LandscapeAdvisor

Have you ever removed overgrown plantings and gained back valuable space on a driveway or patio?  Or maybe you cleared a walkway so that two people can now walk side by side instead of single file.

These overgrown hardscapes are quite common with 25 year old plantings.  But when this happens on newer landscapes something is seriously lacking.

When you deal with inanimate objects in design, like stone, wood and metal, they pretty much stay the way they are.  But plants are living things. Everyone of them is destined to grow a certain way and to a certain size. [...]

You know the old saying, “I have some good news and some bad news”.   A lot of jokes start out that way.

It just so happens our industry has a “good-news, bad-news” aspect to it.

Here’s the bad news.  Because the landscape business has a relatively low barrier of entry, there’s a ton of mediocrity out there.  This has caused the general public to view the industry as less than professional.

Here’s the good news.  The mediocrity and poor market perception creates a great opportunity for those that practice the trade properly, and let the market know it. [...]

Climbing Hydrangea is a beautiful and useful climber, but it can get crazy on you if you let it.

It is deciduous, but considered a 4 season plant mainly because:

• It has lush dark green leaves.

• It flowers white in early summer.

• It has bright yellow fall color and cinnamon colored exfoliating bark.

As you can see it’s a great plant, but you need to be aware of its capabilities.

The first year or two it grows slow while it establishes. Then the pace picks up and it becomes quite vigorous.

As a climber I’ve yet to see its limit in height. Planted at the base of a large tree it will cling and climb until it reaches the top. I’m talking 60′ no problem.

The good news is you can control climbing hydrangea with proper pruning. But I say that with a warning.  If you use it in a limited space, like the one we’re about to talk about, you must be diligent with your pruning or it will easily take over the area. [...]

There are a number of varieties of upright juniper. Some of the more common ones are: Torialosa, Robusta, Blue Point, Moonglow, Pathfinder, Skyrocket and Wichita Blue.

This category of juniper fills a useful design niche in the landscape. Most stay relatively narrow, yet grow tall. Sometimes referred to as columnar or fastigiate.

Typically they are very hardy, drought tolerant, and adaptable to a variety of conditions.

Often, however, upright juniper are not pruned, but allowed to “go-it on their own”.  This usually causes an open, lanky growth habit.  As a result they have a less than stellar reputation.

Once you understand the characteristics of upright junipers and how to care for them, they’ll become a useful plant in your landscapes. [...]