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Friday, February 14, 1992 - North Shore News - 19

More shady characters from the garden

IN THIS the third episode of our saga of shade, we shall
look at one of the shrubs you might find useful in the
mid- to lower regions of your shadow world.

Because there is much to say, I
shall break from tradition and get
right to the point.

The Japanese Aucuba (aucuba
japonica) and its cultivars are ex-
cellent choices for partial to deep-
ly shaded situations. These
broad-leaved evergreens are
densely clothed in shiny, mid- to
dark-green leaves similar in size
and shape to those of the English
laurel.

They are available in a wide
variety of variegated forms as well
as the less conspicuous green-
leaved selections.

Variegated cultivars seem to be
more in demand. This may be due
to their slower growth, which
seldom exceeds six to cight fect,
and to the addition of bright color
they provide in shady .spots. In-
cluded are such specimens as a. j.
“Crotonifolia,”’ a male form with
shiny, bright green leaves sporting
splashes of yellow. -

A. j. “Picturata,’’ a female, is
among the most colorful plants of

_ this group. The entire centre of
the leaves is a rich golden yellow,
while only the margins remain

Although many aucubas tolerate
the gentle full sun seen in our
coastal areas, this variety is sub-
ject to leaf burn and is better left
to the shade.

The most commonly seen
variegated aucuba is a. j.
“Variegata”’ or Gold Dust Plant.
It is obtainable in either its male
or female form and both display
the evenly distributed golden
speckles for which it is named.

Although the most commonly
seen. forms are those possessing
some degree of golden variega-
tion, there are a number of dark
green varieties available as well.
Some. good examples are a. j.

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OVER THE GARDEN GATE

“Longifolia,”’ with its narrow,
willow-like, dark greeti leaves,
and a. j. ‘“‘Serratifolia,’’ showing
long, saw-toothed leaves.

Most plants of the species have
a moderate growth rate and attain
heights and girths of six to 10

feet. There are some notable ex-_

ceptions, however: a. j. ‘‘Nana
Rotundifolia”’ is a smali, mostly
green-leaved form, quite slow in
growth and seldom exceeds three
feet. And I have seen specimens
of the Gold Dust plant mentioned
above climb to well over 12 feet.

The significance as to whether
your aucuba is male or female lies
in the female’s ability to produce
bright red berries.

Although many of the
variegated varieties come in the

female form and_ will produce
heavy crops, I usually try to avoid
them. I find that berries actually
compete for our attention to the
extent that it is counter-produc-
tive. Not so with the grcen-leaved
types as their bright appearance
over winter months can add inter-
est to an otherwise dark and
dreary spot in the garden.

Aucubas love the shade, but the
other problems presented by tall,
surrounding trees can cause more
damage than a mere lack of light.

As mentioned two weeks ago,
these tall trees will try to suck the
life out of any neighbors by robb-
ing them of water and essential
nutrients as well as the rays of the
sun.

For best results, condition the

area with a two- to four-inch
layer of garden compost and work
it into six or eight inches of ex-
isting soil.

A decent, commercial topsoil or
smaller amounts of composted
steer or mushroom manure can
make an expensive but suitable
substitute if you still refuse to
compost. .

The idea is to enrich the soil
with a long lasting, organic source
of nutrients and provide new fibre
to the soil to increase its
moisture-holding capabilities.

If you want your aucubas to
look their best right from the get
go, supply them with ample water
for the first two to three years.
They will develop a degree of
drought tolerance, but sufficient

amounts of water now will pre-
vent a long recovery from ex-
cessive thinning and legginess.

If your plants begin to thin out
or outgrow their allotted space, do
not be afraid to prune. Cutting
back to a point just above a leaf
joint or node on the stem will en-
courage branching and a general
increase in the density of the
plant.

Lastly, top-dress the root
system out to the plant’s drip line
or outer most branches every spr-
ing with garden compost. Other-
wise use two to three applications
of a more costly, less effective,
less environmentally suitable,
commercial fertilizer. Get the
hint?

Architectural grads work exhibited

THE THESIS projects of UBC
School of Architecture stu-
dents, on display at the Archi-
tectural Institute of British
Columbia (AIBC) until March
27, are the culmination of at
least three years of intense ef-
fort.

The projects range from a
birthing centre to an industrial
design school to a winery. It
will take time, examinations
and experience before these
men and women become regis-

tered architects, but their vision
will shape the cities of tomor-
row. -

The exhibition is on display
at the AIBC offices at 103 -
131 Water St. in Vancouver,
from 9 a.m. to noon and from
2 to 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday.

The exhibitors are: Tom
Bessai, Richard Buchanan,
Kevin Butler, Larry Cecco,
Louis Creurer, Patrick Good-
win, Tony Grant, Kelly Isford,
Alan Johnson, Charlene Mc-

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