Giving Thanks

As I sit in the warm sunshine beaming in through my window, I am marveling at the length of this year’s autumn color display. Even as the Japanese maples and other companion plants come to the end of the season with their last gasps of great color, my conifers stand firm to fill the landscape this winter.

One of the last of my maples to put on its color, Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira,’ is looking fantastic right now with the morning sun highlighting its orange leaves. Other companion plants that are particularly bright right now, even just days before they shed the last remnants of leaves are, Berberis thunbergii ‘Concorde,’ and ‘Rosy Glow.’ Both of these plants add great color to my conifer garden in spring and summer and with their last shout of color in the fall.

Autumn color of Acer palmatum 'Shishigashira'

It is an incredible joy to watch the garden’s appearance change so dramatically as the deciduous plants shed their leaves and open up vistas of the garden giving it a totally different look this time of year. Thankfully, the conifers are still there in all of their colorful and textural glory. It’s so fun to see the various shapes from low, flat ground covers to the globe shaped mounds and pyramidal forms all in blue, green and gold through and amongst the silhouettes of assorted deciduous trees and shrubs.

I am so thankful my small garden provides a healthy habitat for the wild critters and a peaceful place for me to reflect on the many wonders of life in general. I hope that you all have time consider all that you have to be thankful for this year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Dancing in the wind

With all the attention given to the State of Alaska recently, I’ve been reminded about a great conifer that can add the appearance of a large forest tree in a relatively small footprint. Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Jubilee’ is one in a family of Weeping Alaskan Cedars that should be considered for use in smaller gardens. This excellent and hardy tree will actually grow quite tall with primarily a narrow habit as side branches will tend to weep and fall toward the ground. Occasional branches will grow horizontally with weeping branchlets appearing as the fringe draping off the arms of a frontiersman’s leather jacket.

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Jubilee'

If an extremely narrow form is desired, horizontal branches can be pruned to create a very narrow spire growing tall and dancing in the wind. With the “arms” left intact, and in a strong breeze, ‘Jubilee’ reminds me of those huge dancing air tubes you see some retailers use to attract attention.

‘Jubilee’ certainly attracts attention in my garden without looking out of place.

Ed
Conifer Lover