Trees and shrubs are the yard's framework.
They create structure, define different spaces and are excellent either as specimen plants or simply as a green backdrop for the other main players.
Summer-green deciduous trees and shrubs inspire with their varied repertoire, ranging from fresh leaf shoots through luxuriant blossoms and delicate fruit to blazing fall colors, giving the yard a new look for each season.
Even the bare branches in winter can have a strikingly ornamental effect, letting the light in again.
Conifers and evergreens provide fresh greenery throughout the year and reliably screen off anything unsightly.
Apart from that, they spare the gardener the onerous task of sweeping up fallen leaves.
The growing habits of trees and shrubs must be considered when planning a yard.
Planting should generally take place during the dormant period between fall and mid-spring.
The weather determines when the time is right.
Frozen or very wet soil means that planting should be postponed.
Trees and shrubs can undergo vegetative propagation with layering or cuttings or they can be grown from seed.
Abies Concolor "Archer's Dwart" Abies concolor is not only an extremely handsome, but also a very elegant fir tree, although at heights of 67 to 83 feet (20 to 25 meters), it is clearly too tall for most yards.
In fact, it is barely conceivable that such a pretty, practical, pocket-sized dwarf could be grown from a tree the height of a house, fitting effortlessly into any rockery.
"Archer's Dwarf" is a variety that grows round or cone-shaped with short, close-growing, slightly- hooked needles in a powdery bluish-green color.
Very slow-growing, it prefers sunny but not hot sites (it will also tolerate partial shade) and fertile, moist, well-drained, mildly acid soils.
The dwarf variety works best in rockeries or heather gardens, but also does well in containers.
Aralia Elata "Variegata" The mildly exotic, sweeping A.
elata is certainly a tree for the larger yard, growing almost as wide as it is tall.
The less vigorous "Variegata" is characterized by the pretty, irregular, creamy-white margin of its leaves, which turn an orangy purple in fall.
The small, white flowers hang in long umbels from late summer, before ripening into round, black fruit.
The plant needs a fertile, well-drained site sheltered from winds.
Shoots with single- colored foliage should be removed.
Berberis Julianae Wintergreen barberry The bushy B.
julianae is characterized by two major performances a year.
From late spring it produces clusters of soft, yellow flowers, which are succeeded by pretty, bluish-black glaucous berries in the fall.
Its large- leafed, shiny dark green, almost leathery foliage is evergreen, except for the odd area of yellowish red in the fall.
However attractive it may look, though, the plant has very definite defense mechanisms.
Armed with up to 11/2 inch (4 centimeters) long thorns, it creates an impenetrable barrier, which is why barberries are, as a rule, particularly popular and suitable for use as hedges.
But keeping one thing out protects another, which is why barberries are traditional bird sanctuaries.
The flowers produce pollen and nectar for bees and other bugs.
For its part, B.
julianae has modest needs-shelter from winds, partial shade, little frost, and a simple, well-drained soil suffice.
If it is not growing freely, the plant can quite happily undergo radical renewal pruning.
Berberis X Stenophylla "Crawley Gem" The clustered racemes of deep yellow flowers of the evergreen "Crawley Gem" give way in fall to a whole sea of spherical, blue, glaucous fruit.
This is also a good, reliable hedge plant, as well as being a magnificent addition to the shrubbery.
Same conditions as for B.
julianae.
They create structure, define different spaces and are excellent either as specimen plants or simply as a green backdrop for the other main players.
Summer-green deciduous trees and shrubs inspire with their varied repertoire, ranging from fresh leaf shoots through luxuriant blossoms and delicate fruit to blazing fall colors, giving the yard a new look for each season.
Even the bare branches in winter can have a strikingly ornamental effect, letting the light in again.
Conifers and evergreens provide fresh greenery throughout the year and reliably screen off anything unsightly.
Apart from that, they spare the gardener the onerous task of sweeping up fallen leaves.
The growing habits of trees and shrubs must be considered when planning a yard.
Planting should generally take place during the dormant period between fall and mid-spring.
The weather determines when the time is right.
Frozen or very wet soil means that planting should be postponed.
Trees and shrubs can undergo vegetative propagation with layering or cuttings or they can be grown from seed.
Abies Concolor "Archer's Dwart" Abies concolor is not only an extremely handsome, but also a very elegant fir tree, although at heights of 67 to 83 feet (20 to 25 meters), it is clearly too tall for most yards.
In fact, it is barely conceivable that such a pretty, practical, pocket-sized dwarf could be grown from a tree the height of a house, fitting effortlessly into any rockery.
"Archer's Dwarf" is a variety that grows round or cone-shaped with short, close-growing, slightly- hooked needles in a powdery bluish-green color.
Very slow-growing, it prefers sunny but not hot sites (it will also tolerate partial shade) and fertile, moist, well-drained, mildly acid soils.
The dwarf variety works best in rockeries or heather gardens, but also does well in containers.
Aralia Elata "Variegata" The mildly exotic, sweeping A.
elata is certainly a tree for the larger yard, growing almost as wide as it is tall.
The less vigorous "Variegata" is characterized by the pretty, irregular, creamy-white margin of its leaves, which turn an orangy purple in fall.
The small, white flowers hang in long umbels from late summer, before ripening into round, black fruit.
The plant needs a fertile, well-drained site sheltered from winds.
Shoots with single- colored foliage should be removed.
Berberis Julianae Wintergreen barberry The bushy B.
julianae is characterized by two major performances a year.
From late spring it produces clusters of soft, yellow flowers, which are succeeded by pretty, bluish-black glaucous berries in the fall.
Its large- leafed, shiny dark green, almost leathery foliage is evergreen, except for the odd area of yellowish red in the fall.
However attractive it may look, though, the plant has very definite defense mechanisms.
Armed with up to 11/2 inch (4 centimeters) long thorns, it creates an impenetrable barrier, which is why barberries are, as a rule, particularly popular and suitable for use as hedges.
But keeping one thing out protects another, which is why barberries are traditional bird sanctuaries.
The flowers produce pollen and nectar for bees and other bugs.
For its part, B.
julianae has modest needs-shelter from winds, partial shade, little frost, and a simple, well-drained soil suffice.
If it is not growing freely, the plant can quite happily undergo radical renewal pruning.
Berberis X Stenophylla "Crawley Gem" The clustered racemes of deep yellow flowers of the evergreen "Crawley Gem" give way in fall to a whole sea of spherical, blue, glaucous fruit.
This is also a good, reliable hedge plant, as well as being a magnificent addition to the shrubbery.
Same conditions as for B.
julianae.