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Pruning and topping your trees

By Jim Mathwig

Friday, January 29th, 2010

pruning2 If you are fortunate enough to have a small forest of trees in your yard you might wonder how you can contain them. Trees can be both a very beautiful part of a landscape and very effective at blocking out much desired sun. How should you go about altering them or simply maintaining them? In most cases what is best for the tree is best for the homeowner. Sometimes the needs of man and nature collide. Here are some basic principals:

The best pruning is ongoing, throughout the life of the tree. It is great fun to plant a small tree and live at that location long enough to see it grow into a big one. By selective thinning you can pick which branches to keep and by removing others channel plant energy into remaining ones.
Ongoing pruning can control tree size, stimulate healthy flower and fruit growth, and shape the tree into traditional or unique forms.
If you are on the early side of landscaping and planning, select tree sizes based upon their mature size. Trees planted too close to a house rarely seem so when planted from a 2 or 5 gallon container.

Pruning Tips

Branches 1″ or less are cut with hand or long handles pruning shears with a single cut next to the base of the tree. Remove dead and unwanted branches, and some of those that are grouped too close together.
Larger branches are cut by hand or chainsaw by first under cutting as much as 1/3 of the branch, about 2″ out from desired cut line. Make a second cut from the top down just outside your first undercut. Then cut from top down at planned location. This helps prevent bark splitting.
When branches split or bark is pealed apply tree salve. Sometimes a wrapping is necessary.

What if I want to top my trees?

Tree topping is hard on trees. Tree topping can help bring light into your property, but severe topping weakens trees, making them more vulnerable to insects and disease. Topping is a reasonable choice if you are open to losing the tree if the tree doesn’t react well to the pruning. Some trees do survive and even thrive after a topping but you have to assume the risk of losing the tree.
Consider instead how limbing lower dead and insignificant branches can help bring in low angled winter light and general thinning throughout might bring in pinpoints of light.
You may benefit from removing some of your trees to bring in light or a betterview of your house from the street. Emotionally it is hard to let go of a full grown tree. Sometimes it opens up a whole new world for your yard and home.

Trees do not look as tall as they really are from the ground. What seems like a simple task in pruning and branch removal can be a colossal chore and may be beyond the scope of work a homeowner can safely do. Consider the advice and services of a recommended tree professional (arborist) for any projects above head height and of any substantial scope.

JR Mathwig Builders on HelpHive

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Rose pruning season starts on Valentine’s Day

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Rose pruning season is almost upon us so here are some hints to get your roses in the best shape for beautiful summer blooms.

When to Prune Roses

Traditionally the dormant season rose pruning is started around Valentine’s Day and continues through May in the PNW. One rule of thumb I use is to prune when the daffodils start blooming because then you know that the soil temperatures have reached the point to initiate bud growth.

How to Prune Roses

The Right tools. Use CLEAN sharp pruners for the cuts made to canes and clean sharp loppers or a small pruning saw to remove any and all dead or old, unproductive canes. You don’t want ragged cuts since you will be pruning close to new buds so make sure your tools are sharp. Using clean tools is also important so as not to transfer any disease or microbes to the roses from other plants you may have previously been using your pruners on. Dipping your pruners, loppers and saw into a bleach and water solution or wiping them clean with rubbing alcohol will kill off transferable diseases. If you have had problems with black spot or powdery mildew remove any leaves that have stayed on through the winter. Also clean up any dead leaves from the ground under the plant and put them in your clean green container to get them off the property rather than compost them if you do back yard composting. Then be sure to re-dip or wipe your tools between pruning each plant to reduce the chances of infecting a healthy plant.

The Right cut. No matter the kind of rose the right cut is essential for a healthy bud and future flower. To start you should not prune your roses in the fall as the flowers start to die and the rose produces hips (those red to orange seed large seed pods that develop on some roses after blooming) Research has shown that removing the hips and pruning too early makes you plant more susceptible to disease and winter die back and that the hips produce a type of “anti-freeze” for the plant so it is better able to withstand cold winters with less die back and bud loss. So leave them alone through the winter for best results and healthier plants. When it is time to prune follow the guidelines below for the type of roses you will be pruning and remember to always cut to approximatley a quarter inch from only outward facing buds on any pruning cut – you do not want to encourage inward growth to the center of the plant. A rule of thumb to help guide you to the right size of open shaped plant is to have enough open space on the interior of the plant that you could set a basket ball down inside the plant and the basketball would be held foot or so off the ground. Also be sure not to cut to close, or to far, from the bud you are cutting to – too close and it may die back into the bud, too far and you may be left with a stub that will be susceptible to disease and allows as easy entry for systemic problems.

Different Rose, Different Pruning Approaches

Hybrid Tea Roses. These are the type of roses that produce the large flowers and usually one per stem. These roses you want to prune according to the size of the canes (stems or ’branches’) you have available. A small cane approximately the size of a pencil should be pruned back to four to six inches from the graft – which is at the bottom of the plant and identified by a swelling at the base of the canes. (this is where the rose was budded onto a root stock). Medium canes around the size of your forefinger should be pruned down to about eight to twelve inches from the graft. Larger canes that are thumb sized or larger should be pruned at around two feet from the graft. If you don’t see any buds to cut to on a large cane just cut back as far as you can to the lowest visible union – this is where a bud will come from as the season progresses. The desired effect is to limit your plant to four or five of the healthiest and newest canes so that you have an open, vase shaped plant with lots of room for air circulation and space for the flowers to bloom and not be touching each other.

Floribunda and Polyanthus Roses. These are the types of roses that produce lots of flowers per stem. These are easy to prune, simply head the canes back to an outward facing bud about twelve to eighteen inches from the graft while also removing old canes and leaving an open center and space between the canes

Climbing Roses. These are usually the most confusing of all roses when it comes to pruning because of the mass of the plant climbing over your trellis or wall, but they actually pretty easy to prune. Limit the canes to about four or six healthy, young green canne and remove the surplus. These canes are your structure for the plant and so you only need to cut the main canes to fit the surface you are growing the plant on. Don’t cut as severely as you do with the other types, because a climbing rose produces canes one year and they do not flower until the second year. So if you cut it back severely, there will be no flowers until the next season. The growth that develops off the main canes should be cut back to a second or third growth bud, usually making it only about two or three inches long. You want the new flower buds to be close to the main canes with buds on as many available offshoots as possible for that full gorgeous look.

After Spring Pruning

Add compost. Once your pruning is finished add a half inch of compost around the plants base – DO NOT pile the compost up against the main stem (graft) that comes out of the soil – in the wet PNW this will cause rot at the base of the plant. Leave about an inch of space of just bare soil close to the main stem and spread the compost to about two feet in circumference around the plant. The compost will work it’s way into the soil and is there to feed the feeder roots that are just under the top layer of soil. Don’t fertilize yet as this may promote early growth that could be damaged in a surprise frost or cold snap.
Summer Pruning. As your roses bloom you will need to do some summer pruning called ‘deadheading’ to encourage more blooms and we will discuss these methods in a future post.

Rose pruning can be daunting since there are some rules to follow that don’t apply to most garden pruning and a recommended professional gardener can be a real help for having this early Spring chore done quickly and correctly.

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Plants for great Fall color

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Fall is a season of glorious color but it can be fleeting sometimes!

Here’s a list of plants that are known for having amazing color changes, will last longer than just until the first windstorm, and are great looking plants in your summer garden as well.

Fall is also one of the best times of the year to plant – you can go to the nursery, purchase and plant, and know what color your getting! This makes it easy to choose the right fall color plants for your garden.

KATSURA- I have mentioned this plant in a previous post and I put it first in this list – The dry leaves when shuffled thru (or when you are raking them up) smell like cotton candy! The various colors during the change is what I love the most about this tree – as some of it’s leaves are still green, some are fading yellow and others into reds and purples (depending on which species you plant)…all happening at once!

FOTHERGILLA (Mt. Airy) - Mt. Airy is the mid-sized version of this amazing Fall color plant. It’s considered to be the best one for various changes in the leaves. There are also dwarf and larger versions that can be used for drama, as a back drop plant or as spots of color. It also has a 3-4″ cone flower in summer.

RHUS (Sumac) – The Rhus family is large… And here in the Northwest we usually plant the Staghorn or Lace leaf varieties but all Sumac species thrive in almost any soil as long as they are well drained. The females have the red cone seed pod that birds love.

STEWARTIA – These trees are happy in organically enriched, slightly acid and woodland gardens so they are a perfect understory tree for a woodsy garden. There are a few different species but all are slow growing, all season performers. They have large white flowers in the spring and beautiful glossy leaves for the Spring and Summer, amazing fall color in the Fall and, depending on the species, smooth bark that flakes off in varying degrees (like a birch) with patterns of different colors.

BLUEBERRIES- Gorgeous purple fruit high in antioxidants that even kids love to eat plus gorgeous fall color to boot – need I say more?

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Fall Garden Clean Up – Part 2

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Part 2 of my series on Fall Garden Cleanup – if you missed part 1, read about fall lawncare, readying perennials, fertilizing and mulching in the fall garden before continuing!

Pruning: Many people let the garden go late into the summer and then do their pruning of summer growth during their fall cleanup. Fall is not a good time to prune. There are a small host of plants that can be pruned in the fall but, in general, you don’t want to do any big pruning in the Fall. All your Spring or Summer flowering shrubs should have been pruned by now. Your deciduous trees and shrubs will be running sap as they go dormant for the Winter so Fall is a very detrimental time to prune them. (Maples especially! their sap runs fast – why do you think we use them to make syrup?!) Wait until winter for the deciduous plants.

If you prune any of your Spring flowering shrubs in fall you will be pruning off where the buds have set up for the coming Springs bloom. If you have to make some cuts then just cut what is really in the way (e.g. if you have a few branches that grew over the phone line this summer and your worried a winter snow on those branches might put undue weight on the lines), finishing the rest when Winter sets in.

Weeding: Fall is one of the best times of the year to weed! Weed control is all about getting to the weeds before they set seed. Summer blooming weeds are full of seeds that are drying on the vine – the next wind or rain will scatter them far and wide. So concentrate on getting those weeds in the Fall! And get to any that are in bloom or done blooming as soon as you can so they don’t scatter seeds. Learning when certain trouble weeds bloom and eradicating them before they do is a great way to substantially reduce weed problems.

Plant bulbs: Wait until Oct., at the earliest, to plant bulbs – especially for an El Nino Winter (which is predicted for winter 2009). Bulbs need to be kept chilled until you plant them, in a garage or a shady spot that gets no sun at all. Then they should not be put in the ground until the soil temps are constantly low enough to keep the bulbs from warming and thinking it is time to grow.

One good rule of thumb for proper planting depth to follow is to plant the bulb half as deep as the height of the flower that bulb will produce. So a short little 3 inch Crocus should only be planted 1.5 inches deep and a tall 1 foot tulip should be planted 6 inches deep.

Enjoy: If you have been working on achieving diversity in your garden, then you’ll have a large array of plants that will be putting on their best show this time of year as they change into winter outfits. Color changes, berries from summer flowers, seed pods with dew and scents all have their best moments in the fall.

Here’s a tip for a great tree to plant if you like scents in the garden and gorgeous fall color; The dried fallen leaves of the Katsura tree ( Cercidiphyllum japonicum) smell like cotton candy when shuffled through! I kid you not – and it is strong, not one of those “oh I kinda smell it” smells! The fall leaf colors of this tree are also amazing!

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Fall Garden Clean Up – Part 1

Monday, September 28th, 2009

Fall is here and it’s almost time for the fall clean up in the garden to begin!

Here’s Part 1 of my easy list to get the garden ready “for bed” before the winter:

Lawn: If you read my earlier post on plants to stop planting in the Pacific Northwest, you know what I think big, perfectly green lawns….but if you do have a lawn and you watered it sparingly through the hot summer months, you are probably noticing that it’s greening up on its own now that fall rains have started.

The lawn is coming out of it’s natural dormancy period right now and that makes it a great time to rake out the thatch from this summer and give it a fertilizing. Fall is the best time to fertilize the lawn; be sure to use organic fertilizer (because we’re feeding the soil, not the grass itself), follow the rate on the bag as a guide, however, don’t worry about fancy applicators or applying exactly the amount on the bag – just throw it liberally down and water it well.

Fertilizing the Gardens: In general a mature garden that is being mulched on a regular basis will not need any supplemental fertilizing – too much can create unnatural growth that is unhealthy and unsustainable. If things are not as green or lush as you’d like, then try a year of mulching and proper watering before you use fertilizers. If there is a deficiency in the soil and the plants still look “sick”, consult a professional landscaper to help you diagnose the problem. Throwing fertilizers around usually hurts more than helps. In a new landscape the soil should have been fertilized upon planting and can be gently fertilized the next fall as well – usually two to three ”doses” of an organic fertilizer coupled with regular mulching is enough to restart the natural biotic web of food production in the root zone that then will sustain itself with regular mulching.

Perennials: Cutting back the perennials is a standard of fall clean up but needs to be done at the right time for the best growth for the next year. Remember that the leaves of your daylily or daisy etc. are making food for storage during the winter, so should be left on as long as they are green. Cutting back the whole plant after it is done flowering robs the plant of this important food gathering time so wait until they die back on their own or the first frost browns them. You can, of course, leave the foliage on the plant until Spring as the dead foliage is the plants natural protector from cold – but some find it unsightly and it can create a habitat for slugs and other critters to overwinter – so better to cut it back when it is ready and then mulch for a cleaned up garden look.

Leaves: Once all the leaves have come down you can either use them for mulch thru the winter or compost them. Be sure to rake them off of the tops of plants and shake them off of the shrubs. To use as mulch, spread the leaves to a depth of no more than 2-3 inches on the bare soil areas of your garden. Leaves do an excellent job of protecting your soil from harsh winter rains and protecting the shallow root zone of perennials and bulbs. But don’t smother your perennials with leaves. Rather just apply them as mulch right up to the perennials base. In severe cold weather save a pile of leaves in a compost heap that you can place on top of perennials (and remove when the worst has passed!). In the Spring, when the first bulbs start to come up, rake up all the leaves and pile them to compost and mix into the soil when you do future planting or transplanting.

In part 2, I’ll cover fall pruning, weeds and bulb planting along with a tip on one of my favorite trees! Stay tuned…

Posted in Landscape & Garden, Lawn Care, Tree Care | 1 Comment »

LOW-STRESS LANDSCAPING – Less Work, More Enjoyment

By Mike Lee

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

mikelee-landscape

Your landscape probably uses more of your time and water than it should. Fall is the best time of the year to do something about it. Before you start on a garden makeover, though, do what the advice columnists often urge: get professional help.

Start with a landscape architect or designer who knows Northwest plants and the meaning of ‘low maintenance’. While the best references come from people you know, you can easily find a full selection of designers through sites such as HelpHive. Ask your candidates about their design philosophy and experience with projects such as yours.

While plants are the key to lower maintenance, you will want to take care of your non-plant issues as well. Do these before you even consider planting. You don’t want to tear through your new garden to re-do a drain or expand the patio. This is why we draw plans.

Among the topics your plan should address:

Existing problems with drainage or erosion, broken walks, steps, fences.
Steep slopes.
View control.
Circulation.

While creating your easy-going garden, keep these pointers in mind:

Think ‘drought-hardy‘. Low water use is key to low maintenance. When you aren’t watering, there is less opportunity for weeds. In the un-watered garden, drought-tolerant plants are crucial. And don’t worry about a desert-like effect. There are thousands of plants of every color and form that flourish here without watering.
Re-think grass. Lawn takes a lot of water and work. If you can cut the grass, so to speak, you will eliminate all that mowing, edging, fertilizing while cutting off the biggest water-hog in your household. Grass on steep slopes is silly. Replacing a steep lawn with walls and drought-hardy plantings is one of the best landscape investments you can make.
Drop the formality. Crisp hedges and rows of shrubs trimmed into artificial shapes are the ultimate in high-maintenance. Also, most plants don’t automatically need to be trimmed. Getting comfortable with a natural look will cut work and make your garden friendlier.
Choose your plants carefully. That cute potted pine tree planted under the eaves will cause you a lot of grief one day. Hacking it back every year is hard on both of you and makes the plant increasingly ugly. Likewise, a shade plant frying in full sun will look pitiful, if it survives at all. Find out what plants need before you choose.
Think again. Other landscape features and details are waiting to lure you into a lifetime of toil. Beware of these potential problems:
- Rockeries can be lovely, but are magnets for grass and weeds , which root deeply between the stones. Block walls are the low-maintenance alternative.
- Ponds and water features need regular attention. Water is a wonderful element in a garden, so of course you want it. Just keep the water feature small and simple.
- Low, carpeting groundcovers are usually not deep enough to smother out weeds. Instead , use plants that grow at least a six inches deep.
- Give yourself-and your neighbors a break from the noise of ‘weed whacking’. If you must have grass, keep it away from walls, rockeries and other un-mowable edges.
- Fruits and vegetables need plenty of water, so keep them ( and any other water-loving plants you can’t live without), in separate beds from the rest of your garden. Drought-hardy plants may resent water once they are established.

Now to turn that labor-intensive landscape into your low-maintenance paradise!

? Re-think grass. Lawn takes a lot of water and work. If you can cut the grass, so to speak, you will eliminate all that mowing, edging, fertilizing while cutting off the biggest water-hog in your household. Grass on steep slopes is silly. Replacing a steep lawn with walls and drought-hardy plantings is one of the best landscape investments you can make.

Colvos Creek Nursery and Landscape Design on HelpHive

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The Fall Tuneup: Preparing your Home for Winter

By Jim Mathwig

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

What are the things that you can do to protect your home from the ravages of winter? What things can save you time and effort later? Here are some reminders that go a long way toward a worry free winter and coming into the spring in good shape.

Your roof: The roof of your home is the most important protection from the weather. If you can safely get up on a ladder to look from it or even get onto your roof you will notice more. Even from the ground look for loose or curled shingles, buildups of fallen debris in valleys or against gutters, and excessive moss. You might also inspect for water stains in your attic. Look at your ceiling around the house for any signs of leaks. You will want your gutters and downspouts clean, and free of leaks or damage. Any shingles needing repair and flashing needing roof cement should be done even if larger long term work is needed in the dry season. Overhanging branches should be pruned back. If the work exceeds what you can safely and correctly do contract the services of a professional roofer, roof and gutter cleaning service, or arborist.

Siding: If your siding is in generally good shape and is appropriately painted or sealed, look around windows and trim for places that need recaulking. If your siding is very close to the ground it may get splashed with mud and water. If the bottom boards seem dirty, consider cleaning and repainting just the bottom couple feet. You will get a lot of protection for your effort. Look for entry points for birds, bats, and rodents that may need repair.

Plumbing: You may have frost free hosebibbs. Even these can freeze if it gets cold enough. Consider any protection you need.

Yard: Look for containers that collect water that need to be removed or turned over. Cleanup or remove things that are easy now but will be a mess come spring. Look for overall yard drainage. Does water from downspouts lead away from house? Are there low spots or places against the house that need a reworked escape route? Store summer furniture in a dry place. Plan your pruning. Some trees and bushes may be pruned as early as September, but for most November is better. Do you want to give any garden beds a tilling before winter? Remember those bulbs you always planned to plant in the fall. Those with lawns may want to give an application of winterizer fertilizer.

Heat source: Furnaces filters should be changed. You may be due for a service call. Woodstoves with any creosote buildup will need stovepipe cleaning. Do you need a professional? Electric baseboards should be vacuumed.

Other winter needs: You may need to line up snowplow services, call a landscape maintenance company for a one time yard cleanup after all the leaves fall, or have your septic tank pumped mid-winter. If you live in Seattle you might want to plan a January getaway to someplace below the 35th latitude line.

JR Mathwig Builders on HelpHive

Posted in Chimney & Fireplace Service, Drainage & Waterproofing, Gutter Cleaning, Handyman, Heating, Cooling & Ventilation, Landscape & Garden, Lawn Care, Major Appliance Repair, Roof Cleaning, Roofing & Gutters | No Comments »

Top 10 Plants…To Stop Planting! (Part 2)

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Part 2 of my post on the top 10 plants to stop planting in Pacific Northwest gardens. Although a number of these apply pretty much anywhere! If you missed my first post, see the first 5 plants on my list to stop planting in Pacific Northwest gardens. And read on for the next 5!

Grass (as in your lawn) We’ve been hearing this for years and sorry but it’s true – the cost and impact of a lawn are tremendous: water, fertilizer, gas, oil, pollution, lawn mower repairs, blade sharpening, bags for grass cuttings and extra fees if you fill up your yard waste bin – and that’s just what it takes just to have one of those lawns that goes brown during the 3 months of summer when you’re most likely to be out on it! Time to get creative people!

Heuchera- (Coral Bells) The varieties of new Huechera that have been available the last few years are amazing. These are truly beautiful plants, but it’s time to keep them out of garden beds and only use them in containers or as annual color spots. Two reasons: they are really susceptible to cyclamen grub – if you’ve ever tugged on one while pruning off a spent flower only to have it pop out of the ground like it was just sitting on top of the soil – well, that was because all the roots were eaten off by cyclamen grub. Also the newer varieties are fragile and won’t live through most winters. Don’t pay for perennial plants that die in the winter.

Plants pruned into boxes, shapes, and square hedges -This is what they call “Shear Madness”. Formal hedging should be used only at the entries to court buildings, libraries, college campuses and at DisneyWorld. The time required for proper maintenance is costly, especially if done right and not just chopped at with an electric or gas hedge trimmer. If you plant the right plant in the right place and give it the proper space you will only need light seasonal pruning.

In the vegetable garden - Zucchini, Corn and Potatoes- These vegetables require a ton of space and water – and are just not worth it unless of course you have a huge vegetable garden with all the space in the world. But for the small backyard gardener (who has wisely ripped out most of the lawn and turned it over to being a small back yard vegetable patch!) these vegetables are not worth your precious space. Since they are so cheap to buy use your beds to save you money by planting things that will produce a lot of food in a small space like bush beans, lettuce, spinach, herbs, carrots, beets, radishes, and cabbages. And don’t forget the vining plants that you can grow vertically in the same beds like tomatoes, pole beans, peas, cucumbers and grapes.

Bamboo – This amazing plant is just too dangerous to let get loose in your backyard garden. Even clumping varieties with proper barriers installed can cause problems eventually. Bamboo can be an excellent addition to the garden but keep it in a pot on a deck or patio so it never gets free. Or you can insert pots of bamboo into the garden for texture – just be sure to lift the pot a few times a year and cut off any roots trying to sneak out. Bamboo planted in a pot will live for years and you can divide them every few years in 4ths and double your pots of bamboo in no time – creating that grove you always wanted – just on your patio!

Do you have plants you feel aren’t worth the investment? I’d love to hear ‘em! Post a comment and share your thoughts…

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Top 10 Plants…To Stop Planting! (Part 1)

Monday, August 10th, 2009

YES, I am going there… And will be completely honest about the plants I would really love to not see in a Pacific Northwest Garden again.

Two of these plants are actually on my top ten favorite plants of all time! But I’ve had it with their messes, needs, problems and overuse. You want to save some money and some time? Get these plants out of your garden and have a professional landscaper replace them with low maintenance alternatives! And if you have gardeners who take care of your plantings for you this will cut down on their time in the garden as well.

Ceanothus

Ceanothus (California Wild Lilac) – boy do I love it’s bloom – but over time the lower limbs die off as this plant gets bigger. Pruning destroys it’s natural form which is part of it’s beauty. It also does not like a cold winter and since they are usually used as either hedge material or focal points this can mean a big loss in a cold winter.

Evergreen Magnolias - I know – How can I include them!? But these trees shed leaves all the time, their leaves don’t break down easily and if left to pile up, are so heavy and big that they ruin any plantings below. Magnolias are also another plant that should be pruned very lightly (if ever) and rarely are afforded the right space to grow to maturity without any pruning. Even you’ve got the space, they will “self prune”. Inside branches will die off from lack of light as the canopy gets higher. Magnolias are a very soft wood and are prone to damage in even light winds.

Phormium (Flax) These plants have become all the rage and they are definitely striking - years ago they were considered annuals but hardier breeding and temperature changes have allowed many of them to live across many seasons and even bloom. However, one long cold snap like the winter of 2008 in Seattle and it’s over for these warm weather plants. Plus, if there is steady wind their tips are always brown, bent and damaged. It
Phormium

can take up to an hour to properly clean up a large one.

Hybrid Tea Roses- Again, multiple problems here; bugs, rust, powdery mildew, black spots, rotten buds……and the many dollars and hours spent combating all of these just to get a rose bloom that will be wiped out as soon as it rains. Unless roses are given perfect siting, (which is frankly an unattractive spacing of plants with no other plants around), soil requirements and maintenance, they always end up with an ailment of some kind.

Hebes- This one I will definitely miss. Having said that, I’ll soft pitch this one – go for it and use them again if you don’t mind the probable cost of replacement in a colder than normal winter. This last winter of 2008 was cold enough to wipe out many of the various kinds of Hebe with some of the most desirable being the most easily lost to a frigid death. These plants have become very popular with good reason the last few years so consultation with a nursery person or landscaper on which ones can still be used with some confidence might be a wise move.

Check back on Wednesday for the next five on my list!

Phormium (Flax) These plants have become all the rage and they are striking - years ago they were considered annuals but hardier breeding and temperature changes have allowed many of them to live acreoss many seasons and even bloom. However, one long cold snap like the winter of 2008 in Seattle and it’s over for these warm weather plants. Plus if there is steady wind their tips are always brown, bent and damaged. It can up to an hour toproperly clean up a large one.