Passion for Purple

Yes, I can admit it, I have a passion for purple foliage plants. They are a relief from having nothing but solid green garden foliage.  The choice is amazing. There are 60-foot trees and 6-inch herbaceous perennials, and everything in between. This year I have discovered many more varieties for you to share my purple passion.  'Crimson King' Norway Maple is a beautiful large shade tree with deep reddish-purple leaves that resist fading. Trees can attain a height of 50 feet, but will take their time in their lofty pursuits.  ‘Crimson Sentry’ is a narrow variety of this plant, growing to 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide.  Purple Beech (Fagus sylvatica), ‘Purple Fountain’, ‘Red Oblisk’ and ‘Tricolor’ are 3 unusual varieties we are trying.  For a couple of uncommon and unusual purple woody plants, there are smokebush and a few crabapple varieties. Smokebush is a 10 to 15 foot multi-stemmed shrub with feathery, smoke-like "flowers" in summer. Cultivars like 'Royal Purple' and 'Velvet Cloak' command attention in and out of bloom. The cultivar 'Nordine' may be more reliably cold hardy. However, the foliage of 'Nordine' is more bronze-purple rather than the deep red-purple of the other cultivars. There are several varieties of crabapples with purplish new growth, like 'Robinson', ‘Royalty, ‘Pink Spires’ and 'Prairiefire'. These vary in habit and range in mature height from 12 to 25 feet, but all are relatively disease resistant and provide attractive flowers in spring. Purple-leaf Japanese maples and 'Forest Pansy' redbud complete the list of woody plants with purple foliage. All of these are exceptional, slow-growing trees in the landscape. They are more site-specific than the other woody plants mentioned, requiring a protected site in partial shade and moist, fertile soils that are well drained.  Other purple foliage plants are the 'Schubert' or 'Canada Red' chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) and sandcherry (Prunus x cistena). While the chokecherry may grow 15 to 20 feet tall, the sandcherry is about half that size. Both are often over-used in the landscape due to their fast growth, durability, and tolerance of poor sites. Their only site requirements are plenty of sun and a well-drained soil. Barberry is another readily available shrub with purple foliage. Cultivars like 'Crimson Pygmy' and 'Rosy Glow' add color (and thorns) to the landscape. 'Crimson Pygmy' is a rounded, dwarf form reaching 2 to 3 feet tall, while 'Rosy Glow' is more upright at 5 feet. 'Rosy Glow' has pink-streaked new growth that contrasts with the darker purple areas of the leaves. This list only includes some of our purple trees and shrubs. (I also like the chocolate leaf varieties almost as much)  Of course, we have many purple leaf perennials such as coral bells and herbs such as purple leaf basil. Here’s hoping you share the passion.

Designing your yard

Each yard has its unique character.  It does not matter if you are in a new house with a completely blank canvas with which to work, or you have an existing landscape that needs updating.  There are so many variables such as lot size, house size and/or style and even the orientation of the house or lot.  Whether you are doing your own design or working with someone else to develop a base plan, you need to first ask yourself how the area will be used.  Think of your yard as a series of outdoor rooms.  Define the areas to be used for entertaining, privacy, or retreat as well as play areas for children, pet needs such as a dog run, vegetable or flower gardens and practical areas such as storage or garbage and recycling.  Consider access from the driveway or garage to the backyard or front door.  Consider the amount of area you wish to have as lawn if any.  Consider the amount of time you wish to devote to your garden.  We are all busy and even if you are an avid gardener, you want a good design that will allow as much low maintenance as possible.  Think about flower or leaf color and texture in your garden areas for year-round interest.  Consider your budget.  This is not an inexpensive project.  If you design it correctly, then the maintenance costs such as water use, labor and materials will be less down the road.  You want your garden to be beautiful, so allow the poet in your soul to come out.  A well-designed, useful, environmentally friendly garden can also be beautiful.   Your design should take into consideration ways to reduce water use such as mulches, smaller lawns, hardy plants, drip irrigation, etc. Consider the environmental responsibility of your garden such as the source of materials used, their durability, maintenance and how the plantings will increase the energy efficiency of your house.  Remember, even though the initial cost of the project may seem high, you will see the cost returned in improved property value for everything you put into your home.  Above all, do not let yourself be overwhelmed.  If you are doing the work yourself, pick one area at a time to work to completion.  After you have made these decisions or answered these questions, you can sit down and draw up a basic outline using the dimensions of your yard or work with a professional to draw up a landscape design.

Watering newly planted trees and shrubs

We get so many calls about new plantings that are not doing well and it is usually a water issue.  You need to water, but not too much and not too little. It's difficult for us to recommend a standard watering program because of variations in soil conditions, natural precipitation, temperature and a plant's moisture needs. Every yard is different. Over- watering, however, probably is the most common cause of death for newly transplanted trees and shrubs. If a plant is planted correctly and watered in, it will usually not need water for several days.  Here is a simple test from C.S.U. Cooperative Extension to help you determine when to water.  Until you know from experience, dig carefully 6-8”near the root zone, and squeeze a handful of soil. If it is damp enough to form a ball, no water is necessary. If it falls apart easily, water. Don't worry if the top few inches are dry. Roots need air almost as much as they need moisture. Frequent watering saturates the soil and suffocates the roots. Encourage maximum plant growth by deep but infrequent watering. Watch trees and shrubs, especially those near lawn sprinklers, for over-watering stress. Leaves may yellow and wilt, just as if they lacked water. You may also mulch root zones to reduce temperature extremes and to decrease fluctuations in soil moisture. Mulching helps shallow-rooted young plants survive the winter.  Fall and winter care is especially critical to first-year plantings. Our long fall season often creates drought conditions followed by sudden deep freezes. If you water enough during these late dry spells, plants are less subject to winterkill. Water deeply during prolonged winter dry spells, even when plants are dormant.