What would you plant here? Need your suggestions!

10 years ago

In the southeast corner of my fenced backyard (so the exposure is northwest) I have a Showy Mountain Ash right in the corner, and then to the west of it I have a Dogwood Elegantissima, which is flanked at the front by a dwarf mugo pine and a Gold Coast Juniper. To the west of the Dogwood is a Mountain Pine:

Everything was planted there last year. As you see, there's a lot of winter damage to the mugo pine. I am also not sure about its look there. If I plan to do a hosta garden there underneath the Showy Mountain Ash (when it is larger and provides more shade there), what would you do in place of the mugo pine?

So far, my thoughts are:

1. Replace the dwarf mugo pine with a larger type of mugo pine but I am not sure about this...

2. Replace the dwarf mugo pine with another Gold Coast Juniper - but then this might look a bit too much gold and too symmetrical there?

3. Replace the dwarf mugo pine with a silvery blue, low evergreen, such as a Hughes Juniper, so that there will be contrast in colours, heights and produce a "layered" effect when both evergreens are more mature?

4. Replace it altogether with another deciduous shrub, combine it with some nice ornamental grasses, but I am not sure what yet??? I love the look of Japanese Hakone grass but it is not hardy here, and I don't know what would produce the same kind of look here either.

What are your thoughts? I would really welcome your input here.

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Comments (9)

SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
10 years ago
I can't offer much help because it looks great to me now!
ostrich
Original Author
10 years ago
SouthCountryGuy, you are too kind! But you see, that little dwarf mugo pine just has to go.... most of it has gone brown!!!

I was just even thinking of putting two small red twig dogwoods (e.g. Arctic Fire or something like that) next to the large Elegantissima, so that during winter, there will be a grouping of three masses of red twigs.... or even yellow twigs, if these exist as small shrubs at all (I don't think so?)!

The only thing is, these dogwoods look kind of "blah" during the growing seasons - they look like just a bunch of leaves.... hmm.... so that is not terribly exciting, is it?
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I started the garden in my very wet back area by buying very cheap bareroot shrubs & perennials from a catalog specializing in wildflowers & naturalized planting areas, selecting from those that were recommended for wet areas. The shrubs were whips (literally sticks with roots) of 12, 18 or 24 inches , depending on the shrub. As these shrubs & perennials proved hardy for the area, I then sometimes purchased larger ones (or more ornamental cultivars) from local nurseries. This method kept the costs down considerably. If you are interested in planting shrubs in your wet area, I second the idea of Itea & Clethra. I am especially fond of Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica), either Henry's Garnet or Little Henry (a smaller version). Both varieties are easy to find in the trade. Itea has wonderful very long-lasting fall color (I have posted pictures at various times) and in early summer it has creamy colored scented flower racemes. Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet) comes in pink and white varieties in various sizes. Hummingbird, which I have, is a small variety which has late summer creamy white scented bottlebrush flowers. It has a more sprawly growth pattern than the upright iteas and is nothing special in fall, but it is tolerant of almost all growing conditions, and the bees & butterflies love it. Another shrub/tree that I purchased from a whip & like very much is Cephalanthus occidentalis, Buttonbush. It is sometimes used as a flood plain tree. It is a bright green well-shaped shrub/tree with white tubular summer flowers in a very tight globe shape. There was a nice article recently in Fine Gardening about using this as a fine ornamental tree because of its shapeliness, & since it will also grow well in ordinary garden soil. It is also a fast grower, but does not get huge. In nearby damp areas (not as wet as the above shrubs grow in) I have found that Arborvitae, Twig Dogwoods, Viburnum opulus Stirilis (very fast grower, very floriferous but not scented), Viburnum Juddi, Carlesi (slow growing with bluish foliage, red fall foliage, but wonderful very sweet flowers), and probably many other varieties, although Shasta & its replacement Marie's Vib both died on me, Aronia melanocarpus (Black Chokeberry - there is also a Red Chokeberry), Cutleaf Elderberry (Sambucus) & Physocarpus Diablo and its kin do well. Along with the shrubs I have planted water iris (both pseudocorus & versicolor)in the wettest areas, Ostrich fern (in full sun -doesn't mind as long as it's wet enough), Lobelia cardinalis, various water-loving primulas (japonica, x bulleesiana, pubescens), Lysimachia punctata ' Alexander', Physostegia 'Vivid', Filipendula nana (dwarf Meadowsweet), hemerocallis fulva (ditch or roadside daylilies) & some early (50s & 60s hybrid) daylilies, Carex elata Bowles Golden (wonderful glowing gold yellow color) & astilbes. Another wonderful perennial for damp areas is Hibiscus moscheutos (Swamp Hibiscus) which, although a perennial, will grow from nothing to 7 ft tall each season and put out very large blooms in late summer to frost. My variety is Sweet Caroline, a deep pink, but there are many to choose from.
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Hi Can't tell from the pic but seems to be cement all the way to the fenceline?? I think I'd stick with the pots but maybe something a bit fancier?? Sooner or later you'll need to get to the fence lol. As to planting the pots depending on how sunny it is. .I find the taller heliconia tend to get wind damaged. Maybe bird of paradise?? Calatheas ti plants ?? Some of the larger growing ground orchids?? Bamboo orchid comes to mind. The spear type BOP "juncea" would look dramatic but not much of a view blocker. How about some artificial brom trees" planted " in the fancy pots?? Build them up to the size you want right from the start. I think most of the palms would get too wide ?? gary
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How bout a variegated dogwood? Pretty green and white leaves in the summer and red wood in the winter. I'm north of the cities as well in Anoka county sand and its been growing great for 2 years.
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Deenoel.... OMGosh...would I LOVE that yew!! I have a back lot line with a string of maples and it is SO difficult to get anything to grow there 'well'. I've tried some hollies and I have some hydrangeas outside the drip line of the tree and I have to say that hydrangeas need a LOT Of water near trees like these. If you wanted to try a white hydrangea, I would go for the 'Annabelle' which has done the best for me. I would plant it as far from the trunk as possible and plan on watering when it doesn't rain, at least 2 inches of water a week. I picked a small one up at Rainbow Mums for $11. two years ago and it is a 3ft x 3ft shrub this year. Yews are very slow growing, but if you do a search of which shrubs will grow in Dry Shade, which is what you have with maples, you will find very very few plants that will thrive. It would take about 10 years to get a yew that size or longer. If it is not to your liking, perhaps you could trim it back and plant something near it that would liven it up for you. It is a great screen and backdrop for other things you might like to try. At the very least, I would try filling in the other areas you are working on first, trim the yew back and think about it another year, and see how the other shrubs/plants you try do. I do have a Cornus 'Ivory Halo' growing near one of my maples and it is doing pretty well. This year it looks the best I have seen it and we have had all that rain, so I am thinking that might be the reason. pm2
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User
10 years ago
Does it have to be a shrub? I don't see any flowers.
weeper_11
10 years ago
I can understand if you've changed your mind about the mugo pine being there if you think it doesn't fit in..but as far as winter damage - I really think it will recover from that and do better in the following years. Just give it a good watering this spring. The first year I had mine, it got quite a bit of browning and didn't look all that great, but it has improved every year since.

Secondly, I wouldn't recommend replacing it with a standard sized mugo. Those get to be very large. You'll even find with your dwarf one, that it won't be long before it takes up a fair bit of space. I pinch the candles in spring in half so that it remains denser and more compact. Mugo's can get to be quite sprawling otherwise. Depends on the look you want.
north53 Z2b MB
10 years ago
I agree with everything weeper said about the mugo.

My concern is that I'm wondering if you are allowing enough space for the mature size of the trees. It's difficult to judge distance from the picture, though.

I'm speaking from experience of planting trees too close to each other or structures. Once I realized my mistake, it was too late to change. I think the showy mountain ash and the pine will get quite large. You may not need any shrubs in between them.

So my advice is to always check to mature size of trees when planting. It's not like planting a perennial where you can easily change things around after. I'm currently revamping a foundation bed where I've made these mistakes. We just dug out a dogwood that was beautiful, but too large for the spot.
ostrich
Original Author
10 years ago
Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments! I really appreciate it.

In terms of space, it is spaced right there - I had done some measurements before hand and everything is good there.

The only thing is, do I keep the dwarf mugo pine or not? Over half of it looks brown now! It's terrible. I will try to prune the brown bits, but I am not sure how it will look..... if it looks terrible, I may just replace it.

I know, I am brutal.... our growing season is so short that I don't have too much time for plants to recover over years!!!!!!!! Sorry.......

CLBlakey, I think this area has to be balanced with a shrub there. Otherwise, it may look a bit off balance.... there are many other areas with flowers or flowering shrubs in my yard, sorry that I didn't show them.

Anyway, thanks again everyone! You have really given me something to think about now.
shazam_z3
10 years ago
Birds nest spruce or other Norway spruce would be very nice. How about a yew?

I remember I planted a dwarf mugo pine many years ago and it just went kaput like yours.
shazam_z3
10 years ago
Another great choice could be the globe blue spruces.
ostrich
Original Author
10 years ago
shazam, thank you!

I just went to prune my little dwarf mugo pine.... oh my goodness, after I have pruned all of those brown bits, half of it is gone!!! Very unsightly indeed.... sigh!

I also saw a globe blue spruce one day and thought that it was very nice too. I have got to look at the dwarf spruces and see if I should just replace this poor thing....

Thank you again!

What would you plant here? Need your suggestions!

Comments (9)

SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC

ostrich
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What would you plant here? Need your suggestions!

Comments (9)

SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC

ostrichOriginal Author

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