SOFTSCAPE
7. ‘Autumn Brilliance’ Serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’) Hybrid of A. arborea and A. laevis Loved by: Todd Haiman in New York City Why this tree: “Serviceberry, as a multistem tree, has a graceful vase shape, is a tough plant and is an understory tree, so it can grow in some shade,” says Haiman, who used two serviceberry trees at the end of this terrace in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighborhood to create privacy from the neighboring building. Serviceberry is useful in urban settings, he adds, where tall buildings surround and shade many gardens. It also offers multiseason interest, with showy white flowers in spring, edible fruit in summer, orange and red fall color and an attractive form in winter. Special features: ‘Autumn Brilliance’ is a four-season tree, requires minimal maintenance and provides edible fruits for people, goldfinches, robins, warblers and more. “Kids love this,” Haiman says.
4. Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) Native to the central U.S. east to southern New England and south to Florida and Texas Loved by: Anna Brooks of Arcadia Gardens in Stevensville, Michigan Why this tree: Eastern redbud blooms early each spring, with bright pink flowers covering bare branches. “The new growth presents as little red hearts, and the dew clings to it like diamonds. Its fall foliage is a pleasant soft yellow that serves as a nice foil to the brilliant reds that are so often used,” Brooks says. Special features: The tree’s umbrella shape provides midlevel screening and privacy. “Its dense canopy creates a perfect microclimate for a shade garden underneath, even in full sun,” Brooks says. Additionally, the trees often brim with wildlife activity. “Pollinators, wrens, nuthatches and chickadees love to hop through the canopy, especially when situated near a bird feeder.” Growing tips: “Be sure to allow adequate space for the canopy to spread when planting. This [tree] isn’t suited for foundation plantings against buildings but develops a beautiful arching form given enough space,” Brooks says. “Redbuds prefer full sun but can be used at the edge of a taller canopy, as l...
There's a lot going on in this gorgeous rock garden, but the eye knows exactly where to look, thanks to the strong diagonal line of gravel and ground covers that moves through the otherwise square and rectangular spaces. It is arresting rather than interrupting — and its presence makes the rest of the planting areas look well balanced and complete.
Filled with annuals, perennials and roses, this would be a traditional garden in a typical backyard. Filling the same space with symmetrical rows of grasses and shrubs creates a completely different look. Though hardscaping may play a leading role, plant choice is still a major factor in a modern or contemporary landscape. Ideally, most should have an architectural character (think phormium or blue fescue) with foliage in shades of green or gray. Though colorful flowers and plants can be used in this style of landscaping, they're most effective when treated as accent pieces.
Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica) Native to eastern North America from the Dakotas eastward to Maine in the north, and Arkansas eastward to Georgia in the south; in Canada it is native to Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec Pennsylvania sedge is a cool-season native sedge. It has fine leaves that reach about a foot in length, but it usually flops over at about 6 inches to form silky, undulating mounds. It grows vigorously in spring and fall, going nearly dormant in the heat of summer. Pennsylvania sedge blooms in early spring, with dark spikes decorated with long, pale yellow anthers. It does not produce a striking floral display, but is interesting when you take a closer look. Its native habitats include woodlands, savannas and dry prairies, and it is often found in dry shade under oak trees. While it does not appreciate being stepped on, Pennsylvania sedge is a good choice as a lawn substitute in shady low-traffic areas. It can be mowed once in early spring to clean up last year’s foliage, but further trimming is not needed for the season. This species is difficult to grow from seed, but will spread in a season or two from small plants spaced a foot apart to form a mounded turf. ...
Spreading Sedge (Carex laxiculmis) Native from Maine to northern Georgia and west to Arkansas and southeastern Minnesota This sedge has beautiful wide blue-green foliage and grows well in partial to full shade. Its native habitats include stream banks and moist woodlands. Given sufficient moisture, it can be grown in sunnier locations, but the bluish foliage really shows best in the shade. It grows in clumps up to a foot tall. The individual leaf blades are about one-half inch wide and a foot long. It slowly fills in by sending out rhizomes. The foliage of this cool-season species is evergreen in mild-winter areas. Evergreen or not, the plants benefit from a trim in early spring before new growth begins. This sedge grows well as a ground cover or path edge, or as an accent plant in a shade composition. It can be used as a native alternative to Liriope. The cultivar ‘Hobb’, sold as Bunny Blue, shown here, is what you are most likely to find in a retail nursery. Its foliage is somewhat bluer than the species. For a similar look in drier locations, try thinfruit sedge (Carex flaccosperma).
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) Native from the Plains east to southern New England and south to Florida It’s easy to pick out eastern redbud in early spring. The magenta flowers that line the branches are unlike anything else in the forest understory. It can be used in many ways in the landscape. I’ve seen it used in an allée, with pink blooms lining the path in early spring and heavy shade through the summer. It can also be scattered like exclamation points in a few locations throughout the garden. Eastern redbud prefers full sun to part shade in average to moist soils. As a member of the legume family, it has the ability to fix nitrogen from the air, giving it a boost in infertile or depleted soils. It can also tolerate clay soils. In addition to the species, there are many named cultivars, including red-leafed ‘Forest Pansy’ and yellow-leafed ‘The Rising Sun’ forms and a small weeping cultivar named ‘Covey’, for small gardens. There are some problems with hardiness of cultivated plants in colder climates. You should consider the climate that the plants originated from if this is an issue. The cultivar ‘Northern Strain’ comes from Minnesota and is reported to be more cold ha...
Lilyturf (Liriope muscari) Commonly called liriope, this evergreen ground cover features dark green strappy leaves and grows well in zones 5 to 10. Similar in appearance to mondo grass, it has leaves that are just a bit wider and grows to a height of 1 foot to 1½ feet tall. It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions and grows in sun to light shade, and although it is drought tolerant once established, it does best with some consistent irrigation. Native to Eastern Asia, liriope is adapted to many parts of the United States, and can handle light foot traffic on occasion. Growing tip: Place plantings 1 foot apart and lightly mulch between them to discourage weeds until your lawn is filled in.
Bradford Pear Alternatives Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’) has gotten out of hand for many, popping up in woods and meadows everywhere. Instead, consider our native serviceberries (Amelanchier spp). Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis). Like its relative downy serviceberry (A. arborea), it produces brilliant white flowers in late spring and loads of red to purple berries in summer that are quite tasty to both humans and birds. Fall color can be great, too. Serviceberry grows to about 15 to 30 feet tall and wide, preferring moist to slightly dry soil in sun to partial shade. It’s native from Minnesota to Alabama east and north into Canada. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) might be a great drought-tolerant alternative to Bradford pear, particularly the cultivar ‘Red Select’. It has white spring blooms and bright red fall color after its green leaves turn maroon. There’s no reason we need to keep planting Bradford pear when we have so many attractive and adaptable native alternatives. Shown: Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis)
Japanese Barberry Alternative Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is prized for its structure, color and low care, but its thorns and lack of wildlife value are not so great — and it’s becoming a menace in the wild, especially in areas like the Northeast. A couple of new ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) cultivars have come on the scene; not only do they have dark foliage like barberry, but their late-spring to early-summer blooms are real butterfly and bee magnets. In this image you can see ‘Little Devil’. It grows best in medium soil in full sun, reaching about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Once established it can take some periods of drought. You might also try ‘Tiny Wine’. Ninebark is native from central and eastern Canada south through North Dakota into Oklahoma, and east to Florida and New England.
Columnar. Narrow, columnar trees, such as these Alaskan cedars (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, zones 4 to 8), provide height where it is needed most, lifting the eye to fill out a garden vignette. Columnar trees generally take up little square footage, which is a bonus in small gardens. Columnar trees can also be used to mimic architectural columns to frame front entryways for added emphasis. Recommended conifers: Alaskan cedars, of which ‘Van Den Akker’ is the narrowest cultivar; columnar Norway spruce (Picea abies ‘Cupressina’, zones 2 to 8); and Degroot’s Spire arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Degroot’s Spire’, zones 3 to 8).
Specialty pruned conifers. These conifers are full of mystique and personality, conjuring images of Asian gardens. They are, however, equally at home in contemporary spaces. They are meticulously pruned and shaped over many years, generally into cloud or pom-pom formations. No two are alike, so selecting one in person is imperative. Recommended conifers for this type of pruning: Black pine (Pinus nigra, zones 4 to 8, shown here), Thunderhead pine (Pinus thunbergii ‘Thunderhead’, zones 5 to 10), dwarf Japanese garden juniper and Boulevard false cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Boulevard’, zones 4 to 8). Next: Designing With Conifers: Exploring Color More: Houzz guides to beautiful foliage
Origin: Blue Surprise was cultivated in the Netherlands; the species is native to Oregon and California. Where it will grow: Hardy to -15 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 6 to 9) Water requirement: Average to low; do not overwater Light requirement: Full sun or light shade Mature size: 8 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide Seasonal interest: Year-round When to plant: Spring or fall Planting notes: This tree is now available from Monrovia on disease-resistant rootstock. See a great garden combo that includes this tree Blue Surprise Port Orford Cedar (syn. Blue Surprise Lawson’s cypress) (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Blue Surprise’) The dusky blue of this slender conifer is eye catching and a welcome change from shades of green, but the surprise is that this conifer takes on burgundy highlights in cold weather.
Wissel’s Saguaro False Cypress (syn. Wissel’s Saguaro Lawson’s cypress, Wissel’s Saguaro Port Orford cedar) (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Wissel’s Saguaro’) This is a conifer with attitude. With oddly bent branches like the cactus, this stands out from other plants by virtue of its shape as well as its deep blue-green color. This is my go-to conifer for narrow spaces, since it rarely grows wider than 2 feet. Origin: The species is native to Oregon and California, but this cultivar was developed in the Netherlands. Where it will grow: Hardy to -10 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 6 to 8) Water requirement: Average; do not overwater Light requirement: Full sun or light shade Mature size: 8 to 10 feet tall and 3 feet wide Seasonal interest: Year-round When to plant: Spring or fall Planting notes: Plant it in well-drained soil.
Like how the slop is addressed.....
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