Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up December 2018: Winter Landscape Interest

December 2018 Garden

Welcome to my December Long Island garden! Only six days away from the official start of winter in the northern hemisphere, the garden has quietly gone to sleep. Colorful evergreens and structure are the main focus during this time of year. Come along with me to see the ever-changing landscape. Better bundle up...it's cold outside!

Welcome!

With daytime temperatures in the mid to upper 30's over the past week and a few snow flurries, winter seems to be arriving sooner than later here in the northeast. Now that all the leaves have fallen, evergreens are holding down the fort with their color and interest. Some semi-evergreen perennials, such as Heuchera (Coral Bells) are still displaying their caramel and purple coloring. The evergreens seen here include Western and Emerald Green Arborvitae (backdrop), Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar (left), Gold Mop Cypress (left under Cedar), and Gold Spot Euonymus (middle).

Northern Border

I always enjoy pine cones, but they become more prevalent at this time of year, as you can see on this Weeping White Pine by the back pool area.

Decorative Pine Cones 

Garden Gal is still holding her basket of Black Mondo Grass. She got an honorable mention in my newest book, Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener, which I am pleased to announce just released a week and a half ago!

Garden Gal

I love the color on this Dwarf Cryptomeria (making its first appearance) in the wintertime. It turns from a lime green to this bright golden-yellow.

Dwarf Cryptomeria Autumn/Winter

In the driveway garden is Skyland's Golden Oriental Spruce. As you probably know, it was planted as a memorial tree for my mom back in 2008 and has great sentimental value. It is also one of my favorite evergreens on the property for its seasonal interest.

Skyland's Golden Oriental Spruce

Here are the interesting seed cones close up, which appear purple in early spring as they are forming.

Skyland's Golden Oriental Spruce Seed Cones

The Northern Cardinals are so beautiful and appear exceptionally vibrant during this time of year.

Cardinal Visitor

The leaves have fallen off everything except this particular Weeping Japanese Maple in the front yard. It just doesn't want to give up fall. 

Weeping Japanese Maple Autumn/Winter

I enjoy focusing on its structure when I can see it. The changing seasons do have their benefit in showing the garden in a different perspective.

Weeping Japanese Maple Autumn/Winter Structure

There is something alluring about dried hydrangea flowers. I even like to enjoy them in a vase during winter, as it's a way of bringing a little of the outdoors inside.

Mophead Hydrangea Dried Flowers

As we move along, here is the front walkway and planting leading to the front door. The Golden Variegated Sweet Flag on the right under the Weeping Birch is one of the most reliable perennials on the property. It has been there for about twenty years, stays evergreen and needs no maintenance. It's a win-win plant when put in the proper location. This is eastern exposure with morning light and shade under the tree later on in the day.

Front Walkway

In front of the Sweet Flag is Juniperus 'Blue Star' and to the far left on the island bed is Hinoki Cypress 'Fernspray', which reaches about fifteen feet.

Newest Garden Addition

Here's the newest statuary addition to the garden with Dwarf Maiden Grass 'Yaku Jima' plumes behind her.

Holiday Bear!

As the holiday season has arrived, I wish all my readers the best for wonderful times spent with family and friends, with good health, peace and happiness in the new year.

December 2018 Garden

I hope you enjoyed your stroll through my December garden. Please feel free to stay a while and catch up on some of my other posts. Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who has hosted Foliage Follow-Up for all these years, a meme I will still continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Macro Monday 2, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Dishing It & Digging It on Sunday with Angie the Freckled Rose, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday with NC Sue and Gardens Galore Link Up Party on the 17th with Everyday Living.

Check out my newest book Dream, Garden, Grow! - a story about a dream, a garden and growing as a lifetime gardener (more info to follow).

  ~As Always...Happy Gardening ~

Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and Foliage Follow-Up January 2015-Winter Color and Structure

The first two weeks of 2015 have proven to be a cold ones with temperatures plummeting into the single digits and chill factors below zero.  We got our first light dusting of snow (about an inch or two) on the 6th and again on the 9th. and it is definitely looking and feeling a lot like winter.  There is not much going on in the garden at this time of year but it is time for another Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and Foliage Follow-Up so I venture once again into the garden with camera in hand. While this is not your traditional bloom day post, with the lack of blooms I needed to concentrate on foliage color and structure. It's cold outside so I am using the telephoto for this month to get some winter scenes from my Long Island garden. Come join me for a visit!

Skylands Oriental Spruce

Ice on Globe Blue Spruce

Nandina domestica Berries

Crape Myrtle Winter Bark

Mugo Pine in Snow

Juniperus Gold Lace Foliage in Winter

Nellie Stevens Holly Berry in Winter

Dwarf Cryptomeria

Barberry 'Royal Burgundy' Winter

Skylands Oriental Spruce

Winter Poolscape

Coral Bark Maple Sango Kaku Winter Bark

Snow Covered Blue Spruce

I hope you enjoyed the walk through my snowy January garden. Since the cold is going to be around for a while I am relying on our other garden bloggers for some needed blooms...along with some nice winter scenes of course! Please visit our hostesses Carol at May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and Pam at Digging for Foliage Follow-Up for more garden monthly reviews.  I am also linking up with Mosaic Monday at Lavender Cottage, I Heart Macro, Macro Monday 2 and Nature Notes at Rambling Woods. Thank you so much for visiting and if you leave a note I will know you dropped by to say hello and I will be sure to visit you as well! 

 As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.

Dwarf Globe Conifers in the Landscape

 

Dwarf Globe Conifers are a beautiful addition to have in any landscape. Along with their varying colors and textures they are also the perfect size to fit into just about any landscape plan including entrance gardens,  evergreen and perennial gardens, poolscapes, rock gardens, Japanese gardens and more.   The terminology 'Globe' or 'Globosa' refers to any conifer that is "globe-like" or rounded in appearance.  Globose conifers come in a range of colors from blue to green to golden and all tend to stay relatively compact.  The American Conifer Society lists approximately 300 varieties of globe conifer of which 85% are dwarf.  The five species being discussed here today are hardy in a range of zones from 2-9,  are easy to maintain and all serve as wonderful focal points in the landscape. 

Picea pungens 'Montgomery'

  Picea pungens 'Montgomery' (Montgomery Globe Spruce) is a very slow growing dwarf conifer hardy in zones 2-8.    The dense vibrant blue-green foliage of this evergreen shrub provides year round interest and fits in nicely as part of a foundation planting, in a rock garden or poolscape.  Picea pungens 'Montgomery' thrives in full sun and prefers a moderately moist yet well drained slightly acidic soil.   It requires regular weekly watering or more in extreme heat and it is best not to allow this plant to completely dry out.  Picea pungens 'Montgomery' grows to a mature height and width of 3-4' and is known to be deer resistant.  Whether your garden is formal or informal this conifer is sure to make a statement.

 

Cryptomeria japonica 'Gobosa Nana' (Dwarf  Globe Cryptomeria)

Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' is a dwarf evergreen conifer hardy to zones 5-7. It prefers full to partial sun and moderately moist, slightly-acidic soil which should not be allowed to completely dry out.   Crytomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' has a slow growth rate and maintains a compact mounding growth habit.  At maturity this shrub will form a dense mound measuring approximately 2-3 feet in height by 4-8 feet in width.  Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' serves nicely as a single specimen planting.  While most varieties of Cryptomeria grow to be quite large this specimen will give you the same beautiful lime green color with a compact plant.  This plant is also deer resistant.

Pinus strobus 'Nana' (Dwarf Eastern White Pine)

Dwarf Eastern White Pine is an evergreen conifer displaying soft delicate blue-green needles on a compact shrub.  Pinus strobus 'Nana' is hardy to zones 3-9, prefers full sun and a moderately moist slightly acidic soil.  Dwarf Eastern White Pine is slow growing reaching an eventual 3 feet tall by 4- 6 feet wide and is deer resistant.  This conifer goes beautifully just about anywhere whether it be a formal or informal garden.  This one is positioned by a poolscape.  No matter where you choose to display this specimen it is sure to be a hit.

Pinus Mugo 'Pumilio' (Dwarf Mugo Pine)

Pinus Mugo 'Pumilio' (Dwarf Mugo Pine) is a popular dwarf conifer displaying dark green needles on compact branches.  It is cold hardy to USDA zones 2-7 and prefers to be grown in full sun in a slightly-acidic well drained soil.  Dwarf Mugo pine is slow growing reaching an eventual size of 3-5 feet tall by 6-10 feet wide.  This shrub is often displayed in Japanese or rock gardens or as an evergreen border.  Dwarf Mugo Pine is relatively low maintenance requiring only occasional watering once established and it is also deer resistant. 

Dwarf Norway Spruce (Picea pungnes 'Pumila)

Hardy in zones 2-8, Picea pungens 'Pumila (Dwarf Norway Spruce) is an attractive slow growing evergreen shrub.  Dwarf Norway Spruce prefers to be grown in full to partial sun in a moist but well drained soil.  This shrubs grows to a mature height of approximately 3-4' and width of 4-6' and keeps a compact rounded form.  Picea pungens 'Pumila' fits in nicely into foundation plantings, rock gardens and Japanese gardens and is also deer resistant. Its dark green foliage interest to the landscape.

Add one or more of these dwarf conifers to your landscape and enjoy the benefits all year long.  Each of these globe conifers are unique in their own way adding much desired color and texture to your outdoor space. 

Visit my Author Page and Books on Amazon:

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9 
Landscape Design Combinations

Dream, Garden, Grow!

As Always...Happy Gardening!

90th post!

Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2012. All rights reserved



  

Winter Burn on Blue Atlas Cedar and Other Evergreens

Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar

Some winters have been known to be unusually harsh on the landscape.  I for one have been getting a lot of questions regarding winter burn on weeping and upright Blue Atlas Cedar as well as on Cryptomeria and Golden Oriental Spruce.  The narrow needles on these evergreens can be prone to dehydration due to the drying effect of winter winds that can cause the needles to appear brown.  The intense snow and reflection of rays from the sun can also magnify this effect. 

Winter Burn on Blue Atlas Cedar

This browning of the needles or "winter burn" should correct itself once the weather starts to warm and water is able to get to the cells of the plant and once again activate the chlorophyll within.  If the tree is well established it should most likely fully recover and start to push out new growth as the temperatures rise.  If the tree looks severely damaged then getting water to the roots and deep root feeding in early spring are recommended to help the plant to recover.  Deep root feeding is a controlled fertilization process that supplies immediate beneficial nutrients directly to the root system to give it a boost. There is also a product on the market called PHC BioPak Plus which contains micro nutrients and beneficial bacteria to help the roots to absorb nutrients and help plants in stress.

Cryptomeria

Just an added note that the needles of Cryptomeria japonica do turn a bronze color in winter which is perfectly normal.  I have found that with the severe weather there has also been an increased number of fallen branches and browning of needles and branches; however, the winter winds seem to be nature's way of giving the trees a good cleaning out.   In the spring sunlight will be able to reach the inner portion of these evergreens and cause the trees to push out new growth.  

Skylands Oriental Spruce

There may be some winter burn and dead branches on your Oriental Spruce as well from the winter's winds and snow.  Spring is the best time to cut out any dead branches and the browned needles should recover once water moves back into the cells and chlorophyll causes the plant to re-gain its color. 

It is not recommended to spray the above-mentioned trees with anti-desiccant because it has been known to change the beautiful color of these trees. When in doubt always ask a tree professional.

Many evergreens do go through a natural shed of their inner needles approximately every three years in order to make room for new growth.  Once the harshness of the winter winds diminish and spring arrives new growth will eventually push out and restore the natural beauty of your evergreens.

Additional Reading:  Winterizing Evergreens Anti-Desiccant Spray

                                              

Visit my Author Page/Purchase My Books

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9 
Landscape Design Combinations

Dream, Garden, Grow!

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2011. All rights reserved