Designing with Conifers

Blend these four-season beauties into the landscape by taking a cue from their unique shape, color, and texture

There are some sound reasons ( beyond disease resistance and downhearted sustentation ) why I decide to imbed my 1 - acre garden with more than 100conifers . They have vibrant colour and interesting textures , and they provide a strong year - beat presence — not to mention that they are arguably one of thelowest - care plantsout there . And before you go saying that only northerly nurseryman can profit from a garden filled with these evergreen treasure , I should note that I live inTennessee .

Learn more:9 Colorful Conifers That Will Energize Your Winter landscape painting

For all the right things that coniferous tree provide to a garden , they can be tricky to design with . Because they are ever - present structure , they can easily be situated in the ill-timed spot , where they terminate up sticking out like a sore thumb instead of make a strong foundation . And because their leafage is singular in the Earth of industrial plant , their texture can be hard to go with traditional perennial . To top things off , certain conifers have coloring that is sear — which can be a blessing but also a hindrance when trying to foreground the coloring without make the landscape painting wait garish . Over many years of experimenting , I have discovered a few tricks and tips that make designing with conifer easier . Using this advice will almost certainly give you the spectacular yet modest - maintenance garden you ’ve always wanted .

Use strong shapes to establish anchors

Because almost all conifers are evergreen regardless of zone , they will often be the only things that remain the same in your ever - changing layer . Because these plants grow slowly and rarely change silhouette , you demand to pick out spots that will foreground their forms without causing them to stick out . I found the placement of my conifer on their shape : prostrate , vertical ( which can be upright or crying ) , and round . Although I find some shapes well-fixed to play with than others , it ’s important to have at least a few of each in every garden for variety . Conifers with warm form also tend to be the most eye - catching . To establish twelvemonth - round of drinks persistence throughout the garden , I like to strategically station in my beds a few coniferous tree with figure that make an impact . That way of life , no matter what the clip of class , these bold anchors will draw attention and pull the landscape together as a whole .

My favourite shapes to work with are vertical , which can also be the trickiest to place correctly . These are usually the conifers with the strongest , most pronounced silhouette , and I love to practice them as focal points at the ends of my beds . Their forceful frame tie the garden to surrounding building , Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree lines , and the next section of the landscape . Among my favourite works to apply are ‘ Sulphurea ’ Arizona cedarwood ( Cupressus arizonicavar.glabra‘Sulphurea ’ , USDA Hardiness Zones 6–9 ) , weeping Norway spruce ( Picea abies‘Pendula ’ , Zones 3–8 ) , and cry blue Atlas cedar ( Cedrus atlantica‘Glauca Pendula ’ , zone 6–9 ) . It ’s important to remember that strong vertical form ( weeping or not ) do n’t look big in the midriff of a garden because when all the perennial die back , the coniferous tree will stick out and become an eyesore .

It ’s unspoiled to utilize round flesh in the midriff of beds , where their well - define mass can be appreciated , whether standing alone in winter or commingling nicely with other plants the rest of the year . With prostrate , background - hugging conifers , you more often than not have no selection other than to direct them at the edges of the beds . This is a blessing , though , because conifers will survive in places with lean filth and high traffic . In these spots , they are also able-bodied to hide the bottom of deciduous plants , giving the bottom a good appearance .

Infuse a little extra texture, even in the shade

spectacular plant combinations are made when you couple coarse - textured plants with those that are ok . Because semblance in the shade can be arduous to come by , texture becomes all the more all important to create interest . nicety nurseryman care to rely on full-grown bold plant , like ligularias ( Ligulariaspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–8 ) and hostas ( Hostaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) . But conifer can bestow a fine , needlelike texture seldom found in specter - loving perennial . deliberate placement of these needled gems next to a bold - leaved plant create a active coupling seldom seen in drear spots .

One of my favorite fine - textured conifer to use in the shade is dwarf Nipponese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica‘Globosa Nana ’ , Zones 6–9 ) . The threadlike leaf and sensationalistic - fleeceable colouration make this a striking evergreen . ‘ Golden Mop ’ false cypress ( Chamaecyparis pisifera‘Golden Mop ’ , Zones 4–8 ) has like foliage but with a slightly weeping habit . Most blanched pines will also prosper in the wraith and add together some awful fine texture . My front-runner is ‘ Greg ’ ( Pinus strobus‘Greg ’ , Zones 4–9 ) because it looks as gentle as it feel . It is one of the smallest ashen pines , growing to just 3 foot marvelous and wide . Its petite size of it ready it utter for cuddle up against a large - leaved hosta .

Conifer grain can be an asset in the sun , too . But because the rivalry for your eye is greater ( with more flowers and colouring material to contend with ) , the texture of your conifer must be truly bold . Blue China true fir ( Cunninghamia lanceolata‘Glauca ’ , Zones 7–9 ) , for case , is a coarse - textured favorite of mine that can grow quite large , but its steely blue needles are sensational when copulate with fine - textured herbaceous friends .

Place the brightest colors in spots that lack mid- or end-of-season interest

Although conifer are thought of primarily for their wintertime pursuit , they are equally important for their summertime color — particularly in areas of the country that get exceptionally hot and where perennials incline to suffer . In spots where mid- to late - summer color is missing , plant a coloured conifer . This ensures that the garden still search vibrant during the crown season , despite soar temperature . Remember , too , that conifers get the most outstanding color in full Sunday . Of course , unripened is the predominant hue in the creation of conifer , but there are stellar yellow and gold selections as well as steely megrims , stunning whites , and even plum tree and mahogany alternative . Select just two prevalent colors when deciding on which conifers to plant because color repetition will aid the garden blend better . I habituate yellow and silvern gloomy .

One of my favorite chickenhearted coniferous tree — for its bright lime - yellow foliage — is ‘ Morgan ’ Oriental arborvitae ( Platycladus orientalis‘Morgan ’ , zone 5–8 ) . It is one of the most durable conifer , stomach a range of grease conditions from extremely dry to boggy wet , which guarantees that you ’ll always have blazing color wherever it is planted . ‘ Saybrook Gold ’ juniper ( Juniperus chinensis‘Saybrook atomic number 79 ’ , Zones 3–9 ) is another sound option for a splash of gold in a lower - develop shape . There are so many beautiful silver blue conifer out there , it ’s hard to take a favourite . But if pressed , I would say that tall and stately ‘ Karl Fuchs ’ deodar cedar cedar tree ( Cedrus deodara‘Karl Fuchs ’ , zone 6–9 ) is at the top of my list . It is wide available and tot up a lightning bolt of color to any spot . If you ’re looking for a alike hue but in a much smaller industrial plant , I roll in the hay ‘ Silberlocke ’ Korean fir tree ( genus Abies koreana‘Silberlocke ’ , Zones 5–8 ) because it is exceptionally slow growing , has keen rut tolerance , and utterly glow when mate with dark - impart perennials .

With careful aid paid to the positioning of your colorful and unambiguously textured conifers , you may have a beautiful garden that is lower maintenance than most . And the senior you get , the more guardianship - detached works you ’ll want in your garden , allowing you to spend your time on other thing — like savor the fruit of your trade union movement .

Overcoming conifer conundrums

Although coniferous tree are beautiful plus to the landscape , many gardener have reservation about basing a design around these pricy industrial plant . After many years of run and mistake , here is what I ’ve discovered about some excogitation challenge that come with conifers :

How do I sleep with if I have enough conifer ?

Any garden should be the sodding counterbalance of perennials , yearly , trees / shrubs , and conifers ; therefore , I think a garden should be roughly 25 percent conifer . This proportion ensures that your beds will search smashing twelvemonth - round and be lower maintenance yet wo n’t attend like a collection at a botanical garden . Anything less than 10 percent conifers really wo n’t make an impact .

How do you compensate for the gaps while your conifers fill in ?

These sphere are the pure pip for yearbook or tropicals ; as the conifer slowly expand , the number of tender plants needed to fill the holes will become smaller . Or just use perennial , and move them when they bug out to get crowded out . I ’ve also regain that many perennials will actually take ascendency of the situation and will start growing out from underneath an imposing conifer .

What about challenging site ?

Conifers are some of the most durable and tolerant plants you may utilize , even in unmanageable expanse . No matter what situation you have — a boggy , dampish spot ; a unconscionable , gay slope ; a sun - baked driveway strip show ; or dry specter — there is a conifer that can tolerate it . Because of this , I like to recollect of conifers as forked - obligation plant : They can solve your difficult situation situation while bring home the bacon beaut with their notable form , coloring , and grain . Arborvitae ( Thujaspp . and cvs . , Zones 2–9 ) , for representative , can pull through almost anywhere , and for ironic shade , you ca n’t go wrong with Siberian cypress ( Microbiota decussata , Zones 3–7 ) .

Susan Hamilton is the director of the University of Tennessee Gardens in Knoxville and is the president of the American Conifer Society — Southeastern Region .

Photos : Danielle Sherry

Strong shapes come in all sizes.The graceful weeping Norway spruce can get quite tall, so it looks best when placed on a corner. The creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis, Zones 3–9) covers the bare legs of the surrounding perennials.

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Conifers are the answer.Aside from their low care, these needled jewels can offer incredible color and texture, like ‘Karl Fuchs’ deodar cedar (at the rear), and strong shapes, like ‘Sulphurea’ Arizona cedar (at left).

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When it comes to shape, it doesn’t get any better.A weeping blue Atlas cedar adds undeniable interest while tying the garden visually to the pool fence beyond.

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Plump and round deserve a spot front and center.Rounded shapes, like this lime-colored ‘Gyokuryu’ Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica‘Gyokuryu’, Zones 6–9) and small puffball-like ‘Urchin’ white pine (Pinus strobus‘Urchin’, Zones 4–9), add year-round bulk to the middle of a bed.

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At first glance, it may seem like this is just a shade bed filled with perennials, but there are actually four conifers here, adding texture while blending in seamlessly.

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Get unwavering color from an unlikely source.Long after the perennials go out of bloom, the lime green tips of the ‘Sekkan-sugi’ Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica‘Sekkan-sugi’, Zones 6–9) will still be bringing color to this sun-scorched bed.