Stealing the Scene

When it comes to getting a winter garden as exciting as this one, a borrowed idea is just as good as a new one

It is loose to push aside the garden of Adrian Bloom as having no relevance for us normal American gardeners . First , the garden is in England , where , as everyone knows , the climate is always perfect for gardening and everything grows perfectly . Second , Mr. Bloom is a renowned plantsman with access to more , cooler , cheaper works than we do .

But , erroneous assumptions by , I keep looking at his garden and thought , “ We could do that here in the States . ” One of the smartest ideas we can steal from Mr. Bloom is remembering to pay attention to what the garden will look like when it ’s dormant . Whether this season is two month , three months , or six months for you , it ’s still a significant length of time when you’re able to just ignore your garden . And while we ca n’t slip Mr. Bloom ’s climate , we can be inspired by his excogitation — and most of the plants are usable here , too .

Sometimes, all it takes is one plant

You know you have a strong design if you could remove any of the plant life from the fit and it would still work on . That ’s the character with this scene , but it ’s the redtwig cornel that takes this grouping from “ nice ” to “ amazing . ”

primal plants :

1 . ‘ Northwind ’ switchgrass(Panicum virgatum‘Northwind ’ , USDA Hardiness Zones 5–9 )

2.‘Matrona ’ sedum(Sedum‘Matrona ’ , Zones 4–9 )

3 . ‘ Compacta ’ corkbark fir(Abies lasiocarpavar.arizonica‘Compacta ’ , Zones 4–8 )

4.‘Reinshaus ’ white pine(Pinus strobus‘Reinshaus ’ , Zones 3–8 )

5 . ‘ Cardinal ’ redtwig dogwood(Cornus sericea‘Cardinal ’ , Zones 3–8 )

6 . ‘ Blue Ice ’ Arizona cypress(Cupressus arizonicavar.glabra‘Blue Ice ’ , zone 6–9 )

7 . ‘ Grayswood Ghost ’ Himalayan birch(Betula utilisvar.jaquemontii‘Grayswood Ghost ’ , Zones 4–7 )

8 . ‘ Aurea Densa ’ false cypress(Chamaecyparis lawsoniana‘Aurea Densa ’ , Zones 5–9 )

Busy can be bold

There is plenty of drama to this combining without any pauperism for bold texture . The ruby stems of the dogwood shoot skywards as though they were the inflorescences of the reddish tussock grass . Meanwhile , the rich burgundy leaves of the bergenia create busy lines to contrast the wanton arches of the locoweed .

1 . violent tussock grass(Chionochloa rubra , Zones 8–10 )

2.‘Siberica ’ tatarian dogwood(Cornus alba‘Siberica ’ , Zones 3–8 )

3 . Hellebore(Helleborusnigercors , Zones 5–9 )

4 . ‘ Bressingham Ruby ’ bergenia(Bergenia‘Bressingham Ruby ’ , Zones 3–9 )

Unity brings opportunity

In general , conifers run to go well with other conifers , their needled texture providing a connectedness . This unity appropriate the opportunity to use a variety of physical body and forms , such as the flat Siberian cypress tree , the round Siberian true pine , and the funky untrue cypress .

1 . Siberian cypress(Microbiota decussata , Zones 2–7 )

2.‘Golden broadcaster ’ Nordmann fir(Abies nordmanniana‘Golden Spreader ’ , Zones 4–8 )

3 . ‘ Kramer ’s Rote ’ heath(Ericadarleyensis‘Kramers Rote ’ , Zones 6–8 )

4 . ‘ Carsten ’s Wintergold ’ mugo pine(Pinus mugo‘Carsten ’s Wintergold ’ , Zones 2–8 )

5 . ‘ Globe ’ Siberian pine(Pinus pumila‘Globe ’ , Zones 4–7 )

6 . ‘ Dik ’s tears ’ false cypress(Chamaecyparis lawsoniana‘Dik ’s tears ’ , Zones 5–8 )

7.Birch(Betulaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 )

8 . ‘ Midwinter Fire ’ bloodtwig dogwood(Cornus sanguinea‘Midwinter Fire ’ , Zones 4–7 )

9 . Black mondo grass(Ophiopogon planiscapus‘Nigrescens ’ , Zones 6–11 )

A design can change with the seasons

Before it drops its farewell , this row of dogwoods stops the center and keeps it on the heath in front of it . As the season change , however , the role of these shrubs convert as well . In winter , they catch the heart with their brilliant stem and rent the viewer see through them , bring the pines behind them into a scene that now has outstanding depth .

1 . ‘ Springwood White ’ heath(Erica carnea‘Springwood White ’ , Zones 5–8 )

2.‘Glauca Prostrata ’ fir(Abies procera‘Glauca Prostrata ’ , Zones 5–8 )

3 . ‘ Midwinter Fire ’ bloodtwig dogwood(Cornus sanguinea‘Midwinter Fire ’ , Zones 4–7 )

4 . ‘ Humpy ’ mugo pine(Pinus mugo‘Humpy ’ , Zones 2–8 )

5 . ‘ Aurea Densa ’ false cypress(Chamaecyparis lawsoniana‘Aurea Densa ’ , Zones 5–9 )

What beautiful bones

If you were ever undecipherable about invention process like “ creating the bones ” or “ show rhythm , ” then this scene should avail assoil that up . When leaves and flowers have expire , the bones and the regular recurrence they make remain , and their benefit becomes patent . If your garden is in the North , these rhythmic off-white will ensure that even the lumps they create in the C. P. Snow will wait right .

1 . ‘ Tenas ’ Sitka spruce(Picea sitchensis‘Tenas ’ , Zones 7–8 )

2.Autumn sedge(Carex dipsacea , Zones 7–11 )

3.‘Smidtii ’ Bosnian pine(Pinus heldreichii‘Smidtii ’ , Zones 4–8 )

5 . Red tussock grass(Chionochloa rubra , Zones 8–10 )

6 . ‘ Grayswood Ghost ’ Himalayan birch(Betula utilisvar.jaquemontii‘Grayswood Ghost ’ , Zones 4–7 )

7 . ‘ Blue Ice ’ Arizona cypress(Cupressus arizonicavar.glabra‘Blue Ice ’ , Zones 6–9 )

8.‘Siberica ’ tatarian dogwood(Cornus alba‘Siberica ’ , Zones 3–8 )

9 . ‘ Midwinter Fire ’ bloodtwig dogwood(Cornus sanguinea‘Midwinter Fire ’ , Zones 4–7 )

Steve Aitken is the editor .

Photos : Richard Bloom

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