|
|
Although the blooms of
summer are a distant memory
and the splendor of fall
is neatly raked into the
compost pile, don’t
think that your yard has
to be dreary from now
until spring. Blooms,
bark, berries, and background
planting are the secrets
of a colorful and interesting
winter landscape.
|
|
Evergreens are the mainstay
of the winter landscape. When
the shade and flowering trees
and shrubs of spring and summer
have entered their winter sleep,
it's evergreens that take the
stage. Spruce, Cedar, Pine,
Hemlock, Arborvitae, Yew and
Juniper- there are many beautiful
varieties suitable for foundation
or specimen planting, windbreaks,
screens and groundcover. Some
change into their ‘winter
wardrobe’ too: "Reingold"
Arborvitae takes on a coppery
hue, while Junipers like "Bar
Harbor" and "Prince
of Wales" turn bronzy purple.
Don't forget broad-leaved evergreens
for texture contrast, plus make
use of evergreen perennials
like Coral Bells (Heuchera),
Thrift (Armeria), Creeping Phlox,
Candytuft (Iberis) and varieties
of Sedum, for groundcover or
edging. A few ornamental grasses
such as Blue Fescue retain their
color in winter. The foliage
and flowers of others, like
Miscanthus and Fountain Grass
(Pennisetum), dries to a biscuit
color and look particularly
effective against a snowy backdrop.
Berry-bearing plants are a boon
for birds, as well as being
a decorative addition to the
winter landscape. Try prickly
Pyracantha, colorful Cotoneaster,
and hardy Hollies- a must for
holiday decorating. Hollies
come in many shapes and sizes
for all sorts of landscaping
situations. Plant a dwarf grower
like "Blue Angel"
(Ilex meserveae ‘Blue
Angel’) as a foundation
plant, a medium grower like
China Girl (Ilex cornuta ‘China
Girl’) as a screen or
hedge and a tall grower like
"Nellie Stevens" (Ilex)
as a specimen. Hollies require
a male pollinator for best berry
production. Be sure and ask
us which pollinator you need
for the variety you select.
The beautiful bark, which many
trees and shrubs exhibit, can
be seen at its best during winter,
when leaves have fallen. Paper
Park Maple (Acer griseum) is
a delightful small specimen
tree with reddish- brown bark
that exfoliates in thin papery
sheets. Consider white barked
European or Himalayan Birch
or water-loving River Birch
with its eye-catching grey-brown
to cinnamon colored peeling
bark. For attractive mottled
trunks, plant Stewartia and
Crepe Myrtle. The dazzling stems
of Red and Yellow Twig Dogwood
brighten as the winter progresses.
Twig Dogwoods look particularly
stunning when planted in groupings
in front of evergreen trees.
Even in the middle of winter,
there are a few plants that
will surprise us with flowers.
Perennial Christmas Rose (Helleborus
niger) has pretty white buttercup-like
flowers; its cousin, Lenten
Rose (H. orientalis) blooms
a little later with flowers
ranging from purplish green
to white and pink. Both are
shade loving, growing slowly
to a loose evergreen clump.
Witch Hazel (Hammamelis mollis)
is a large, multi-stemmed shrub
with fragrant late winter blooms
in yellow, orange, or red. Other
late winter bloomers, all of
which are fragrant also, include
Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia
bealii), Wintersweet (Chimonanthus
praecox) and Sweet Box (Sarcoccoca).
Stop by soon and talk to us
about helping you plan your
landscape to include blooms,
berries, bark, and background
plantings for winter interest.
Your yard will never have the
winter doldrums again!
 Looking
for an easy-care spring-blooming
shrub that supplies year-round
beauty? Take a look at Japanese
Pieris this season!
DESCRIPTION:
Pieris japonica is an upright
evergreen shrub with spreading
branches. It has the potential
to grow 6-8 feet high and 4-6
feet wide. This is an easy to
care for four season plant.
Except when they emerge in early
Spring with a bronzy hue, the
leaves of the Pieris are lance-shaped
and glossy deep-green throughout
the year. The flowers appear
in April and last well into
May, a good six weeks! The urn-shaped
blooms, like those of lily-of-the-valley,
hang in heavy, drooping, pendulous
clusters that are 3-6 inches
long. The fruit is ornamental
and will persist through the
winter, but it is best to remove
the fruit so that the plant
will put its energy into developing
next year’s flowers.
CULTURE:
Not as fussy as other ericaceous
plants like heath and heather,
Pieris prefer a moist, well-drained,
acidic soil with a pH in the
range of 5.0 to 6.0. When planting,
amend soil with plenty of peat
moss; this will aid in drainage
and help make the soil more
acidic. Organic matter like
compost should be added to compacted
soil to increase drainage and
should also be added to sandy
soil to enhance water retaining
capability. Sulfur may be added
to the soil to lower the pH
if it is too high. Follow the
instructions on the label. After
planting, mulch the soil around
the base of the plant with two
inches of bark mulch, making
sure to keep it from touching
the trunk of the shrub. Pine
bark mulch is a good choice
when mulching Pieris because
it will acidify the soil as
it decomposes.
Pieris like
a semi-shady location and will
flower best in areas where they
receive some sun during the
day. Protect all broadleaf evergreens
from the prevailing winter winds.
If this is not possible, spray
them in the winter with Wilt-Pruf,
an anti-desiccant, to prevent
winter burn. Pieris must be
watered frequently during the
first year after planting to
encourage root growth. The addition
of a root stimulator, such as
Root Master B-1 with Hormones,
at planting time will encourage
the plant to quickly create
deep strong roots. After becoming
established, Pieris are relatively
drought tolerant but they do,
of course, grow best with consistent
adequate moisture. Fertilize
Pieris with Holly-tone, full
strength in the Spring and half
strength in the Fall.
Pruning of
Pieris is usually not required.
When purchasing, know the ultimate
size of the cultivar you desire
so that you may choose a suitable
location in your landscape where
the plant may grow to its full
potential. If pruning is necessary,
prune immediately after flowering
so as not to interfere with
the formation of next season’s
buds.
DESIGN:
Pieris mix well with shade loving
plants that require acidic soils
such as azaleas and rhododendrons.
Highly diversified in its design
use, Pieris works well in a
Japanese garden, woodland setting,
shrub border, foundation and
mass planting. The smaller varieties
look great in containers and
in rock gardens. Pieris are
deer resistant shrubs.
CULTIVARS:
We have a great collection of
Pieris cultivars to satisfy
the novice as well as the discriminating
connoisseur:
‘Brookside’
- New growth on this pieris
is chartreuse. It has upright
white flowers and a dwarf habit,
maturing at only 1 to 2 feet
tall.
‘Brower’s
Beauty’ –
Compact form, 4 feet wide by
6 feet high. This is a heavy
bloomer with large trusses of
white flowers in the Spring.
‘Cavatine’
- This is a low growing, compact
mounding cultivar with white
flowers that are held upright
on the plant. This pieris blooms
slightly later than other cultivars.
‘Dorothy
Wycoff’ –
Compact form, 4 feet wide by
6 feet high. Dorothy has dark
red buds opening to pale pink
flowers.
‘Flaming
Silver’ - The
leaves emerge a brilliant red,
turning green with a pink margin
and finally becoming green with
a silver-white edge. This cultivar
matures at 6 feet wide by 6
feet high.
‘Forest
Flame’ –
Light pink leaves mixed among
brilliant red appear after the
plant has finished blooming
in the Spring. Flowers are white.
This Pieris grows 8 to 10 feet
tall.
‘Mountain
Fire’ –
With its vivid fiery-red new
growth, clean white flowers
and a compact uniform growth
habit, this pieris has become
increasingly popular in the
last few years. ‘Mountain
Fire’ pieris matures at
4 feet high by 4 feet wide.
‘Prelude’
– This pieris
would make a wonderful addition
to any rock garden. It is a
dense mounding, low growing
cultivar with red new growth
that blooms slightly later than
most other pieris.
‘Valley
Fire’ –
The young growth on this vigorous
grower is a brilliant red. This
cultivar has white flowers that
are larger than most other pieris.
‘Valley
Valentine’ –
What a beauty! This pieris has
deep maroon flower buds on pendulous
flower stems that open into
deep rose-pink, long-lasting
flower chains. It is a slow
growing cultivar with a compact
mounding habit maturing at about
5 feet tall by 6 feet wide.
‘Variegata’
– Attractive
leaves are green with white
margins. Flowers gracefully
droop in white clusters. This
Pieris grows to 5 feet tall
in the garden or landscape.
|
