Some Notes on Designing with Garden Conifers
by Rommy Lopat

ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED: 1999 Winter

Carol Fuchs, horticulturalist and landscape designer, West Allis, WI: "I like to use conifers, especially arborvitae [Thuja], as a backdrop for other colorful plants, whether they be trees, shrubs or perennials. Arborvitae ÔEmerald Green' [ÔSmaragd'] is a favorite because of the reliable rich green foliage, its form, and its texture. I use arborvitae ÔHolmstrup' for confined or tight places. The dwarf conifers are great in smaller gardens or as accents with perennials. Some of the basic dwarf conifers like dwarf Alberta spruce [Picea glauca ÔConica'], bird's nest Norway spruce [Picea abies ÔNidiformis'], and weeping hemlock [Tsuga canadensis ÔPendula'] are readily available, but more variety is definitely needed in the marketplace."

Pam Duthie, horticulturalist and landscape designer, The Gifted Gardener, Northbrook, IL: "Dwarf conifers work especially well with perennials, adding structure and winter interest. I particularly like the blue form of bird's nest Norway spruce [Picea abies ÔNidiformis']. It looks great with ornamental grasses in winter--try Miscanthus sinensis ÔPurpurescens' for interesting winter color. In the summer I like it close to Acer palmatum ÔBloodgood' and Berberis thunbergii ÔAtropurpurea'. And finally, I like it with blue-flowered perennials: Campanula persicifolia, Platycodon grandiflorus ÔMariesii', and Lobelia siphilitica. I haven't tried this one yet, but I think that Caryopteris might look good, too. And one last thought: try it with Heuchera ÔPlum Pudding', which is my new favorite coralbell. By the way, I also use junipers a lot as evergreen anchors: J. sabina ÔBuffalo' (bright green) and J. horizontalis ÔPrince of Wales' (burgundy winter color)." TWG Editor: Pam is leading a tour of English gardens this summer. If you'd like to go, call (847) 272-4386.

Ingrid Rosenfeld, horticulturalist and landscape designer, Horvat Gardens, Lake Bluff, IL: "People have no idea how many different conifers there are and how many colors are available. We need some education because the word "conifer" is not well known or understood. "Evergreen" is usually equated with only an arborvitae or a Christmas tree. Unfortunately, retailers have a hard time finding garden conifers wholesale in a wide variety, so it's difficult for gardeners to obtain these great trees and shrubs easily...".

"A conifer garden, mixed with just a few perennials or blooming shrubs, is really great. In fact, far more people should use conifers because they're one of the best plants, especially from a low maintenance viewpoint. When you design with garden conifers, you must combine different shapes, make sure the textures are different, and check that the colors are not of the same value. Tight foliage will make the planting more formal, for example, but adding carpet types with the right colors will change it to informal. Juniperus communis ÔCompressa' is a column of very tight, dense foliage that wants to be combined with something more loose, like Chamaecyparis pisifera ÔGolden Mop'."

"One of my favorite trees is Chamaecyparis obtusa [TWG Editor: pronounced, cam-a-sipparus]. They comes in all shapes. Picea abies is another great species. P.a. ÔCompacta' is like a little ball, but others have silver undersides and yet others are gold-tipped. There's also a huge variety of pines. Some are cute little balls that would look great with a Picea pungens ÔFat Albert'. Pinus strobus ÔNana' has a nice layered look. It gives a Japanese impression. On the other hand, I'm not fond of the gold-tipped Scots pine [Pinus sylvestris]--they look as if they're dying--and I'm not fond of the squarish ones, like the blue Japanese white pine [Pinus parviflora ÔGlauca']. Taxus baccata is excellent for hedges. It is very, very soft. Very nice. It's all over Switzerland but you never see it here. The new arborvitaes are also very hard to find."

"The columnar conifers look great with ornamental grasses, and I'd like to try them with the smaller Canna lilies, too. Any of the dark green conical ones look good with daffodils and with birches in the background. Juniperus communis ÔSentinel' would make a great allee leading to a lake. I like smaller conifers with violas, and I always try to work rocks into the garden. Conifers and rocks seem to grow together. All the rock garden plants--especially short, creeping things like Sedum kamschaticum--look good with the small conifers, especially with Junipers. The new pink Gaura lindheimeri ÔSiskiyou' is so airy--it would look wonderful with strict evergreens. And Rugosa or groundcover Roses look great with conifers. Very striking!"

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