looks as though someone has recently replaced its 40 watt bulb with a 150! While other conifers whose golden color intensifies with the onset of winter are beginning to fade, ‘Golden Spreader’ provides the brightest color in my garden right now. I think every year it takes me a little by surprise as the garden is just waking up from its winters nap; my ‘Golden Spreader’ is not only awake, but has already had three cups of coffee! In a few weeks when it pushes fresh new growth, it will look fantastic in its setting near the green and blue conifers and a red Japanese maple.

With its low nest-type form, compact spreading habit, fantastic color and Zone 5 hardiness, I think ‘Golden Spreader’ will be a plant the garden centers will have a difficult time keeping in stock.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Ever see a cold Mushroom?

We recently had a hint of warm weather. I spent the day planting some new containers for the patio garden and planted a few flats of flower seeds for my wife. I was hoping that we were going to move out of our late winter weather pattern, but the latest word is that we can expect snow showers on the valley floor this weekend! We’ve been holding at temperatures 10 degrees or more below our average, so that one warm day last weekend was welcome indeed.

Many conifers will change colors from their normal greens to shades of plum and bronze during the winter. This is a nice additional feature to my conifer garden and its four seasons of color. I’ve been expecting those color changing specimens to return to their green color, and I am surprised to see so many of them refusing to turn. One that really stood out to me today is Cryptomeria japonica ‘Mushroom’.

‘Mushroom’ is a nice little Japanese Cedar with a compact habit that mounds into the shape of a large mushroom cap. During the growing season and until temperatures drop in late autumn, ‘Mushroom’ is a very lively green. With the drop in temperature, it takes on an orange bronze color that actually brightens our cold gray days here. Today as I was taking a stroll through my garden, I realized that I wasn’t the only one feeling the cold - my ‘Mushroom’ still had its winter color as if it was January!

I really am looking forward to the warmer days of spring and the color change that several of my conifers will make back to their lively green colors. C’mon spring!

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Thanks to Iseli Nursery for the use of their photos!

Urban gardener

I had an opportunity to visit an old friend at his condo in the city. My friend loves conifers and has been collecting them longer than I have. As we were chatting, and I was getting a tour of the place, we arrived at his balcony; a small space approximately four feet wide by twelve feet long with a wonderful view overlooking the city. The first thing I noticed were the containers filled with dwarf and miniature conifers.

He had turned his small patio into a container garden full of color. Being the end of March, with very little sign of life in the city, his containers filled with green and yellow and blue conifers were a delight. As we sat with warm cups of tea, we talked about the good old days and the great ones yet to come. As the sun moved around from behind a neighboring building, it warmed his little patio nicely and the colors of his conifers really came alive.

I’ve always told people that dwarf and miniature conifers are great for small spaces and year-round color. My friend put that same knowledge to good use and created a very pleasing space high above the busy streets below. I hope more urban dwellers will discover the joy of conifers and transform their balconies into colorful gardens too.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Thanks again to Iseli for the photo link!

On the threshold of an Orange Dream

The Japanese maples are my favorite companion trees to plant with conifers. With hundreds of cultivars available that vary in size from very dwarf small trees to large shade providers and in colors from spring to fall that appear to have been picked out of a rainbow, they are nearly as versatile as conifers. The month of May is a big one for conifers. Some will begin their spring flush of new growth in April, but in May—BAM!—they all explode in their new foliar glory. April on the other hand, will see an explosion of color from the Japanese maples.

 
One of the most spectacular, most intensely colorful spring shows is put on by Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream.’ This delightful small tree’s orange new foliage color in spring is a sight to behold. With a background of dark green and blue conifers, the color is so stunning; I find that I need sunglasses whenever I’m near it in the spring. A very tidy small tree, ‘Orange Dream’ grows just a few inches a year and will remain manageable in smaller gardens for many years. It is also very adaptable to being grown in containers for the patio or deck. I’ve planted mine where it will receive ample morning sunlight while providing afternoon shade. In summer, the tender bright orange leaves can sunburn so I may try growing a second one in a container. That way, I could move the plant around a little if it was getting too much sun.
 
I’ll tell you, the color is so intense and exciting; it’s worth a little extra effort to grow this beauty. And right now I wait in anticipation of the awakening of my ‘Orange Dream.’
 
Ed-
Conifer Lover

Many thanks to Iseli Nursery for the photo links!

Windswept without a breeze

I am always drawn to conifers that display some kind of character. True, most of the tiny dwarf conifers that I love so much are very uniformly shaped little mounds, globes or pyramids, but trees with an unusual shape will capture my attention and inspire my imagination in a way the garden gems cannot. The art of bonsai involves many years of meticulous training and care to reproduce, in miniature, forms of trees found in nature; trees that have been struggling to survive on a cliff side, branches bent in a constant coastal wind or by year after year of snow load.

I love when I am introduced to a conifer cultivar that grows naturally in a contorted or windswept form even without the slightest breeze or snowfall. One such tree is Pinus parviflora ‘Fukuzumi.’ This form of the Japanese White Pine grows from a young age with the characteristic look of a pine beat down over millennia to grow at extreme angles giving the trunk nice movement and a welcome aesthetic appeal. The fine textured blue-green needles and prolific cone bearing habit add to the pleasure this tree gives in my garden. In fact, it is quite common to find three years of cones remaining on a tree for cone-heads like me to enjoy.

I can see this tree becoming very popular as more and more people discover its unique beauty. Hopefully, landscape designers begin to realize its usefulness as a low maintenance, rugged looking windswept tree for those special places in the garden.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Silver in the garden

One of the reasons I love conifers so much is the grand assortment of cones that are borne on their branches. Springtime is great because all the plants in my garden begin to wake up after their winter’s nap and show new life. The beauty of fresh new conifer foliage is a wonderful highlight to the garden in spring. Most of my attention is drawn by the new foliage on my conifers and Japanese maples, as well as the various flowering bulbs and perennials that begin their show in spring. With all that going on, it can be easy to miss the early cone development stages of some of my conifers. With young cones ranging in colors from scarlet red, to dark blue and purple, to yellowish green, and with their assortment of sizes and shapes, I want to be sure to discover every one in my garden.

 

Abies koreana ‘Silberlocke’ is one conifer that sets its cones prolifically in the spring. The young, light yellowish green cones might be missed with casual observation, but by looking closely, one may find a treasure of small, highly detailed cones among the upper branches of even young trees. Later in the season, as the cones mature, they become a darker brownish purple color and are often found to be oozing a significant amount of resin. The cones are a real bonus since ‘Silberlocke’ is already a great conifer even if you don’t have a particular interest in cones. The name translates to “silver lock” because the  green needles curve upward around each branch exposing their bright white undersides. The overall effect looks like silvery locks of hair.

The tree grows into a formal upright conical shape that can look great as a lone specimen commanding all attention, or placed in a large border with other colorful conifers and flowering plants. I purchased my ‘Silberlocke’ about 18 years ago through a special package deal that the American Conifer Society was promoting. My tree is now close to 15 feet tall and a specimen that always draws “oooos” and “ahhhs” from my guests.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Fanciful garden gems

I’ve just been digging through some catalogs both online and in print, and I am getting pumped up and ready to plant some new dwarf and miniature conifers in my garden. There is no doubt that I love the large and stately trees that fill our forests and parks, but my special love is for the dwarfs and miniatures. Honestly, what’s not to love about these delightfully small, low maintenance, colorful and hardy conifers?

My rock garden area is getting full, and the tiny plants that I intend to acquire will be too small for other open areas in my garden, so I am going to focus on containers for these fanciful little garden gems. Miniature conifers are perfect with the current trend in container and patio gardens. Once I decide whether I’d like a more formal looking patio garden using manufactured ceramic or terracotta pots, or a rustic look created with handmade hypertufa troughs, my next task will be deciding on which of the wonderful miniature conifers to include in the design.

I’ve compiled a list of miniature or dwarf forms for my new containers. In a few years when some of the faster growing cultivars are getting too large, I’ll find a place for them in my garden. In the mean time, these little beauties will add a lot to my patio space.

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Butter Ball’
Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Juniperoides’
Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Cumulus’
Picea abies ‘Tompa’
Picea glauca ‘Pixie Dust’
Pinus leucodermis ‘Schmidtii’
Pinus strobus ‘Sea Urchin’
Thuja occidentalis ‘Golden Tuffet’
Tsuga canadensis ‘Betty Rose’

Come on SPRING!

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Thanks to Iseli Nursery for the photo links!

A giant gnome’s hat

There is just something about gardening that inspires in me visions of whimsical creatures like fairies, gnomes and the like. Perhaps it’s my love for the dwarf and miniature conifers. As I work with delightfully small versions of our giant forest trees, I am often reminded of the stories from my youth about the magical and often mischievous sprites of ancient folklore.

Last week I was introducing a new friend to my conifer garden and his young son asked me where the gnomes live. My friend and I laughed a little about this inquiry, and then I asked the young lad why he thought gnomes were living in my garden. Pointing down the path about 60 feet or so toward my Picea omorika ‘Nana’, he said, “Cuz one of ‘em left his hat over there.” Sure enough, my specimen of about 18 years looks very much like a gnome’s hat - a really big gnome that is.

The Dwarf Serbian spruce makes a great garden tree with its classic conical shape, blue-green foliage and low maintenance tidy habit. ‘Nana’ is also hardy to Zone 4, so I know it would be popular with the folks in those very cold winter regions around the USA and other parts of the world. Growing at a rate of three or four inches per year in my climate, it is definitely a dwarf compared to its parent tree. But if it survives for 300 years, it could potentially be quite a giant itself.

Ed-
Conifer lover

Thanks again to the good folks at Iseli for the photo links.