I would consider a garden without evergreens, especially conifers, to be incomplete. Throughout the year they play an important role in providing a subtle contrast in shape and foliage texture and they are very valuable when the cold ngers of frost have stripped the foliage from -deciduous trees.

There are species and varieties so slow growing that they will grow contentedly for a generation with the modest dimensions of a trough garden. At the other extreme the family includes trees mat soar, 100 to 120 ft., majestic in their perfect -Fymmctrical outline. No matter the size of garden – be the landscape formal or designed to Iarmonise with the natural scenery around are conifers of the right shape and foliage colour to fit and enhance the picture.

I would hesitate to suggest planting bamboos in a small garden were it not for the fact that one of the finest specimens I know grows in a small garden where the soil is so well drained even the worms carry water bottles.

The species in this case, and my own favourite, is Arundinaria nitida. The long gracefully arched branches are the epitomy of elegance and the canes which are flushed purple are furnished with long thin foliage.

Unfortunately, it does need shelter or the large leaves are damaged, and also space or everything around it is smothered. There are, however, smaller members of the genus which in flower are superb, but afterwards have a beauty of form or leaf which suit them admirably for inclusion in a chapter of this sort.

I grow R. williamsianum over an old oak stump in an attempt to emulate the superb specimen at Englingham, Northumberland, where it makes a perfect mound of rounded, heart-shaped leaves 30 in. high in bold relief against the white of-a waterfall. In May the pink bell-shaped flowers are followed by the copper bronze of young growths.

Tags: all, best, business, buy, gardening, health, home, info, internet, news, skateboards, the, tips, your

Print This Post

Rate this post:

Related Posts:

• No related posts

This entry was posted on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 10:24 am and is filed under gardening. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.