Satisfy my soul

Quite often, when I am enthusiastically discussing conifers with my friends (whom I like to refer to as pre-conifer lovers), I will guide them to the realization that not all conifers are evergreen. This part of our conversation usually falls somewhere between, “Not all cones are pine cones.” and “Some conifers appear to have berries.”

Today, while doing a little mid-winter garden cleanup and protection from a possible snap of cold arctic air dropping over the PNW, I was admiring the unique winter beauty of my Weeping Larch. Perhaps I was influenced by the pleasantly hypnotic rhythms of Bob Marley playing on my mp3 player, but I noticed for the first time how much the exposed branches of Larix decidua ‘Pendula’ looked like beaded dreadlocks flowing in the winter breeze. Early in the spring those locks will burst forth with soft, light green needles covering the branches to give our “Rasta Tree” a full thick head of hair. The needles darken some as they mature through the summer and then blaze with bright golden yellow tones in autumn before they drop to the ground making a golden carpet beneath the tree.

I could stop there with my excitement about this great garden specimen, but I have not mentioned the versatility of this Weeping Larch. Imagine using this great tree as a tall centerpiece, a corner accent, or cascading over a wall. You might even choose to work with its very flexible branches to create a unique sculpture or topiary. Not only are the larch generally more tolerant of wet soil conditions than other conifers, but with zone 2 and 3 hardiness, many will thrive in cold areas as far north as Alaska.

With all these positive attributes, the larch certainly are another genera of conifer that satisfy my soul.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Thanks to my Iseli friends for the links!

Sparkling like a precious gem

Every once in a while I come across a plant in the local garden center that seems to sit there and draw my attention in a seductive way like a Sirens’ song luring me away from the mission that brought me there in the first place. If that is not enough, it usually is a plant that I already have in the garden, healthy and happily serving its purpose.

One of those alluring plants for me is a dwarf conifer with light green finely textured foliage and white variegation that almost seems to sparkle like a precious gem. I’ve mentioned before in the blog, that the dark grey winters where I live can sometimes suck the life right out of you. That’s certainly one reason why I love conifers so much – it’s their ability to brighten and add life to those dreary, dark winter days. Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Mariesii’ is certainly a plant that can brighten a dark day and shimmer with excitement in the brighter days of spring and summer!

I love the fine textured, variegated foliage and the tidy habit of this dwarf conifer. I’ve seen a specimen of close to 30 years old that has reached a height of 9 or 10 feet and a breadth of about the same. From a distance, ‘Mariesii’ looks like a nice, finely textured, light green mound, but upon closer inspection the wonderful white variegation really stands out. I’ve been enjoying mine in my rock garden for many years, but it’s getting to the size that I may need to either move it to a more spacious location or begin a pruning routine to allow me to keep it in its current place for a few more years.

Whatever I decide to do with my specimen, I’m afraid that every time I visit a garden center, I will hear the song of a new, younger plant tempting me to purchase a second one. And hey, what would be wrong with that?

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Thanks to my friends at Iseli for the photo link!

Keep an eye out for witches’ brooms

Many of my favorite dwarf conifers were first discovered as witches’ brooms growing high in the branches of their parent trees.

“Witches’ brooms? What are you talking about, Ed?” You may ask.

I’m glad you asked! Horticulturally speaking, witches’ brooms are tightly congested formations of twigs and foliage that are often, but certainly not always, caused by pathogens – insects or other biological pests. Sometimes though, a witches’ broom develops because of a genetic mutation. When cuttings are taken from these genetic abnormalities, new plants can be propagated with the characteristics of the mutated original.

“Yes, Ed, that’s all well and good, but why use the term witches’ brooms? Where did that originate?”

Great question. According to an article I found in volume 27 numbers 4-5 of Arnoldia, a bulletin of the Arnold Arboretum, the term originated back in medieval Europe. The genetic or pathogen influenced growth looked a lot like the rustic brooms that were in common use. And hey, if they couldn’t explain it, there must have been a witch involved! Not only that, but apparently, these congested foliage areas were the Motel 6 of medieval witches because they were thought to be the resting places of witches when traveling!

These days, dedicated conifer collectors are always keeping an eye out for witches’ brooms in the trees overhead for the potential of discovering what may be a really great new dwarf conifer for the garden!

One such conifer was discovered by Don Shadow. In 1984, he gave Jean Iseli some cuttings of his new discovery and these cuttings were grafted and evaluated for several years. Picea orientalis ‘Shadow’s Broom’ is a great plant with its bright spring-green new growth that quickly matures to one of the darkest and richest greens in the garden. It has short, glossy needles and slowly forms a broad mounding specimen. I’ve been growing mine in full sun where I needed a good dark foundation to my garden. It really stands out nicely surrounded by other more brightly colored dwarf conifers and other exciting garden plants.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Thanks to my friends at Iseli Nursery for the photo link

The beauty of winter

We had a very nice holiday and even saw snow late on Christmas day! Outside our local mountain ranges, we don’t get snow very often or in very large quantities here in the Pacific Northwest, but once in a while if you are at the right place at the right time…. snow is kind of a treat.

I have many friends living in parts of the country where snow and severe cold are what they expect and prepare for every winter. One good thing that I almost always hear from my colder-climate friends is how beautiful their conifers are when covered in snow!

It’s such a rare occasion when I can enjoy the beauty of snow, that I get pretty excited when I find a conifer that almost looks like it’s glistening with frost all year-round. Picea omorika ‘Pimoko’ is a great example of a plant that almost sparkles in the sunlight because many of its needles twist and turn upwards exposing their bright whitish undersides.

‘Pimoko’  forms a nice rounded mound when young, and as it matures, its irregular form really adds interest to the garden. A great conifer with a neat and tidy appearance.  New foliage emerges like small spring green florets and matures to expose the undersides appearing like polished silver that sparkles in the sunlight – and hardy to zone 4 – need I say….I love it!

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Thanks to Iseli Nursery for the photo links!

All aboard!

I remember as a young boy growing up with the Sears® Wish Book as my most read publication for pretty much the entire month of December. I would pour over the pages looking and dreaming and strategizing how I would talk my parents into just the right gifts.

These days, I still have a wish list, but my catalogs of choice have changed from toys to garden plants! Of course I’m always interested in conifers, but almost any dwarf or miniature plant has a chance of getting on my list. I also have a wish project. I am hoping to take a small section of my garden and turn it into a miniature garden railway. That way, I can satisfy the wishes of my inner-boy as well as the conifer loving old man!

Creating a great railway garden will take a lot of research and planning. One inspirational publication I’ve found is Garden Railways Magazine. I’m inspired by the folks that create the most realistic scale railways you could imagine. Many of these gardens utilize dwarf conifers to create the natural looking forests and other trees to fit the right scale for their trains.

One conifer that I think will work great in my railway garden is Cryptomeria japonica ‘Tansu.’ Rated at Zone 6, it won’t do for every garden, but here in the PNW, it will thrive. When young, it can be pruned and trained into a very natural looking forest tree with its small scale-like leaves in perfect proportion with a miniature railway. Left to grow naturally, ‘Tansu’ has a very compact, irregular growth habit, forming a rounded globe shape to a very broad pryramid with age. With its neat and tidy habit, it can be useful in a broad spectrum of garden styles.

Whether your desire is a garden railway, container plants as part of a patio garden or a great specimen for a rock garden, ‘Tansu’ is a premium choice that you need to put on your wish list too!

Best wishes

Ed-
Conifer lover

Thanks again to my friends at Iseli Nursery for the photo links!