Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up January 2017: Snowy Views!

January 2017 Garden

Welcome to the first Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and Foliage Follow-Up for 2017! There is big news for the month of January, as I am very excited to be announcing the soon to be official launching of my second book! It is a continuation of the first and there will be a post forthcoming with the details, so stay tuned! In the meantime, it's Bloom Day and we've had a lot of snow in my Long Island garden.There will be some snowy views for January, so do come along and take a look.

Nandina domestica January

The month of January started off with normal temperatures for this time of year, in the 30's, with a light dusting of snow on the 6th. The forecast predicted another 2-4 inches for the next day, but winter storm Helena brought us 7.4 inches of snow to blanket the landscape. The garden turned into a winter wonderland!

Weeping Norway Spruce

To get these views I waded through the snow in winter boots to get to the gardens. There is nothing like the sight of the first white snow on branches of evergreens to show off winter structure and view the gardens from a different perspective. This glistening snow on this Weeping Norway Spruce is part of the pool garden.

Evergreens in the Winter Landscape

Along the driveway entry is Weeping White Pine (green foliage-closest), Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar (blue foliage-center) and Golden Oriental Spruce 'Skylands' (golden foliage-end). The red branches visible in the background are those of Coral Bark Maple 'Sango Kaku'. The red hues are much more pronounced after a winter's snow.

Northern Cardinal

A northern cardinal visits the bird feeder in our backyard every morning and I can view him from our patio room overlooking the garden.  Sparrows, Chickadees, Morning Doves, Blue Jays, Mocking Birds and Juncos also visit the feeder on a daily basis. I used my telephoto lens to get this close-up, so not to disturb him.

Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar and Coral Bark Maple

Here is a closer view of the Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar and Coral Bark Maple along the driveway. In the same garden is Golden Oriental Spruce 'Skyland's displaying its bright yellow-tipped branches.

Skyland's Oriental Spruce

The tree, which was planted back in 2008, is now twenty feet tall by three feet wide.

Nellie Stevens Winter Berries

I enjoy planting trees that will supply winter interest on the property and this Nellie Stevens Holly is one of them. Its bright red berries that form in autumn become even more prominent in winter.

Dried Hydrangea Flowers January

Here are some of the remaining flowers from Hydrangea Tardivia, which I leave on the tree for winter interest. It blooms on new wood, so any dried blooms that don't blow away over the winter can be pruned in early spring.

January Poolscape

In the backyard, here is the covered mountain lake pool completely under a layer of snow. The pool area is surrounded by evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs.

Gold Mop Cypress Winter Color

Here is another of the many evergreens around the property. Gold Mop Cypress adds some color to the garden, especially in winter. As you can see here, many of the shrubs are snow covered with only the bottom foliage exposed, which creates an inviting haven for birds. I watch them tuck themselves under the branches to keep warm, and almost got a photo, but the little Chickadee hiding there went deeper into the shrub. I backed off not to scare him away.

Lamp post Garden January

More snow covered scenes around the property include this lamp post at the end of the driveway, where a Weeping Norway Spruce is the focal point...  

Weeping Japanese Maple Winter

and a snow covered Weeping Japanese Maple.

Feeder in Winter

As we head back towards the warmth inside, the cardinal is still enjoying the feeder, and the morning sun highlights the garden.

Golden Sweet Flag Winter

I couldn't resist capturing this as a photo. Even Bear cannot "bear" to look at the snow covered landscape before him, and dreams of warmer days ahead! He's counting, and there's 63 days to go until the official arrival of spring!

Garden Bear Winter: Hiding from the Snow!

The temperatures warmed up dramatically right before Bloom Day with some rain that melted all the snow, but I was able to get those snowy views to share with you! The forecast for the rest of the month calls for warmer days, going up into the 50's, then back into the 30's and 40's to finish out January. 

Hellebore 'Shooting Star'

Here is some anticipation of what is yet to come. I am sure there will be more snow covered days before the warmer temperatures arrive, and I do enjoy the beauty of a landscape covered in glistening white.

January 2017 Garden

I hope you enjoyed your stroll through my January garden. Special thanks go out to our hostesses 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 and Pam at Digging for hosting Foliage Follow-Up.  I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Today's Flowers, Floral Fridays, Macro Monday 2, and Nature Notes at Rambling Woods. Also check out In a Vase on Monday at Rambling in the Garden, Garden Bloggers' Foliage Day and Saturday's Critters.

Informational Links:

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening on Facebook

Landscape Design by Lee on Facebook

A Guide to Landscape Design & Maintenance Blog 

NEGardening on Twitter

 My Book on Amazon: 

 A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2017. All rights reserved

The Four Seasons of Gardening-Garden Design

As a gardener and designer who lives in the northeast I give extra special attention to creating a landscape that will supply interest throughout all of the four seasons.  After determining  function, such elements as structure, form, color, foliage and texture need to be taken into consideration when planning a landscape.

SPRING  PERENNIAL BORDER

The first main element I consider is structure.  Structure is important in the garden because it serves as a framework for the design.  Structural elements can be either plant material or hardscape. The use of evergreens or landscape plants with interesting bark or trunk formation can provide interest as well as functional elements such as patios, pathways, garden benches or water features.  In the above perennial garden, Blue Montgomery Globe Spruce overlooks the main garden adding vertical interest while Juniperus ‘Blue Star’, Spirea ‘Goldflame’, Dwarf Fountain Grass and perennial Lamb’s Ear serve as a framework or anchors for the garden bed in winter. I have also added a few pieces of moss rock here and there to add some additional interest and dimension.  When discussing form and function consider the purpose you would like your landscape to achieve. If it is a quiet place you desire then perhaps adding a small stone patio and/or garden bench could create a peaceful retreat. If looking to attract wildlife then a birdbath or feeder could also be an addition or possibly a garden statue could provide some whimsy! 

SUMMER  PERENNIAL BORDER

Color plays an important role and is more difficult to achieve in winter. Plant perennials that complement one another (warm and cool hues) and that have varying bloom times.  Add colorful shrubs such as Barberry and Gold Mop Cypress for additional interest. Take into consideration the fact that foliage and bloom colors of perennials and shrubs do change with each season. The idea is to disperse color equally among the four seasons. Elements such as Dwarf Fountain Grass provide greenery in spring throughout summer and a take on a bronze appearance in fall and winter. Fall foliage on such perennials as Astilbe and Daylily turn a vibrant orange and gold while Hosta leaves turn a bright yellow. Lamb’s Ear is a discovery I made years ago.  Its soft white foliage can be seen along the garden border every season of the year and its pink flower spikes add extra interest in the summer.  In the winter months the blue evergreens such as Montgomery Spruce and Blue Star Juniper along with golden evergreens (Gold Mop Cypress and Gold Lace Juniper), Dwarf Fountain Grasses and Lamb’s Ear give just enough interest to get through those cold and snowy days.

AUTUMN  PERENNIAL BORDER

Without blooms texture becomes the primary design element. Texture refers to the size, shape, coarseness or smoothness of foliage and plays along with structure. Some plants known for texture are Hosta, Heuchera, Daylily, and ornamental grasses. The incredible large and colorful foliage of Heuchera(Coral Bells) and graceful fronds of Daylily complement the broad veined variegated leaves of Hosta and narrow wispy blades of dwarf fountain grasses. The feathery foliage of Astilbe and the elongated smooth foliage of Lamb's ear make a great combination as well. Even the dried seed heads and stalks of saliva rise up above the garden to create landing pads for dragonflies in the fall.  Deciduous shrubs such as spirea and barberry add interesting foliage in spring, summer and fall and provide structure in winter. Add some evergreens which play an integral part in adding all the elements of structure, color, form and foliage to the landscape for all of the four seasons.  

WINTER PERENNIAL BORDER

Evergreens can be found in a variety of colors ranging from golds to blues and greens and textures ranging from broad-leaved evergreens to fine-needled varieties. They can also take on a variety of forms including rounded, horizontal or spreading, vertical and weeping. These elements can be placed accordingly to add width or height to a garden.  In this case the grafted Montgomery Globe Spruce provides a vertical element in the garden.  'Blue Star' Juniper, Spirea and Dwarf Fountain Grasses anchor each side of the garden bed and show continuity, uniformity and balance. Lamb's Ear frames the front of the perennial area. Looking further you can view Weeping Pussy Willow and Arborvitae (vertical) with Gold Mop Cypress and Barberry (Medium height and horizontal). That upper and lower sections of the garden have more detailed structure with evergreens and flowering shrubs with the perennial garden in the center.

COLOR, FORM & STRUCTURE: Evergreens provide form in winter landscape, Structure of Japanese Maple Trunk, Color of Coral Bark Maple Bark in winter, Changing Colors of Spirea Foliage

In the above photograph evergreens provide form and structure in the winter landscape, the twisting structure of a Weeping Japanese Maple trunk provides interest while the tree is dormant, the vibrant red bark of the Japanese Coral Bark Maple (Sango Kaku) provides structure and color in winter, and the changing blooms and foliage of Spirea are turning a deep pink in fall.  A garden is constantly changing and can be enjoyed all year round with some basic elements of structure, form and color. Creating an all-season landscape can be accomplished by following the design principles discussed here and guaranteed your garden will have something to offer every day of the year!

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee@ A Guide to Northeastern Gardening.  All rights reserved 2014.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day January 2013

January 2013 Garden

It's January in this Long Island garden and time for another Garden Blogger's Bloom Day.  Inspired by the quote, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” by Elizabeth Lawrence, Carol at May Dreams Gardens hosts Garden Blogger's Bloom Day on the 15th of every month. Gardeners from all over the world walk out into their gardens to note what is currently blooming.  Blooms are few this time of year here in the northeast but I was able to venture out into my garden and find some colorful sites to share.

Nandina domestica Winter Berries

The winter so far has been mild with temperatures in the 40's and 50's by day and 30's by night.  We had just a slight dusting of snow so far around the holidays. Come with me and let's take a look.  No need to bundle up...it's mild outside plus this is a virtual tour!  The first plant to visit is my Nandina domestica.  It displays its bright red berries all throughout the winter months.

Crab Orchard Walkway with Junipers and Sedges

 Along the winding walkway in the front are Japanese Garden Juniper, Liriope and Sedges which are the winter stables in the garden. 

Sedum Groundcover

Here is some Sedum groundcover peeking out in the back garden area.  

Heuchera 'Caramel' in January

This Heuchera 'Caramel' just added to the garden during the past couple of years has proven to add some nice winter interest. 

Barberry 'Royal Burgundy' Winter Berries

Here is Barberry showing its red winter berries.

Endless Summer Hydrangea Flower Head

I love Hydrangeas and they even supply interest in wintertime with their dried flower heads.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Fernspray' False Cypress

Here are some Cypress 'Fernspray' ...

Sedum Buds in January

 and some Sedum buds poking their heads up out of the soil in anticipation of spring.

Weeping Norway Spruce and Heuchera 'Caramel'

Viewed here are some more of the newly added Heuchera along with a Weeping Norway Spruce.

Winter Poolscape

The pool is all closed for the winter months but we can still enjoy the poolscape here with an assortment of evergreens.  The most forefront plant is a Variegated Boxwood with some Nellie Stevens Holly in the right backdrop.

Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow' in January

 Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow' keeps it purple color all winter.

Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar

The Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar is one of my favorites any time of year with its cascading "waterfall-like" appearance and blue-green foliage. To the left is a Weeping White Pine and an upright Blue Atlas Cedar in the far backdrop.

Winter Garden

 Garden gal and boy wait for spring to arrive in a few months.  Thank you for taking time to stop by and visit my January garden...please let me know you were here...and please visit our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens for links to more gardens around the world.

As Always...Happy Gardening!

 Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2013. 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



  

Colorful Evergreens in the Landscape-Part I: Golden Evergreens

Golden Evergreens in the Landscape

When planning a garden design it is important to incorporate interesting structure and color into the landscape so that there is eye-catching interest all year long. Golden evergreens will not only add structure but will enhance the landscape with their outstanding show of color. There are a variety of golden evergreens available to the homeowner to implement into the landscape. There are six in particular that I will focus on in this article that have proven to be hardy in the zone 7 northeastern garden and that will thrive in zones ranging from 4 to 8.

Picea orientalis 'Skylands'

The first in this series is Picea Orientalis 'Skylands' or Skyland's Oriental Spuce.  'Skylands' is a slow growing coniferous tree that prefers full sun to partial shade and is hardy in USDA zones 5-8. It is true that younger specimens of this tree can be prone to sun scorch so ideally 4-8 hours of sun is best. I have been successful when planting 'Skylands' in a southeasterly exposure in zone 7. Grow this tree in a moist well-drained acidic soil and apply mulch around the tree to protect the roots.  After ten years of growth Skylands reaches a height of approximately ten feet and a width of four feet and can grow to a height of 35 feet over time in ideal conditions. Being a slow grower and having a narrow stature this tree is ideal for smaller spaces. Its beautiful yellow-chartreuse candles and densely arranged needles make this tree a conversation piece in the landscape.  Mature trees develop small reddish-purple cones that only add to the beauty of this tree. This tree is truly a favorite!

Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera 'Gold Mop'

The next of the gold series is Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera 'Gold Mop' or Gold Mop Cypress. Gold Mop Cypress is a small golden conifer with delicate thread-like textured foliage. This relatively hardy shrub is best grown in full sun in a well-drained acidic soil in zones 4-8. It displays a low mounding mop -like appearance and reaches a height and width of 3 feet making it an excellent accent plant along with other evergreens and perennials. Chamaecyparis 'Gold Mop' retains its yellow-golden color all winter and stays compact unlike its counterpart 'Gold Thread' Cypress which becomes more bronzed and reaches a height of 15 feet over time.

Euonymus japonica 'Aureo Marginata'

Another favorite addition for golden color is Euonymus japonica 'Aureo Marginata' or Golden Euonymus which is not a conifer but rather a broadleaved evergreen. Golden Euonymus is hardy in USDA zones 6-8 and prefers a moist, well-drained neutral-acidic soil and full sun to partial shade. This evergreen displays yellow-green shiny foliage all year round and is fairly slow growing. It reaches a maximum height and width of 4-6' but can be kept compact with regular maintenance pruning. These shrubs serve nicely as either foundation plantings or in an informal garden.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Aurea Nana'

Next on the list is Chamaecyapris obtusa 'Aurea' or Golden Hinoki Cypress.  Golden Hinoki Cypress ranges in a variety of sizes from the species 'Nana' which is dwarf in size (2-3' in height) to 'Compacta' which is medium height (10-20 ' in height) to 'Gracillis' (40-60' in height). Hinoki Cypress are hardy in USDA zones 4-8 and display luxurious golden twisted compact foliage throughout all the seasons. These evergreens prefer to be grown in full sun in a moist but well-drained acidic soil.  Some of the more popular varieties are Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Aurea Nana' (seen here), 'Verdoni' which displays a deeper yellow foliage and grows a bit taller to 6-8 feet and 'Confucious' which is a newer slower growing variety with broader yellow foliage on emerald green under layers and growing to 4-6 feet in height. 'Crippsi' is a popular golden variety growing to 15-30 feet and can be used as either a specimen or incorporated into a privacy screening. Each one of these varieties is more beautiful than the next and serve as excellent specimens in the landscape. Hinoki Cypress can be used as a focal point in a foundation planting or as a stand alone piece in a cottage garden, evergreen garden or perennial border. These magnificent beauties will add outstanding interest to just about any landscape.

Cedrus deodara 'Aurea'

Golden Deodara Cedar (Cedrus deodara 'Aurea') is another magnificent focal point in the landscape.  It is one of the larger golden evergreens ranging in size from 15-25 feet in height to 80-100 feet in height depending on the particular species. Deodara Cedar 'Aurea' displays a rich golden-yellow color on graceful wispy branches.  They prefer to be grown in full sun in a moist but well-drained soil and are hardy in USDA zones 6-8. Cedrus deodara 'Gold Cone' (shown here) grows to height of 20-30 feet and displays beautiful pendulous branches covered in green-yellow foliage and grows in a more vertical fashion thus taking up less space in the landscape than some other cedars. Golden Deodara Cedar is often used as an anchor plant or specimen planting in the landscape.

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. Author:  Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2012.  All Rights Reserved.