The Right-Size Flower Garden. Kerry Ann Mendez
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A lovely kitchen garden designed by Ellen Ecker Ogden.
An inviting, landscaped fire pit by Julie Moir Messervy.
This jaw-dropping tropical display welcomes visitors for a cool drink under the shade pergola, a design masterpiece by Steve Silk.
Sweet shade. You might also want to consider adding a shade-enhancing pergola to mitigate a stifling afternoon sun. This can be attached to the house or be self-supporting. You can install a retractable awning as your shade source or use climbing plants such as honeysuckle, wisteria, Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia), bougainvillea, chocolate vine (Akebia), climbing roses, golden hop (Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’) or ‘Sweet Summer Love’ clematis (a pink summer blooming, sterile alternative to ‘Sweet Autumn’ clematis). Be sure to check with your local Extension office, however, to see if any of these are invasive in your area. Some fast growing annual vines include morning glory, moon flowers (a white, fragrant, evening flowering member of the morning glory family), hyacinth bean, black-eyed Susan vine, scarlet runner bean or cup and saucer vine (Cobaea scandens). A word to the wise: Don’t be afraid to play lion tamer and prune plants as needed that boast rapid growth as one of their attributes.
A smashing, easy-care hedge of ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas.
A little privacy, please. Perhaps the need for privacy now has become an issue for you. The cute little game of peek-a-boo we played with infants has taken on an uncomfortable slant. “Pulling the blinds” can be accomplished with plants, fencing or a combination of both. First, decide if you need year-round screening or just during certain months of the year. When selecting plants for creating a hedge, remember to consider whether it’s evergreen or deciduous, as well as its mature height and width. For example, two commonly sold arborvitaes (an evergreen shrub) are ‘Green Giant’, which grows to 40'–60' tall and 12'–18' wide and ‘Emerald Green’ that only reaches 6'–10' tall and 3'–4' wide. Both look pretty similar when sold as young shrubs. But in the long run, size DOES matter.
If part of the hedge’s role is to keep out unwanted visitors like cats, dogs and two-legged trespassers, then go for thorny barriers. Possibilities include roses (rugosa are particularly spikey), Aralia, gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa, edible fruit), Mahonia, firethorn (Pyracantha), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), barberries, hollies and many spruces and junipers. Once again, check with local Extension offices to see if any of these are considered invasive in your region.
A fall photo of my backyard showing a privacy hedge of arborvitae ‘Emerald Green’ planted the prior year.
Narrow Evergreen Plants for Hedges
AMERICAN BOXWOOD
Buxus sempervirens
‘Graham Blandy’
Zones 5 – 9 ♦ Sun to Shade
6' – 8' tall, 2' wide
Spring flowers: inconspicuous
Attributes: Evergreen, narrow growth habit, deer and rabbit resistant, accent plant, privacy hedge, container plant, formal gardens
‘Graham Blandy’ is a people pleaser. It does well in sun or shade and makes an ideal hedge where deer are a vexing problem and light conditions vary along a hedge’s length. ‘Graham Blandy’ is also splendid when used as sleek sentinels in front entryways or featured in containers on decks and patios. This evergreen grows at a medium pace (faster than some boxwood), tolerates poor soil and rarely needs pruning. Protection from strong winter winds will make everyone happy.
JAPANESE HOLLY
Ilex crenata
‘Sky Pencil’ and ‘Sky Pointer’
Zones 5 – 8 ♦ Sun to Part Shade
4' – 8'+ tall, 1' – 3' wide
Spring flowers: inconspicuous
Attributes: Evergreen, narrow growth habit, deer and rabbit resistant, accent plant, privacy hedge, container plant, formal gardens
These no-fuss, “bean pole” shrubs have luxurious, shiny green leaves that look tidy year-round. I have grown ‘Sky Pencil’ for years and never, repeat, never pruned it. ‘Sky Pencil’ was introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum in 1985 with rave reviews. ‘Sky Pointer’ is a new, supposedly improved and stronger grower than ‘Sky Pencil’, a point still to be validated. Like ‘Graham Blandy’, both make terrific privacy hedges (with spiny leaves for additional emphasis), entranceway plantings and container specimens.
ARBORVITAE
Thuja occidentalis
‘Emerald Green’, ‘Emerald’, ‘Smaragd,’ ‘Degroot’s Spire’
Zones 2 – 7 ♦ Sun to Part Shade
7' – 14'+ tall, 3' – 5' wide
Non-flowering
Attributes: Evergreen, narrow growth habit, tolerates wet and clay soils, can be planted near black walnut trees
‘Emerald Green’, ‘Emerald’ and ‘Smaragd’ are all names used interchangeably for basically the same shrub. This narrow-growing evergreen is one of the most commonly sold hedge and foundation plants. Unlike ‘Emerald Green’, ‘Degroot’s Spire’ has a single leader, making it far less likely to splay open and flop after heavy snows and ices. This is a consideration for colder climate gardeners. These arborvitae are usually less expensive than ‘Graham Blandy’ and the ‘Sky Pencil’ twins, plus they grow at a fast pace. The only drawback — arborvitae can be a dinner bell for deer.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN JUNIPER
Juniperus scopulorum
‘Wichita Blue’
Zones 3 – 7 ♦ Sun
10' – 15' tall, 4' – 6' wide
Non-flowering
Attributes: Evergreen, narrow growth habit, deer resistant, drought tolerant, privacy hedge
‘Wichita