Notebook continued
Close up of red bud. Inset: Red bud tree in bloom.
Dwarf hinoki cypress.
Trees and shrubs for suburban lots By Angie Mennen
don’t have the space to have a beautiful landscape. Far too often we hear “My prop- erty is too small for trees”, or “I live in the city, I can’t have trees.” These negative at- titudes are drastically impacting their way of living. You can have a mix of trees, shrubs and perennials on any size lot, as long as you choose them appropriately. Evergreens create structure and definition
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in a garden. Retaining both their form and foliage throughout the seasons, evergreen selections are only limited by your own imagination. With a wide variety of colours, shapes and textures, evergreens are a must have in suburban and rural lots alike! Among those evergreens appropriate for suburban lots, is one of my favourites, the Yellow Rib- bon cedar. A slow growing narrow upright cedar that holds its golden yellow foliage all year round, this tress is sure to be a focal point in your sunny yard! Growing 10 feet by 40 feet at full maturity, it is an easy-to- care-for-shrub and it is also easy to prune to any size or shape. A great contrast to the golden yellow fo-
liage is the dwarf hinoki false cypress (also called a jelly belly by those who work with us). This dark green evergreen is another eye-catching shrub known for its irregular shape. It fits perfectly in our Japanese in- spired Zen garden. Very slow growing, this cypress only grows
6 • Spring 2012
iving in suburban lots shouldn’t limit how you enjoy your outdoor oasis! Many suburban dwellers believe they
40 inches by 40 inches at full maturity and can be pruned to shape and size as desired. After our cold Canadian winters, we usually go out and give them a good shake, hence our nickname jelly belly, to rid this tree of any browning areas. That’s all the mainte- nance these require! Complementary to traditional evergreens,
broadleaf evergreens also play a crucial role as they provide both masses of bright colour in the spring as well as continued interest throughout the winter months. Oregon grape, new to me in the past few years, is one that I would highly recommend for part shade to full shade areas. It is a great way to brighten up a dark corner! Related to the barberry, Oregon grape has beautiful glossy holly-like leaves that emerge red-bronze, changing to yellow-green and then finally a dark green. It gets its name from the pur- ple-blue clusters of berries that emerge after the vibrant yellow flowers, reminiscent of lightly dusted grapes. When planning your gardens you need to
plan for all seasons. With evergreens pro- viding year-round interest, it is important to consider colour and texture contrasts for the remaining seasons. For spring, the Eastern redbud is a jaw-dropper. Purple- pink pea-like flowers cover the purple-gray branches in May (or this year April, since Mother Nature seems to be about a month early this year!), before their heart-shaped leaves open. It is available in both a clump or tree form so can fit great into any land-
scape. It is a small native tree (yay native!), that is ideal for sunny to partial shady ar- eas. It grows to 23 feet at full maturity. Not only stunning in the spring, its heart- shaped leaves turn an attractive yellow in the fall! This is an added bonus when you get multiple seasons from one tree or shrub – more bang for your buck! The native serviceberry, (we love na-
tives!), is another great investment for your landscapes, and it is suitable for naturalized plantings. You will see them in April and May covered in white flowers! Growing to 23 feet by 10 feet at full maturity, these shrubs also make a great underplanting shrub. You’ll of- ten find them growing under the canopies of large trees, brightening up a dark area. After their white flowers, they produce red-purple edible fruit that ripens in the summer. It is a wonderful shrub for attracting birds into the garden to help take with natural insect control. Their silver-green leaves turn bril- liant gold and red in the fall. The weeping katsura tree has a stunning
fall performance, changing from blue-green leaves to brilliant oranges. Quickly growing, the weeping katsura will provide privacy for those who want to hide from their neigh- bours when they enjoy a glass of wine or two in the garden. Growing to 13 feet by 13 feet, the arching, weeping habit resembles a striking waterfall. For more information on small and unusual
shrubs/trees for suburban lots please visit us at
www.pathwaystoperennials.com. `
www.localgardener.net
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