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.

Knowing a plant’s characteristics is so important when planting near hardscapes.

But overgrowth should not be your only concern. We’ve all seen walkways pushed out of the ground by surface roots.

And adequate space for root development on large plants is often forgotten when planting on top of retaining walls.  The roots of a large growing tree can push out a wall over time.  Also, as the tree gets larger it can topple over because its restricted root system can not support it.

Controlling “Vegetative Creep” On Hardscapes

Let’s focus on the overgrowth issue. There are two aspects to controlling overgrowth on hardscapes.

1. Plant selection and spacing
2. Pruning

In the first picture above this older landscape was ready for a renovation. The spreading yews (Taxus) were growing well into the driveway and walkway.  The azaleas also crowded the walk and steps.

As you can see all existing plantings were cut down and ripped out.

Proper Plant Selection and Spacing Offers A Future

Dwarf Boxwood (Buxus suffruticosa) are going in the narrow space on either side of the steps.  They can be maintained fairly easily in that small area.

A tall growing, but columnar (narrow) evergreen will be the new dominant plant on the left corner. Low groundcovers and perennials will fill the space around it.  These lower, non-woody plants will not compete with the columnar evergreen allowing it to grow into its beautiful natural form.

How wide a plant will grow determines your spacing and distance from the hardscaping.  It’s not unusual to see relatively new plantings with poorly spaced plants.

Taking the time to look up the size potential of plants:

• gives your landscape a future.
• reduces maintenance and pruning.
• helps to show your knowledge and professionalism.

The Right Pruning Helps Plantings and Hardscapes Coexist

Pruning is normally a part of any comprehensive maintenance program. If you combine annual pruning with smart plant selection and spacing your landscapes have a future.

Sometimes a situation arises where you find yourself compromising due to a unique circumstance. Perhaps you had to position a plant closer to a walkway than you would have preferred.  In this instance regular pruning is the only thing that will make this work, at least for a reasonable amount of time anyway.  If possible you want to limit how often this happens because it puts more dependency on the maintenance end.

All too often you see walls, walkways, patios…you name it, eaten alive by nearby plantings.  The majority of these mishaps could have been either totally prevented or controlled to a reasonable point by pruning.

Ideally you want to be proactive with your pruning and not wait until the hardscape is covered.  If each season you selectively prune back encroaching growth the plant almost becomes trained to this regimen and you avoid having to make major cuts.

In the picture above this planting was installed 2 years ago.  The homeowner is a do-it-yourselfer so I selectively pruned back these few Wiltoni Juniper as an example for him to follow.  Wiltoni Juniper wants to keep spreading and if it’s not controlled will continue to grow right over the driveway.

So think about the plants you intend to install or maintain near hardscapes.

• How do they naturally grow?  Upright?  Spreading?  Mounded?
• What is their potential size?  Height and width.
• Who will be pruning them?  Do they know how to prune this particular plant correctly and when?

These simple steps of knowing a plant’s size potential, spacing them appropriately from hardscapes, and pruning them correctly will distinguish your landscapes from most of those out there.  And guess who people will hold responsible for that?

As I always say and practice, check with the municipal building office for exact pool fence regulations.  There can be aspects of the code that are tweaked or interpreted a certain way and you need to know that.  I find it helpful to bring in a sketch (pictures too) and explain what you intend to do.  Do this early on and you can plan for the fence location and design right from the beginning of your project.

Pictured here is an area of pool fencing recently installed on a project of mine.  There is a change in levels created by a stone wall.  At this height change point the fence installer used a long post to make the transition.

The decorative aluminum fence ended on the top level and the vinyl coated chainlink fence picked-up at the lower level.  Everything should meet pool fence regulations…so we thought.

The inspector pointed out 2 issues needing attention:

1. An extension of the upper level fence is required where the height transition occurs.  This is to discourage a person from being able to use the top of the stone wall as a height advantage to climb over the fence.  Hmmm…good point!
2. The spacing between pickets on the decorative fence was over 4″ at two points.  The normal sections of this manufactured fence have consistent 4″ spacing.  This short section was cut to fit this narrow space and the end result was a 4 1/2″ space at one end, and a 4 1/4″ space at the other.  Hmmm…a bit of a stickler, wouldn’t you say?

The solutions to meet pool fence regulations:

1. For the extension piece in the height transition area the fence installer used a top rail secured at an angle with additional chainlink mesh.  This “angled” top rail solution is very strong by design.
2. For the fractional spacing issues on the decorative picket fence, a piece of chainlink mesh was attached.

Note: I don’t think there is a better color choice than black for a fence that you wish less noticed in the landscape.

Other Pool Fence Regulations To Be Aware Of

Fortunately these issues were easy to fix and the inspector appreciated the fact we had made the effort in every other regard to “get it right”.  This goes back to my point about visiting the town construction office at the early planning stage and discuss your intentions – priceless in terms of saving time and minimizing hassles.

Here are a few other pool fence regulations that are part of the BOCA (Building Officials and Code Administrators) pool safety codes.

• The pool fence must be at least 48″ high.
• If there are vertical pickets and horizontal rails, the distance between the horizontal rails can not be greater than 45″.
• The space between the ground and the fence can not be greater than 4″.
• Gates that are part of the pool fence enclosure must open out, away from the pool.
• Gates that are part of the pool fence enclosure must be self-closing and latching.
• All pool gate latches should be at least 54″ from the ground.

Sometimes these pool fence regulations are a matter of interpretation depending on the circumstance.  Have you ever had “a difference” of interpretation with an inspector?  How did that turn out?  Let us know in the comments.  We can all learn from these experiences.

The answer is obvious – if a plant dies the company that installed it must replace it.

Of course that’s the main reason to want a guarantee.  But I don’t think we choose a product or service just because it has a guarantee.  Most of us want a “quality” product or service, and then if the product or service has a problem, it’s taken care of under guarantee.

But no matter how good a plant guarantee is, it’s still a hassle to go through the process.  Typically you call the company; they have to send someone out to look, schedule the replacements, make sure they have the right plants…you know how that goes.  Yes, eventually the plants are replaced (mmm, most of the time), but it’s still something we’d all rather avoid.

Now I have to say, there are landscape companies out there that respond very well to guarantee issues.  In fact, I know of some companies that check their more recent projects and spot plants needing replacement before the homeowner does.  Rare, yes, but they do exist.

A good landscape company confidently stands by and fulfills its plant guarantee obligations. How are they able to do this?  They control plant loss with:

• Knowledge of plant types and planting design
• Ability to find and identify quality plants
• Knowledge of soil types, drainage and other influential conditions
• Knowledge of installation practices for varying conditions & circumstances

A company that operates at this level can be confident that their plant losses will be minimal.

A poor landscape company will struggle with a plant guarantee because of constant plant losses.  The picture above tells a grim story.

Not one of these nine arborvitae survived.  Why?

The exposure is directly south.  The planting area is elevated behind a wall.  There’s an asphalt parking lot in front.  I’m feeling hot and thirsty just thinking about it!

The first thing that should come to mind in this situation is: “Brutal conditions.  What can I design to sustain in this environment?”

Yes arborvitae like sun, but they prefer moist conditions.  If they struggle with dryness and challenging conditions (like these) they are doomed to failure.  Even if they somehow survived they’d be stressed and predisposed to numerous ailments.

No Worries… There’s A Plant Guarantee!

Yes, I suppose there is.  Although these have been dead for awhile.  Let’s give the landscape company the benefit of the doubt.  They’re waiting for the “fall planting season” to replace them.  I wonder if they’re going to replace them with more arborvitae?

When I say a plant guarantee is only as good as the landscaper behind it, I don’t mean to imply quality of character.  It is very likely this landscaper had and will continue to have the best of intentions.

The lesson here is don’t get false hope just because there’s a guarantee.  Do your “due diligence” and make sure a good, knowledgeable company goes along with that plant guarantee.

There are many plant guarantee stories out there.  Have any good ones?  Let us know in the comments.

I can remember taking plant identification courses in school and being overwhelmed by how different each plant is.  Setting aside their cultural differences, like what type of soil and exposure they prefer, let’s just think about the differences in terms of shape and size.

How we design and arrange plantings is a huge topic and should begin with basic design principles.  However, without first knowing fundamental plant information your planting designs are built more on a “wing and a prayer” rather than strategic planning.

Yes, the planting should be attractive and show the traits of any good design such as balance, unity, etc., but let’s not forget that these plants are living things and will grow to their natural size and shape.

Plant Information Is Cheap To Come By And Yet Incredibly Valuable

When you speak to a knowledgeable plant person they always talk in terms of how a plant will ultimately grow (shape and size), and also what environmental conditions it grows best in.  This way of thinking helps to design landscapes where the plants flourish and not struggle.  It also allows for proper spacing so the landscape will last for years without overcrowding.

Experience is certainly a great teacher, but it all starts with readily available plant information from books and online.  I keep two books in my truck for quick reference: Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs by Michael Dirr, and The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust.

Looking up a plant takes a few minutes, but those few minutes are probably the most valuable time you’ll spend in your planning.  Plus, you’ll find that after a while this information sticks in your mind and you’ll start considering plants as to how they actually grow.  You’ll be on your way to being a “plant-person” and a much better designer.

Are You Sure You Want That Plant There?

Hornbeam 'Fastigiate'

In the foundation planting pictured above it’s obvious the designer has creative talent, but lacks plant knowledge.

In the picture to the right is a Hornbeam ‘Fastigiate’.  This tree will grow to 30 – 40′ high and 20′ wide.  This is the tree the designer has in front of the window next to the door.

No doubt the designer saw this tree at the nursery, admired its “columnar” shape and thought: “This baby will soften the view of the house and stay nice and narrow”.  If this designer had opened a book, he or she would have realized “this baby” will grow out of this space in no time.

Colorado Spruce 'Montgomery'

Beware of the term “dwarf”.

There are a number of plants out there that are sometimes referred to as “dwarf” varieties.  Realize that this is a relative term and when you compare the size of the standard specie to the cultivated variety, you may certainly refer to the smaller one as “dwarf”.

A ‘Montgomery’ Spruce originates from the giant Colorado Spruce.  Yes, it does grow considerably smaller, but I’ve seen them 7′ high and 10′ wide on numerous occasions.  You see the little blue spruce in front of the Hornbeam in this foundation planting?… it’s a ‘Montgomery’.  I often hear this plant referred to as a dwarf spruce.  Real petite, right?

You see what’s happening here? (or going to happen?)

I hate to beat this point to death, but there’s one more blatant misuse of plant in this foundation planting.  I’m sure some of you already see it and were wondering when I’d get to it.

Cryptomeria

In our “case study” picture above, planted off the first left corner where the building juts back there is a Crytomeria.  This is another favorite plant of mine.  In fact, to the right is a Crytomeria I installed 25 years ago.  Although I knew the plant would get bigger, I was still naive in thinking it would stay within certain bounds.  Fortunately, the lower branches could be pruned to give this “monster” a raised canopy and allow it to work in this foundation space.

I can’t impress upon you enough the importance of plant knowledge in landscape design.  Experience, as was the case with the Cryptomeria, has taught me a great deal over the years.  But by referencing books and other sources I’ve learned a great deal and continue to discover new information.

A friend of mine in the business is now in his 80′s.  He’s been propagating and growing plants all his life.  I once complimented him on his knowledge and he said, “With all there is to learn, I’m just scratching the surface”.

We are losing trees everyday to construction damage.  For the most part, people are simply not aware of the different ways construction impacts trees.

If we think of damage at all, it usually means the obvious such as hitting the trunk or breaking a branch.  However, many construction activities that happen near and around a tree can have an adverse affect as well.

Proactive Planning Saves Trees

With research we have come to understand the complexities of how plants live.  We know how every aspect of their environment is linked to their health.

Sound familiar?  They are living things – just like us.

With this knowledge and understanding we can make decisions and do things proactively to protect trees.

Imagine this scenario.  A new home is planned on property that has beautiful, existing trees.  The homeowner and architect both appreciate the value of the trees and want to consider how they can be integrated into the overall plan.  Yes, some must be removed, but by considering the trees’ well-being right from the planning stage, steps can be taken to protect select ones.  This seems so logical, yet it’s rarely done.

From the homeowner’s perspective, and to be fair, it’s often a matter of just not knowing.  However, when it comes to those “professionals” who are planning and doing the work, we need to see more interest in protecting our trees.

One argument is that this “tree hugging” adds to the costs.  It’s been my experience that when you advise people on the value of their trees and how important it is to take these proactive steps, they often go along with your recommendations.

Many of these steps to protect trees add very little cost – they just require more care in how the construction work is done.

Things You Can Do To Protect Your Trees

The simplest step you can take is to stay as far away as possible from the tree(s).  The surrounding ground represents a balanced environment of soil layers and roots.  Setting up a temporary fence, stakes or markers can really help as reminders to “stay back”.

If construction traffic must go near the trees and root zones, use a thick layer of wood chips and/or plywood to make a protective road.

Construction often means re-grading an area near existing trees and other plants.  Realize that disturbing and changing existing grades can impact drainage, a major aspect of plant health.

Being aware and taking steps to mitigate these problems by using drainage tactics, retainment walls and other means can make the difference in the plants’ survival.

Tree Damage Beyond the Obvious

All living things, including plants, have complex systems.  Damage to these systems can come from different sources and affects.

The heat from construction equipment can damage plants.  Vapor and over-spray from cleansers and other solutions can hurt plants.  These substances can even be taken into the plant’s system through leaves, stems and roots.

If you remove some trees and plants from an area it will likely change the environment for those remaining.  More light and wind will come in; perhaps even erosion will occur.  Just pruning and thinning out trees can also cause more light and wind to enter an area.

A major landscape project with grading, construction and planting can impact existing trees and plants big time.  The installation of an automatic sprinkler system will undoubtedly change moisture levels in the ground.  If these existing plants are not acclimated to this moisture change, it could have an adverse affect on them.

There is alot to consider when doing construction near existing trees and plants.  The intrinsic value of their beauty and contribution to the environment makes it a no-brainer IMO.

If you’re worried about your trees and plants because of a construction project, leave a comment and maybe we can advise.

Yesterday I had the good fortune of meeting the company owner.  He happened to be working next door to my project.  After a howdy and handshake we ended up talking for a half hour.

It turns out he’s been in the landscape maintenance business for over 30 years.  He works with his son and and just two other employees.

I told him how his properties stood out and mentioned a few of them specifically.  He tells me he’s been taking care of these landscape’s for years; hardly ever getting a cancellation. I asked if I could recommend him to some of my clients and he said his schedule was pretty full.  Imagine that…in this economy.

This landscape contractor practiced the formula for success:

• Know what you’re doing (and if you don’t, learn it).
• Do it well and consistently.
• Be fair and dependable.

We had no problem keeping the conversation going; sharing stories of some of the nutty things we see day to day.  This one “scene” he spoke of  struck me as valuable information for homeowners and maybe helpful advice for other maintenance contractors.

Here Today Gone Tomorrow

He tells me there was another landscape maintenance company in the neighborhood that installed new mulch on a property sometime in September.  He says he drove by the other day and watched as the same company was blowing the leaves and the mulch out of the beds.

I had to laugh because the picture to the left is one I shot over 2 years ago while witnessing a similar debacle.  And coincidentally enough, my mother’s landscape maintenance contractor recently did the same thing on her property.  Mulch was put down sometime in June and totally blown out of the beds in November.  Her $700 mulch job lasted 5-6 months.

Maintenance companies would argue they have to blow hard to move quickly and keep the costs down.  I would say this:  Just before the leaf blowing season send a note with your monthly bill that states:  “Fall leaf clean-ups can remove a good portion of the mulch.  If you wish we can operate our equipment at slower speeds to preserve the mulch, but this will add some time and cost to the work.  Please let us know if you’d like us to take the extra time.”

Homeowners would really appreciate this.  It shows concern and conscientiousness.  It makes them aware of the results of what you intend to do, and allows them to make a choice.

Yes, this could be a “do-it-yourself” job, but somehow I don’t think so.  There is enough larger

Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or a member of the trade, there is a fundamental principle of landscape design: complement, don’t compete. Frankly, this principle could be applied to most categories of design.

There is some subjectivity to this principle based for the most part on personal taste. As a designer I deal with this all the time.  The challenge is always to interject that “style” that reflects the homeowner’s taste and gives individuality to the design, but at the same time follows that basic principle: complement, don’t compete.

The two levels of “complementing considerations” in landscape design are:

1. How the overall design complements the home and the surroundings.
2. How the individual elements within the design complement and relate to one another

This planting is in a front yard.  The house is just to the right, and you can see the curb line in the foreground.  The background and setting is beautiful – look at the rolling hills and woodland.  Right away we have this great opportunity to echo these surroundings in our designed landscape and make the home appear nestled into the setting.

Good architecture strives to design homes that integrate with the land.  As landscape designers we should follow that goal and avoid creating settings that compete against the home for attention.

On the point of each element in the design complementing and relating to one another, look at the variation of the elements in the picture above.  It appears to be more of a collection rather than a composition.  As far as the artificial palm trees go, I’ll confidently let you come to your own thoughts on those.

Good News – Bad News

Since a majority of the work I do is renovation, the “good news – bad news” line often comes up. And, just as it would for the design above, the short of it is: “The good news is most of the plants you have here we can transplant and reuse.  The bad news is you’ll have to incur the cost of the labor, equipment and some new materials to get the proper look.”  Most homeowners have a positive outlook and write it off as a learning / home improvement experience.  The notion that a good design will not only improve the look & value of their home, but last for many years, helps to ease pain.

Speaking in general terms, a number of the plant types and elements in this design would be better suited to an “interest garden”.  An interest garden is one that is designed to deliberately draw attention.  This could be your goal by a patio.  Or perhaps you’d like to create a focal point out in the backyard.

In the situation of this front yard, (again speaking in general terms) I would select three or four natural plant types (i.e. not ornate & unusual) and create groupings that are unified and complement each other.  I would also specify some large growing shade trees to give scale to this wide open space.

Here’s another aspect of this site that any designer would note and put right at the top of his or her “things-to-consider-list”.  There is limited space to work with.  The overall depth of the front yard is shallow to begin with, and on top of it there’s a sidewalk.

Nice house though, right?  Look, you have to work with what you have.  Here’s the good news.  If you know your plant material well, you have a palette of living elements to compose a screen planting that not only screens, but also creates a greater feeling of depth.

Identify Your Needs and Objectives

In most instances your design objective begins with one major need.  In this case it’s privacy, privacy, privacy.  But is that all?  And if it is are you looking at that aspect thoroughly?  Just what is it you’re trying to screen?

If you look at it from two perspectives: 1) from the outside, public area looking in and 2) from inside the private property looking out, it causes you to really think about exactly what is undesirable about these views.  Clearly identifying the specific shortcomings helps you think through the solutions.  Take your time and walk around both on and off the property.  View it from every angle possible.  Take pictures and look them over several times. The best solution doesn’t always jump right out at you.

Select The Proper Plants That Meet Your Objectives

First things first.  Planted in front along the sidewalk are four conifers (evergreen trees).  We’ve all seen the growth potential of trees in this category, i.e 50′+ in height by 12′+ in width.  Already this screening solution is doomed to a relatively short life.  And, it is unrealistic to assume that pruning will keep these “monsters” in check.

I see a different solution using mid-sized ornamental trees.  Notice that already there are 2 ornamental trees being used.  They appear to be a birch and a purpleleaf plum.  Their upper canopies are doing a nice job of diffusing the view to the upper portion of the house.  And, if you’re looking out the 2nd story dormers, these trees “intercept” your view out into the street.  Plus, these trees can grow unrestricted to their full potential while their trunks take up very little space. Adding one or two more along the front would complete the “upper screen”.

The four large growing conifers can be easily transplanted to new locations where they can develop without space limitations.

The privacy issue at ground level should be addressed using another category of plant.  Remember to first visualize plant design solutions in terms of “form”.  In that sense I envision an evergreen understory of plants that weave under and around the ornamental trees.  These evergreen shrubs should have more of an upright habit of growth (so as not to get too broad), yet not grow too tall…perhaps in the 6′ range.  If you wanted to, you could provide a few “windows” of view by using lower growing plants at intervals along the way.

Earlier I mentioned creating a greater feeling of depth and dimension.  Doing so in a limited space also helps to give the illusion of having more space.  Big, fat evergreen trees growing closer and closer to you every day do not help in the “create a feeling of depth” department.  Whereas the ornamental trees offer a cozy feeling with their branches overhead while space is preserved underneath.  And if you select your understory plants carefully, they too will not impose into precious open space.

Nix The Berm

I’m not always against creating earth berms in the landscape.  There are circumstances where their use offers aesthetic and functional benefits.  However, in this setting of limited space a berm actually works against you.  Get rid of the berm and plant at normal grade level.  It will look more natural (and less contrived), feel more spacious, and the plantings will undoubtedly do better (especially in the long-term).

I’d like to share with you a symptom that a standard flowering dogwood was showing.  The tree is about 16′ tall and was transplanted on a project of mine about a year ago.

The  time of year was summer and I noticed the leaves were off-color with some of them dropping.  The tree had been doing well for months after being transplanted.

From experience I knew “a look” like this often means plant stress due to some impact on the root system.  Although a root system can be affected by a variety of insects and diseases, the first thing I check for is water damage.  Roots kept too wet will decline and die and, eventually, so will the entire plant.  The gauge on the soil moisture probe verified extremely wet ground down by the roots.  But that was only part of the problem.

Michael Hirsch, our plant health care consultant, emphasizes the importance of removing the heavy burlap from the top of the root ball.  If left on the plant it creates an unhealthy environment where disease and insects can develop.  It also keeps the base of the trunk damp, which isn’t good either.

It was time to give this tree a break and get conditions back in its favor.

After pulling back the mulch I cut the sisal cord and removed all of the burlap. It was heavy, wet and semi-decomposed.  Underneath it all was a collection of insects that would have gotten any entomologist hot under the collar.  This had not been a good environment for this tree.

I have to believe this tree felt immediately better once all that crap was removed.  Just look at the dampness in the bark where the burlap was.

I was also careful to replace just a 2 to 3″ layer of mulch on the surface and not up against the trunk.

What remained to solve was the wet ground this plant was struggling in.  Phases of this project were still underway and the sprinkler system had not yet been modified.  When I checked out the zones around the tree I discovered:

1. The planting bed zone where the tree was planted was cycling every 3 days.  Way, way too much.
2. On top of the watering from the planting bed zone, the lawn zone was not adjusted for the re-designed area and was actually soaking the tree too.  Talk about the “1 -2 punch”!

With the burlap “choke collar” removed and the irrigation fixed, (I shut the planting bed zone completely off, and adjusted the lawn heads to not hit the plantings), this dogwood now had a chance to recover.

It was summer when this tree started failing.  It is now October and the dogwood is doing fine.  The leaf drop stopped, color improved, and moisture levels in the ground are “normal”.

Plants are living things, and just like us they need the right conditions to remain healthy.  When you see a plant struggling first look to see what nearby conditions might be “extreme” and/or different from what this plant would normally grow in – that’s the essence of “plant health care”.

I was intrigued with what looked like a “floating lantern”, only to discover it was sitting on a brick pier.

The original landscaper was undoubtedly satisfying the request of the homeowner to plant simple, formal plantings.  Simple can be very elegant in design when it’s done right.  With landscape plantings that are well-chosen, well-spaced, and well-cared for, simple can be elegant and beautiful.

Sometimes It’s Just Choosing the Right Variety

So you have the idea for a boxwood hedge around the brick pier and it’s a good one…nice and simple.  You picture this well groomed, boxwood hedge complementing  the pier and helping soften its structural lines.  It’s off to the nursery you go.  There you find these nice, glossy leaved boxwood in 3 gal. pots.  Each plant is about 18″ high.  “Perfect!” you say.  Arranged and installed around the pier, you stand back and admire your work.

Now as each season goes by you’re shearing them for that formal look the homeowner loves, but it’s suddenly dawning on you that these things are getting bigger and bigger in spite of your diligent shearing.

The problem: You’ve chosen a variety of boxwood that characteristically (it’s in its DNA) wants to get bigger than you planned.  And it will.  And if you say “No it won’t, I’ll just shear the hell out of it and keep cutting it back,” the plant will gradually decline and look horrible.

The solution: There are many types of boxwood out there and each has its own story and characteristics.  You need to check some of this information out if you’re going to make a smart and long-lasting selection.

To the right is Dwarf Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’).  This plant will stay far more compact than the variety above, which I’m quite sure is Boxwood ‘Winter Gem’.  Also the growth habit of Dwarf Boxwood is proportionately narrower to its height, whereas ‘Wintergem’ gets as wide as it is tall.

Even if your designs are simple and your plant selections are not diverse it’s OK.  Just make those few selections carefully and your plantings will develop into that beautiful, original vision you had.