Three Dependable Landscape Plants For Fast Privacy Screens In Dry Gardens

Many people are rediscovering the joys of staying home. Your garden can become the perfect place to provide a peaceful sanctuary to escape from the world and unwind. Screen plants can provide privacy in your garden, hide an unsightly area and provide shade. Hopseed Bush, Brush Cherry and Italian Cypress are three shrubs or small trees that are useful for screens, grow fast or are drought tolerant. Some plants have all three qualities!

When creating your backyard paradise these screening shrubs can also help create 'walls' to establish separate sections in a garden, so you can create different 'garden rooms' in your yard. Two of these are also good for planting in narrow spaces between houses to help block out the world. Try these versatile plants in your Patch of Heaven:

HOPSEED BUSH (Dodonaea viscosa)
USDA Zone: 9-11
Sunset Zone: 7-24
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate to low, drought tolerant

Hop Seed bushes come with leaves in either bright, lime green or dark purple. Both versions have leaves about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide and are very shiny on multiple shrubby branches. These drought tolerant shrubs are fast growers to about 10 feet tall and almost as wide. They take full sun to part shade. Once established in the garden (1-2 years) they can survive on rainfall alone.

Hopseed bushes have a growth habit that is a bit airy, with lots of small branches and the long leaves add to the lacy feel. They can be trimmed as hedges or espaliers for a slightly denser effect. These are good for layering to create a full, lush feel in the border. They are perfect for the back of the bed (where the sprinkler won't reach), along fences or as border screens. In late spring they develop large, papery seed pods, usually light brown, which hang on for weeks and provide a dramatic effect. Although the seed pods break down quickly in the soil, I do not recommend planting these bushes near pools.

BRUSH CHERRY, CAROLINA LAUREL CHERRY (Prunus caroliniana)
USDA Zone: 7 - 9
Sunset Zone: 5 - 24
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate to low

Brush Cherry is another dependable, versatile garden shrub for quick screens and hedges. These shrubs can grow up to 30 feet tall and 10 - 12 feet wide. Although I have seen mature stands of Carolina Laurel grow even taller. They can grow in full sun to part shade. Once established they can survive drought conditions. However, in desert areas they prefer less sun and will appreciate more water during the hottest summer weather.

Brush Cherries have a dense growth habit with lots of branches so they take well to heaving shearing as a hedge and can even be used for topiaries. Left untrimmed, they will still maintain their neat, shrubby shape, but the interior growth will not have leaves. They can also be trained as small multi-trunk trees. New growth is a pretty reddish rusty color in the spring. They get sprays of white flowers followed by clusters of small, bright red cherries. The cherries can stain concrete and make a mess. If you don't have enough birds in your area to take care of the cherries for you, just trim off the flowers before they set. This will also relieve the plant of the stress of producing seeds.

ITALIAN CYPRESS (Cupressus sempervirens)
USDA Zone: 7 - 9
Sunset Zone: 4 - 24
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate to low, drought tolerant

Italian Cypress trees are a familiar staple in the city, growing along border lines as tall screens. They grow up to 60 feet high on single trunks and are generally 1-2 feet wide but mature plants can be much wider. All cypresses prefer full sun, but will tolerate part shade and can survive on little water once they are established in a year or two.

Italian cypress are perfect shrubs for problem areas. They grow tall but they're thin, so you can tuck them into narrow spaces. Their trunks will eventually reach about 12 inches around, so your narrow bed should at least be that wide. Their growth habit is sleek and cylindrical, with most of their leaves pointing up. They lose a small amount of needles during they year, but litter is not a big problem with these trees. They do not grow very fast the first year, but they will make up for their lack of growth in the second year. Continually trimming the tops will result in a slightly fatter shrub, but they are fairly care free, needing no trimming.

When you are planning on having your shrubs survive on rainfall, it is best to encourage deep root development early on by soaking your plants every few days instead of sprinkling the topsoil every night. Even established plants appreciate a deep soak during a heat wave, when the weather has been over 100 degrees, or when it has been especially dry and windy.

All three of these plants are growing happily in my heavy clay, alkaline soil in hot and sunny Southern California. Good luck and happy gardening!

Facing The Landscape Sun

The direction in which your house faces (north, south, east, west) is termed its exposure. This fact is of utmost importance in planning your garden. First of all, you will have to locate plants that will grow successfully in shaded areas according to the exposure; second, the position of shade trees will be most satisfactory if you determine before planting the spots where they will do the most good.

Generally speaking, a house whose front faces southeast is best adapted for the American type of home landscape. A more detailed discussion of this subject, will appear in a succeeding chapter.

Surroundings

Just as individuals are apt to reflect the habits and characteristics of their environment, landscape design should to some extent conform to the standards set by the surrounding area. This statement holds true only if the general surroundings happen to be pleasant. If, however, the land adjoining or close by to yours happens to be an eyesore, your landscape plan will emphasize seclusion and try to block off the undesirable view.

Soil

Your choice of design and of plants will also be controlled by the soil. For our purposes the two most important types of soil are (a) acid ( sour) and (b) alkaline ( sweet). The easiest thing to do is to work only with those plants that are best suited for your particular soil. However, some plants are so attractive and so well suited to home landscaping that you will feel it is worthwhile to change the type of soil in a part of the property to accommodate them. In fact, this practice is so common today that it is all but taken for granted.

You must also consider whether your soil is wet or dry. Poorly drained, wet soil is among the worst calamities that can befall any home gardener; stagnant water renders soil all but useless. Other wet soils produce good results because they have excellent aeration.

At the opposite end of the scale are the very dry soils ranging all the way to desert conditions. Here, of course, the list of plants that can be used is severely limited. Fortunately, the characteristic architecture of homes in arid regions is also limited and the plants that are in keeping with the climate and soil conditions also go well with the architecture. So, it is important for them to know all the great indoor plants.

Just as acid soil can be made alkaline, and vice versa, we have worked out ways to handle certain natural forces so that they are not too damaging to our efforts to beautify the landscape. The home gardener in Texas, for example, knows that their main problem is to sustain landscape plants successfully through the hot, dry season. To do this they apply a mulch which keeps the soil cooler and conserves its moisture for a longer period. As a result of such practices, there are in the nation's hot, dry sections beautiful home landscapes that "defy" nature.

Climbing Plants and Vines to Enhance a Landscape Design

If you want to know what's up in gardening trends, look no further than climbing plants and vines! Climbers are a great element to include in a landscape design. They can be trained to climb numerous structures of your choosing such as trellises, arbors and pergolas, decks, railings, and more. climbing plants and vines can be strategically placed throughout the garden to cast shade or provide privacy as needed. Best of all, climbing plants will draw the eye upward, adding a vertical element to a horizontal landscape.

If you want to get started with climbing plants and vines, it's a good idea to evaluate the options first. Your climate, soil type, and particular situational needs should all be taken into consideration when choosing a climbing plant. So what are some common types of climbing plants and vines? We'll explore some of the more popular options that you might want to consider.

Wisteria:
Wisteria is a beautiful flowering vine that grows rapidly in the sun. If you live in a climate that experiences winter, wisteria is a good choice, as it's hardy up to Zones 4 or 5. As it grows, wisteria can become very woody and dense. After a few years of growth, wisteria will need a strong supporting structure. Be careful where you plant wisteria. Because of its rapid growth, size, and weight, you'll want to be sure to plant it somewhere where it won't do any damage to your home or property. Large wisteria vines, when left unchecked, can easily collapse a deck or other structure.

Trumpet Vine:
Trumpet vine can be found in two varieties, Chinese trumpet creeper and standard trumpet vine. The former of these is a tropical, hardy only to Zone 8. The latter, common trumpet vine, is hardy to Zone 5. Like wisteria, trumpet vine is a rapid grower and prefers a sunny location. Trumpet vines will produce beautiful, showy flowers in midsummer, and colors vary from scarlet or orange to yellow. Trumpet vines grow and cling to their supporting structures with root-like attachments. It's important to provide good support for trumpet vines when they are first getting started, as they can grow quite large and heavy over time.

Ivy:
Almost all of us have seen buildings that are partially obscured by ivy growing up them. There are several different types of ivy, but all are fast growers and will cling easily to walls and stone work. Take care when planting ivy, however, as it is famous for damaging the structures that support it. Ivy roots can ruin the masonry work on a building, particularly when the vines are removed. Ivy is also very dense, which means it will cast shade on the building's walls. This can lead to mold growth on siding or shingles.

Clematis:
Clematis is a very popular climbing plant, and for good reason. There are dozens of varieties to choose from, many are hardy to Zone 5, and all produce beautiful flowers throughout the spring and summer months. Clematis is generally easy to grow. It prefers shade on its feet and sun on its vines. While this may sound complicated, it's easier to accomplish than you might think. Simply plant your clematis in a sunny location, and then plant a small shrub at its base to provide the needed shade on the lower part of the clematis.

Wisteria, trumpet vine, ivy, and clematis are just a few of the popular climbing plants that can be found across North America. Don't limit yourself to these four plants, but rather consider them as a starting point from which you can branch off into other species and varieties. Whatever climbers and vines you choose, be sure to plant them in an appropriate location and provide plenty of good support, if needed. Your climbing vines will reward you over time by becoming a beautiful focal point in your landscape or garden.

Landscape Plants Heights - General Rules For Use

When developing the public area, we need only keep in mind three fundamental landscape principles that concern this particular part of a property. They are: (1) soften the architectural lines of the building by placing plants where the strong vertical lines meet the ground; (2) frame the building with trees; and (3) maintain an open lawn area.

We could state the first principle even more simply by saying that the plants should be located at the corners of the building and at either side of the entrances.

Architectural Lines

Height of Plants

In nearly every case the plants to be used at the corners of the building should be of a type that will naturally grow larger than those to be used at either side of the doorway. Generally speaking, the ideal ultimate height of a plant at the corner of a one- or two-story building should be a little less than half the distance from the ground to the eaves.

In deciding what plants to use, we must find out what their ultimate height must be if they are to soften the lines of the house. First, sketch the front of the house to scale (or use a photograph and tracing paper).

Then, following the above method draw straight lines from points on each outside edge of the house slightly less than halfway to the eaves, to the center of the front door sill. Note also that the plants on either side of the door should eventually reach only about as high as the line is at that particular point.

Plants at the corners of the house are always taller than those next to the front door. The one exception to this rule occurs when the house has corner windows that wrap around both sides of the house. Many times you will see that although the plants immediately under the windows are lower than, or just about the same height as, those at the entrance, the original thought of having taller plants at the corners is carried out by the addition of small flowering trees or larger shrubs at a distance from the window. This gives the same effect, but does not sacrifice ventilation or light through the corner windows.

Pointed Plants

If possible, do not use plants which come to a sharp point at either doors or windows. But there is rare exception to this rule: Suppose that you have a house with very tall, narrow windows, or high-peaked gables or dormers; the natural surroundings include sharp-pointed evergreens and jagged mountain tops. In this case pointed plants like ficus alii at doors and windows would fit the environment.

Minimizing Salt Damage To Landscape Plants

When snow is falling and it's the middle of the night, contractors aren't thinking about landscape plants on the site they're clearing, their main concern is having the streets and sidewalks safe by morning. This doesn't mean they shouldn't be more aware of the effects of some of their actions during these times but it's more understandable when mistakes are made. As a homeowner however, you can take a little more responsibility for where you place your snow as you work to clear your walks after the storm

An awareness of what can happen to plants and turf from the use of chemicals during these events should not be understated and some work done up front may save some frustration in the future.

Chemicals Used.

**Sodium Chloride (rock salt)--applied mostly to roadways only, is very toxic to plants

**Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride-- applied to sidewalks is less toxic but will cause damage at high rates.

You may have little say in how much of these deicing materials are used during a storm but there are a few things you can do to minimize damage.

o Talk with your contractor about concerns over your landscape and have them make an effort to limit chemical use when appropriate. Just having the conversation will put an awareness in their minds. This type of management is not only good for your landscape but it may also save you and your community money throughout the winter.

o Ask your contractor to install deflectors on their spreaders used for sidewalks. This will keep the bulk of the chemical directed onto the sidewalk and less spreading out to your grass edges. The main reason for dead grass along sidewalk edges and roadway edges in the spring is because of all the accumulated salt that built up in the soil over the winter.

o Talk with your contractors about turning off roadway salt spreaders when stopped at a traffic light or stop sign. In many communities and retail centers, there is a planting bed usually with flowers at these key locations. As the contractor spreads salt , they frequently stop at these areas, and in most instances, the spreaders continue to run saturating the soil. Over time, salt builds up to such high quantities , it kills most flowers and damages plantings later in the year.

Some things you can do to minimize damage :

o Irrigate- Salts are easily leached thru soils so watering these areas can help reduce the amount of damage.

o Gypsum- Gypsum applied along grass edges and planting beds where you've had issues in the past will help. Does not work as well after the

fact. Be proactive and put down before the first storm. Gypsum helps the salt leach or filter away

o Plow or shovel away from plantings- Talk with plow operators about piling snow in certain areas. Snow plowed from salted streets will have a

Landscape Gardening - Choosing Plants With Colored Foliage

There is a large range of plants with colored foliage available to the gardener today. Reddish-purple, golden-yellow, silver, and grey-leaved plants, not to speak of the many types of variegated leaf, abound in nurseries and garden centers. Amongst all the plant forms - from trees to ground covers, one can find varieties that have brightly colored leaves. The challenge is to use them wisely and not be carried away by false notions of novelty or originality.

In fact, peppering the garden with such plants is the first sign of design naïveté. Green is the foliage color that should dominate most planting schemes, while plants with colored foliage should be used very sparingly as an emphasis, a contrast, and even a focal point in the garden.

There are of course endless variations of unusually colored leaves, but they can be reduced to four main groups. As a gardener in a Mediterranean country, I will restrict my examples to those with which I am familiar.

*Red or deep-purple foliage generally creates the most striking effect, but over-use can make the garden look depressing and somber. Prunus pisardii is a small plum tree, while the large shrub, Cotinus coggygria, is well known beyond Mediterranean climates. For mild winter regions, I suggest Euphorbia cotinifolia, which if kept at about 1-2 meters by annual pruning, is particularly beautiful. Let's not forget also, the mainstay, Berberis thunbergii.

It may also be worth considering bedding plants with red-purple foliage, such as the varieties of Joyweed (Alternanthera) which can really "hold" an herbaceous border through the long, hot, Mediterranean summer. This plant should be used as an annual anywhere but in the mildest of winter climates.

* plants with golden-colored leaves make for a less dramatic, but perhaps more subtle contrast with the mass of green foliage. For subtlety, it is best to study the size and shape of the leaf, before rushing in with a colored plant. These should be as similar as possible to the green-leaved plants. Hence, the feathery texture of Melaleuca "Revolution Gold" or Melaleuca "Green Dome", combine well with junipers for instance and other species of Melaleuca.

An amazingly beautiful shrub is Duranta erecta "Golden". It has small, oval leaves, and so goes well with such shrubs as Cotoneaster, Sumac, Pistachio, and Myrtle. planting it next to a course-leaved bush like Hibiscus, would be a mistake in my view.

*plants with variegated leaves are probably the most ill used amongst inexperienced gardeners. Again, the mistake is to plant too many of them, thereby turning the unusual into the common. They are most effective in shady corners, where they create a dappled-light effect, but they tend to look sickly in full sun,

*Grey and silver-leaves are perhaps easier to use without descending into banality. They are most appropriate in Mediterranean style gardens, but seem out of place amongst lush, tropical plants. Grey-leaved shrubs should be planted in very small numbers, although some species, such as Grey Owl Juniper, or the fabulous Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens) can be superb, especially in contrast to red-leaved plants.

Silver-leaved plants really come into their own in herb gardens, where they appear most at home. From an aesthetic point of view, in addition to a culinary or herbal one, plants like Lavender, Artemisia, and Sage are great, while grey-leaved grasses, such as Festuca glauca, are useful additions to an herbaceous border.

How to Garden and Landscape With Xeriscape Plants

Xeriscape translates to dry landscape. That is somewhat deceiving as it is not about dry landscaping, but efficient gardening. When we use proper techniques to landscape and garden, we actually save money, time, energy and water over the life of the garden.

The basic principles of Xeriscaping are:

Planning Soil preparation Reducing turf areas plant selection Proper irrigation Mulching

In planning, group plants according to their water and lighting needs. Place taller plants in back areas with the shorter growers in the front. It is better to water plants infrequently, yet deeper than to water lightly and often.

Plant varieties that are low maintenance and will work within a Xeric landscape are herbs such as lavender, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives and oregano as well as other perennials like yarrow, Russian sage, salvia, daylilies, ameria, gaillardia, veronica, sedum, aster, phlox, and echinacea. Shrubs such as junipers, spiraea, lilacs, honeysuckle, hibiscus, caragana, cypress, barberry, nandina Firepower, boxwood, viburnum, and mock orange. Trees to look for are green ash, Grace smoketree, Japanese red maples, magnolias, river birch, oaks, flowering cherries and tulip poplar. Ornamental grasses do work well in this environment, although they will require regular watering during their first year after planting so that the root system does not dry out. After establishing their root system, they become almost drought tolerant.

Mulch should be applied in late spring to early summer to help keep the ground cool and moist. Good choices for mulch are shredded bark mulch, pine needles, straw, aged compost, and aged manure mix. Use pine needles with caution as mold can build up underneath when used in shaded areas. Using rocks as mulch, including lava stones, should be reserved for less sunny, shadier areas as the rocks absorb heat during the day and release it during the evening/cooler periods, which in summer often kill the plants.

Landscape Plants For Hot Spots

Landscape plants that are heat-beaters are difficult to find. Some are just too prim to withstand the really hot summers of late. What equation should we use in determining the best for the situation? Check your garden after an especially long, hot summer to see what not only survived, but also have potential to be the backbone of your sizzling summer landscape.

I scouted my garden, after 100 plus degree heat, looking for these workhorses that plug away, even under the most trying conditions. There are shrubs that survive the heat, and even seem to welcome it. I wilted every time I stepped out, but these garden gems stay fresh. Granted, I did irrigate during this heat wave, but there are some other unhappy plants that didn't fair so well, even with water.

There are two exceptional landscape heat-beaters. The first defeaters are abelias. Back in their glory years, abelias were overused and abused. Public landscapes that got low-or-no-care became their planting beds, giving them the nickname "gas station plants." I have never stuck up my nose at a common plant. There is good reason favorites return to the garden line-up year after year and generation after generation. They look good under dreadful conditions. They endure heat and neglect. There are days, sometimes weeks, when we have to abandon the garden. Our disappearance, no matter how temporary, can be deadly to a team of rookies.

I have the old "gas station" abelias established in my landscape. They have fresh, shiny green foliage, ready for the fall post-season garden rebirth. They bloom on new growth, so in late winter I cut them back, and they reward me with spouts of white flowers on bobbing stems. They are not just for gas stations any more.

A new abelia has moved in. Abelia Silver Anniversary(TM) is pleasing in a pot with a deep red starflower and yellow blossoming melampodium. The silver and green foliage that arise from red stems trumps the abelia blooms. Who needs flowers when the foliage is so attractive? This abelia's new foliage is almost cream, a soft yellow that surges above cherry pink stems.

As this abelia matures, the leaves become somewhat mottled green and cream with a red tinge on the ends. The prime foliage is aged into creamy soft silver with splash-painted green centers. The whole plant is a watercolor vision Monet would appreciate. Silver Anniversary(TM) is a survivor. This summer, five straight days of above 100 degrees Fahrenheit has given it a trial by fire. It passes the test-unwilting color in a heat wave. What's more, these switch hitters perform equally well in the sun or shade landscape.

The second staunch performers are the perennial coneflowers. These summer stars, the Echinacea genus, is taking over more and more of my garden. By late summer, they cover themselves with a team of daisy-like flowers with beefed up centers. These raised cone centers are the axis for the pink flower petals. The pink petals supply the landing and launching pads for the visiting butterflies and bees.

I know in my heart that I should cut the stalks of coneflowers so that a fresh squad will come along, but every time I approach them, bumblebees and butterflies are happily visiting them. I go cut something else, something not so important to my buggy friends.
These lovelies must contain nectar and pollen until the very end of summer, when their cones are dry and the petals are paled and falling. I can't cut them then, either. The seeds, held high on the coned stem ends, are bird buffets.

There are so many different colors and shapes to the coneflowers now, and as an obsessed gardener, I want them all. I believe that if I had room, I could do a whole border in coneflowers. (Then I would have to give up some other love.) There are the pinks (called purple, but varying shades of pink to my eye) with every imaginable set of petal rays- up, down, flat, curved, fat, or skinny.

The, pink 'Magnus' has wide, stocky petals. He is as full as a pink sunflower with large flowers that show off from a distance. On the opposite side of the field, 'Lilliput' is loaded with small rosy flowers made up of two rows of petals. This miniature also shows off, just with the sheer numbers of flowers covering the plant.

There are some break-through colors for these once wildflowers, too. White (Fragrant Angel(TM)) and yellow (Harvest Moon(TM)). A favorite of mine, and one that will make your heart go pitty-pat, is Summer Sky(TM). To show it off best, locate it in your landscape with green companions, in part shade if you are in a section of the country prone to brutal sunlight, near a path where its blended colors of pink, coral, orange, and golden yellow can be admired up close. The blossoms are huge. The intermingled colors invite contemplation.

Even the stalwart black-eyed-Susans are looking a little tattered and worn right now. They will need some fluffing up. Some old pros will need replacing, which is not a problem, but an opportunity to try new plants, hmm...perhaps that new gaura, 'Crimson Butterflies?' What has survived in your landscape? Expand the team this fall.