 |
| |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
| We
all need a little color through the drab days of winter, and for most
of us, flowers won’t be happening. So, what do we plant that
will give us color in our garden all year. Conifers can be one answer.
These tough and low maintenance plants can bring color into the garden
when the flowers don’t. I am generally talking about the dwarf
conifers, as most of us do not have room for huge trees. These small
evergreens are mostly “witch’s brooms”, abnormalities
found growing on larger trees, and then reproduced by grafting or
|
|
|
|
| cuttings
to make duplicates. If these oddities continue to make an attractive
shrub, they are named and registered with the American Conifer Society.
There are hundreds if not thousands of these little gems that can
add color to your yard, and they are deer proof and most are drought
tolerant. I would like to give you some examples that work well. |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
The
color red is probably the hardest to find. Cryptomeria
japonica ‘Elegans’ and Chamaecyparis thyoides ‘Red
Star’ both have reddish foliage in the winter, but not the rest
of the year. For excellent winter red foliage, the heather Calluna
vulgaris ‘Firefly’ does a great job and can look like
a mounding red conifer in the winter.
For a florescent lime green, Pinus
densiflora ‘Low Glow’ has all year color unlike any
other conifer. The plant does really “glow” and attract
the eye. It is a slow grower, becoming wider than tall. Another candidate
is Cedrus libiani ‘Green Prince’. Here is a dwarf conifer
that becomes more attractive every year. The spring new growth is
a florescent lime green as well, but will fade as the seasons progress.
The deciduous weeping larch, Larix
decidua ‘Pendula’ has incredibly showy new growth
in April, and will definitely fill the bill for “florescent
lime green”. |
|
 |
 |
 |
The
last color I will address is silver or gray. This tone is very different
from most other foliage colors, and can add contrast and interest.
Abies koriana
‘Silberlocke’ is a Korean fir that turns its needles
backwards to expose the bright silver undersides. It becomes even
showier when blue-purple cones line the tops of the branches. Cupressus
macrocarpa ‘Greenstead Magnificent’ grows into a low,
wide silver-blue-green specimen and is stunning! Cedrus atlantica
‘Saphire Nymph’ is an unusual prostrate growing Atlantic
Cedar with silver-blue leaves.
Our gardens have proven themselves over the years with year-round
interest, and much of that success has to do with the various dwarf
conifers growing there. Give it a try! Plant dwarf conifers for year-round
color and you will be greatly rewarded.
|
|
 |
| |
 |
| 1.
Add dolomitic lime around the dripline of your rhodies will give them
an extra boost to help them get through the winter months. One might
think adding lime to these acid loving plants to be a mistake, but
it has been proven to improve the health and vigor to rhododendrons.
When rhododendron leaves are analyzed for their chemical composition,
the element of highest concentration is magnesium, and dolomite lime
is Calcium-magnesium carbonate. Often leaves can be made a darker-richer
shade of green with the addition of this inexpensive amendment. There
are articles dating back to the turn of the century, praising the
use of dolomite lime as a great fall feeding for rhododendrons. Usually
1-2 cups sprinkled around the drip line is sufficient. |
|
| 2.
Mulch, mulch, mulch! Adding a generous layer of mulch around the rootzone
of your rhododendrons is probably the best protection against the
ravages of winter weather. If the roots are protected, there will
be less loss to freezing and drying from winter winds. This should
be done in conjunction with watering your plants well to hydrate them
before winter. A good root soaking every couple of weeks and the addition
of a generous layer of mulch before the temperatures drop will do
more to protect your rhododendrons than just about any other measure. |
|
 |
3. Spraying the foliage
with an antitranspirant or antidesiccant such as ‘Cloud Cover’
or ‘Wilt Proof’ can be an excellent way to protect your
rhododendrons too. When the root system freezes in winter, the leaves
have no way of keeping hydrated, and drying winds can then kill
our plant. By spraying with one of these products can possible even
save rhododendrons that may not be hardy in your zone, although
we would not ever guarantee such a thing. There are actual testimonials
on the web showing photos of rhododendrons sprayed and un-sprayed
before winter set in, with excellent results for the sprayed plants.
4. Shielding your plants from blasts of icy winds with a simple
burlap windbreak can also be a worthwhile step to protect that favorite
rhododendron. Install 3-4 posts in the ground around your plant
and staple burlap for protection. This step will provide good protection
if the winter winds are severe.
5. Here is a simple and fun protection that I have used to protect
my tender rhododendrons from loosing their flower buds to bad freezes.
This method is only applicable to milder, coastal areas of the US.
You can string Christmas lights in your plants, like you do your
holiday tree, then connect the lights to a thermostat operated switch
that goes on when the temperatures drop below 35 degrees. The heat
given off by the little bulbs are just enough to protect the tender
buds of some of the fragrant rhododendrons, and when they come on
in the night, it is quite a festive display!
|
|
| |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
