THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501200107
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
TODAY'S GARDENER has less time - less time to fertilize, less time to water and less time to prune. This has generated great interest in dwarf plants, which require little pruning, says Diane Relf, horticulturist for Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.
Conifers, which are cone-bearing, mostly evergreen plants, lead the list of dwarf plants because of their interesting shapes, varied textures, numerous color variations, ease of maintenance and versatility.
These dwarf evergreens can be used in foundation plantings, as ground covers or as highlight plants. Dwarf conifers are nice additions to a mixed shrub border or small shrub gardens. If you desire, they can be planted in pots for year-round color on patios.
Dwarf plants are expensive because they are uncommon and difficult to propagate. They require more years in a growing nursery to become saleable size, which contributes to their cost.
Relf recommends you take a look at these dwarf evergreens:
Dwarf balsam fir, ``Nana'' - This green, cushion-shaped mound will reach 2 feet after 30 years. It grows at a rate of 2 to 3 inches per year and spreads to about 3 feet.
Dwarf Hinoki cypress, ``Nana'' - This small evergreen looks like a bonsai. It has dark-green, fan-like foliage and reaches a height of 2 to 4 feet.
Dwarf Meyer's juniper, ``Blue Star'' - This is a steel-blue, irregularly shaped, slow-growing bush that eventually will reach 5 feet in height.
Bird's nest spruce - This very slow-growing spruce forms a dense, flat-topped shrub with fan-like branches.
Mugo pine - Both Mugo and Pumillo are sold as Mugo pine. It is low-growing but will grow up to 8 feet tall and 20 feet wide in time.
Dwarf arborvitae, ``Hetz Midget'' - This is a dense, globular plant that grows to be 4 feet round with attractive rich, green foliage.
Sawara false cypress, ``Boulevard'' - This is a densely pyramidal shrub with steel-blue foliage. After 20 years, it might reach a height of 10 feet.
Dwarf Japanese juniper, ``Nana'' - This plant forms a bluish-green compact mass with purple tinges in winter. It makes a beautiful ground cover with plants that mature at 2 foot tall and spread to over 12 feet wide.
You might think there's a shortage of names with so many named ``Nana,'' but in horticultural terminology that means ``small'' or ``dwarf.''
Some homeowners, after they tire of pruning and cutting back, pull out all existing shrubs and replace them with these new dwarf varieties. It is expensive but practically eliminates pruning.
You can plant any of these dwarf plants now through late spring, as long as the ground is not frozen. Most of them, or similar plants, can be found in local nurseries and garden centers. by CNB