Hi mayalena :-)

Oh that is so funny, I remember your first post about the contoneasters. I had to go out and look and think about, did I like them or didn't I? [g] I have been eyeing them all season, suspiciously...lol.

I had just bought a 'coral beauty' in the spring and planted it and it just took off, and I started wondering was it going to be overwhelming? I thought I remembered that they had nice fall foliage, so I was waiting to see. Sure enough, it berried up and the leaves turned colors. It also has a few branches shooting up into the air and looks kind of nice. I don't have it in it's final position. I wanted to put it right on top of a little rise, that has a rock border below it. I am also thinking of putting it up against a cedar stockade fence and see if the vertical branches will continue and look nice against it.

The other issue was whether they just collect the leaves and look messy. Well, they sort of do but so far, I didn't find it hard to pull out a few leaves, and mine is near a maple.

As for your design dilemma, my creative juices are very stagnant right now. [g] My few comments...

I wonder if the cotoneasters will become a chore next to a walkway? To me, they also look best when you can let them take their natural shape and not have to prune them too much. The best position I have seen them in were on the top of a retaining wall, and in front of a large rock, combined with evergreens of some sort.

The small leaf would seem to be contrasted more by a large leaf. I have mine near an oakleaf hydrangea which is also a gorgeous burg/red color right now. Evergreens look great with them too.

I will be interested to hear how others use them too.

Thanks for bringing this up again mayalena.
:-)
Adam

I know what you mean about boxwood foliage needing a contrasting texture to set it off. I planted some little campanula along a row of box, and am now replacing it because of the lack of contrast. I'm using a tiny yellow-edged variegated creeping thyme, which incidently will spill over the brick pathway. Sometimes these aren't as hardy as I expect; if the thyme fails I'll replace it with tunica, which has very fine feathery bright green foliage and blooms for a long period.

A dwarf conifer would provide a good contrast, especially a low-growing one with colorful and/or soft/fine foliage.

As far as the cotoneaster, if it is really prostrate it might be fine with box. Mine tends to arch quite a bit, whatever variety it is wouldn't work with box, but I know they vary a lot.

To balance the Japanese maple you might consider Nandina. I've got one, a dwarf variety, and the foliage is wonderful. I like the graceful vase shape, too, and it seems like it would be a good counterweight to J. maple.

Will you post us some pictures sometime? A celtic cross path sounds wonderful! And I just happen to have a few hundred extra bricks at the moment.

Consider the humble Prunus cistena (Purple Sandcherry) for the balance plant. It is easily pruned to any shape or size, has foliage that is the same hue but not the same color as Japanese Maple, is long-lived, and sets off green leaved plants quite nicely. Blooms are a bonus.

For the cotoneaster, I have a certain prejudice against this plant after having lived with a hedge of it as a child and getting caught in it trying to retrieve a toy. Traumatic. I'm sure it has it's place :-) I happen to like dwarf conifers and if you get a pyramidal shape with a touch of yellow or white foliage I think it would be lovely with the box.

Yes!!!! Pictures, please!!!!!

Martie