When it comes to conifers, bigger isn’t always better. We may pine for mature Douglas firs and Norway spruces, but those goliaths will swallow up most urban gardens. Thankfully, there are dwarf forms of many conifers, suitable for gardens of all sizes, right down to pots and troughs. Of course, “dwarf” is a relative term. The ‘Fat Albert’ cultivar of blue spruce is often called … [Read more...] about Designing with dwarf conifers
conifers
Conifers dropping needles
Last autumn I wrote a blog post about conifers dropping needles in autumn. There’s a difference between needle drop (a natural process of renewal) and needle cast (a disease symptom), but my post didn’t do enough to make the distinction between the two. So, I’m going to re-address the topic, and hope to be clear this time. This morning I looked at the 30-foot (10-m) white … [Read more...] about Conifers dropping needles
Choosing conifer trees
Choosing conifer trees is a big deal. They’re expensive, permanent (hopefully) and they take up a lot of garden real estate. It’s no wonder new gardeners (and maybe not just new gardeners!) start to get nervous when making their choice. If not for this ongoing gardening education of mine, I would have never realized how many different sizes, colours and shapes of conifers there … [Read more...] about Choosing conifer trees
Long-needled pines
When there’s a thin blanket of snow on the ground, it's just enough to put a silvery gloss on the winter garden. This is when I’m grateful for every conifer in my landscape, especially those with soft needles, three to five inches (8 to 13 cm) long. They’re graceful in all seasons, swaying gently in the wind, and have an elegant texture in snow. There is a big Eastern white … [Read more...] about Long-needled pines
Explaining needle cast
Lots of plants are falling down in the garden, or at least are on a deep slant (grasses, phlox, asters), so I’ve been cruising around, cutting back where possible and propping up where necessary. Getting out “into the bush” this way presents a picture of the season moving on quite quickly. I was surprised, in the last week of September, to see clear signs of needle cast on the … [Read more...] about Explaining needle cast
