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EXTERIORS

22 - North Shore News ~— Sunday, February 27, 2000

LIOME AND GARDEN

fers better in forest than garden

Mak

beverage sponsors:

OUR West Coast
Marine climate sup-
ports the growth of
large coniferous trees
such as Douglas fir,
western hemlock and
western red cedar.

The character of gardens
on the West Coast is defined
to some extent by the pres-
ence of these large trees.
Few gardens are without a
few specimens either in the
garden or serving as a back-
ground to the garden.
Although these large trees
add character and scale to a
garden they also create some
major problems — shade,
invasive roots, loss of mois-
ture, falling branches and
needles.

series of Front Room Forums. The concept is simple. It's like a mini open
house, but within your own home. Just you and an informal gathering
of friends, neighbours, and co-workers. To get things going, each Front
Room Forum host will be supplied with: a discussion quide; commentary
forms; and of couise, refreshments — pizza and beverages. So, if you'd
like to host a Front Room Forum, or find out more about the plan
call 453-4650. Or visit our website at www.translink.bc.ca. And

remember, community involvement starts at home.

Rather than planting or
allowing seedlings of large
conifers to grow in vour gar-
den it might be better to
seck out some of the new
and exciting dwarf or slow-
growing conifers that are
now available in most nurs-
cries. Leave the giant
conifers and their problems
to the imber companies.

Some dwarf coniters
show up as a single plant in
a batch of seedlings. Others
are a result of altered genes
to create a sport ora new
form of the plant. Parasitic
fungi of Viruses can can
cause a distorted form of
growth called a “witches
broom” and cuttings from
these infected trees may pro-
duce a new specimen. Some
growers will graft scions

e Yourself Heard
From: Your. Living Room.

Link's open house in ‘North Vancouver regarding
c Transportation Plan? Don't worry, you can still voice

“your opinion. TransLink and the North Shore News are sponsoring a

onto dwarf root stalk rather
than taking cuttings.

Not afl small! conifers are
true dwarts, some are just
slow growing. They can
grow as little as two metres
in 15 years. True miniatures
may only reach 60 to 90 cm
in 18 years. Piant names
often give the the buyer
some indication of plant
size. Look for words such as
“Nana,” “Globosa,”
“Compacta,” “Prostrata”
and “Minuta.”

Slow growing or dwarf
conifers can help give a
sense of proportion to a gar-
den and because of their
unigue growing patterns are
quite versatile in their place-
ment. Some form ground
hugging carpet while others
are twisted or cascading.

*.

They also come in miniature
globes and compact cones,

Their wide range in
colour allows them to blend
in with other plants or cre-
ate a stunning contrast. The
colours include dark or light
blue, dark or light green,
yellow green to golden,
white and green variegated
and greenish-purple. Unlike
some plants, dwarf conifers
put on a show year round
and can become a highlight
during the winter when
other plants have gone dor-
mant.

Dwarf conifers are grow-
ing in popularity because of
their versatility and easy
care. They need little prun-
ing and are largely disease
resistant if given the right
growing conditions. They
may cost a little more than
some plants but over the
long haul they will become a
bargain.

For the best results,
check the drainage and make
sure their roots are kept rea-
sonably dry. Pines, spruce
and cypress may not do as
well in very damp areas with
low light. To stop the soil
trom splashing on the nee-
dies where the branches
grow close to, or hug, the
ground, it is advisable to
add a layer of grit or pea
gravel. .

Most conifers benefit
from a light application of
well-decayed mulch or com-
post around the base of the
tre rather than applying fer-
tilizer.

The Korean fir is not a
dwarf but is very slow-grow-
ing. Look for the Ades kore-
ana “Prostrata,” “Aurea” or

firs, A. lasiocarpa “Glauca
Compacta” and “Arizoni:
Compacta” would be gooi

choices as well as the golden

~ canadensis “Gentsch White”

“Silberlocke.” Two other: |- :

fir called A. pinsapo
“Aurea.”

Cedrus or the true cedar
has three examples. C. deo-
dara “Albo Spicata” and
“Snowsprite” and C. libani
“Nana” all have the shape of
their parents but not the
size.

Cypress, often mistakenly
called cedar, has a number
of well-known dwarf forms
including Cupressus obtusa
“Fern Spray Gold” and
“Nana Gracilis”; and C.
pisifera “Filitera Nana” and
“Snow.”

The spruce tree lends
itself to dwarfing and there
are at least a dozen versions
to be found. Picea abies
“Acrocona,” “Little Gem,”
“Nidiformis” and
“Ohlendorffii” are all types
of Norway spruce. Picea
omorika “Nana” is a dwarf
form of the Serbian spruce
and P. glauce “Jean's Dilly”
is a form of white spruce. .
Picea orientalis “Aurea” and
“Skylands” are dwarf forms
of the very large parent. The
most attractive and well-
known spruce is the
Colorado blue spruce or
Picea pungens. Look for
“Far Albert,” “Globosa” and
“Prostrata.”

Mugo pines are very

‘common and “Slowmound”.

is one of the best. Other
dwarf pines are Pinus nigra

: “Hornbrookiana,” P. parvi-.

flora “Glauca” and P. Stobus
“Nana.”

White cedar is represent-
ed by Thuja ocidentalis
“Danica,” “Ericoides” and
“Rheingold.” Two good
hemlocks are Tsuga

‘and “Minuta.”

Check ‘in your focal nurs-
ries. for ‘dwarf conifers or
them ordered in’
not in stock... -