Agave palmeri

Agave palmeri flower stalk June 2009

Agave palmeri November 2008

Agave palmeri in snow December 2008

Agave palmeri with Agave parryi October 2008

Agave palmeri occurs on rocky hillsides, grasslands & oak woodlands in the states of Arizona, Chihuahua, New Mexico & Sonora. Oddly enough, it was the most successful & beautiful Agave in my Seattle garden. It doubled in size each year to 18 inches tall & 2 feet wide in 2008 after 4 years in the ground.  It produced a flower stalk 15 feet tall in 2009, then died, as is their habit. The leaves are blue-gray, gracefully curved outward then upward, lined with small black teeth & tipped with wicked black spines. Keep Agave palmeri out of the way of foot traffic! Plant it in full sun in a rockery, on a dry slope or in a pot in gravelly soil. I got my plant from Yucca Do Nursery. It has also been available from Plant Delights Nursery.

How to Remove Lawn

Lawn is easy. That is why there is so much of it. It needs only mowing. But lawn is boring. Lawn does little to improve the environment. Watering lawn is costly, unnecessary & irresponsible. Grass survives almost any drought. If not, it can easily be reseeded. Unless you are ready to work many hours in the garden, it is probably best to remove only small areas of lawn. Lawns look better when they mimic a forest clearing, than when they evoke the wide-open prairie. If you have a small lawn, remove it. Or plant more trees around it. Don’t waste space in a small garden with lawn. If you have a big lawn, remove 5 feet somewhere around the perimeter. Plant shrubs & groundcovers. You can remove more area later for perennials & more shrubs. If you want to plant trees, you are to be commended. Remove 10 feet of lawn from 1 side. Plant the trees at least 5 feet from your property line. Know how far they will spread before planting. Do not use lawn as path. Grass is very invasive. Remember: Turf does not need to be dug out. Just cover it with 2 feet of compost.

Tree Peony

 

Paeonia suffruticosa May 2009

Paeonia suffruticosa October 2009

Paeonia suffruticosa March 2010

Paeonia suffruticosa is actually a deciduous shrub. It is native to Gansu Province in China where it grows in mountain scrub. It has been grown in gardens for more than 1500 years in China, 1000 years in Japan. The huge flowers are almost always pink, although the Chinese often call them red.  (You may also see purple, yellow & white.) Tree Peonies often appear in Chinese & Japanese paintings. Paeonia suffruticosa blooms in May, sometimes late April. The plant is very hardy & fairly drought tolerant. It requires staking, or the immense blossoms will droop to the ground after a heavy rain. The new growth is red in early spring. The mature foliage is attractive in summer, nicely colored with orange & yellow in fall. The bare stems are hardly noticeable in winter. They require sun, tolerate part shade. Most nurseries sell Tree Peonies. Plants imported directly from China can be found at the Holly Park Nursery (4031 S Willow St in Seattle) at lower cost than most nurseries. Not only that, but the proprietor will show you pictures from a book. He once told me, ‘I am crazy for Tree Peonies!’ Small plants from Japan are fairly inexpensive by mail from Van Bourgondien.

How to Make a Townhome Garden

Advice specifically for Seattle townhome gardens, but useful for small gardens everywhere, especially in USDA Zone 8.

1 Plant a tree. If your garden is small, plant the tree in the corner farthest from the building. If your garden is not so small, plant 2 or 3 trees along the property line away from the building.

2 Pave a small area near the door. 10 feet by 10 feet is good. Decide whether to call it a patio, terrace or ‘my fabulous garden room.’

3 Make planting beds in a U around the paved area. Buy lots of compost in bags from a big hardware store. Pile the compost 2 feet deep.

4 Choose 6 to 9 shrubs to distribute evenly around the U. Choose 7 to 18 perennials. Figure out how many plants will have to grow in sun, & in shade. Choose from the appropriate plant lists. Remember that bulbs & grasses are perennials. Consider using Clematis to climb shrubs. Don’t use too much of the same thing.

5 Plant the shrubs in the compost, halfway between the property line (fence) & the paved area. Plant perennials close to the edge of the paving, between shrubs.

6 Cover open ground with mulch. Buy shredded bark. Let fallen leaves be mulch. Always mulch around new planting. Do not put mulch more than 2 inches deep.

Design for a Townhome Garden

Tree

ACE = Acer circinatum (Vine Maple)

Shrubs

ARB = Arbutus unedo 'Compacta' (Compact Strawberry Tree)

ENK = Enkianthus campanulatus

HYD = Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea)

PIE = Pieris japonica

R1 = Rhododendron occidentale (Western Azalea)

R2 = Rhododendron yakushimanum

Perennials & Groundcovers

AJU = Ajuga reptans

DIC = Dicentra spectabilis (Bleeding Heart)

GER = Geranium phaeum (Mourning Widow)

HOS = Hosta 'Sum & Substance'

IRI = Iris sibirica (Siberian Iris)

LAM = Lamium maculatum

NAR = Narcissus jonquilla (Jonquil)

POL = Polystichum setiferum (Soft Shield Fern)

How to Design a Thicket

Thickets are mysterious: dense, dark & impenetrable. They harbor wildlife, heard yet unseen. They are low-maintenance, best left unpruned & unwatered. Thickets may take the place of a bosque where height is restricted.

1 Define a space in your garden. Thickets are easy to maintain, so this can be a fairly large space. A thicket should cover a space at least 10 feet in each dimension. Thickets can be used as screens 10 feet wide.

2 Choose small deciduous trees, shrubs & ferns. A thicket should consist of plants that tolerate both sun & shade. The center of a thicket becomes densely shaded, while the south & west edges can be very sunny. Choose both evergreen & deciduous shrubs.

3 Buy lots of compost. You can order it by the truckload from Cedar Grove, or buy it in bags. Cover the garden site 2 feet deep. Plant in the compost.

4 Buy the plants. No single nursery will have all of the plants you want & need. Call around. Look in the phone book under Nurseries.

5 Space the plants at appropriate distances. Find out how big these plants will get. Plant them closely enough that the branches will interlock, but not so closely that they are crowded. 3 to 5 feet apart is good for most shrubs, 7 to 10 feet apart for trees.

6 Plant shady, drought-tolerant groundcovers under shrubs.

7 Cover open ground with mulch. Buy shredded bark. Use mulch from your compost pile or worm bin. Keep mulch under 2 inches deep.

8 For the 1st few years, water regularly during summer. Pull out weeds. Replace dead plants. Prune lightly around the edges, or not at all. Continue to watch for invasive plants like Blackberry, Holly & Ivy.

Plants for Thickets

Small Trees: deciduous, except as noted

Acer circinatum (Vine Maple)

Amelanchier alnifolia (Saskatoon)

Corylus cornuta californica (Hazel)

Ficus carica (Fig)

Hamamelis x intermedia (Witch Hazel)
Pinus contorta var. contorta (Shore Pine): evergreen

Prunus ilicifolia (Hollyleaf Cherry): evergreen

Sorbus forrestii (Mountain Ash)

Shrubs: for sun or shade

Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’ (Compact Strawberry Tree)

Gaultheria shallon (Salal)

Holodiscus discolor (Oceanspray)

Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon Grape)

Mahonia nervosa

Mahonia repens

Oemleria cerasifera (Indian Plum)

Osmanthus delavayi

Pieris japonica (Lily of the Valley Shrub)

Ribes sanguineum (Flowering Currant)

Rhododendron

Styrax redivivus (Snowbell)

Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry)

Ferns & Groundcovers: for shade

Athyrium filix-femina (Ladyfern)

Dicentra formosa (Bleeding Heart)

Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)

Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley)

Oxalis oregana (Redwood Sorrel)

Polystichum munitum (Swordfern)

Design for a Thicket

Trees

ACE = Acer circinatum

AME = Amelanchier alnifolia

FIC = Ficus carica

SOR = Sorbus forrestii

Shrubs

ARB = Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'

GAU = Gaultheria shallon

HOL = Holodiscus discolor

M1 = Mahonia aquifolium

M2 = Mahonia repens

PIE = Pieris japonica

RHO = Rhododendron

RIB = Ribes sanguineum

STY = Styrax redivivus

VAC = Vaccinium ovatum

Fern

POL = Polystichum munitum

How to Design a Mixed Border

Mixed borders (or mixed planting beds) are those that combine shrubs & perennials. They have outpaced perennial beds to become the most common type of planting in Seattle. There is good reason for this. Mixed borders are more visually appealing, more varied, more interesting & less work than perennial gardens. Cottage gardens usually refer to perennial beds, but the cottage garden style is frequently applied to mixed plantings. Perennials & shrubs are most often informally intermixed.

1 Find a sunny site. This technique can work in shade. But it is easier in sun.

2 Choose a theme. You might choose plants from a certain region.  But it is probably easiest to work with color. You might decide to use a variety of different colors, a dominant single color, or a pair of contrasting colors. Don’t make it too complex. Try to take it easy.

3 Choose your favorite shrubs from lists of plants that match your theme. Shrubs will take up the most space. Decide where to place them 1st. Realize that they will cast shade as they grow. Learn their ultimate size in order to leave enough space between them for perennials. Consider repeating certain shrubs. Keep it simple.

4 Choose your favorite perennials from lists of plants that match your theme. Here you will be thinking more of flowers. But foliage is still important. Don’t use too many spiky-leaved perennials. This is easy to do. It looks boring. Think of grasses, bulbs & groundcovers as perennials. Be sure to repeat certain perennials. 1 of everything is just a big chaotic mess.

5 Buy lots of compost. You can order it by the truckload from Cedar Grove, or buy it in bags. Cover the garden site 2 feet deep. Plant in the compost.

6 Buy the plants. No single nursery will have all of the plants you want & need. Call around. Look in the phone book under Nurseries. Visit ALL of the nurseries near you. Order plants by mail, if they are unavailable locally.

7 Set the plants out on the compost. Shrubs should be near the center of the bed to give them room to spread. (This is particularly important if you are planting along a wall.) Place shorter perennials in front of shrubs & underneath them. Place taller perennials between shrubs. Place the tallest perennials at the back between shrubs, if you are planting along a wall. If you intend to walk around the planting bed, place the tallest perennials in the center between shrubs.

8 Move the plants while still in their pots. Shift them to allow the appropriate space between them. Be sure you know how big these plants will get. Buy a book which describes the growth habit & ultimate size of a variety of plants. The Sunset Western Garden Book is excellent for this purpose.

Design for a Mixed Border

ARM = Armeria maritima

AST = Aster

EUP = Euphorbia myrsinites

HEM = Hemerocallis

J1 = Juniperus communis 'Adpressa'

J2 = Juniperus communis 'Hibernica'

MAH = Mahonia aquifolium

NAR = Narcissus

PAE = Paeonia suffruticosa

ROS = Rosa glauca

STA = Stachys byzantina

THY = Thymus 'Pink Chintz'

How to Design a Privacy Screen

A privacy screen is used when you don't want to see what is beyond your property line, which might be the street, or the sidewalk, or in the case of 1 of my clients: a gas station.  It gives a sense of enclosure to your garden.  It creates a pleasing backdrop to your other plantings.  It can become part of a mixed border.  It is probably better to use a fence, if your space is tight.  But a privacy screen can grow much taller than a fence is permitted.  It is often less expensive.  Of course, it takes time to grow.  I don't recommend clipped hedges, which are high-maintenance & have a rigid, sometimes tortured appearance. Privacy screens can be pruned to limit spread & height, yet maintain a natural appearance. 

1 Choose the site. It will most likely lie along your property line. Allow plenty of room: a strip from 5 to 10 feet wide.

2 Choose 3 to 7 shrubs, depending on the length of the strip. Is the site mostly shady or sunny? If it has shade in part & sun in part, choose 3 to 5 shrubs for each part. Do not plant only 1 kind of shrub. That is called a hedge. Hedges are boring.

3 Buy lots of compost. You can order it by the truckload from Cedar Grove, or buy it in bags, Cover the garden site 2 feet deep. Plant in the compost.

4 Buy the plants. No single nursery will have all of the plants you want & need. Call around. Look in the phone book under Nurseries.

5 Space the plants at appropriate distances. Find out how big these plants will get. Give them enough room. If you don’t, you will have to remove them later.

6 Plant shady groundcovers under shrubs.

7 Cover open ground with mulch. Buy shredded bark. Put mulch from your compost pile or worm bin over open spaces in the garden. Always mulch around new plantings. Keep mulch under 2 inches deep.

8 Patrol the strip regularly: become territorial. Pull up weeds. Water regularly during summer. Replace dead shrubs. As the shrubs grow, notice the privacy they provide.

9 Buy pruning tools. You need pruners, loppers & a folding pruning saw. Go to a big hardware store. Cut off dead & broken branches. Do not shear the shrubs like a hedge. Learn about pruning. Buy a book which illustrates pruning & other gardening techniques. The Sunset Western Garden Book is good to start.

10 (Optional) If you have prepared a 10 foot strip, plant evergreen & deciduous shrubs in front of the spaces between evergreens. This will increase privacy & create more interest in fall & winter. Consider shrubs with fruits & berries, as well as shrubs with colorful fall foliage. A mixed border can also be used.

Evergreen Shrubs for Privacy Screens

Abelia x grandiflora: sun or part shade
Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’ (Campact Strawberry Tree): sun or shade
Berberis darwinii (Darwin's Barberry): sun

Callistemon rigidus (Bottlebrush): sun
Calycanthus floridus (Carolina Allspice) Calycanthus occidentalis (Spice Bush): shade

Camellia japonica: shade

Ceanothus ‘Victoria’ (California Lilac): sun, fast growth, but short-lived

Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ (Plum Yew): sun or shade

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Blue Surprise', Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ellwoodii' (Dwarf Port Orford Cedar) Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’ (Dwarf Hinoki Cypress): sun or part shade

Choisya ternata (Mexican Orange): sun  or part shade

Elaeagnus x ebbingei, Elaeagnus pungens (Silverberry): sun 

Erica arborea, Erica australis (Tree Heath): sun

Escallonia 'Apple Blossom', Escallonia rubra: sun

Gaultheria shallon: sun or shade

Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ (St John’s Wort): sun

Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly): sun or shade
Itea ilicifolia: sun or shade

Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’ (Chinese Juniper) Juniperus communis 'Hibernica' (Irish Juniper): sun
Ligustrum japonicum (Japanese Privet): sun or shade

Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo): shade

Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon Grape): sun or shade Mahonia bealei (Japanese Mahonia): shade
Myrica californica (California Wax Myrtle): sun or shade

Osmanthus x burkwoodii, Osmanthus heterophyllus: sun or shade
Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Conica' (Dwarf Alberta Spruce): sun

Pieris japonica (Lily of the Valley Shrub): shade

Rhododendron: shade
Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata' (Irish Yew): sun of part shade

Thuja occidentalis (Arborvitae): sun or part shade

Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry): sun or shade
Viburnum tinus: sun or shade

 Design for a Privacy Screen

A = Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’ (Compact Strawberry Tree)

C = Callistemon rigidus (Bottlebrush)

E = Erica arborea (Tree Heath)

S = Syringa meyeri 'Palibin' (Korean Lilac)

How to Design a Bosque

A bosque is a grove of trees. Some mimic the forest, while others are more formal. Trees are spaced regularly, or more randomly. Bosques are evergreen, deciduous, or both. Larger bosques often have more kinds of trees. Trees planted in a grid may be underplanted randomly with shrubs & perennials. This technique was used to good effect at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle, also at Schloss Nymphenburg in Munich. Large bosques grace many European palace gardens. Smaller bosques are lovely in all (except the smallest) gardens.

1 Choose the site. It will most likely lie in a corner of your property line. Allow plenty of room. The area should be at least 15 feet wide on 2 sides.

2 Choose at least 5 trees: all the same, or 2 different kinds. Also choose any number of shrubs, perennials & groundcovers for the shaded ground beneath the trees.

3 Buy lots of compost. You can order it by the truckload from Cedar Grove, or buy it in bags, Cover the garden site 2 feet deep. Plant in the compost.

4 Buy the plants. No single nursery will have all of the plants you want & need. Call around. Look in the phone book under Nurseries.

5 Space the plants at appropriate distances. Find out how big these plants will get. Give them enough room. If you don’t, you will have to remove them later. Plant trees 5 to 10 feet apart, depending on their ultimate size.

7 Cover open ground with mulch. Buy shredded bark, put mulch from your compost pile or worm bin over open spaces in the garden. Always mulch around new plantings. Keep mulch under 2 inches deep.

8 Patrol the strip regularly: become territorial. Pull up weeds. Water regularly during summer. Replace dead plants. As the trees grow, enjoy the shade they provide.

9 Buy pruning tools. You need pruners, loppers & a folding pruning saw. Go to a big hardware store. Cut off dead & broken branches. Learn about pruning. Buy a book which illustrates pruning & other gardening techniques. The Sunset Western Garden Book is good to start.

Trees for Bosques

Acer circinatum (Vine Maple)

Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple)

Aesculus californica (California Buckeye)

Araucaria araucana (Monkeypuzzle)

Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’ (Hornbeam)

Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ (Eastern Redbud)

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gracilis’ (Hinoki Cypress)

Ginkgo biloba

Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree)

Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum)

Nothofagus antarctica (Southern Beech)

Pinus densiflora (Japanese Red Pine)

Quercus suber (Cork Oak)

Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood)

Sorbus alnifolia (Mountain Ash)

Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar)

 Design for a Small Bosque

A = Acer circinatum (Vine Maple)

C = Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gracilis’ (Slender Hinoki Cypress)

West Coast Perennial Garden (Cascadia Garden)

Iris tenax May 2009

Iris macrosiphon May 2009

 

 Erythronium oregonum March 2010

Lithocarpus densiflorus echinoides May 2009

This small garden features perennials from Washington, Oregon & California. It started with 8 Pacific Coast Native Iris: 3 succeeded. At the center of the garden Arctostaphylos ‘Monica’ grows in a large earthen pot. Allium & Iris encircle it. Lilies grow in the open area beyond. Lithocarpus densiflorus echinoides waits in back, growing slowly.  After 5 years, it is 2 feet tall. Heuchera micrantha & Tellima grandiflora linger under a tall, spreading Mahonia aquifolium. Fragaria vesca spread quickly throughout. The garden was started in 2004, replacing the lower half of the Rock Garden. Spanish Narcissus bulbocodium remained in place.  Japanese Ajuga reptans has crept into the garden now.  I don't want to kick it out. There is also the Australian Pratia pedunculata that I cannot stop.

West Coast Perennial Garden Plant List

Shrubs

Arctostaphylos ‘Monica’ (Manzanita)

Lithocarpus densiflorus echinoides (Dwarf Tanoak)

Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon Grape)

Perennials

Allium cernuum (Nodding Onion)

Allium unifolium

Erigeron glaucus (Beach Aster)

Erythronium oregonum (Fawn Lily)

Heuchera micrantha

Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’

Iris douglasiana (Douglas Iris)

Iris macrosiphon (Ground Iris)

Iris tenax (Oregon Iris)

Lilium columbianum (Tiger Lily)

Lilium pardalinum (Leopard Lily)

Sisyrinchium californicum (Yellow-eyed Grass)

Tellima grandiflora (Fringecup)

Groundcover

Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)

Privacy Screen (Cascadia Garden)

Hebe ochracea in front of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Blue Surprise’ May 2009

Aster in front of Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point November 2008

Thuja occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ September 2008

The double row of shrubs evolved along the north edge of the Cascadia Garden between 2003 & 2008. A tall Rosa ‘Queen Elizabeth’ remains from the rose garden period prior to 1992. Roses are not effective screens, but this gives a glimpse of neighboring lawn. In 2003 Thuja occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ & Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’ were planted, the remaining shrubs were added in 2007. Screening was more effective with more evergreen shrubs.  Smaller shrubs & perennials are planted south of the screen, where they bask in full sun.

Privacy Screen Plant List

Shrubs: evergreen except as noted

Callicarpa bodinieri (Beautyberry): deciduous

Callistemon sieberi (Bottlebrush)

Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ (Plum Yew)

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Blue Surprise’ (Port Orford Cypress)

Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’ (Blue Point Juniper)

Rosa rugosa ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’ (Rugosa Rose): deciduous

Rosa ‘Queen Elizabeth’ (Grandiflora Rose): deciduous

Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’ (Arborvitae)

Thuja occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ (Arborvitae)

Groundcovers

Ajuga reptans ‘Bronze Carpet’ (Carpet Bugle)

Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)

Geranium himalayense (Cranesbill)

Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’