Check out more garden sites by clicking on the F.F. link to the right
An effective garden generally makes use of layering techniques. By choosing appropriately sized (when mature) plant materials, one can create a a spectacular garden that gives the impression of being much larger than it actually is. These choices are not always the easiest to make, especially when dealing with young plants that will change size and shape remarkably over the years. That's where a chain saw comes in handy, especially since one tends to plant too densely anyway. Most gardeners are familiar with the process of layering in the perennial bed. When dealing with trees and shrubs that need many years of growth, one has to engage any available 'powers that be' to imagine the finished project. It is also wise to take textures into consideration since by doing so, one takes advantage one of the most powerful forces in gardening.
For the "final exam", there is no better time to consider one's efforts than during the fall color season. The view above keeps improving by the day, even though all of today's photos were taken from under a large umbrella during a downpour... (the light was quite spectacular). Below is the same view (may be enlarged) and I've labled the plants that can be seen in the composition. Always remember that a tree doesn't have to be situated immediately next to its 'foil' as it were... it's the long view that counts the most. If I may, I'll paraphrase from Wikipedia in a manner that suits my purposes for today...
"In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight various features of the other character's personality, thus throwing those characteristics into sharper focus.
By observing the various colors, I can also observe how the forms and textures interplay with one another. The most distant layer that can easily be observed is the four Whitespire birch clumps in my birch walk. These easily reach a height that is greater than any of the other players in this composition. The center of the grouping is Fagus sylvatica 'Purple Fountain' which is one of the weeping european beeches. It is for many years a narrow form with purple foliage and will be quite ancient before it outgrows this placement. To its left, one of the birches can be seen, and to it's right Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia' or the fernleaf beech introduces a much more rounded form with a layered appearance and contrasting foliage which is quite unlike any of the other members of the grouping. Pyramidal arborvitaes provide evergreen focal points, two large vase shaped flowering crabs (foliage has dropped already) frame either side of the composition. To the front are a rounded Ludwig Spaethe lilac and a shorter vase shaped Royal Star magnolia. To the left and much closer to the viewer is a vase shaped paperback maple grown as a clump. At this juncture, perennials bring the viewer's eye to ground level, but I hope to eventually incorporate smaller statured japanese maples and dwarf conifers in front of the scene pictured above, thus adding yet another layer to the composition.
Now for more garden color updates. I am witnessing quite a bit of variation in my four acer griseums. The one pictured here is orange in tone as its color becomes more pronounced each day...Another one actually has a pinkish hue to it, but the photo was blurry so I'll perhaps show that in another post.
The color change in Acer palmatum 'Sherwood Flame' is also impressive over the past couple days...
This...
...has become... this...
... and now... it's this...!
Tamukeyama is following a similar course and has become an even brighter red that I've displayed here (today's photo was out of focus and unusable).
This year's magnolia foliage is the best I've seen in seven years... following are some examples of what Is happening color wise. Many magnolias can display lovely shades of chartreuse in a good year while others are more gold or golden yellow. Here are more photos of the Kobus called 'White Rose'... to the back is 'Yellow Lantern' which tends to start out in the more chartreuse category but eventually moves into the gold shades. The ginko is 'October Glory' and there is a young tricolor beech between the latter two plants.
"White Rose' (so named because of it's abundance of precocious small, many petaled pure white rose-like blooms in spring) from a different perspective...
A good example of a magnolia that involves various stages of chartreuse to yellow coloring is Loebneri 'Spring Snow' just to the right of the center in the following photo...
There is so much more color to show, but I'll draw things to a close for now with Quercus dentata or Japanese emperor oak, often also referred to as Daimio oak. I love this tree with its huge leaves and wonderful fall color. I've read that it is a fast grower to 75', but that's not the case with mine since it competes for moisture with some very large and thirsty siberian elms. Despite its desire for moist soils, my oak is doing quite well and I like it the most during the fall...
Take care, Larry
Take care, Larry
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét