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Dogwoods, cedars or shrubs: spouses have different ideas!
By Steve Jones
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Sometimes, the questions I receive are more concerned with "domestic relationships" than with the specific landscape problems they describe. Two people who agree on most everything can have very differing opinions concerning what to plant around the home they share...
QUESTION: "We have a 1/4 acre lot our house sets on, two neighbors to the side, a busy road directly behind us with only a berm to separate us, and a brand new below ground pool we just had put in right in the middle of our backyard.
"At first, I wanted to put dogwoods along the berm, but have since then noticed they don't stay the size we need to get the privacy we want. Then I found these Thuja Green Giants we could put along two sides of our yard; the berm to hide the road, and the neighbor without a fence. With that formal of a backyard, there is no way I can feel out of place playing badminton in my white pole shirt and pants on a sunny day drinking lemonade, right?
"But now I have another problem, and no it's not that my wife hates playing badminton. She doesn't like the thought of the Thuja Green Giants for some reason. She's thinking tall grasses and short deciduous trees of some sort, with small shrubs and flowers beneath them across the entire berm. So now what? Back to square one, huh?
"Could you give us some pointers and perhaps guide us in the right direction on how we should handle our privacy issue? We've been reading up on what things we could do for quite a while, but have not yet come to a solution. Thanks for all your help. It is greatly appreciated." - Nathan
ANSWER: Well, at the risk of sounding as if I'm "sitting on the fence," you both could be correct. Yours an easy solution - planting the Green Giants - but her solution has more variety and texture. Grasses are good; maybe some of the flowering shrubs such as Knockout roses. Another thought would be to mix in some Bamboo. Use these mostly as background plants and then put in a host of perennials for investment-type landscaping. The perennials come back larger and stronger year after year while providing different seasons of blooms. If you wish to put in some ornamental smaller trees you may want to look at the Velma's Delight dwarf crape myrtle. I hope this helps you agree on a solution!
QUESTION: "I have some burning bushes in the front of my home. They no longer have any leaves on the bottom of the bush. If I trim them will they come back again, or will I harm them? I thought maybe you could help me out." - Sandra Shinkey
ANSWER: You don't mention the age of your shrubs, but burning bush plants become leggy as they age. Trimming doesn't generally help this situation. They may have fulfilled their purpose in the landscape and may need to be replaced.
If age isn't it, a few other common problems of this plant variety are disease, pests and nutritional deficiencies.
Due to the heat last spring/summer, spider mites were a huge pest causing many customers with burning bushes in their landscapes to become concerned. Once they leaf out, you can hold a white sheet of paper under some of the leaves and tap the branch lightly. If spider mites are the cause, they will fall onto the paper. Then, visit your local hardware store for their recommendation on a pesticide to treat the plants.
Burning bush prefer full sun, but will grow in other situations. The more sun they receive, the deeper red the leaves in late summer/early fall.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org. For resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free weekly e-mailed newsletter, go to www.landsteward.org
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Small Spaces Can Bask in Colorful Trees, Too
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Color, it seems, is high on the list of priorities for gardening and landscaping enthusiasts. After last week's column about vividly colorful flowering trees, I received a lot of e-mails from readers essentially saying, "Tell me more!"
Because not everyone has a yard the size of Central Park, my suggestions today focus on trees that work well in smaller-scale areas.
Red Bud Forest Pansy - If you're searching for a colorful tree that wouldn't overpower a smaller garden, take a look at the Forest Pansy. The tiny, delicate leaves emerge in spring and suddenly you see a brilliant display of deep maroon-red 'confetti' that will last all through summer, turning to yellow in the fall.
Because the Red Bud Forest Pansy will only attain a height of 20 ft or so at maturity, with a spread of around 15 ft, it has the right scale for a modestly-sized area. It has a moderate growth rate and prefers sun to partial sun and well-drained soil.
Red Bud Lavender Twist - While we're thinking about Red Buds, let's not forget this unusual variety. The good news is that it's easy to grow. The bad news? It's not easy to find. Essentially, the Lavender Twist is a weeping form of the native Red Bud with contorted stems and shoots arching to produce an umbrella-shaped crown.
When it comes to color, the lavender-pink flowers stand out in bright contrast against the dark stems in spring before the leaves emerge. Even after the flowers have gone, the bluish-green foliage is very pleasing to the eye. If you have a spot that gets the early sun then partial shade for the rest of the day, you have the perfect location for a Lavender Twist, particularly if the soil is somewhat moist but well drained. Again, a good candidate for modest-sized lots, topping out between 6 and 10 ft with the gnarled limbs spreading 5 to 8 ft wide.
Sourwood tree - This is one of our favorites. Cheryl and I enjoy the sight of the drooping panicles of brilliant white flowers that begin around the middle of summer and persist into autumn. Sourwood's foliage puts on one of the most spectacular fall displays of any tree, often transitioning from orange to brick red to flaming scarlet!
A Sourwood looks good as a specimen and works well in small groupings, too. Select a lightly-shaded location that has moist, acid, well-drained soil and incorporate some organic material to give it a good start.
Cherry "Akebono" - In the previous column, I described the cherry known as "First Lady." If you missed that column, you can find it archived at my Web site. Go to www.landsteward.org and find the "flowering trees" column under the Plant Man heading. The Akebono is another of my favorites.
In the spring, the Akebono sports fluffy clouds of delicate pink flowers that are even more brightly tinted than the better known Yoshino variety, famous for the annual blossom display in Washington, DC. A good choice for admirers of spectacular cherry blossoms.
Tree-form Persian Lilac - Plant a pair of these tree-form Persian Lilacs to accent the entrance to your garden or to frame a walkway and you might find your landscape drawing admiring glances from neighbors and passers-by.
Good things certainly can come in small packages and this little fellow will probably not exceed 6 ft in height at maturity. I really like the abundant blooms with their pale lilac color and distinctive fragrance. This one is quite rare. If you can't find it, try Googling "tree form Persian Lilac" or send me an e-mail and I'll send you some shopping information.
Whatever the size of your landscape, from tiny to vast, you can enjoy colors that go beyond green!
The Plant Man is here to help. Send questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org. For resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free weekly e-mailed newsletter, go to www.landsteward.org
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Create a Haven of Privacy With the Right Trees and Shrubs
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Ah, privacy! If you live on a ranch in Wyoming or in a cabin in the wilds of Montana, that's probably not a problem. But if you're like most of us, you have neighbors quite close on each side of you and maybe overlooking the back of your lot as well.
Even if you're smack in the middle of suburbia surrounded by other homes, there is some good news. You don't have to build a 15 foot brick wall around your perimeter just to secure your privacy. After all, who wants to live in Fort Knox without the gold?
In the previous Plant Man column, I described ways that trees and shrubs can help to insulate your home and garden from noise pollution, wind and heat, making your life more comfortable and your utility bills less demanding. If you missed that column you can find it archived under the Plant Man heading at my Web site www.landsteward.org
But as modern homes are being built closer and closer together, concerns about privacy become even more pressing for many of us. Fortunately, there are a number of "green" solutions that can provide the private haven you want without taking the ugly route.
The following e-mail is a case in point. It was fielded by my wife Cheryl.
QUESTION: "I live in a lovely cul de sac neighborhood, but I live on the corner and my whole yard is exposed, mainly the whole backyard. The lot is 3/4 acres and the house faces north. So rather than putting up an ugly wood fence, I was wondering if I could create some type of natural fence when I came across an article at your Web site.
"I mainly want to close in the backyard on the northeast side and half way across the back property line. The rest opens to neighbors whose kids play with my kids, and to forest in the back. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear about them." - Barry Preising
ANSWER: If the house across from yours has landscaping on the exposed area along the street, you may want to do something similar to keep a balanced look in the neighborhood. Should there be no house there or if they don't have any landscaping, here are a couple of thoughts.
Rather than the straight uniform look of a hedge, plant in groupings of plants (trees, shrubs and perennials) or a graduated hedge with breaks along the way. Beginning toward the front part of the property, plant a low growing hedge (rosa rugosa, burning bush or even ornamental grasses) along the first 1/3 of the length breaking up the plants every 20 to 30 feet with a green giant or another evergreen tree. For the next 1/3, plant a taller growing hedge such as hibiscus, clumping bamboo, or Canadian hemlock (kept at about 8 feet tall). Along the back 1/3, plant a tall growing evergreen hedge of cedar green giants or similar. Planting a hedge in S-form in an interesting way to create a hedge without it being completely straight. When planting using this method, add smaller growing shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses in the indented areas. Using a partial fence area works great as well. The fence blocks the area you want to keep most private and then landscape with varied plants on each end as far as necessary to carry out the visual of the fence. I hope you can use one of these suggestions.
I believe the column that Barry referred to was titled "Use trees and shrubs to define your landscape." You can find it at http://www.landsteward.org/page.cfm/6613 if you need more information on this subject. Alternatively, drop me an e-mail, like Barry did, with some specifics about the problem you're wrestling with. I'll respond personally and your question might appear in a future column or in my newsletter.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org. For resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free weekly e-mailed newsletter, go to www.landsteward.org
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Dry Soil? Six Plants That Will Brighten Your Landscape
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For farmers, there are only two kinds of rainfall: too much and not enough. Those of us who are into gardening and landscaping can sympathize with that! However, unlike farmers, most of us don't have thousands of acres to worry about. That means we can concentrate our efforts on finding plants that can withstand the prevailing weather conditions in our (relatively) small patch of soil.
The Plant Man's simple rule of (green) thumb? Select trees and shrubs whose characteristics match the USDA plant hardiness zone where you live and the specific moisture conditions of your landscape.
However much you have your heart set on a plant you saw in Taos, New Mexico, it probably won't thrive in your front yard if you live in the Pacific northwest. Similarly, plants that grow lush and verdant in high-precipitation areas are probably doomed in sun-baked Arizona.
In my next column, I'll discuss some trees and shrubs that would be suitable for planting in soil that ranges from moist to swampy. But today, let's think about plants that do just fine in dry soil conditions or can handle lower than average precipitation.
A word of caution: although they incline towards the dry side of the flora spectrum, none of the plants described here are truly "drought proof."
Austrian Pine - If you have dry, rocky or windy conditions and soil that is anything from limestone to acidic, this is probably the tree for you. It looks good as a stand alone or you can plant them about 6 ft apart to form a screen or a windbreak. Even in poor, sandy soil, it grows quickly to 75 -100 ft.
Princeton Elm - Resistant to the dreaded Dutch Elm disease, the Princeton seems to do well in a wide range of weather conditions from the bitter cold of northern plains to the sweltering heat of Texas. A majestic, fast-growing shade tree.
Redbud "Don Egolf" - The horticulturist Don Shadow brought this new cultivar to my attention and he tells me that it tolerates many different soil types and is especially good in areas that tend to be dry. Don Egolf produces remarkable rosy-mauve blooms and is ideal for smaller gardens, maturing at a height of about 9 ft with a 9 ft spread.
By the way, if you have trouble tracking down any of the plants I mention here, drop me an e-mail and I'll see if I can help you.
Honeysuckle, Arnolds Red - This prized cultivar of tartarian honeysuckle puts out bright red blooms in the spring and makes a beautiful and fragrant natural hedge. It creates a delightful (and effective) windbreak and withstands drought and extreme temperatures, doing fine in salt or alkali soil.
Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Firewitch' - This isn't strictly drought resistant, but I've included it because it's a low-growing plant that looks so good in a rock garden or between stones in a dry stone wall and does just fine in full sun and dryish, well-drained soil. It has brilliant magenta, clove-scented blooms and silvery-blue evergreen foliage.
Sedum Golden Carpet - If you want an attractive groundcover but are stuck with dry, sandy soil, look for Golden Carpet, one of the hardiest of the Sedums. The bright yellow blooms look great cascading over artfully placed rocks.
"Your results may vary," as they say on TV, and when in doubt, opt for plants that are native to your geographic area rather than seeking out exotics. As always, send me an a-mail with a few details such as location, soil type and desired results and I will be happy to respond with some specific comments and suggestions.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org. For resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free weekly e-mailed newsletter, go to www.landsteward.org
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