FLOWERS and foliage provide an abundance of colour and beauty in our gardens for most of the year. Now that winter is here, both on the calendar and in temperature, We have to rely on other sources of colour and beauty. Bark and plant structure can provide interest in the garden when the leaves and flowers have fallen away to reveal the inner beauty and colour of a plant. Some tree species stand out when it comes to colourful or pat- terned bark. They caa catch your cye during the dull days of winter. Maple, or trees that belong to the Acer family, have a number of varieties with unique bark. Acer davi- di, A. grosseri and A. capil- lipes are all called “Snake Bark” maples and have a dis- tinctive lined bark. A. pensyl- vanicum is similar but has a more pronounced white lines on dark green bark. A. Srisenm is called the Paper Bark maple and has orangey- brown bark that peels and flakes off revealing a lighter rich colour below. While not in the maple family, our native Arbutus mensicst is also a good exampie of a tree trunk with several shades of orangey-brown colour and peeling bark. There are few trees in the world that can display this rich colour in the wiater sunshine. Japanese mapfes are best known for their fall leaf colour but several also dis- play colourful bark and an interesting structure in their trunks. Acer palmatum “Senkaki” or Coral Bark maple has a distinctive red bark that gives the tree prominence in the winter. Several ef the other A.palmatum disectum such as “Red Laceleaf,” “Crimson Queen” and “Garnet” will all have gnarled or twisted trunks when they mature and this can add interest to CORRECTION NOTICE tn our 841-5A Stock-up Event flyer, Vogue Bra #707 on page 2 should have read “Our reg 12.50 to 13.50. Sale 7.50 to $.10 each.” Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. north shore news “x, HOME & G The inner beauty of bark E & (,ARDEN sow tt Srows the winter garden. Each time | drive through the underpass at Ionsdale and the Upper Levels Highway during the winter my eye goes to the clumps of white birches that stand out against their green back- ground. There are a half dozen varieties of Bezula or birch bur the best of the stand is B. Jacquemouti or White Barked Himalayan birch. They are guaranteed to light up a drab yard. H you already have a birch tree and the bark has lost its whiteness, don’t be afraid 10 use some liquid dishwasher detergent, hot water and a serub brush on the algae. Normally we value the Dogwood (Cornus) family for their spring flowers and autumn foliage but there are several specimens that are grown as ground covers and their winter colour. C. alla *Siberica” will produce a Kecommended because we do the job right! mass of one-metre sucker shoots from the base of the plant if properly pruned cach spring. The bark on this new wood is a rich red and lights up in the winter sunshiae. C. alba “Flaviramea” is a close relative but has vellow bark instead of red. Wood that ts two years or older will usual- ly lose its colour and should be cut out. Prinus serrula is a mem- ber of the cherry family and has bark that is very shiny with a rich mahogany colour. As the tree grows the bark stretches and breaks causing it to peel in horizoncal strips, creating a variegated band- ing effect. This is certainly a tree that “stands out ina crowd.” Most berry canes stay green or turn brown over the winter but Radbus cock- burnianus or the green guide GREEN GUIDE ts a weekly Sunday column. If your bust- nes or charity is planning a gardening event, send in your information as carly as possible to the North Shore News, 1239 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, B.C., V7M 2H-4. Priority is given to fundraising events and shows taking place an the North Shore. Whirewashed bramble pro- duces long arching canes that are covered with a white coating that gives them prominence in the winter sunshine. Untortunately, they do not bear edible fruit. Scarlet willow, Salix alba Chernavwsina, and Golden wil- low. S. alba Vitelina, both produce new shoots that come into view once the leaves are down in the fall, A Blue spruce, Picea pua- EUS, will look good at any- time of the year but is par- ticularly striking with its frosty blue colour during cold sunny weather in win- ter. Japanese cedar or Cryptomeria japonica is not widely grown and unlike most conifers it turns a pur- ple-brown in the Winter and then back to a coppery- green in the summer. SECOND WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH: Until June, the Capilano Flower Arranging Club meets in the Cedar Room of the Delbrook Recreation Centre at 7:30 p.m. Th. evenings include workshops and demonstra- tions. For more information, call Denna Sims at 986-9360 or Sharon Fairbrother at 985- 8592. 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