I am still figuring out if I like it or not. I wanted to do something with an "asian feel" that was also winter-hardy to compliment my beautiful little red acer.
Along the back, I am training Horsetail reed to grow along the brick wall, the creeping jenny will hopefully fill in, and the Japanese sedge continue to grow so that they will soon be "spilling" like the two upfront.
another:
lastly:
I have been thinking about replacing the mulch with smooth river rocks - how do you think that would look? Any other suggestions?
I think replacing mulch with pea gravel would look too commercial IMHO I WOULDN'T but replacing it with cedar mulch or ANYTHING finer would defintly improve the look ..it is TOO course..
Also I think you should consider getting a green weeping jm like a virdris instead of the redish one ...I don't think it looks that great next to the brick...in fact it's somewhat invisable from your pics.I'd move that one which is really nice btw ..this fall... to a spot where it will show off it's splendor better.Of course these are just MY opinions ...but you did ask for imput ..but it's your place NOT mine ..David
I'm really into texture, and everything in your bed seems to have the same texture. I'm including a picture of my little shade bed by my back door. I have a Dwarf Weeping Japanese Maple, Autumn fern, african iris, caladiums, dwarf hydrangea (Pia), leatherleaf mahonia, and dwarf varigated pittosporum. The little fountain has a japanese feel to it also.
thank you both for the suggestions!
I agree about the red brick drowning the JM.....that is why I am trying to get a thick wall of the green Horsetail reed behind it.
BOY Talk about opposing /deuling gardens ...one is I think a bit too open and the other a bit too cluttered for me that is although mine are more like the Tailsters than da Cap't mostly cause I get carried away with overplanting ;>) ... I do like the smaller green weeping jm MUCH BETTER agaist the brick!!!!...but there's alot ( to much IMHO) of green... I like da captains color variation a bit better...But as I said a finer mulch would greatly help...that grey is TOO much and I really don't think the horsetail will solve his problem with the brick wall..I still say move that beauty and put a cap'tnesque green weeper in it's place...david
Just a note. Horsetail reeds can be very invasive and should be grown in pots or have a barrier so they don't invade the root space of your JM. I love them too but I wouldn't have them out of pots.
I love your texture and foliage color variations. Very nice. Interesting thought about the green color on the JM David. Is the tree already established? A green one would stand out more but I sort of like the color echo. You'd have to say if it stands out more in person than in a photo. You may be trying to get a green background with the reeds because you feel the same way about it?
My only concern would be how close the little tree is to the house as it gets larger. I find the other suggestions intriguing.
Laura
captain insano - I'd go with black/grey slate to compliment all your colors and also to constrast against your home's color/texture.
Maybe also (your call), I'd remove (using photo #3 of yours) the dried-up looking ornamental grass on the corner of your driveway/sidewalk; remove the blue-blooming Salvia; And in the far back left corner, I'd space three hostas and include another miniature/dwarf conifer there as well.
For winter interest, a selection that turns bright gold such as Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph' or Pinus mugo ‘Fruhlings Gold’ or Thuja occidentalis 'Gold Nugget'(golden year-round actually). - as a focal point that you surely will like.
The rest of the planting even right now is quite pleasing.
My thoughts,
Dax
The golden conifer I meant to say I'd place on the front corner where that dried up looking ornamental grass is:)
Dax
Dax -
Thanks for your suggestions! If I were to remove the old Salvia (which was part of the old landscaping scheme anyhow), what would you suggest to go in its place?
There are already three hostas in the back left corner - maybe I'm not reading you correctly on this point?
I am intrigued with the dwarf conifer ideas - I will have to look up your suggestions. To be honest, I have a weird aversion to conifers, junipers, etc......I think its from my days of landscaping in college. I used to hate the stickers on the branches of the spreading junipers and the smell of them. If I were to use a dwarf conifer, are there any that have a nice soft foliage?
That dried looking grass is actually very pretty in person.......its a type of Sedge I think, but it is only annual in my zone anyhow
Hi our captain,
After rethinking here's what I'm suggesting:
remove the three hostas and replace with a dwaft hemlock (which can be sheared at will) such as a beautiful and easy to find - Tsuga canadensis 'Gentsch White' (You're now getting some 'bones'/structure).
The salvia I'd go with something really neat like Pinus strobus 'Green Twist' (can be ordered at Bethlehem Nursery online but you'll need to email for a current availability; a friend of mine, Dennis Dodge)
And the same Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph', or Pinus sylvestris 'Gold Coin' or something of the like. The P.mugo 'Fruhlings Gold', etc.
Your foliage color from the perennials/annuals will take up the rest of the slack.
Your Maple, well, you can prune that to keep it at about any size you wish. Pines can be 'candle pruned' in June (approximately) as their new growth/candles are soft and can be pinched back to maintain size if needed in the future.
You won't need much luck finding those conifers too. Should be somewhat easy to acquire.
Of what I'm offering up here's a photo of Pinus strobus 'Green Twist', wish I had photos of the others in my 1000+ arboreta collection, but I do not unfortunately.
Happy Gardening -
Dax
yes....that green twist is pretty cool! I looked around the bethlehemnursery.com site and they have some pretty cool stuff
Thanks again for the suggestions and I will keep you up-to-date on what I do
yes....that green twist is pretty cool! I looked around the bethlehemnursery.com site and they have some pretty cool stuff. I really like alot of their Sciadopitys verticillata
Thanks again for the suggestions and I will keep you up-to-date on what I do
He's the KING of Sciadopity's by the way, also Pinus parviflora - parviflora probably being my most favorite of Pines and a lot of others will attest to as well.
Let me know if I can be of any other help!
Dax
thought I would give an update. I love the way things are filling in.
another view
Good job with the planting area. You've done a great job. I like all the textures of the carex and grasses and the more feathery texture of some of the other plants. You've done a good job with the others too.
The tree does fade into the background in the photo but I'm sure that it is a different experience when you are actually walking up the path and it's more 3D. You've given it a nice height advantage.
well, when I bought it, it was a small green tree......but as the new growth came out it was red. Oh well! How well do Jap Maples transplant? I am going to be buying a five gallon Tiger Eye Sumac this weekend and have thought of moving this Maple into another bed and placing the new sumac in its place.
doss - thanks for the compliments! I have never gardened for myself, but am having alot of fun with it
I am not familiar with "tiger eye sumac" ...but most sumac has red flower and seed clusters from mid july till the following spring around here which defeats the purpose of replacing your tree with it...and most also spreads by suckering off it's very long root sytem ..They are easy to just snip off but it is a constant chore... also it tends to be fast growing and easily broken by wind and has alot of dead growth every year as well as constant shedding of twigs with leaves attached EVERYWHERE...I love all my vaious sumac trees but they should NOT be put in an area like that IMHO ,...maybe tiger eye is differnt but I would look closely at it before putting it in that location ...David
This message was edited Sep 19, 2006 6:41 PM
thanks for the insight, David. I have never grown Sumacs, but from my understanding, the Tiger Eye are slower growing, do not sucker as much, and only grow to about 6-8 ft in height. The tiger eye sumac has new growth that is lime-green in color, that turns to a golden yellow. In the fall, the foliage turns orange. Here is a link with pics.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/102887/index.html
I may just use the sumacs in another bed. They are awesome in person
I think you are wise to put it in a differnt area ...I have several types of sumacs one variety I think staghorn (??) is smaller and doesn't tend to sucker the other is a now unkown variety ;>) these are 25 ft tall or more NO ONE has ever seen sumacs grow this big ...and this fast ...and that makes them easily brakeable in high winds...I had one fall right into one of my water gardens.. it missed the uv sterilizer and the waterfall by pure luck but it took two of us 4 hours with a chain saw and hand saw to extricate it ...in 90 degree heat.... they are all really neat trees all year round even in winter with there red fruit clumps...but as I said all even the smaller non suckering ones are messy ...messy ...messy with constant falling leaves attached to new growth branches ...not big stuff generally but alot of small stuff and as I said suckering is a problem ...I think the best place for them although not the "native" place for them would be in the yard with grass around them so the mower would mulch both leaves and billions of new spout they put out as far a 20 feet from the mother tree.David
I haven't looked at the link my captain, but I certainly wouldn't recommend sumac either. Sumac is for people with large amounts of room or who want only sumac! It's wild thing man. I agree with Davi, plus your maple and your entire bed there looks awesome!
Winter interest still could be enhance with some dwarf/miniature evergreens/conifers, but what the heck, you've done well. In fact, very well.
Dax
conifers......thanks to you I am on the prowl for some umbrella pines for the other bed. Those things are very cool looking
It has filled in quite nicely! You could use a smaller dwarf JM cultiver in place of the one you have. Maybe a smaller, upright version? It is a lovely spot. I like the copper planters too!
Laura
