Vertical Accents Using Boxwoods And Japanese Hollies

'Sky Pencil' Japanese Holly

Boxwoods and hollies are popular landscape evergreen shrubs (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Both are utilized for low hedging and privacy fencing and some varieties are planted for their architectural accent.  Both shrub groups grow best in moist, slightly acidic, well-drained soil and in full sun to partial shade.

These shrubs are regularly pruned and shearing. Spring pruning should be avoided as it tend to stimulate tender new growth that may be injured or killed by late frosts.

In general, boxwoods tend to be more shade tolerant than hollies. Boxwood is best sited where it is sheltered from strong winds, and protected from full day sun in the winter months. Foliage may also bronze in winter. Carefully remove heavy snow accumulations as quickly as practicable to minimize stem/branch damage ("splaying").

'Dee Runk' boxwood

There are few shrubs that fit into narrow spaces better than 'Dee Runk' boxwood (Buxus sempervirens 'Dee Runk'. It is a better choice than currently popular cultivar 'Graham Blandy', which is seriously troubled by soil root rot diseases, particularly Phytophthora.

'Sky Pencil' Japanese holly (Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil') exhibits a similar upright (fastigiate) form. Japanese holly demands a well-drained soil, and is very susceptible to several soil root rot diseases including Phytophthora and Pythium.

Both 'Dee Runk' boxwood and 'Sky Pencil' holly grow well in large landscape containers on patios and along downtown streets. Expect mature heights between 8-10 feet.

Holiday Plant Care After Purchase

Potted Cyclamen in decorative pot

Poinsettias, cyclamens, kalanchoes, holiday cacti are flowering tropical plants that bloom in the early days of winter. With a proper mix of light, water, room temperature and humidity, your plant(s) should bloom through New Year's day and a good portion of the winter. 

Start by purchasing healthy plants at a local garden shop. Most new varieties tend to bloom longer in a home environment.

Poinsettia flowers are found in the center of the colorful modified leaves (called “bracts”). Place plants near a window that receives plenty of bright daylight daily. A south, west or east facing window is ideal. Don't set your plants near a cold or drafty window or a forced air heater which may dry out the leaves and bracts.

Poinsettia

Ideal day and night time room temperatures fall between 60 to 75 °F. Within 7-10 days a newly purchased plant may drop a few lower leaves. This is natural. The plant is simply adjusting to its new growing environment.

Schedule watering for every 5-7 days according to the amount of light the plant receives. If lots of cloudy weather, water less often. The soil (potting media) should feel damp to the touch. The wait until the soil surface feels and looks dry within 5-7 days. Move the plant(s) to the kitchen sink to spritz the foliage and media with tepid (not too hot – not too cold) water. Do not leave the plant sitting in water for more than two hours.

Kalanchoe

During the holidays you may leave the decorative wrap around the pot, but puncture holes at the bottom to permit excess water to drain into a saucer or tray.

In general, your holiday plants will not need to be fertilized for 6-8 weeks from date of purchase. Any soluble garden fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro™, Jacks™, Espoma™ and Daniels™ can be used. Feed plants twice monthly @ one-half rate of the package directions.

New Popularity Of Yellow Twig Dogwood

Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) is a medium-sized, deciduous shrub native to much of the Northern and Western United States (USDA hardiness zones 2-7). These shrubs standout in the winter landscape by their colorful stems. Cut branches are an added plus for indoor arrangements.

In recent years the yellow-twig form (C. sericea 'Flaviramea') has gained in popularity. Osier dogwoods grow well in very large containers, but can rapidly outgrow their pot space in 2-3 years.

Leaves are oblong-lanceolate (up to 5 inches long), oppositely arranged with 5-7 pairs of lateral veins, and entire margins. Species may grow up to 10 feet tall and spread voraciously by underground stolons to form large clumps. One landscape idea is to mix red and yellow–twig dogwoods together for an added color blast.

These stoloniferous dogwoods bloom in mid-spring (in Tennessee and Virginia). The terminal creamy white (cyme) flowers measure 1.5 to 2.0 inches across and white berries follow in late summer.

In northern areas, plant osier dogwoods in full sun (Zones 2-6) and in partial shade (Zone 7). Shrubs handle average soils. Fertilize in early spring before buds break and irrigate during long dry summer spells. Shrubs establish quickly and become drought tolerant after one year.

Stoloniferous dogwoods are disease and insect resistant and deer generally overlook them. Utilize them in perennial or shrub borders, masses and groupings, container gardens and winter gardens.

Pruning tip: cut 2-3 year old shoots back to the ground immediately after spring flowering to promote colorful juvenile shoots.

Turn Yard Wastes into Black Gold

Compost tumbler

Leaf raking is a major chore in October and November. You may rake by hand or attach a mulching blade to your lawn. Most folks opt to using leaf blowers and push leaves to curbside. Protect your ears with plugs or headphones.

Compost is often called "black gold". It is a smart move to gather up leaf litter and twigs. Much of the debris from the vegetable and flower garden can be thrown into the compost pile. Leaves, grass clippings and green table scraps can be processed into rich humus. Never add diseased plant materials or meat scraps.

Compost heaps appear in many shapes and sizes. The simplest and most common is a back corner of the yard out of sight, a collection of several years of garden refuse. Homemade reinforced wire bins are common, a large receptacle of garden waste. Home and garden centers sell composters of various sizes including tumblers that will speed decomposition. You can also purchase special packets of microorganisms that hasten the decaying process.

At Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville, Tennessee are displays of several methods of composting garden refuse. It is not true that rodents such as rats, voles and moles may make their homes in compost piles unless proper sanitation measures are followed.

Gardeners can turn garden debris into black compost in as little as 6 weeks with adequate moisture, aeration and nutrition; or simply pile up your garden waste and wait 2-3 years for compost.

Inkberry Holly A Worthy Substitute For Boxwood

Ilex glabra 'Densa'

Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra), also called gallberry, is a slow-growing broadleaf evergreen shrub (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Inkberry grows to 5-8 feet tall and, if not pruned, may spread by root suckers to form colonies. 

Inkberry is native  from eastern Canada to Florida, west to Louisiana.  The dark green glossy leaves (to 1.5” long) have smooth margins and are spineless. Foliage stays attractive in winter unless temperatures dip below 0 °F. Greenish white flowers appear in spring, but are mostly inconspicuous.

Inkberry grows in average, medium to wet, acidic soils and in full sun to partial shade. It is one of few holly species that tolerates wet soils. Inkberries are dioecious (separate male and female plants). Female plants need a male pollinator to produce black,  3/8 inch diameter, berry-like (drupe) fruits that mature in early fall and persist throughout late winter into early spring unless consumed by birds and other wildlife.

Inkberry holly is a popular hedging shrub that tends to grow faster than a boxwood. Prune in early spring before new growth begins. Plants generally need minimal pruning unless used as a hedge. Remove root suckers as they form. Many landscape cultivars do not root sucker as badly as species. 
Leading cultivars are 'Densa', 'Shamrock', and 'Nordic'

No serious insect or disease problems trouble inkberry hollies. Leaf spotting occurs in wet summers. Spider mites may appear, especially during dry spells. In high pH (alkaline) soils, foliar chlorosis (yellowing) may happen.

Mass or group several inkberry hollies as a shrub border, a low foundation planting. Species inkberries will naturalize in moist woodland gardens or near streams or ponds.

Honey derived from inkberry flowers is a highly-rated. It is locally marketed in certain parts of the southeastern U.S. Dried and roasted inkberry leaves were first used by Native Americans to brew "Appalachian tea" a black tea-like drink.

Planting Peonies

Peonies are popular perennials because of their magnificent flowers in spring and early summer and their leaves that remain attractive throughout the season. These instructions apply to herbaceous peonies (USDA Zones 3–8), which die completely to the ground in winter. Tree peonies, shrublike plants with woody stems that remain visible all year (Zones 4–9), have slightly different requirements.
It’s best to plant herbaceous peonies in fall, when they are dormant. Spring-planted peonies may fail to flower for several years, and may even die if they put out new shoots before their roots become established. Mail-order and local nurseries offer bare-root divisions in the fall. A bare-root peony division is a section of rooted crown with several dark red growth buds called eyes. Each bud gives rise to a stem in the spring. The more eyes a division has, the fuller it will appear, so look for a division with at least 3 to 5 eyes.
To plant a bare-root herbaceous peony in the fall:
1. Choose a site with well-drained soil away from the competing roots of trees and shrubs. Give each plant an area about three feet in diameter. Avoid windy areas or provide a windbreak, since peony stems are vulnerable to breakage when heavy with buds and flowers. In most regions a site in full sun is best. If your spring tends to be hot and dry, choose a site with afternoon shade.
2. Prepare the soil. Peonies bloom most prolifically if left to grow undisturbed in the same location for many years, so planting in well-prepared and enriched soil is important. Dig a planting hole about 2 feet across and 18 inches deep. Mix several shovels of compost or well-rotted manure into the bottom of the hole. Fill the hole halfway with topsoil mixed with more compost and a cup of bonemeal. If your soil is acidic, also mix in about a cup of ground limestone. Peonies like a pH of between 6 and 7.
3. Plant the peony. Setting the division too deep prevents flowering; the eyes should be covered by no more than 1.5 to 2 inches of soil. If you garden in a mild-winter climate, position the eyes so they will be only .5 to 1 inch below the soil surface, thus exposing the roots to as much winter cold as possible. Once you’ve positioned the peony in the hole, fill the soil carefully but firmly around the roots. Make sure there are no air spaces that could allow the plant to settle too deeply.
4. Water the plant in with a gentle stream from a hose. Then surround it with a light mulch, such as chopped leaves or evergreen branches, to help reduce competition from weeds and regulate soil temperature and moisture. Remove the mulch in winter so that the plant gets properly chilled. The peony may not bloom its first year, but by the third year it should reach top form.

Fall Spectacular Golden Larch Tree

Golden larch (Pseudolarix amabilis) deserves to be planted more in U.S. landscapes. A native to eastern China, this deciduous conifer is not a true larch (Larix spp.).  Golden larch appears to prosper where summer weather is warm and humid (USDA hardiness zones 4-7).

Pseudolarix amabilis in mid-October

Golden larch should be planted in full sun to light shade. It thrives in organically rich, moist, well-drained soil. A mature tree eventually reaches 50 to 60 feet in height and 30 to 40 feet in spread. A new tree tends to start out slowly, and grows at a moderate pace after 2 years. Tree form is weakly pyramidal with layered horizontal branches.

Needles range from 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches in length and are slightly curved. Spring foliage starts out light green, turns medium green in summer, and finishes golden yellow in early fall before dropping in mid-October, the time when earns its name. 

Cones are 2 to 3 inches in length, 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches wide, green during the summer, and golden brown in fall. Young trees exhibit a reddish brown bark which age to grayish brown with some ridges and furrows.

Golden larch ages to a large beautiful tree. Utilize it as a specimen tree on large properties such as golf courses, public parks, and college campuses. Disease and pest problems are as rare as finding this tree in U.S. commerce. It is listed by a few specialty on-line nurseries.