new to forum -- seeking conifer advice

17 years ago

I'm new to your forum...I spent a lot of time last year on the home forum while we were building our house. We moved in September 2005.

Anyway, over the winter I want to plan the backyard garden (north side of house) and have woods bordering the backyard.

I'd like to include some conifers. Being in North Carolina, the conifers will have to work well in zone 7. I am already using cryptomeria japonica 'globosa nana', cryptomeria japonica 'Jindai Sugi', cryptomeria japonica 'black dragon' and deodar cedar outside the fence and a couple of thuja inside the fence.

What are your favorites for textures and color combinations?

I need deer resistant conifers that will remain under 10-12 feet in height at maturity. I don't want a privacy screen, I want to have conifers of different shapes, sizes, colors and textures in a mixed border for the foliage and background for other woody ornamentals and perennials.

I'm including some recent photos so you can see the south and east gardens. Nothing is more than 1 year old from being planted and I just spent 3 months designing and installing the hardscape and plant material for the patio, dry streambed and front shrub garden. The fragrance garden around the patio isn't shown well in the photo, but there is an arbor at the lower north end of the new dining patio that will be the beginning of the backyard garden.

Many thanks.

Here is a link that might be useful: current garden

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

swake7b
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hello, the pics are great. You have a beautiful yard and landscape. Im not sure what part of NC you are in, because, the types of conifers you can grow varies greatly. I am no plant scientist but I enjoy testing and trying out different plants. IÂm in 7b, although I have never seen a 7b year , it has been more like 8a since I have been testing out conifers.

I have been testing out conifers for about 5 Â½ years. I have a clay on the south side and sand on the northside. I donÂt know much about deer resistance, but I know I have deer and none of my conifers have ever gotten destroyed. There is enough other stuff for them.

Here are observations on some plants that might work for your specifications If you are near by Raleigh email me if you want stop and see any of the trees. They are all 5 years old or less.

Abies firma Â excellent success. Grown about 5 feet in 4 years. Might be a little big for your needs. Mine is planted in heavy clay and does very well.

Calocedrus decurrens - Incense Cedar are supposed to grow very well in NC. I had a ÂBerrimma GoldÂ and it lasted only 2 years.

Cedrus atlantica 'Sahara IceÂ Â Not as blue as my glauca, but Just as maintenance free.

Cedrus deodora Â I have 6 or 7 dwarf varieties . never had a problem with any of them, only the occasional attack from the Pine Saw Fly. I have only lost one, I believe a Âdescanzo dwarfÂ

Cedrus libani 'Beacon Hill' Â grows in bizarre directions. Excellent success in the 3 years it has been in the ground.

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata' Â real nice columnar form, dark green, handles shade, deer resistant

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Korean GoldÂ The gold form and surprisingly has held up well with no summer burn in NC heat

Cephalotaxus fortunei Â fast grower to about 15 ft with longer leaves, no issues in 2 years.

Chamaecyparis - As far as these go I have moderate success with pisifera and obtusa and nootkensis(moved to a new family) The best performers are

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Fernspray Gold' Â big flattened sprays of gold foliage, has performed the best out of any obtuse for me.

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Boulevard' Â performs well but tends too look brown and bad in late winter.

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Green Arrow' Â tried this super columnar for a couple years in clay, It has survived but nothing spectacular yet. Supposedly 20 by 5

Cryptomeria japonica Â All of them perform real well. I like Knaptonensis with the white tips, sekkan sugi, cockscomb, spiralis falcate. I have a few that donÂt bronze in the winter, but I have to look up which cultivars.

Cunninghamia unicanaliculata Â got to be one of my favorite plants, very fast growth rate so far. Powdery blue in summer and turns purplish in the winter. I get more questions on this plant than any other.

Cupressus arizonica ÂGolden PyramidÂ - Very fast grower, keeps color all year, very bright yellow. Not sure of ultimate height but will probably be large.

Juniperus rigida 'Pendula' Â very picturesque, pointed needled weeping juniper. I have killed one of mine, but the other is ok so far.

Juniperus Virginia ÂBrodieÂ quick growing more compact form of native.

Picea asperata Â I have 3(asperata, asperataÂPendulaÂ and asperataÂCompactaÂ all grown in sand in full sun. Very very slow growth. None are more than a foot tall, but have had no problems with heat.

Picea abies ÂBirdÂs NestÂ small dwarf in full sun, gets burned bad in summer sun, but survives.

Picea abies 'Cupressina' is a columnar form of Norway Spruce. I have had mine in the ground for a year, northside , sun, sand and didnÂt show any stress over the past summer.

Picea pungens ÂIseli FoxtailÂ survived 2 summers, and faired quite well, light blue, slow growth. Should be a large tree in about 100 years.

Pinus bungeana Â another of my favorites, beautiful bark, and my dwarf form tree has withstood the NC heat just as good as any native.

Pinus parviflora 'Adcock's Dwarf' Â very nice dwarf which has done very well so far for me

Pinus strobus 'Blue Shag' Â done ok, it seems to take a little abuse in the summer but it survives and is an attractive plant

Pinus virginiana 'Wate's Golden' Â virginiana seems hit or miss for me here in NC. I have a small wates golden that does have nice winter color. Evenbtually a large tree, but I am told can withstand pruning.

Pinus wallichiana 'Nana' Â first year in the gorund but has seemed to due well for me.

Platycladus orientalis Â browns in the winter

Podocarpus chinensis Â supposedly hardier than Maki, I have mine protected from north winds but it has crusied through the winters so far.

Psuedolarix amablis Â deciduous conifer , supposedly a very slow grower but mine has grown very quickly in its first few years. The fall color is excellent. The Japanese beetles seem to favor this tree, though

Psuedotsuga chinensis Â doesnÂt look like the typical Douglas fir , but has handled the nc heat with no problem for 3 summers.

Sequoia sempervirens Â I have a kellyÂs prostrate which is definitely a spreader, I have noticed a little winter dieback on mine.

Taiwania cryptomerioides - I have killed one already , but the second tree is growing nicely after a couple years. Havent seen a central leader yet

Taxodium distichum ÂPeve Minaret YellowÂ - havenÂt had in the ground for long but it is a yellow foliage dwarf

Taxus chinensis Â I cant tell the difference between this and othet taxuses but this is the only one to survive and survive very well, it bronzes in the winter for me.

Thujopsis dolobrata Â another favorite which has grown well in partial shade in a protected area for me. I got a central leader in about 4 years.

Tsuga candensis Â I have killed a few, but I keep on trying. I have had luck with the dwarf forms, but the plants look far from spectacular

Tsuga sieboldii Â supposedly more heat tolerant and disease resistant, but I have killed 2 in 2 tries. I do a a dwarf globe doing well though.
pasadena
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You have those wonderful woods behind your yard. I would plant a few natives to help tie it into the surrounding area.
Related Discussions
New 'Stepdad' Seeking advice
Q
Comments (23)
It's been quite a while since I've posted here. Just thought I'd post an update. My gf's son moved in with us in early July. He had to sleep on an air mattress in the living room for the first month and a half, because we were in a one bedroom apartment and waiting for a bigger place to open up in our complex. That said, it was still a major environmental upgrade for him. Grandma's house had a scabies infestation, drugs and screaming matches that went on all night long. This is the reason we moved him so quickly - the more we got to know about his living conditions, the more of a hurry we were in. And, we wanted enough time to try and stabilize his mood and behavior before school started. As of now, he has his own bedroom with new (or new - used) furniture. His mother and I don't get into screaming matches, although there's occasionally enough passive aggressive tension in the air to cut with a knife. We had a pleasant enough summer. We gave him the kinds of privileges we thought he should have, and that I took for granted when I was a kid. He could go out until the street lights came on, we gave him a cell phone, he could use the computer, play video games, watch TV, etc. He has chores to do, and an allowance (which we were compelled to promise we wouldn't steal back as his grandma did). Aside from his chores and bedtime, he didn't have much responsibility. He was and is still afraid to go anywhere by himself. I find this trait to be strange, as when I was his age I rode my bike all over the place and grounding was a torment I couldn't tolerate any longer than necessary. Similarly, whenever we go anywhere together, he is pretty much right at my side the entire time. This isn't as bad anymore, but I do find it quite irritating from time to time. I imagine this is related to some abandonment issues he may have, so I usually don't say anything. We were preparing him with conversations and reminders, on occasion, that he would be expected to put forth an effort when school came around. He had been told that he had failed the 6th grade at his former school. I don't have a very high opinion of the school. It was a charter school in an old office building where a lot of trouble makers go. And, I'm convinced that the place was in business to soak up state school-choice dollars and didn't really care about the success of the students. During the last week of school, we had a conference at school during which it was decided that he was a special needs student, and that he would need additional resources for the following year. Regardless, between his teachers' attitudes and the kinds of other students which were attending, we decided to put him in a different school. Apparently, due to "no child left behind", and his status as a special needs student, his former school told the new school he should be in 7th grade, despite his academic performance in the 6th grade. So, he started the new school year at a new school, in a new home and behind academically. Now, he is a bright kid. He can learn the material, and I help him. But, because he was behind to begin with, and the fact that he learned that it was OK to act out at his old school (they would just send him home if he talked in class too much), the beginning of this year has been horrible. He doesn't want to look stupid, so he just acts goofy, pokes other students and is generally impossible to quiet. We got two calls home from the teacher on the first two days of school, and that pattern has more or less continued since then. He was suspended for a day after the teacher had had enough. We met with his teachers and principal the next day. Instead of threatening expulsion, as I had expected, they said they were determined to do whatever it took to help him overcome his behavior problems. I knew then that we had made the right decision about changing schools. As far as life at home has been during this, I would say unpleasant would be an understatement. Though, It's not any worse than it would have been for my parents. He lost all of his privileges. I have been wrestling with this issue, because I cannot, in my mind, cede any of these privileges to him without improvement. At the same time, I know how tedious life can be with nothing to do at that age. Plus, given his history with his mom not being around and his dad abandoning him, I'm afraid of what too much time alone would do to him.As an alternative approach, I decided a few weeks that instead of taking privileges away, I would have him do work. I took him up to my parents' house and had him do yard work for a few hours on Saturday. This, I figured, would at least get him outside for fresh air and sunlight (not that he's locked in the basement or something - you know what I mean). Finally, mom and son started psychotherapy. Both have a lot of issues to work through. He thinks she hates him, and that he was a mistake. He doesn't understand why she left him with "those crazy people" for so long. This is what comes out in abbreviated 13 year old exclamations, so I'm sure it's more complex than that. She's angry with herself, with her mother who convinced her not to give him up (she believes he would have had a better life with a different family). She has anger issues in general which, while significantly improved in the time I've know her, are still a challenge to handle. And, occasionally, these feelings boil over onto him. She loves him, but whenever he has problems she is reminded that he might not have them if she had done the right thing. So, in essence, he is occasionally a reminder of her failure. At any rate, the combination of help at school, counseling, consequences for bad behavior and rewards for good behavior have started to pay off. I'm still not 100% confident, but he has had some noticeable improvement over the last couple weeks. His daily reports from the teacher have been less severe, and today he brought home a report with only good remarks and corresponding grades for behavior. He has earned his cell phone and TV privileges back, and for today's report, we gave him a Bears jersey (although why he likes the Bears, I'll never understand, we live in Wisconsin.) If we can get the behavior under control, he'll hopefully absorb more classroom instruction, and we can get his grades back where they were a few years ago (he was an A student). It's a rough road, and I'm sure we'll hit some more potholes along the way. But, I think we're on the right path. I'm still not sorry for my decision to do this. I think that, although there were pros and cons for removing him from his grandmother's "care", the pros far outweigh the cons.
...See More
Desperately seeking advice with new entry door style
Q
Comments (6)
Thank you! We are looking more towards a double door- we DO have to get this done soon as we put in for a grant up here for people to get their homes rated higher- ours was only a 2+ rating & the state will pay a certain % back if we upgrade AND get it up at least one star rating. My hubby has been a stink at putting things off- we already paid $350 for the rating inspection & at that time we had 18 mos to get it completed & get refunded UP to 10k (depending on what we can upgrade to raise the rating- nothing higher than we have paid of course) Well NOW, it's been about 13 mos.. & he has now left it up to ME to figure out WHAT to do :( I'm SO flustered by it (& him LOL) but I know we'll never get the chance to get in on this again... the whole entry is terrible *cold* and drafty. We think by replacing that (those big huge windows by the door mostly!) and adding more insulation UNDER the house- this should up the rating quite a bit. They were definitely on the inspection list. Because we are so low on lighting up here- we'd really like some sort of window above as that actually helps light the upper level as well. We are able to order just about anything we find on the net because we have it shipped to a shipping barge in Seattle and they bring it right to us :) I don't want anything fancy & that seems to be a lot of my problem as most of what I see ARE real fancy or solid wood etc. Thank you so much for your thoughts on this!!! ANY help/suggestions are MUCH appreciated :)
...See More
I'm new to gardening and seeking advice
Q
Comments (26)
I'm sure that in the OP's climate legumes will be best direct sown. I was just pointing that some of us start them inside, indeed have to start them inside. Favas and peas clearly can take low temps, indeed I often sow in November to over winter. I also start some favas in January to plant out in February. It just gives them a few weeks start. Runner beans will not take any frost at all. The problem in cool maritime climates is that the soil is not warm enough for runner or French beans to even think about germinating before about late May. By that time indoor started beans are already setting off up their poles. Later sowings go into the ground directly. When I say 'inside' I mean simply in a glass porch or on a window sill. I have no lights. Indoor starting also helps avoid slugs and mice. The latter in particular can destroy a whole sowing of newly sprouted favas in a night. They don't eat the beans until they germinate. Must taste better, I suppose. Then they eat the bean and toss aside the sprout. It's heartbreaking to see. Anyhow - back to the OP - I'm sure for a beginner direct sowing as much as possible is best.
...See More
A note to anyone new here, who may be seeking organic advice....
Q
Comments (108)
Of course, if you don't like it, it has to be a right wing conspiracy. Lol From the link I left above ~ American Council on Science and Health: "Additionally, the evidence regarding the effect of DDT on eggshell thinning among wild birds is contradictory at best. The environmentalist literature claims that the birds threatened directly by the insecticide were laying eggs with thin shells. These shells, say the environmentalists, would eventually become so fragile that the eggs would break, causing a decline in bird populations, particularly among raptors (birds of prey). In 1968 two researchers, Drs. Joseph J. Hickey and Daniel W. Anderson, reported that high concentrations of DDT were found in the eggs of wild raptor populations. The two concluded that increased eggshell fragility in peregrine falcons, bald eagles, and ospreys was due to DDT exposure.9 Dr. Joel Bitman and associates at the U.S. Department of Agriculture likewise determined that Japanese quail fed DDT produced eggs with thinner shells and lower calcium content.10 In actuality, however, declines in bird populations either had occurred before DDT was present or had occurred years after DDT’s use. A comparison of the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Counts between 1941 (pre-DDT) and 1960 (after DDT’s use had waned) reveals that at least 26 different kinds of birds became more numerous during those decades, the period of greatest DDT usage. The Audubon counts document an overall increase in birds seen per observer from 1941 to 1960, and statistical analyses of the Audubon data confirm the perceived increases. For example, only 197 bald eagles were documented in 194111; the number had increased to 891 in 1960.12 At Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania, teams of ornithologists made daily counts of migrating raptors for over 40 years. The counts��"published annually by the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association��"reveal great increases in most kinds of hawks during the DDT years. The osprey counts increased as follows: in 1946, 191; in 1956, 288; in 1967, 457; and in 1972, 630.13 In 1942 Dr. Joseph Hickey��"who in 1968 would blame DDT for bird population decline��"reported that 70 per-cent of the eastern osprey population had been killed by pole traps around fish hatcheries.14 That same year, before DDT came into use, Hickey noted a decline in the population of peregrine falcons.15 Other observers also documented that the great peregrine decline in the eastern United States occurred long before any DDT was present in the environment.16,17 In Canada peregrines were observed to be “reproducing normally” in the 1960s even though their tissues contained 30 times more DDT than did the tissues of the midwestern peregrines allegedly being extirpated by the chemical.18 And in Great Britain, in 1969, a three-year government study noted that the decline of peregrine falcons in Britain had ended in 1966 even though DDT levels were as abundant as ever. The British study concluded that “There is no close correlation between the decline in population of predatory birds, particularly the peregrine falcon and the sparrow hawk, and the use of DDT.”19 In addition, later research refuted the original studies that had pointed to DDT as a cause for eggshell thinning. After reassessing their findings using more modern methodology, Drs. Hickey and Anderson admitted that the egg extracts they had studied contained little or no DDT and said they were now pursuing PCBs, chemicals used as capacitor insulators, as the culprit.20 When carefully reviewed, Dr. Bitman’s study revealed that the quail in the study were fed a diet with a calcium content of only 0.56 percent (a normal quail diet consists of 2.7 percent calcium). Calcium deficiency is a known cause of thin eggshells.21��"23 After much criticism, Bitman repeated the test, this time with sufficient calcium levels. The birds produced eggs without thinned shells.24 After many years of carefully controlled feeding experiments, Dr. M. L. Scott and associates of the Department of Poultry Science at Cornell University “found no tremors, no mortality, no thinning of eggshells and no interference with reproduction caused by levels of DDT which were as high as those reported to be present in most of the wild birds where ‘catastrophic’ decreases in shell quality and reproduction have been claimed.”23 In fact, thinning eggshells can have many causes, including season of the year, nutrition (in particular insufficient calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, and manganese), temperature rise, type of soil, and breeding conditions (e.g., sunlight and crowding)." Al
...See More
DYH
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
pasadena -- yes, the woods are wonderful and fortunately there are already some pines, native hollies and large red cedars along the edge of my backyard. Our property is a NWF Certified Backyard Habitat (4.5 acres).

We have sweet gums which are great goldfinch food right now. The squirrel population has been consumed by the resident red tail hawks who let us watch them train their fledgling to fly and hunt this summer -- nice view from our front porch. The resident great blue heron is stalking my goldfish these days. The board fence in our neighborhood is dotted with inhabited bluebird houses along our road. Nature is always providing us with an awesome display -- we are so tuned in to nature since moving here.

swake7b--You must have an amazing conifer garden! Do you have any online photos?

I'm just south of Chapel Hill only 4 minutes from UNC campus. You have certainly supplied a wonderful list of possibilities. I'm familiar with some of those, but never have tried growing them.

I know one of my biggest challenges with this project is how to estimate spacing since some are slow growers and others are fast. Another challenge in the backyard will be drainage. My husband has a forestry degree, so we should be able to work it out since he knows the conditions required by all the natives.

My cedrus deodara is doing great but I lost a Cupressus arizonica 'Blue Ice'. It was on the southwest side. My supplier has some 'Carolina Sapphire' and 'Silver Smoke' available. I'm not familiar with the 'Golden Pyramid' and I'm always on the lookout for gold/yellow foliage to create vignettes with burgundy/purple and deep green. If you saw my waterfall photo, the cryptomeria fronted by the hypericum androsaemum 'Albury Purple' with the white variegated carex, cardinal flower and creeping jenny underplanting -- my favorite color combination.

I recently researched at the Picea abies Birds Nest and was curious about providing protection from the sun in my area. In the summer with the high sun, the edge of my woods provide shade. As fall approaches and the sun is lower in the sky, the area is sunny, but the temps are cooler.

I would really like to try a Pinus mugo var. pumilo for it's texture and width. Do you have knowledge of the growth rate?

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Boulevard' - I was all set to pick this one up for the shape and saw the brown foliage. My supplier had only 7 gallon sizes available, so I didn't know if it was from being in the pot so long.

I'll study your list and probably get back with you as I narrow down to what might be possibilities for me.

THANK YOU!

new to forum -- seeking conifer advice

Comments (3)

swake7b

pasadena

Related Discussions

DYH
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

new to forum -- seeking conifer advice

Comments (3)

swake7b

pasadena

Related Discussions

DYHOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

DYH
Original Author