Living tree house

Once upon a time, a few years before I was born, a seedling of Douglas Fir emerged from the ground several feet away from the garden shed of my boyhood home. By the time I was seven or eight years old, I discovered it had grown tall and broad and dense enough that I could manuever myself between it, the garden shed, and the fence to find a pretty nice little “house.” I can remember taking an old blanket there to sit on and some books to read. It also became a prime hiding spot for a good game of Hide and Seek.

These days, as my interest in conifers has matured into more cultured forms, I’ve found another great “tree house.” Tsuga canadensis ‘Pendula’ can become a fantastic private retreat or whimsical garden playhouse for the kids or grandkids. Its dark green, flat needles cover layer after layer of flexible weeping branches which work together to shed water quite well. The branches can be trained up and out to create a broad roof and then allowed to droop naturally filling in the walls. Doors and even windows may then be sculpted using simple pruning shears and some garden tie tape or string. Not a fast grower like the Douglas fir of my youth, but with some patience and a little creative cultural care, the Weeping Canadian Hemlock can make a great living treehouse.

Hardy into Zone 4, rich dark green needles, soft to the touch, and flexible enough to train into almost any shape (and great fun for the kids), I definately place Tsuga canadensis ‘Pendula’ near the top of my list of favorite conifers.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Thanks to my friends at Iseli for the photo links!

My Hostas fell asleep

I tease my wife about her love for annuals and color spots in the garden and how one day, I will replace them all with conifers! In all honesty though, there are some really great plants that complement my conifers very well. And hey, I love color as much as the next guy, but I love a low-maintenance garden even more. Those pesky annuals and perennials can be so much work. There is one perennial in particular that is just a perfect partner for my conifers though, and that is Hosta. There are literally hundreds of different cultivars available (just like conifers) and they come in a wide assortment of plant size, leaf shape and size, color and variegations (again, just like conifers). But, unlike conifers, my Hostas fall asleep every winter and disappear from my garden until spring.

Tsuga canadensis ‘Moon Frost’ is a fantastic conifer to plant amongst the hostas in my garden. Its variegated green and white foliage is complementary with the greens and whites and yellows and blues of my hosta (and other conifers). It also grows in the same shady areas providing a welcome glow to what can otherwise be a dreary place – especially in winter when the Hosta have all fallen fast asleep. And on top of it all, it is virtually maintenance free!

‘Moon Frost’ quickly became one of my favorite conifers several years ago, and it is still very high on my list of “must have” garden plants!

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Many thanks to the good folks at Iseli Nursery for the photo links!