Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Top-Notch Trees: Maples

Sugar Maple.
Trees add dimension to a scene with their strong vertical forms and provide ornamental character with their seasonal details. They are a useful design tool, anchoring a planting scheme. More importantly, they serve as liaisons or connector points between more large-scale items like buildings or bigger, more mature trees and shrubs or lower-growing perennials.

Because trees are not all that easy to move once established, and because they come with a moderately expensive price tag, placing them in the landscape should not be taken lightly. Do your homework and find a specimen that is suited to your conditions and exhibits characteristics that will enhance your garden. The following tried-and true Maple options are small in stature as far as trees go, but big on impact, making them great choices for restricted spaces.

MAPLE
Acer species and cultivars, zones 3 to 9
Spring to fall (foliage), winter (bark, stems)

Full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained, average soil

The Famous Japanese Maple.
No doubt, Acer is one of the most recognized tree genera in the northern hemisphere. It is often the first tree leaf we learn and collect in grade school. Know for their magnificent foliage, especially in fall, maples are a fairly diverse group, ranging in size, form, and leaf characteristics. While the large shade-tree varieties like red maple (A. rubrunm, and cultivars, zones 3 to 9) provide impact in expansive landscape settings, they are a little big for mixed beds and foundation plantings. Luckily, lots of smaller options offer extended seasonal interest.

Paperbark maple (A. griseum and cultivars, zones 4 to 8) and three-flower maple (A. triflorum, zones 4 to 7) lead charge for small plants with attractive exfoliating bark and striking red fall color. Both grow 20 -30 feet tall and usually about half as wide with an upright, roundish habit, sporting the typical trifoliate maple leaves. They make excellent specimen trees in mixed plantings, as does trident maple (A. buergerianum and cultivars, zones 5 to 9), which reaches about the same size with multiple stems and features gold and red fall color. Amur maple (A. tactaricum and cultivars, zones 3 to 7) is another mutlistemmed option that rarely exceeds 20 feet (and is one of my favorites!).

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Rubbing Elbows with Nature

Butterfly on Lavender Colored Butterfly Bush.
People are not the only ones who appreciate mixed borders... they are a hit with wildlife too. We sometimes take animals and insects for granted, but when they are absent, we sure take notice! By taking on the "If you build it, they will come" motto, and begin to diversify your garden, you will quickly notice more birds, butterflies and toads to be found in your space.

One gardener, for example, shared that when she changed her garden from being mainly evergreens to a mix of greens, annuals and perennials, she noticed big differences. Within the first year, twelve different butterfly species became regular visitors. Today, everything from dragonflies to frogs, turkeys, and foxes can be found taking respite in her garden.

Without wildlife and all living creatures, we would be in big trouble. Everybody, even the tiniest soil microbe, has a role in the earth's ecological system and ultimately impacts the health of the air and water. Everyone is dependent on one another for sustenance and to keep the "ecological engine" moving. If a few members of the team are taken out of the game, it can have a negative impact on the entire team. With natural habitat disappearing at an alarming rate, wildlife is running out of places to go. It is more important than ever for us to do what we can provide wildlife with alternative places to live, such as mixed borders and landscapes. This enriches not only our environmental and physical health but also our minds and well-being, allowing people, young and old, to learn about and connect with nature's wonders. The live show is still far more meaningful than the shows found on tv or youtube.