This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
and we return home with short lists of plants that we bring to our local garden centre in hopes of duplicating some element of the landscapes we may have seen in B.C., southern Ontar- io, lower U. S. states, Europe or Asia. Often, we end up being attracted to plants that have an


A


Asian or Zen-like appearance that we want to bring home to our cool weather garden. For example, many gardeners are attracted (justifiably) to the elegance of Japanese maples (Acer palmatum). Unfortunately for us, Japanese maples are not hardy enough to be used as reliable shrub in all areas. (A few lower zone gardeners have been blessed with their own micro-climate where the Japanese maple has been successful). Luckily, there are some useful hardy alternative plants that offer that distinctive Asian style in any garden. Some of my favorites include: Trost’s dwarf birch (Betula laciniata ‘Trost’). A small arctic-hardy birch shrub (zone 2) that has delicate looking


s gardeners, we travel! And when we do, we tend to visit gardening zones that are milder than our zones. On these journeys, certain plants delight us visually


lacy leaves. The green foliage turns a brilliant shade of yellow in autumn. Three to five feet high by three feet wide. Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia). This small tree/


large shrub has the most distinctive branching architecture of almost any prairie-hardy plant. The branches emerge as bold horizontal layers that reach a great distance from the centre of the plant. This horizontal ‘layering’ creates a very distinctive Asian/Zen styled background plant. White flow- ers in spring are followed by blue-black fruit in mid-summer. Six to ten feet high by four to seven feet wide. Rock cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis ‘Perpussillus’)


A low, spreading groundcover with thick wiry stems that knurl and twist horizontally above the ground. Tiny leaves, twisted stems and cherry-red berries make this a delightful surprise plant to place on or near a rock or Buddha garden figure for great effect. ‘Dwarf’ winged burning bush (Euonymus alatus ‘Select’)


Stiff bark with winged ridges give the bark a one-of-a-kind look in the prairie shrub world. Branching is quite horizontal lending itself to an Asian style. Dark green summer foliage


Comptonia peregrina, sweetfern. Far left: Pagoda dogwood.


Bottom left: Sambusus reacemose – golden elder. Bottom right: Cotonester.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40