The Winter Landscape Although the blooms of summer are a distant memory and the splendor of fall is neatly raked into the compost pile, don’t think that your yard has to be dreary from now until spring. Blooms, bark, berries, and background planting are the secrets of a colorful and interesting winter landscape.

Background Planting
Evergreens are the mainstay of the winter landscape. When the shade and flowering trees and shrubs of spring and summer have entered their winter sleep, it's evergreens that take the stage. Spruce, Cedar, Pine, Hemlock, Arborvitae, Yew and Juniper- there are many beautiful varieties suitable for foundation or specimen planting, windbreaks, screens and groundcover. Some change into their ‘winter wardrobe’ too: "Reingold" Arborvitae takes on a coppery hue, while Junipers like "Bar Harbor" and "Prince of Wales" turn bronzy purple. Don't forget broad-leaved evergreens for texture contrast, plus make use of evergreen perennials like Coral Bells (Heuchera), Thrift (Armeria), Creeping Phlox, Candytuft (Iberis) and varieties of Sedum, for groundcover or edging. A few ornamental grasses such as Blue Fescue retain their color in winter. The foliage and flowers of others, like Miscanthus and Fountain Grass (Pennisetum), dries to a biscuit color and look particularly effective against a snowy backdrop.

Berries
Berry-bearing plants are a boon for birds, as well as being a decorative addition to the winter landscape. Try prickly Pyracantha, colorful Cotoneaster, and hardy Hollies- a must for holiday decorating. Hollies come in many shapes and sizes for all sorts of landscaping situations. Plant a dwarf grower like "Blue Angel" (Ilex meserveae ‘Blue Angel’) as a foundation plant, a medium grower like China Girl (Ilex cornuta ‘China Girl’) as a screen or hedge and a tall grower like "Nellie Stevens" (Ilex) as a specimen. Hollies require a male pollinator for best berry production. Be sure and ask us which pollinator you need for the variety you select.

Bark
The beautiful bark, which many trees and shrubs exhibit, can be seen at its best during winter, when leaves have fallen. Paper Bark Maple (Acer griseum) is a delightful small specimen tree with reddish- brown bark that exfoliates in thin papery sheets. Consider white barked European or Himalayan Birch or water-loving River Birch with its eye-catching grey-brown to cinnamon colored peeling bark. For attractive mottled trunks, plant Stewartia and Crepe Myrtle. The dazzling stems of Red and Yellow Twig Dogwood brighten as the winter progresses. Twig Dogwoods look particularly stunning when planted in groupings in front of evergreen trees.

Blooms
Even in the middle of winter, there are a few plants that will surprise us with flowers. Perennial Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger) has pretty white buttercup-like flowers; its cousin, Lenten Rose (H. orientalis) blooms a little later with flowers ranging from purplish green to white and pink. Both are shade loving, growing slowly to a loose evergreen clump. Witch Hazel (Hammamelis mollis) is a large, multi-stemmed shrub with fragrant late winter blooms in yellow, orange, or red. Other late winter bloomers, all of which are fragrant also, include Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia bealii), Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) and Sweet Box (Sarcoccoca).

Stop by soon and talk to us about helping you plan your landscape to include blooms, berries, bark, and background plantings for winter interest. Your yard will never have the winter doldrums again!

Japanese Pieris

Looking for an easy-care spring-blooming shrub that supplies year-round beauty? Take a look at Japanese Pieris this season!

DESCRIPTION:
Pieris japonica is an upright evergreen shrub with spreading branches. It has the potential to grow 6-8 feet high and 4-6 feet wide. This is an easy to care for four season plant. Except when they emerge in early Spring with a bronzy hue, the leaves of the Pieris are lance-shaped and glossy deep-green throughout the year. The flowers appear in April and last well into May, a good six weeks! The urn-shaped blooms, like those of lily-of-the-valley, hang in heavy, drooping, pendulous clusters that are 3-6 inches long. The fruit is ornamental and will persist through the winter, but it is best to remove the fruit so that the plant will put its energy into developing next year’s flowers.

CULTURE:
Not as fussy as other ericaceous plants like heath and heather, Pieris prefer a moist, well-drained, acidic soil with a pH in the range of 5.0 to 6.0. When planting, amend soil with plenty of Dr. Earth Organic Pro-Biotic Planting Mix, when added to compacted soil to increase drainage and should also be added to sandy soil to enhance water retaining capability. Organic matter like compost should be added to compacted soil to increase drainage and should also be added to sandy soil to enhance water retaining capability. Sulfur may be added to the soil to lower the pH if it is too high. Follow the instructions on the label. After planting, mulch the soil around the base of the plant with two inches of bark mulch, making sure to keep it from touching the trunk of the shrub. Pine bark mulch is a good choice when mulching Pieris because it will acidify the soil as it decomposes.

Pieris like a semi-shady location and will flower best in areas where they receive some sun during the day. Protect all broadleaf evergreens from the prevailing winter winds. If this is not possible, spray them in the winter with Wilt-Pruf, an anti-desiccant, to prevent winter burn. Pieris must be watered frequently during the first year after planting to encourage root growth. The addition of a root stimulator, such as Root Master B-1 with Hormones, at planting time will encourage the plant to quickly create deep strong roots. After becoming established, Pieris are relatively drought tolerant but they do, of course, grow best with consistent adequate moisture. Fertilize Pieris with Dr. Earth Rhododendron, Azalea & Camellia Fertilizer or Holly-tone, full strength in the Spring and half strength in the Fall.

Pruning of Pieris is usually not required. When purchasing, know the ultimate size of the cultivar you desire so that you may choose a suitable location in your landscape where the plant may grow to its full potential. If pruning is necessary, prune immediately after flowering so as not to interfere with the formation of next season’s buds.

DESIGN:
Pieris mix well with shade loving plants that require acidic soils such as azaleas and rhododendrons. Highly diversified in its design use, Pieris works well in a Japanese garden, woodland setting, shrub border, foundation and mass planting. The smaller varieties look great in containers and in rock gardens. Pieris are deer resistant shrubs.

CULTIVARS:
We have a great collection of Pieris cultivars to satisfy the novice as well as the discriminating connoisseur:

‘Brookside’ - New growth on this pieris is chartreuse. It has upright white flowers and a dwarf habit, maturing at only 1 to 2 feet tall.

‘Brower’s Beauty’ – Compact form, 4 feet wide by 6 feet high. This is a heavy bloomer with large trusses of white flowers in the Spring.

‘Cavatine’ - This is a low growing, compact mounding cultivar with white flowers that are held upright on the plant. This pieris blooms slightly later than other cultivars.

‘Dorothy Wycoff’ – Compact form, 4 feet wide by 6 feet high. Dorothy has dark red buds opening to pale pink flowers.

‘Flaming Silver’ - The leaves emerge a brilliant red, turning green with a pink margin and finally becoming green with a silver-white edge. This cultivar matures at 6 feet wide by 6 feet high.

‘Forest Flame’ – Light pink leaves mixed among brilliant red appear after the plant has finished blooming in the Spring. Flowers are white. This Pieris grows 8 to 10 feet tall.

‘Mountain Fire’ – With its vivid fiery-red new growth, clean white flowers and a compact uniform growth habit, this pieris has become increasingly popular in the last few years. ‘Mountain Fire’ pieris matures at 4 feet high by 4 feet wide.

‘Prelude’ – This pieris would make a wonderful addition to any rock garden. It is a dense mounding, low growing cultivar with red new growth that blooms slightly later than most other pieris.

‘Valley Fire’ – The young growth on this vigorous grower is a brilliant red. This cultivar has white flowers that are larger than most other pieris.

‘Valley Valentine’ – What a beauty! This pieris has deep maroon flower buds on pendulous flower stems that open into deep rose-pink, long-lasting flower chains. It is a slow growing cultivar with a compact mounding habit maturing at about 5 feet tall by 6 feet wide.

‘Variegata’ – Attractive leaves are green with white margins. Flowers gracefully droop in white clusters. This Pieris grows to 5 feet tall in the garden or landscape.