Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
redwolfdoc_z5

Looking for suggestions

redwolfdoc_z5
9 years ago

Hello All!

I'll begin by saying I know naught of conifers.

I have a sunny corner in my zone 5 (southern Ontario) garden. I'm looking for a dwarf conifer or evergreen shrub to tuck in between a Royal Purple smoke bush and a brilliant red Veteran's Honor rosebush, with various iris and other stuff in the front. Here's my wish list for attributes:

- 6 ft or less (ballpark), not that wide (4 or less)
- blue or--even better--gold foliage
- weeping, or at least soft needles (for example, I do like how P. strobus Nana would echo the shape of the smoke tree's "smoke")
- fall interest/colour would be a bonus, but not a necessity
- full sun tolerant, though in the back of the bed it would get some shade from the roses
- the spot doesn't get a lot of rain because of a neighbour's huge maple that makes a very effective umbrella, but it does get watered regularly, and drainage is good.

Anyways, I appreciate any and all suggestions! I've been lurking on this forum and I have seen that many of you are veritable fonts of information! :)

Thanks!
Karen

Comments (9)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    any chance at a pic.. that would surely help us in gaining an artistic interpretation

    ontario is kinda big.. and z5 is a bit vague.. give us a big city name ... it might matter

    ken

  • redwolfdoc_z5
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Ken. Be careful what you ask for - this turned into a long post!

    I'm in the southeast of Toronto, about a kilometer (~.6 miles) from Lake Ontario. I'm classified as zone 5b (USDA zones) but in truth it's a bit of a microclimate here with the lake so close and I find I can push to zone 6 pretty easily. I have good soil, amended regularly for the roses, good drainage. The spot in question has a southern exposure and gets full sun from mid-morning until sundown.

    As for a photo, you'll have to use your imagination a bit. I began overhauling this region of my garden this year and nearly everything in it is new and accordingly small. The forsythia in the middle is in year 1 of a 2-year regenerative pruning process, and my plan has been to keep it pruned to 3 ft, but I'm considering pulling it right out. The conifer would go where the forsythia is now or where the giraffe sits (if the forsythia stays). The wire sheets on the ground are protecting newly planted clumps of bearded iris and there is one more bunch to go in the spot in front of the forsythia and giraffe. The smokebush will get much bigger, as will the Karl Foerster feather reed grass in front of the play area, which will create a screen. The Veteran's Honour hybrid tea rose is to the left of the giraffe and the other roses in that part of the bed are Nantucket (hybrid tea), South Africa (grandiflora), Royal Parks (hybrid tea) and a mystery pale pink that might be Gilbert Nannoband. The ground cover in front is silver mound artemisia and should be all the way across next year. The second photo shows what the blooms look like.

    {{gwi:817891}}

    Here's a conceptual image with rose and iris blooms and a bigger smoke bush:
    {{gwi:817893}}

    Karen

  • redwolfdoc_z5
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    (My husband says nobody will ever answer a post of mine again...)

    Strictly in terms of appearance, I really like Larix decidua pendula. Haven't done my research yet though.

  • wannabegardnr
    9 years ago

    Generally speaking, roses and conifers do not go together because usually they have opposite needs. Roses need fertilizer and more water, while conifers prefer lean soils and infrequent watering.

    But those are general terms. There may be exceptions, and the experts can give better recommendations.

    A non-conifer evergreen shrub like you mentioned could work nicely.

    See the last picture in link. Looks similar to what you had in mind. But they used a knock out rose, which I assume thrives with neglect because they are all over in shopping malls, parking lots and road dividers

    Here is a link that might be useful: rose and pine

  • DangYank
    9 years ago

    I believe your space allocated for the "new plant" is too small when considering the "Royal Purple Smoke Tree" you have planted next to that spot. Also, your concept image shows what I believe to be a "Red Smoketree", which are considerably different, although easily confused with the Royal Purple.

    Dang

  • DangYank
    9 years ago

    Second of 4 Photos.

  • DangYank
    9 years ago

    Third of four Photos.

  • DangYank
    9 years ago

    Last of four Photos.

  • redwolfdoc_z5
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you, Dang and wannabe. Very informative!