Landscape Ideas
‘Sango-kaku’. This widely planted cultivar has a name that translates as “coral tower” and is commonly known as coral bark maple. It is grown primarily for winter interest, as its bark turns a bright red in winter after sporting hues of orange and yellow during the warmer months. Sango-kaku sports light green leaves that turn yellow in autumn. It grows to a height of 18 to 20 feet. Be advised that if planted in shade, this tree may not reach its potential for winter bark coloration.
‘Seiryu’. This cultivar sports chartreuse foliage and is one of the few upright lace-leaf Japanese maples. While many maples with green foliage burn in full sun, Seiryu shines. Tim says that this cultivar, whose name translates as “blue-green dragons,” is one of the fastest growing of all Japanese maples, reaching a height of 20 to 22 feet. This cultivar was introduced by Wada Nursery in 1972 and first found a home in the U.S. at the National Arboretum. Its fall coloration is a brilliant scarlet.
Add a weeping or pendulous tree. This may sound simplistic, but weeping and pendulous plants do help us feel relaxed, while upright spiky plants incite energy and activity. Picture yourself performing the relaxation technique of slowly breathing in and breathing out. Notice two things: the position of your body after you exhale and the accompanying feeling. Weeping and pendulous trees imitate this form. Notice the wonderful pendulous Alaskan Cedar trees (chamaecyparis nootkatensis, zones 4 to 8) in the photo. Don't they lend a sense of calm to this garden space?
Use pastels. Soft pastel colors are just the thing to round out the planting scheme in this type of garden. They become subtle supporting actors in the overall theme of the garden in a way that bold reds and oranges could never do. Accenting them with some pops of chartreuse injects just the right amount of understated drama.
pool feature water sound
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