In yesterday's post extolling the virtues of late fall foliage I showed a photo of a Vanhoutte spirea. This is a lovely example of an arching, or fountain shaped, plant form. This plant form needs plenty of space to show off, and is ideally placed as a single specimen. However, just don't plant it in the lawn as my photo showed! Why? Well, not only is it a maintenance nightmare having to mow and/or trim around the base of the plant, but you also risk damaging it as a result. A better idea? Create a planting bed and combine the spirea - or any plant with an arching form - with a very low groundcover. This will show the shrub to its' best advantage and allow for easier maintenance.
What would I combine with a Vanhoutte spirea? How about creeping wooly speedwell (Veronica pectinata), shown here. It's drought tolerant - like this particular spirea - has small blue flowers in early summer, and is often evergreen (purple-ish grey) in the winter. Voila', a much better solution!
Treat Yourself
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Still in Leaf!
Prior to our recent high winds there were a number of deciduous woody plants throughout my neighborhood that were still holding on to their foliage---most of them sporting their peak autumn color. Some of these shrubs include burning bush (Euonymus alatus), Vanhoutte-or bridal veil- spirea (Spiraea x vanhouttei) shown here, St. Johnswort (Hypericum), Gro-Low Sumac (Rhus aromatica 'Gro-Low') and many roses (Rosa sp). Ornamental pear trees (Pyrus calleryana) are now in their prime with wonderful red foliage, and my apricot tree (Prunus) was cloaked in gold.
So if you want extended foliage color and texture deep into the fall you might consider adding some of the above mentioned plants to your landscape. In fact, most of these plants are pretty resilient to damage from the early, heavy wet snows that we can sometimes get (with the exception, perhaps, of the pear trees).
Photos taken today show Vanhoutte spirea.
Upcoming Classes and Events
A heads up for those of you who might be interested in learning more about landscape design and/or landscape renovation with a focus on saving water. I will be teaching several classes early next year at Denver Botanic Gardens and I encourage you to register soon either on-line or by phone at 720-865-3580, as classes fill quickly. Click on the links for more info and/or registration for specific events.
The first class, Landscape Design Theory, is on January 13 (Sat), from 9am-4pm. This is an all day lecture that includes a review of historical and contemporary design styles, the elements and principles of artistic design and how they relate specifically to the garden, and the design process used by professionals.
Also on January 13, DBG will have their kick-off for the series of water- smart lectures that they are doing in conjunction with Denver Water. David Salman of Santa Fe Greenhouses will be the guest speaker and there will be tables staffed with industry pros that can answer your questions about plants, irrigation, etc. You will also be able to register for and schedule a future consultation with a landscape designer --- another program that I am involved with!
On February 3, as part of the above mentioned water-smart series, I will be giving a lecture from 10am-noon on renovating your existing landscape to make it more water efficient.
Finally, Lush Landscapes with Less Lawn will be coming on April 7, 9am-noon. This one is not in the catalog yet, but I'll keep you posted.
I hope you can join me for one or more of these events. I really enjoy teaching and public speaking, and my classes are fun and informative---if I do say so myself!!
