Four more dwarfs

Last time I began a story about my good friend and his desire to transform his dog-worn backyard into a beautiful garden. Of course, I’ve been extolling the wonderful attributes of dwarf and miniature conifers and my friend is convinced that he and his wife would love a low maintenance garden filled with the year-round color and interest that conifers will provide. I began this topic by discussing some of the plants which will become the larger specimens in this first section of the new garden. Those plants put on more annual growth so they grow to a larger size more quickly over the span of years than the more dwarf and miniature plants that are on today’s list.

As if magically sprinkled with pixie dust, this miniature form of the Dwarf Alberta spruce is a delight in the garden.

One of my favorite conifers, whether planted in the ground, in a container as a single specimen, or with a combination of other plants is a delightful dwarf with multi-season appeal. Picea glauca ’Pixie Dust,’ is very similar in shape to its granddaddy, the Dwarf Alberta spruce, but is much slower growing. With just a couple of inches of new growth per year, it will take its time reaching three feet tall and a couple of feet wide by its twentieth birthday. One of the fun features of ‘Pixie Dust’ is that its new growth doesn’t come in one big push in the spring. Just about the time that first spring push begins to harden off, a second push begins to emerge—not as vigorous as the first, but more slowly, over a period of several weeks, different buds will swell and pop with emerging new buttery-yellow foliage. These magical sparkles of color, dusting the plant through summer, are the inspiration behind the name of this adorable little tree.

The tiny ‘Thumbelina’ miniature Norway spruce is nestled in comfortably with companion flowers in the Jean Iseli Memorial Garden.

Another delightful fairy-tale spruce for this garden is the miniature, Picea abies ‘Thumbelina’, also growing just a couple of inches per year, this low-growing, globe-shaped mound is covered with tiny, dark green needles. The oldest specimen that I have seen of this cutie is a little over two feet wide and perhaps 18 inches tall—it must be at least 25 years old. Never needing pruning to keep it small and shapely, ‘Thumbelina’ is also ideal for container gardens—and with a name like that, who wouldn’t want to plant it in their very own Fairy Garden?

Very tight and compact growing, ‘Tenzan’ is a true miniature conifer that is perfect for containers, rock gardens and might make the perfect home for your own garden fairies and gnomes.

Possibly the slowest growing miniature conifer on the list is Cryptomeria japonica ‘Tenzan’. With just about an inch of new growth per year, this is one small, tight little mound of succulent, light-green needles. The needles look sharp, but are actually soft to the touch, though because ‘Tenzan’  is so dense, it has a very coarse texture and is one of those plants that I can’t help but want to touch when I am near it. This miniature conifer is ideal for combining with other plants in a container since it will take many years to outgrow its space. In fact, the three conifers mentioned so far would be perfect in a nice sized patio bowl combined with some alpine Sedums or Sempervivums—but that’s a topic for another post!

As cute as a seven month old kitten, ‘Golden Sprite’ on a stick is a fun addition to the garden either planted in the ground or featured in a prized container on the patio.

The fourth conifer in this design truly is fun! My wife and I attended a couple weddings recently, and it seems one of the latest things to have at the reception are cake-pops. These little balls of frosted cake are on a stick like a lollipop. Besides being delicious, they’re just darn cute. So is Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Golden Sprite’ grafted onto a small 12″ standard! This miniature, globe-shaped, golden-yellow Hinoki cypress is already a favorite for container or garden, but put it on a stick, and it is just about as cute as a seven-week-old kitten. Adding a pop of color and interest to this garden space, ‘Golden Sprite’ will grow into a perfect little ball of color which may seem to float above companion flowers or ground covers.

So, Golden Wilma and the seven dwarfs will be the foundation to this new garden space. Once we prepare the ground and properly plant these eight new conifers, we’ll discuss what companion plants will work well in the design—that means a fun trip to the garden center with my friends, which is like a trip to Santa’s workshop – and it won’t cost me a dime!

Ed-
Conifer Lover

So much color! (part one)

You have heard me go on and on about the wonderful year-round color that conifers provide for the garden. From time to time I have even discussed non-coniferous plants with exciting characteristics including, but not limited to, the great color they add to the garden. Today, I thought it might be fun to take a look at some of the most color-saturated plants in my garden and shortly after I began I realized that this will be the first part in a series on intense garden color.

Red is a color that conifers generally add to the garden in small doses. There is Picea abies ’Rubra Spicata’ with its blood red new foliage push in spring, but it is a rather quick display lasting only a week or two. Many conifers put on a spring-time show with their colorful, and sometimes, bright red cones. Some of these will persist in their colorful stage for several weeks to a few months while others have a shorter duration. For the longest lasting and most intense red color in my garden, I look to broad-leaved trees and shrubs.

Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’ is a shapely Red Laceleaf Japanese Maple that holds its red color fairly well, even in the heat of summer.

Without a doubt, some of the best reds in my garden are provided by Japanese Maples and there are two which have become favorites of mine. First, Acer palmatum dissectum ’Crimson Queen’ (Crimson Queen Laceleaf Maple), is an older selection that has been used in gardens since it was introduced in 1965. Rich, purple-red leaves emerge in spring, slowly covering the weeping branchwork with deeply cut, lace-leaf foliage. There is a graceful delicacy to the way each individual leaf is held on the stem which gives ‘Crimson Queen’ its delightful good looks.

As the temperatures rise in summer, many red-leaf Japanese maples begin to lose their color and fade to a muddy green as the red pigment becomes an undertone to the green. ‘Crimson Queen’ holds up particularly well to summer heat – especially if planted in a location which will provide some afternoon shade. With the onset of autumn’s crisp, cooler temperatures, ‘Crimson Queen’ becomes a bright scarlet red exhibitionist drawing many eyes before she finally disrobes, showing off her internal structure.

Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Red Dragon’ retains amazing color through the heat of summer. Both shot were captured during our current local hot spell.

Second, there is a newer Red Laceleaf Maple in town, one which has earned a tremendous reputation for unbeatable, dark, rich, reddish-purple leaves with color that just won’t quit! Holding its dark, rich color all summer long, ‘Red Dragon’ just brightens up in autumn before finally exposing its attractive branch structure through the winter months. Acer palmatum dissectum ’Red Dragon’ has a neat and tidy, dome-shaped, habit similar to ‘Crimson Queen’, but without the same delicate grace. That’s not to say that ‘Red Dragon’ lacks any beauty, in fact it is one of the most attractive Red Laceleaf Maples available today!

Adding these two Red Laceleaf Japanese Maples to your conifer garden will bring a pleasing addition of red color to complement the array of blues, greens and yellows available in today’s colorful conifer selections. Don’t just imagine your garden full of year-round color, make it your reality with amazing conifers and other exciting garden plants!

Ed-
Conifer Lover

I’ve been expecting you

“Mr. Remsrola, I’ve been expecting you.”

These words startled me just a little as I entered the office at Iseli Nursery the other day. I hadn’t actually made an appointment, nor had I intended to visit the Iseli gardens on this particular day. So you can imagine my surprised response to those words as I was about to check in with the receptionist. My photographer friend, Mr. Smith, had seen me arrive and positioned himself just out of sight of the front door. Disguising his voice with a sharp, gravelly tone, the sound of those words truly made me jump.

Mid-spring in the Jean Iseli Memorial Garden – I find that there is always something new to discover!

As it turned out, Mr. Smith had been expecting me. He was certain that I would be showing up to tour the gardens now that spring has finally enticed almost all the plants to flush their new growth. There we were, both of us in an adventurous mood, so we made our way out to the Jean Iseli Memorial Garden, he with camera in hand, me carrying only my enthusiasm.

Picea abies ‘Pusch’ cones loose their solid purplish red color with the onset of maturity.

All the rain and mild temperatures that we have enjoyed over the past few weeks has encouraged the conifers to push an abundance of their lush, colorful new growth. Small cones of quite an assortment of size and color were spotted on many plants. Some, like the Picea abies ‘Pusch’ had grown considerably since my last brief visit. Like mine at home, they had nearly tripled in size from when they were at their apex of color and had faded to mostly greenish with red highlights on the edges of the cone scales.

The tiny new growth begins to emerge on this Abies koreana ‘Ice Breaker’.

The Abies koreana ‘Ice Breaker’ that I mentioned a few posts back, then with its buds still closed tight and coated in hard resin, had pushed most of its ¾ inch annual growth and the needles were beginning to unfurl. This is one tiny little conifer that will be worth the wait for it to become readily available!

We were surprised by the tiny, bright red color of the second push of foliage on the Picea glauca ‘Pixie Dust’.

The next thing I saw, which not only gave us both a jolt of excitement, but something that neither of us could remember observing before – at least to the extent we witnessed on that day. We noticed that the second foliar push on the Picea glauca ‘Pixie Dust’, which we all normally expect to be butter yellow – was red! With careful observation we could clearly see that the red color was quickly fading to the yellow of our expectations. Perhaps the red would last a day as the new buds swelled and began to push. When I arrived home, I immediately gave my ‘Pixie Dust’ a visit finding the very same tiny red tips of new foliage beginning to develop and fading to yellow with a day or two of age.

Overall, it was quite a successful visit and we both learned something new about our amazing world of conifers.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

79 degrees in the shade

Finally!

We have finally had a few days in a row of sunny and warm weather. After the month of March and its cold snow showers and April with its cold rain showers, May is beginning to show true signs of spring. This past Sunday afternoon, while my wife and I were enjoying the first grill of the season, I noticed that the large thermometer on the wall under the patio cover read 79°F. It felt as if we had skipped spring and jumped directly into summer. Today we expect a high near 70, tomorrow 61 – and the showers return.

The spring, female cones of Abies koreana ‘Silver Show’ do put on quite a show. From a relatively young age, an abundance of showy cones cover many branches of this silvery-green tree.

We made good use of the great weather and spent a lovely few hours planting many of the little conifers I have grafted over the past two years. They look so happy now that they have a more permanent home in my garden. We also had time to plant several veggies into the four raised beds I had prepared two weeks ago. In that time, the soil warmed up very nicely, so I am confident that my lettuce, peas, beans, spinach and Brussels sprouts settled in nicely to their new homes.

Pinus pumila ‘Blue Dwarf’ is a slow growing, bluish colored, soft textured pine with the reliable appearance of bright pinkish-red pollen cones in spring.

This small blast of very desirable weather has had a positive effect in the garden and I am seeing so much activity, not only in my plants, but all the garden critters have been active and full of life. Shortly after I worked up the soil in the vegetable garden, one of the squirrels took advantage of the soft, fluffy soil and planted a few seeds of his own. I look forward to seeing what pops out of the ground there.

Discovered as a witches’ broom on Picea abies ‘Acrocona’, known for its prolific, brightly colored cone production, Picea abies ‘Pusch’ is a small mounding, spreading dwarf form with showy, brightly colored cones each spring. It looks great planted with other colorful garden plants.

With buds breaking and fresh new, brightly colored foliage beginning to emerge from many of my conifers along with a prolific number of conifer flowers – the colorful male and female cones that make their appearance in springtime  - my garden is waking up and transforming from the subdued colors of winter, like a painting by Camille Pissarro, into the vibrant colors of spring in Monet’s Garden. As I stroll through my garden, I enjoy finding a new cone here or a new push of growth there. Soon, the garden will truly explode with color as all the conifers burst forth with their new growth.

Pinus mugo ‘Orphir’ is a sturdy mugo pine that turns a rich gold during the cold winter months. In spring, as the needles return to their green color, bright lemon-yellow pollen cones make their appearance extending the season of yellow color of this unique dwarf pine.

It seems to be a very long time since we have had a sunny and warm month of May. These past few days have reminded me how much a warm spring day can bring healing to old aching bones and delight to the heart and soul.

Abies koreana ‘Green Carpet’ is a grass-green, spreading, dwarf conifer that is highlighted in spring with purple cones which persist through summer, eventually drying and releasing their seeds.

May your garden be lush and full of life,

Ed-
Conifer Lover

What could be more beautiful?

What could be more beautiful than to wake up on the first full day of spring, hear the birds singing their springtime songs, and find a few inches of snow on the ground? From what I understand, some of my friends around the country are not only enjoying an early spring, but this week, in many parts of the country, the temperatures will be summer-like! Since their weather could return to freezing temperatures and snowfall rather quickly, I hope they are enjoying their sneak peek at summer as much as I am enjoying our little taste of winter.

Around here, the month of March has been one of the snowiest ever. We have had three days with at least a couple of inches of snow on the ground and a two or three days that were filled with snow showers (and other forms of freezing precipitation). We haven’t had this many days with snowfall, in a three-week period, for as long as I can remember.

I love the snow. I loved it as a kid on those very rare occasions that we received it, and I have loved it every time it manages to fall in our temperate Pacific Northwest climate. Waking up to a garden full of great plants all topped with a generous helping of snow is a real joy. The snow seems to accentuate the shapes and textures of my conifers, and the way it clings to the branches of my Japanese maples and other deciduous plants is really quite stunning. I feel sad for my friends with large flat lawns and their narrow borders of spent flowers. The sight out their windows must be so… boring.

Seeing a hillside of large conifers, highlighted with snow, is truly a sight to behold. Smaller dwarf and miniature conifers also look great in the snowy garden, though heavier snowfall than we tend to receive will totally cover many of the smaller plants. As the dwarf plants mature with some size, they can add so much to the snowy landscape.

As much as I would love to feel the warming effects of the springtime sunshine, I am loving the bright white highlights of snow. I hope that you are enjoying your gardens this spring as much as I am.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Lace and the bright light

I suggest that you find your sunglasses before you continue reading this post.

Ready?

I have a conifer on my wish list that is very possibly the brightest, the most intense yellow I have ever seen in a plant. So far, I have only seen small specimens – the largest is close to three feet tall – but I can imagine how this might look as a large tree. I have a feeling, when I do find one of these beauties, and it has grown in my garden for five to ten years, it may very well become my only outdoor light source – I really think it must generate its own light!

This new conifer was discovered in 1987 as a yellow sport growing on one of the Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Graciosa’ in the production fields at Iseli Nursery and has been given the name, ‘Sunlight Lace’. If you are familiar with the cultivar, ‘Graciosa’ and its characteristically lacy foliage, then you should be able to imagine the foliage of ‘Sunlight Lace’ with its wide, flat sprays of foliage that may remind you of intricate lace work found on a fine gown that your great-grandmother may have worn many years ago.

'Sunlight Lace' is a newcomer with great potential to be one of the finest yellow conifers in your garden. This specimen shows a hint of winter bronzing in the foliage. As temperatures warm, the bronze tint will disappear, leaving only the brightest yellow foliage you may have ever seen.

This small tree appears to grow at a rate of six to eight inches per year with an open, airy habit. It should grow into a medium-sized tree with a broadly pyramidal form, but with some annual pruning, it could be shaped and encouraged to grow with a more compact form for many years in the smaller garden. If acquired as a small plant, it would very likely be ideal for growing in a nice container on the deck or patio for many years before it would need to be transplanted into the garden.

The brightest, most intense color will be produced when grown in full sun, but the bright yellow and white foliage can be susceptible to sunburn, so growing where it will receive some afternoon shade would be a good idea. The specimen pictured here receives some direct sun, off and on throughout the day during the growing season, which seems to be growing in an ideal mix of sun and shade because it is a beautiful color with little to no sunburn whatsoever.

I can imagine this bright light glowing in my garden with a groundcover of the bright blue Picea pungens ‘Procumbens’ and other blue and green conifers planted nearby creating a garden space filled with dazzling year-round color. Plant this beauty near the deck or patio and I imagine that with just a little moonlight, it will be bright enough to read a book by at midnight.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Miniature conifers inspire big imaginations

I believe that my love of miniature gardening began in the late 1960s or early ’70s. Terrariums were reemerging as a popular and low-care way to enjoy houseplants. I checked out several books on the subject from the local library, some of which included lists of where plants and supplies could be obtained through the mail. I ordered a few catalogs and a whole new world of plants was revealed to me.

I remember planting my first terrarium, with its multi-layered soil which included fine crushed rock for drainage and horticultural or activated charcoal to keep the soil “sweet.” My desire was to create a self-contained miniature world in a bottle. I found that the empty, clear glass gallon jugs, that were readily available near the dumpsters of the local drinking establishment, worked quite well as the vessels for my new experiments.

Picea glauca 'Blue Planet' is a half-sphere with a bluish tint.

When my first planting was complete, I found great satisfaction just sitting and gazing into my miniature garden, while my imagination lead me through all kinds of adventures in my new little world. I made several terrariums over the years including hand-crafted leaded glass containers complete with stained glass highlights. Occasionally I would sell custom creations to folks I would meet. This hobby lasted into the early 1980s and was completely overtaken by my growing love of dwarf and miniature conifers.

Pinus mugo 'Moppet' is a tiny version of the Mugo pine.

These days, folks are creating all kinds of miniature gardens, whether they be a combination of plants in containers or other larger themed gardens such as authentic rock gardens, alpine gardens, railway or fairy gardens – all of which are ideal environments for growing miniature conifers.

I love to encourage young people to become involved in gardening and they really enjoy having a small garden to call their own. Miniature conifers in containers can provide kids with little landscapes to play out the many adventures of their active imaginations, while teaching them about plant care. Some of the most remembered play-times of my childhood revolve around playing in the simple gardens where I lived. Sometimes my adventures involved army men and vast battles, other times it was miniature construction projects with my Tonka Trucks.

Almost nothing makes me happier than when the Picea glauca 'Pixie Dust' starts to shimmer in summer.

These days I love miniature gardens filled with colorful miniature and dwarf conifers, complemented with other miniature plants. I still love to sit and gaze into my garden, whether be the miniatures or my full-sized garden plants and allow my imagination to conjure grand ideas. I hope you will find inspiration in your gardens, whatever their size, and enjoy the tranquility of gardening with easy-care conifers.

Ed-
Conifer Lover