Spirea Pruning: Coppicing in 1,2,3..... and a pruning rant!

Spireas are one of the most widely used flowering shrubs and can display wonderful flowers in the summer time. In addition these shrubs come in some pretty stellar leaf colors as well. One of my favorites is "Limemound" which has leaves the color of my favorite lemon lime shaved ice. 

There is also one called "Goldflame" which has yellow leaves in the middle of the shrub and then red leaves on the tips like a flame. These all come with pink flowers in the summer, all in addition to the striking leaf color.

Yet in order to get healthy and vigorous plants to put on this full display as actors in your garden some proper pruning and care needs to be done.  Here are my three simple steps for pruning and care of summer flowering spireas.

SPIREA: 1, 2, 3

Early Spring before pruning. New leaves may be started to emerge.

I do have to say that there are some different type of spirea and a few do need to be pruned differently. I will discuss such at the end. Most others will be pruned in the simple manner described below.

This spireas flower on new, current season's branches. Simply put, the more new branches the more flowers. 

Now lets encourage all those new branches!

Step # 1

It's so easy! In EARLY spring just grab a handful of branches in your hand and with a sharp pair of pruners cut them all back down to about 6-8 inches off the ground. Make a nice little round mound. 

YES it really is that easy!

Others watching you from across the street are going to think you killed the plant in this "easy first step." Read on to get a taste of the science.

Prune all the branches down to about 6-8 inches tall

This technique is called COPPICING. Remember that word so you can impress all your friends and neighbors with your horticulture vocabulary when you teach them how to prune their spireas. Coppicing is simply cutting ALL the branches back very short near the ground in order to encourage lots of new, fresh branches to grow. Most spireas need all these new branches because that's where the flowers will be in the summer.

Adventitious Buds will form on this wood, even though you can't see them.

ADVENTITIOUS buds (another impressing term you can use to show how horticulturally astute you are) are buds that are lying just beneath the bark where you can't see them. They will form and become branches only under certain situations where they are awakened.  Coppicing awakens theses hidden, dormant buds and they will then become all those new fresh branches with flowers on the top.

It should look like this when you are done.

Step # 2

This is a good time to add a light application of your favorite shrub fertilizer. There are may types and you have lots of choices in both organic and synthetic. Just make sure it is fairly balanced. In other words the three numbers on the label should close to equal. I like a 14-14-14 for example. In general terms this means 14% Nitrogen, around 14% Phosphorus, and about 14% Potassium. 

Don't use lawn fertilizer as you will grow nice shrubs.......with little or no flowers. 

This spring feeding will allow the nutrients to work down in the soil and be taken up by the plant just in time.

Step # 3

Keep evenly moist and most important ENJOY!!!  It is so rewarding to just watch what this plant will do through Spring as the adventitious buds develop and grow, the branches extend, and the flowers bloom in summer. 

This is what you have to look forward to with proper pruning and care.

You do NOT need to prune this plant again until next Spring. Resist the potential urge to turn it into a nice plant ball or cube, even when you so some landscapers doing it at the big box store. 

A PRUNING RANT

Alright, so I know its a bit creepy (maybe a lot), but I seem to be frequently threatening my students that if they incorrectly prune plants in their future careers, that my disapproving face will haunt them in the night.  Most likely my face already haunts them both day and night, especially around exam time, but this thought does at least get them to pay attention.

There is so much beauty in the variety of form, shape, line, texture, and color that plants produce. It's in their genes! Next time you have the chance to visit a well maintained botanical garden take time to appreciate the differences in the plant's natural forms. 

So why do we see so many plants all pruned into round balls or perfect cubes?  Sure, I appreciate deeply the artistry of topiary. For example I recently was at Disney Horticulture Services in Orlando, FL and was able to see behind the scenes how they create their topiary. It was fantastic, highly engineered, and requires a real expertise in soils, plants, and irrigation!

Yet on many properties the landscape maintenance industry actually has been historically bad at this. An efficient set of motorized power sheers can create balls and cubes out of any plant in record time and it's done at a backbreaking pace, literally. Why plant different plants with different characteristics at all if they are just to be turned into balls?

Ok, I think you get the point! We need to prune plants correctly, and sometimes not prune at all, in order to let plants display the genetic beauty and opulence for which they exist. Of course that's unless it's a Mickey.

EXTRA, EXTRA Read all about it!

There are a few types of spirea that need to be pruned in Summer and Fall instead of Spring. Instead of boring you or getting everyone tongue tied with Latin scientific species names lets try to keep it a bit more simple.

If you spirea booms in spring that prune in summer after flowering, but don't coppice. If your spirea blooms in summer than follow my steps above each year for stellar plants. 

A few shrubs that also do well with annual spring coppicing area:

• Willow
• Butterfly Bush
• Blue Mist Spirea
• Russian Sage
• Dogwood Shrubs
• Smoke Tree
• Elderberry

Design Principles and Elements: SCALE & PROPORTION

Here in the Pacific Northwest we have enjoyed a long summer of warm weather and no rain. As we move into winter and the landscape goes dormant for a season it is a great time to start thinking about design and what we want to do next spring. It is never too early to start think about the garden, even if we are still waving good bye to last year.

This week I would like to continue with my discussion on the Principles and Elements of Design with a discussion on Scale and Proportion.   Last year I wrote a post introducing these design principles entitled What language are you speaking?  Start now to use these principles and elements in your garden.

*Strasbourg cathedral interior. June 8, 2013 branyz. Creative Commons

Exaggerated Scale, but perfect proportions to create a 

sense of Awe and turn one towards the Almighty.

Overview: Scale & Proportion
In my opinion, these two interrelated aspects of landscape and garden design have the biggest impact on how a space feels. Think about the room or space that you are in right now. How does this space make you feel? Relaxed, anxious, cramped, open, awe inspired, depressed, safe and protected, or vulnerable and at risk?  After reading this post you should have a bit more understanding of why this might be and how you can influence those feelings.

SCALE 
In its basic sense scale is defined as the relative size of an object or space in relation to another object or space. In residential outdoor rooms and garden spaces we most often should reference the size or scale of on object in relation to the human body. We call this human scale.

For example an 18" high by 12" wide wall is ideal for adult seating, a 5' wide sidewalk is near perfect for two people to walk comfortable side-by-side, or a tree canopy that is around 10 feet high can be an ideal outdoor ceiling that makes one feel comfortable and protected.  Please keep in mind these are some general rules.

Small scale village in relation to the human scale of visitors

Sometimes landscape architects, architects, and artists will exaggerate the scale-- making something much larger than the human scale or much smaller for effect. Messages of power and grandeur (see the picture above of the Strasburg Cathedral) or whimsy and fantasy can be created by doing so. A picture (right) of a delightful ride in Disneyland, The Storybook Land Canal, shows a perfect example of the latter. (Note, if you are ever in Disneyland you must go on this ride. It is a must for anyone interested in the detail of scale and proportion).

When designing your garden, consider ways in which you can keep things at a human scale so that people feel comfortable, safe, and peaceful.

PROPORTION

Proportion refers to the relative size of parts within a whole. This applies to the architecture of a building, the elements of a garden structure, or even in the size of plants in relation to each other in a garden bed. Correct proportion plays a most important role in successful design.

Okay, now we just have to go back to my new favorite Disneyland ride once again as an example now of ideal proportion. In the close-up picture below (of the same location pictured above) all the parts are in proportion to the whole. So even though these buildings are really only inches tall it all looks very realistic and to scale...lego-man scale.

Ideal proportion, exaggerated small scale.

So what does this have to do with landscape design? Sometimes in landscape design not enough thought is put into proportion and a space does not feel comfortable. It can be either too cramped or too spacious for the indented user. Ever been in a space like that?  I have.

Here are a few examples:

• An evergreen tree that is much too large for the space in relation to other plant material.
• A planting bed next to a home or along a fence that is much too small in width and therefore proportion to the height of the house of the length of the fence. 
• An arbor or gazebo structure whose posts or beams are too small in relation to the height or size of the roof and feels weak and temporary, instead of timeless and stable. 
• A planting container on a porch or deck that is too small in relation to the size of the deck.

So once again proportion is the relationship of sizes of elements within a whole, or in other words the ratio of elements as they relate to each other.

So how do we know if our design has correct proportion?  Well sometime it is intuitive for a more experienced designer, but there are also many rules that have been used over mankind's history of construction on the earth. A few of the proportioning theories are:

• Golden Section/Mean
• Classical Orders
• Modular
• Fibonacci Series 

I simply list them here and encourage you to take some time to do some research on each one. You are guaranteed to start looking at everything you see differently. From tables at a furniture store and the size of windows on your home, to the width of your sidewalk or the proportions of your neighbors back deck in relation to her home.

To finish here are a few more pictures as example of Proportion and Scale.

www.gazebocreations.com

With this fun gazebo all the elements are in proportion. The pillars are not too small in diameter to the size of the structure and the visual weight of the roof.  The height of the structure is appropriate to the ratio of the width and length. The whole is at a perfect human scale for comfort and relaxation.

Taken from http://hoehnenlandscaping.com/hardscape/gallery/custom-wood-decks

In this backyard deck example the deck is in great proportion to the house and also the use of the space (dining and relaxation for 6-8 people). If the deck were a quarter of this size it would be out of proportion to the home it is attached to, the size of the dining table, and even likely the size of the plants surrounding it. Again, also to human scale is the height of the railing, the size of the furniture, the total area of the deck, and the stair measurements.

 http://www.meddiebempsters.com/backyard-fence-ideas-using-woods/

This is a simple example of when a planting bed is not in proportion when looking at the whole composition. in ratio to the height and length of the fence this plant bed, as well as the small shrubs within it, are much too narrow.

In my estimation this planting bed should average about 4 to 6 times the width and the plant material 4 -6 times the size as they currently are to obtain a more optimum proportion and be more to human scale.






Lastly a good website that describes Scale and Proportion in art, of which landscape design is indeed.
http://www.sophia.org/tutorials/design-in-art-scale-and-proportion

* http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Plant Profile: Clematis Vine

One of the most fascinating and pleasurable aspects of the art and science of the horticulture and landscaping world is witnessing first hand the year-round dynamic changes of a garden. And it really truly is dynamic, full of energy, and exciting as in spring we watch, in essence, the resurrection of life in the form of exploding buds, emerging flowers, and developing fruit.

I look out upon my own small garden every morning while getting ready for work, and then reexamine it at the end of my work day even before entering the house. I walk through it looking at the day's development of every plant as a method of transition and stress reduction from work to home. And boy does it ever do its job!

During late May the plant on center stage for me during my daily garden tour is the Clematis vine. Like many plants, even the best pictures on glossy pages are no match for the reality of staring in person at the wide open, flat face of a Clematis flower and having them stair, boldly right back at you with flowers as big as your hand.

Clematis Clematis varr.
 

Clematis, Westergard House, Skyler Westergard May 2014

Consisting of more than 200 different species Spring, Summer, and Fall clematis varieties all can be obtained. Most are deciduous vines, but there is some few evergreens as well, specifically Clematis armandii.

Clematis, Westergard House, Skyler Westergard, May 2014

A vine, most clematis will grow 10-12 feet high and 3-5 across with flower diameters being as much as 8 inches across, or as little as just 2 inches. Generally speaking the more vigorous, larger spreading clematis vines boast a smaller flower, but more profusion of blooms. The larger flowering varieties such as the one shown above from my garden do not spread quite as profusely.

Plant your clematis vine where the leaves and flowers are in the sun, but their roots are in the shade. Mine, luckily, was planted well by the previous homeowner with its roots tucked in the cool shade under a nearby shrub, with the rest of the plant being in full sun.  Roots of the plant also need moist soil with plenty of organic matter such as compost or decomposing leaf litter.

Clematis seeds 3, Tanakawho, 8.16.2006, Available at flickr.com

Do not overlook the season when the flowers are spent. The seed heads of Clematis are arguably one of the most interesting and unique seed structures you will see in the garden. The are some who undoubtedly find the seed heads just as interesting and exciting as the flower itself.

Lastly, remember clematis is a vine so use it in the landscape to cover an area you want to hid or to climb on, such as an arbor, trellis, fence, gazebo, or pergola.  With the spectacular flowers and out of this world seed heads perhaps it might even be worth building some new structure in your garden just so you can plant a clematis and have it be part of your own daily garden tour.

Moss & the Color Green

As spring continues to approach we all feel infused with new energy emanating from increased sunlight, warmth, and the blossoms of early flowering trees and shrubs. With such, our gardening to-do lists and landscape ambitions are again awakened from their long winter hibernation. 

Snail in Moss, Lord Hill Regional Park, Skyler Westergard

For many of you in cooler and wetter climates such as those here in the Pacific Northwest, one of the perennial influences on gardens this time of year is moss & the color green.  Even in the hot, arid climates of Utah and Idaho I have seen moss growing in wet, shady, and poorly draining areas.

There is no doubt that the wide range and variety of moss in the Northwest typifies its climate and has unlimited photo ops for calenders, art, book covers, and blogs.  How could there really be so many different shades and tones of green?  Moss's green is unbelievably beautiful and restorative.


Arguably, green is one of the colors that we see the most often.  The grass, shrubs, flowers, mosses, and tree leaves all around us radiate this wonderful color. Color theorists and psychologists teach that the color green is the symbol of healing, health, balance, and renewal. Green is the color of life and restoration. It is the balance and opposite of bright intense colors, especially red.  It balances and restores the eye.  What a blessing to have so much green all around us both as a symbol and literal source of renewal and life.

Olympic National Park, James Gaither (2008) Flickr

So why would anyone ever want to get rid of moss, a source of so much green? 

Without getting into the differing ideas of its correctness or the cultural roots of the idea of why, which would be the topic of another post, there are indeed times and contexts where moss is not desired. Besides on roofs and gutters, in our lawns would be at the top of the list. Most people desire a healthy strand of grass...moss free. If you are dealing with moss in your lawn, spring is the best time to treat it.

Moss loves to grow in soil that is constantly wet, cool, shady, and in areas with low pH levels.  To control moss three main steps are necessary.

Buffalo Grass Lawn, Robert Wallace (2006) Flickr

1. Iron Sulfate - Most often applied in a granular form, it also comes in liquid.  Water granular applications in well immediately after applying.  Apply when conditions are dry and DO NOT get this on your clothes, house, or concrete as it will nearly immediately and permanently stain. (I speak from experience).
2. Rake - After moss turns black from the iron sulfate application take a good stiff leaf rake or rent a power rake/dethatcher and work the moss out of the lawn and dispose of it.
3. Lime -  Lawn grows best in soils with a near neutral pH of about 6.5 or 7.  In low pH situations, which is most often the case where moss is present, add lime to your lawn in order to raise the pH and discourage future moss.  Lime is more of a longer term piece to the puzzle, as it will not do anything to kill moss that already exists.

It must be noted that moss is epiphytic, meaning it can grow on other plants yet is not harmful to them. It photosynthesizes on its own and so is not parasitic to plants.  Many professionals get as many questions on how to grow moss as how to kill it.  I myself live this double standard in some gardens I maintain.  One month I may be applying iron and lime to one area, while at other times I am testing new web searched moss recipes on other garden paths to start moss growing. For better or worse I have been successful at both and should well dedicate a post on how to grow moss for those who wish to do so.

In your garden this spring whether you're trying to kill moss, grow moss, or couldn't care less about moss, take time to appreciate the beauty and influence of green all around you.  It truly is one of God's gifts to us as earthly beings.

 

Hydrangea Pruning: Its as easy as 1, 2, 3

Believe it or not, Spring will eventually come. There are signs already.  Up here in the Pacific Northwest early daffodils are already in brilliant bloom.  If you're in a little colder climate you might have noticed a crocus bulb or two peaking their ambitious heads through the snow or the Birch trees shedding their cinnamon-like debris on top of the winter wonderland. These are the subtle signs that nature gives us, helping us hang on in hope for just a little longer, waiting for the plant world to again resurrect back into vibrant life. I can't wait.

With Spring undoubtedly on its way, this is a great time to do some dormant pruning of plants such as spirea, fruit trees, dogwood shrubs, roses, and especially your hydrangeas, arguably one of the most spectacular flowering shrubs.

Late Winter Hydrangea, ready for pruning

For most people who don't spend everyday caring for plants, pruning can be a little overwhelming. When do I prune? What do I prune?  How much can I take off?  Will this kill the plant?  These are all great questions I have been asked.  The following are my three simple pruning steps to get your hydrangeas in shape, ready to produce breathtaking blooms this coming summer.









STEPS 1, 2, 3

Cut just above a pair of healthy buds

1.  The first step is to simply take your favorite pair of sharp hand pruners and cut off all the dead, spent flowers. Cut just above a pair of healthy buds being sure not to damage them.  If your hydrangea is a bit overgrown then go ahead and cut down the stem a little ways to reduce the height, but be sure to leave a couple feet of stems with buds on them. I should mention here that I like to keep the brown, dried out flower heads on the plant all winter to add color and texture to the garden during the dormant months.

This is what you have after step 1.

Remove oldest/largest branches (about 1/3 or less of the total).

2. The next step is to take a pair of loppers (larger, long handled pruners) and cut back about 1/3 or so of the oldest and largest branches on your plant.  These you will cut back to the base, leaving only a few inches or so left of the branch. Cutting these back will open up the plant and allow younger more energetic branches to flourish and will also encourage new branches to come up from the base. Removing about 1/3 of the oldest branches every year will keep the plant healthy and vigorous.

Finished hydrangea ready for a spectacular summer

3.  In the last step simply go back, grab your small hand pruners and simply prune off any remaining small dead branches. Also, take a second to step back and look at the overall shape and balance of the plant. If there is a branch or two that just look out of place, are too low or high, or just otherwise don't look right go ahead and prune them back and remove them. Once you're happy with the shape dispose of the removed cuttings in your garden waste bin or mulch pile, pat yourself on the back, and wait patiently for your hydrangea summer blooms to wow friends and neighbors.


Hydrangeas are great plants and there are many varieties. For an overview of hydrangeas read my earlier post; Hydrangeas: The Embroidered Globes. Hydrangeas like to be in moist rich soil and part shade. In the spring, add a light application of a balanced fertilizer or a couple inches of good compost mulch.

Design Principles and Elements: TEXTURE

With winter upon us and the garden more or less asleep for the time being makes this a great time to do some planning and design of what you would like to do with your garden this coming year. Having either a professional design on paper or just a personal, thought-out landscape to-do list will help you stay focused and have an action plan for transforming your garden to what you dream it could be.

All successful design incorporates the usage of universal design principles and elements. I believe this is true whether your creative outlet be pottery, painting, sculpture, photography, landscape gardening, or many others.  A few months ago I wrote a post introducing these design principles entitled What language are your speaking?  You can begin now to speak the language of design and use these principles and elements in your garden. As a resource I would like to dedicate a post to every one of them and give helpful examples of each. Lets start with Texture.

TEXTURE

In its basic definition think of texture as referring to how smooth or rough something is. Fine texture would be running your fingers across a glass marble. Course texture would be running your fingers over one of those mouth murdering, yet visually stunning sugar crystal rock candies. Has anyone really every actually eaten one of those? I digress...

                                              Glass Marble by Hans Splinter 12/24/2007 Flickr Creative Commons.                                                                               Rock Candy by Sabrina S. 5/18/2008 Flickr Creative Commons *

Texture also refers to the visual smoothness or roughness of an object (or group of objects) and in landscape design this visual aspect is what we are most often interested in. Even in the example above you can see that visually the rock candy has a more course texture than the glass marble. This course texture (taking color out of the equation, to be discussed in a later post) causes the rock candy to stand out over the marble.

Fine, so what do candy and childhood games have to do with design?  Because course or rough textures stand out and hold the eye longer in comparison to the more subtle, consistent, softness of fine textures we can play back and forth between fine and course texture in order to create interest, variety, excitement, and focal areas in the garden. Successful garden designers have mastered the use and balance of texture...... and probably how to play marbles as well. 

IN YOUR GARDEN

Although texture is considered and used in all garden materials including water, stone, wood, paving, and plants the most inexpensive and easy to manipulate and enhance are arguably plants. Don't misunderstand that to mean that other media carry more weight, plants are likely the most commonly used textural element in the garden.

So lets put plant texture to use in real terms.

Fine Texture Plants:

• Have small leaves and stems that are closely packed together
• Are relaxing rather than stimulating
• Recede into the distance creating a sense of more space in the garden
• Area of light, airy, expansive and soft character

Coarse Texture Plants:

•  Have the largest leaves and thickest stems
• Are bold, dominate, attention grabbers
• Advance into the foreground
• Create striking patterns of light and shadow
• Are solid, stable, anchoring plants in the landscape

In your garden try combining fine and course texture plants together to create more interest and appeal. If you would like to make your garden feel a little larger try installing course texture plants up a little closer and fine textures plants in the distance.  Perhaps if you have a birdbath, stone water feature, or bench help it to stand out by surrounding it with finer texture plants.  If your garden seems for some reason just to be too boring and monotonous no doubt you're lacking variety of plant texture.

BY WAY OF EXAMPLE

Bloedel Reserve, Skyler Westergard 5/5/2012

In this picture I took at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island near Seattle, Washington you can see how the course texture of skunk cabbage is used along the boardwalk to create visual interest and dominance in contrast to the fine textured hemlock tree in the center. The skunk cabbage also contrasts with the fine texture of the boardwalk timbers.

Bellevue Botanical Garden, Skyler Westergard 7/5/2012

At the Bellevue Botanical Garden near a waterfall I snapped a picture showing a good example of the contrasting textures of Ligularia (right) and Artic Willow (left). Notice how the striking patterns of light and shadow are much more magnified on the coarse textured Ligularia making it stand out strikingly.

Flower World, Skyler Westergard, Summer 2013

On one visit to the the nursery I grabbed a couple container plants and threw them together for a picture showing another example of how texture can be used in the garden with plants alone. The smaller, fine textured leaves and soft feathery flowers of the pink Astilbe contrast near perfectly with the bold glossy course textured leaves of the Bergenia. This would be a great combination for any garden.




Take time to let your creative juices start flowing this winter and set aside a few enjoyable hours for some planning and design work on your garden. Next time you are out visiting your favorite nursery consider what plants you could combine to add more texture and a bit more zing and flavor to your outdoor space. I promise it will be well worth your time.


* http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Plant Profile: Profusion Beautyberry

When answering questions or giving advice about choosing plants for a landscape or when working on a design for a new landscape installation, I always talk to people about the need to have year-round garden interest. We are all certainly reminded of the need for such as the stunning fall colors fade and leaves dancingly float to the ground while the relative barrenness of winter seems to quickly approach.

Winter landscape interest can be accomplished in a myriad of ways including: winter berries, stem and bark color, plant texture, winter flowers, interesting branching habits, and architecture. Today I wish to highlight a plant that displays arguably one of the most breathtaking berry clusters imaginable.

In fall and through early winter Profusion Beautyberry boasts a prolific display of  hundreds or thousands of small violet, purple berries that resemble some sort of magical pearl.  It is one of those plants whose berry display simply cannot be comprehended without experiencing it in person. I highly recommend giving serious consideration to beautyberry as part of your garden's fall and winter interest display.

Profusion Beautyberry ( Callicarpa bodinieri 'Profusion')

Profusion Beautyberry. Skyler Westergard Residence, WA. Fall 2013

Growing 6-10' tall and wide this plant likes good loamy, moist soil especially when flowering and during fruit set.  For a better fall and winter display the plant needs a fair amount of sunlight and can be planted in full sun or part shade and loves long hot summers.

Beautyberry gets its violet berries on the current seasons new growth so pruning about a third of the plant down to the base every year will promote its profusion of berry pearls.  On that note, if the plant gets too large and unruly the whole thing can be cut back to the base in late winter to reset its size.

In the summer the berries are preceded by loads of small pale pink flowers. Every flower will produce one berry so the quantity of midsummer flower display can be appealing as well.

The berries themselves are not poisonous, but are quite bitter as supposedly are the leaves. For this reason the shrub is listed as deer resistant. The berries can also attract birds. The American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), a close relative, is better suited for making jellies, for which recipes are easily available online, and is know also as the French Mulberry.

In the landscape, use Beautyberry as a woodland planting, massed together for more berry display, or combine with other fall and winter berry plants such as Red Winterberry, Cotoneaster, or orange Firethorn.