The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Category Archives: Evergreen

Juniper Wichita Blue

Posted on by Posted in Evergreen, Tree .

What I’ve discovered over the past ten years or so is that there are very few evergreen trees/shrubs that thrive/survive with poor draining soil and deer as frequent visitors. One of the exceptions to date for me (fingers crossed) has been Juniper ‘Wichita Blue’.

juniper-wichita

From all that I’ve read over the years, this tree is intolerant of wet soil but I have had no issues to date (3 years and counting). And I am happy to report that the deer have not as much nibbled a branch. So far so awesome.

So while I hope and pray that this tree continues to stay alive for me, I will continue to enjoy the fantastic blue green needle color.

juniper

And use that blue color and texture as a foil to my other trees/shrubs/perennials/shrubs in my mixed garden beds.

ninebark diablo

Not to mention the enjoyment of having some actual color in winter.

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… beyond ornamental grass brown (I’m copyrighting that Crayola).

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Some additional information on Juniper Wichita Blue, commonly known as Rocky Mountain Juniper:

  • Mature height from 10′ to 15′
  • Mature width of 4′ to 6′
  • Zones 3 – 7
  • Full sun preferred
  • Prefers dry and sandy soil (of which I have no concept)
  • Native to the Rocky Mountains and other mountainous areas in the U.S. and Canada

I have four relatively smaller versions of these in my landscape to date and would make the financial commitment to more but I still want to let things play out and see how these dudes respond.

I crave that blue color but I’ve found other options are way more expensive, especially any of significance size. I’ve seen  lot of criticism with Juniper ‘Wichita Blue’ and it being so “common” and a favorite of the big box stores but I’m not one of those people … yet. I’m riding this one out for now.

Hopefully they all make it out of this winter OK. They seem to be taking a beating out there.

More to come.

Juniper ‘Gold Cone’

Posted on by Posted in Evergreen, Tree .

Over the past ten years, I’m fairly certain that I have killed more evergreen trees/shrubs than I have managed to keep alive. As much as I love the ornamental grass, I still desire the evergreen and its place in the landscape, especially during the barren winter.

The problem I’ve found is that there appears to be limited choices when it comes to evergreens that can handle my conditions.  And when I say “conditions”, I really mean the deer and the waterlogged soil. They are the problem. I cannot be held responsible for any of the losses; I would never be so irresponsible as to plant an acid loving shrub in my alkaline soil. That would just be stupid.

So each year I try to introduce new evergreen options into my garden because one can only plant so many boxwoods and not get bored off his ass. They serve their purpose as consistent greenery, but we all know they leave a lot to be desired. A strange side note: Contrary to most, I like the boxwood scent. Strange, eh?

Because I’m an incredibly smart and well thought out individual, I only purchase new evergreen plants that are small in size as a means to protect the pocketbook. I can rebound if a $15 plant fails to thrive but will be in therapy if I kill a $100 substantially sized version.

Which brings me to a recent introduction to my garden. Fall of 2013 to be exact. I purchased a one gallon sized Juniper ‘Gold Cone’ on a whim as I was pulled in by the gold coloration … and the 50% off price tag.

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Juniperus communis ‘Gold Cone’ is an (eventual) columnar, needled evergreen that matures to an approximate height of 7′ to 10′ and a width of 2′ in ten years. I have it on good source that it puts on 3″ to 6″ of new growth each spring. And that growth is a fantastic gold color.

juniper gold cone

This shrub survives in zones 5-7, prefers full sun and apparently tolerates most soils (we’ll see how much it digs the wet clay). There are claims on many web pages that Juniper ‘Gold Cone’ is deer resistant, but I’ll be the final judge of that.

So while it’s only been a little more than a year and by all means too early to pass judgment, I can report that it has thrived and the deer have left it alone.

I even went ahead and purchased a second one a few weeks later.

As advertised, this shrub retains its gold color throughout spring and summer.

juniper

And did take on a blue hue as the temps dropped in the fall.

juniper

Settling in at what I’ll call a brownish blue all winter.

juniper gold cone

juniper

While conducting my research for this tale, I came across a great blog post about Juniper ‘Gold Cone’ and how it looks at full maturity and how best to ‘spiral tie” it so the shaded brown needles are not exposed. You can read all about it here.

I would love to hear your feedback if you have had any experience with this shrub.

Thanks as always.

John

 

 

 

 

Arborvitae Rheingold (Thuja)

Posted on by Posted in Evergreen .

PLEASE NOTE:

I’ve updated this post since it was first published in 2010. I’ve added better photos and they are more reflective of what this shrub looks like 7 years later.

As much as it pains me, I’m leaving the rambling text. I apologize in advance. I was such an immature writer back then but I don’t want to mess with changing history. 

Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions on this plant, please feel free to email me at ongardener@yahoo.com.

Thanks.  

Before discussing Arborvitae Rheingold, please enjoy the following rant.

Garden design is maddening, frustrating, confusing, enlightening and exhilarating – all at the same time.

I will never claim to be an expert in this arena and often wonder what I was thinking when I look back on some of my earlier work. I’m talking like real bad, like “get him a new hobby” bad.

Where I am at a superstar level, however, is in the field of “over analyzing plant design to the point of being held hostage by it”. By the middle of October each year, I have successfully convinced myself that I finally got it right. I will just keep things as-is come spring and enjoy what I’ve created. Then the “dormant” months hit and there is nothing but time to read and research and suddenly a new perspective comes into view. Before I know it, I’ve redesigned an entire garden bed and I’m moving giant shrubs around with reckless abandon. It’s like starting all over again. I think recording sensation Paula Abdul said it best when she so eloquently sang “I take two steps forward, I take two steps back.”

John, you are babbling on and on again, what the hell is the point? My point? Are those even required any more? I thought everyone could follow along with my rambling thoughts. Oh well, guess I’ll make one so I do not completely destroy my writing credibility.

I try like hell to add winter interest to my landscape and I think I’ve improved in that area the past year or so. One of the plants I’ve added is Thuja Occidentalis ‘Rheingold’ also known as Arborvitae Rheingold. This conifer scores a rating of “intriguing” to date and I’ll show you why in the following photos:

 

Arborvitae Rheingold

Arborvitae ‘Rheingold’ in June

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Arborvitae Rheingold

Arborvitae ‘Rheingold’ in December

 

Arborvitae Rheingold

Arborvitae ‘Rheingold’ in February

 

Arborvitae Rheingold

Arborvitae ‘Rheingold’ foliage emerging in March

What do you think? Have any of you used this successfully? Maybe I should consider it in a container?On its own, this evergreen shrub is dynamic as it changes from month to month and brings a different look and feel as the seasons are changing. Where I struggle with this son of a bitch is how to design with it. It definitely looks best in the heat of summer when it is a phenomenal chartreuse green that combines real well with other dark foliage plants and dark flowers. When the juvenile foliage is tipped in orange in the spring and begins to change color in the fall, it becomes a bit odd looking when viewed with those same plants. I am enjoying the bronze color now as it doesn’t look quite as dead as it did at this time last year.

Before you go, some quick facts on Arborvitae Rheingold:

  • Native to North America, survives in zones 2-8
  • Typical size is about 3-5 ft by 3-5 ft but I’ve seen it much larger
  • Grows about 6″ to 12″ each year
  • Arborvitae Rheingold works in full to partial sun, but best color comes when planted in full sun
  • Low maintenance – once established, drought and disease resistant
  • Arborvitae Rheingold requires good drainage so I have mine planted higher in my clay soil
  • From what I’ve seen, do not prune or trim, looks best in its natural shape
  • Keep in a sheltered spot to protect from winter winds

 

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