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Home , Calocedrus, Hedge, Parterre

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The original green walls

Emerald green arborvitae is among the most popular hedging options. It can form an attractive backdrop for any well-designed . This garden designed Compostex by Cynthia Gage was featured on the recent Association of Northwest Landscape Designers’ Behind-the-Scenes Garden Tour. ComposTex® composting tarps maintain the optimum level of humidity throughout the composting process by accelerating Tall walls the evaporation of excess water Whether formal or Peter Eastman works in inside sales from the substrates. for Fairdale Nursery and Countryside more natural looking, Nursery, two related enterprises based Tex-R Geodisc By Elizabeth Petersen in Wilsonville, Ore. Water and air permeable. these hedging options are essential buffers in “Although mixed plantings make Increased productivity For ease of use, it is precut for installation around the trunk in various size containers. can denote property today’s cities and suburbs. Tall, nar- excellent living screens, most people • Faster growth row, evergreen walls separate neigh- don’t have enough space for a thicket,” lines and provide bors and define property boundaries. he said. “Instead, (they) want reliable • Lower water usage necessary screening They hide , enclose pets and that make a tight, living wall and • Reduced waste from water and fertilizer recovery provide privacy. take well to . Everywhere you look, hedges are “By far the top seller for hedges • Uniform irrigation built into the framework of our commu- in the industry is emerald green arbor- nities, lining the lanes of modern living, vitae. It’s the best all-around choice, directing traffic and beautifying spaces. because it stays dense and narrow on Environmentally friendlier Hedges solve all sorts of problems, its own and doesn’t go bronzy in win- www.texel.ca/agrotextiles and demand for them fuels the market ter like some others. Plus, it can grow • Dry surface between pots = control for dense, upright plants, which Oregon in most zones from the Bay Area to Head office growers turn out by the millions. Massachusetts.” over parasitic algae and moss growth 485, rue des Érables, Saint-Elzéar de Beauce (Quebec) G0S 2J0 CANADA Although there is increased interest A & R Spada Farms LLC, based in • Less and algaecide Telephone: 418 387-5910 Fax: 418 387-4326 in hedgerows — mixed stands of St. Paul, Ore., is the largest grower in Toll free in : 1 800 463-8929 and that enhance bio-diversity — Oregon of the widely used emerald • Reduced spillover of soluble fertilizer Email: [email protected]

plants for traditional, sculpted hedges ▲ 14 continue to be in high demand.

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Plants to use in mixed hedges i n Debbie Brooks of Creative Garden Spaces has several favorite cultivars she enjoys using in mixed hedges. “It really depends on the site and how much room I have to work with,” she said. Many of her favorites are listed below:

For larger screens/hedges For medium height screening dba: Cupressocyparis leylandii ‘Emerald Isle’ Choisya ternata ‘Aztec Pearl’ baccata ‘Fastigiata’ Spiraea japonica ‘Neon Flash’ WHOLESALE GROWERS OF QUALITY Cuprocyparis leylandii ‘Castlewellan’ Cornus alba ‘Variegata’ FIELD GROWN NURSERY STOCK Ceanothus ‘Julia Phelps’ Tsuga Canadensis ‘Gentsch White’ Ornamentals • Shrubs Ribes sanguineum obtusa ‘Templehof’ Evergreen Shrubs • Sambucus ‘Black Lace’ Styrax japonicus Acer circinatum Hamamelis KATHY & GREG WILMES Cornus nuttallii 18995 ARBOR GROVE RD. NE Parrotia persica ‘Vanessa’ WOODBURN, OR 97071 FAX (503) 678-3247 [email protected] green (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’). “makes an outstanding , border, According to Sales Manager Vinny privacy screen, or , and you (503) 678-3245 Grasso, East Coast states are the big- can either prune it or leave it natural,” gest consumers, but they’re not alone. Grasso said. “Emerald green hedges are popu- In northern markets with severe lar in at least half the U.S. They perform winter weather, Eastman said, the pre- well across the heart of the country ferred hedge plants have a wider, more from east to west, and demand is tapered shape that is less susceptible strong,” he said. “Unlike some plants, to damage by heavy snow loads. Both people buy multiples of arborvitae, so Eastman and Grasso suggested better they consume more. We have produc- arborvitae for areas such as Minnesota tion scheduled to fulfill customer needs and Montana: T. o. ‘Nigra’ (Dark spring, summer and fall.” American Arborvitae) and T. o. Techny ■ Over 200 Varieties What makes an arborvitae hedge (Mission Arborvitae) have broadly, so popular? pyramidal, symmetrical growth and ■ Band Pot grown “People like the formal yet natu- good hardiness (Zone 4). ral look, the simplicity, easy care and “‘Techney’ is a popular selection in seedlings and graft provided by an arborvitae northern markets,” Grasso said, “because understock hedge. Plus, it is an easy, do-it-yourself it retains its green well into winter and project,” Grasso said. “We include the foliage resists winter burn.” ■ Cultivar rooted instructions on how to dig a hole, but There are of course, many hedge there is not much more to it than that, options aside from arborvitae. cuttings and consumers get a lot of satisfaction “ hedges, pruned or left Reserve your 2011 Catalog Now! out of doing it themselves. Demand natural, make attractive, impenetrable ■ Fruit and shadetree is contagious. Someone in a housing screens and ,” Grasso development will put in a hedge and said. The top seller for Spada Farms, 1-877-490-7844 budding understock others see it, like it, and do the same. columnar ‘Dragon Lady’ (Ilex x WWW.JLPNLINERS.COM According to Grasso, the 5-foot meschick ‘Dragon Lady’), “combines ■ One bundle emerald green is the most popular size beauty and function: it has great ever- minimum order sold by Spada Farms. “People want green foliage, berries for winter color instant hedges and don’t want to wait and bird food, and it is easy to grow for the plants to grow,” he said. and low maintenance.” Other sizes sell well too. As liners, “Many broadleaf evergreens can be in containers for retail and B&B for the sheared into a nice hedge,” Eastman landscape trade, the popular evergreen 16 ▲ The Foundation for Growing Excellence pillar (10-15’ tall by 3-4’ wide, Zone 4)

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■ Over 200 Varieties ■ Band Pot grown seedlings and graft understock ■ Cultivar rooted cuttings Reserve your 2011 Catalog Now! ■ Fruit and shadetree 1-877-490-7844 budding understock WWW.JLPNLINERS.COM ■ One bundle minimum order The Foundation for Growing Excellence ▲ HEDGING OPTIONS CURT KIPPCURT said. At Fairdale and Countryside Nurseries, the hardier, smaller leaved Ilex crenata ‘Convexa,’ which is eas- ily sheared, is the most popular holly. Eastman recommended blue holly (Ilex meserveae). He said it is another great choice for “northern and near the shore, where regular English holly is not an option.” The duo of I. m. ‘Blue Princess’ and ‘Blue Prince’ (Zones 5-7) is frequently used in areas such as Philadelphia and Long Island, at a ratio of one male for 20 females, he said. The taller, more upright male plants, and the shorter, more rounded females, quickly form upright hedges of shiny evergreen foliage that can be sheared into almost any shape. PerformanceThis Adskip - OAN laurel PERFECT hedge BOUND.pdf ( 7/8/2010 laurocerasus 9:34:54 AM ‘Schipkaensis’) provides lush, year-round screening that Another popular option for a tall isolates the backyard of this home from the busy four-lane on the other side. It serves as a nice hedge – “the third biggest seller,” landscape foundation besides. Note that it has held up well in the shade.

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according to Eastman – is skip laurel hedging,” is so popular because it is ( ‘Schipkaensis’). very resistant to deer, said Eastman. According to Grasso, it is “one of the “Boxwood sales are terrific,” Grasso hardiest cultivars.” It is particularly said, “and there are lots of great choices useful in coastal areas, both east and for different regions.” west, because it tolerates salt spray x ‘Green Velvet’ is “popular and shade. for cold climates, because of its uniform The tall and fairly narrow selec- habit, hardiness and great name,” said tion was found growing at about 4,000 Grasso. The “most commonly used” feet elevation in Bulgaria, Eastman said. boxwood is the dwarf Buxus semper- It grows very fast, reaching 8 feet in virens ‘Suffruticosa’, and markets from only four years. It gets big, though, and central California to Atlanta choose the requires ongoing maintenance to keep straight species . it from outgrowing its bounds. Eastman recommends ‘Green Mountain,’ a hardier choice that gets taller. Small walls for borders and walks Shorter hedges edge beds and How the other half hedges create formal lines in garden designs. There is definitely a place for hedg- Oregon growers supply plants for those es “to direct attention to a focal point or This sheared convexa Japanese holly (Ilex crenata Performance Ad - OAN PERFECT BOUND.pdf 7/8/2010 9:34:54 AM needs too. Boxwood (Buxus spp.), the along a formal walkway,” said designer ‘Convexa’) provides an appropriately formal look at the gated entrance of this high-end

“second-most grown and spec’d for ▲ 18 sub-community.

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Debbie Brooks, owner of Creative she said. “Everybody has some view Garden Spaces. But “the maintenance they want to screen.” of pruning and shaping once or twice a But they want choices beyond the year takes a lot of time and effort, and standard options. in a typical hedge, if one or two plants “People don’t have the time, incli- in the middle die, then what? nation or funds to keep hedges main- “For screening views or creating tained,” Luthy said. She recommended barriers, I like to use a combination of a combination of “layers of plants, plant materials that provide interest with including trees, shrubs and ground cov- color and textures. I steer away from ers, which soften physical screens, like , because I believe using or steel panels. Berming adds diverse plant materials, ones that height and barrier, too.” provide shelter for safety, berries for Deb Rossi, owner of Deb Rossi food and twigs for nesting materials, Design, isn’t a big fan of traditional attract more diverse .” hedges, either. “Hedges are not my Designer Jane Luthy of Coombs and favorites,” she said. “As a designer Luthy Landscape Design recently taught I most often come across existing a well-attended class on “Screening for hedges that are all wrong ... in plant privacy with plants,” and said that inter- selection and/or plants not being well est in the subject was very high. maintained. The classics in this area “People wanted to know what are laurel, which get way too big, and plants to use for privacy and to soften arborvitae, which are too big, old and the edges of fences and other barriers,” not taken care of.

The hidden garden At his property, Peter Eastman planted dozens of #1 emerald greens to conceal the garden from a busy street. Planted on 2’ centers on top of a 4’ retaining wall, the plants grew quickly and now completely hide the garden from the sidewalk. Pruning and regular maintenance are necessary to keep the hedge looking good, though, and Eastman said he hires help to shear the hedge annually to keep it growing vigorously and shaped well. Kept at 8’ tall, the hedge doesn’t shade much of the garden and it is less likely to be splayed by loads of snow or ice. PETER EASTMAN PETER

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“My first step in renovating a gar- den is often to remove these eyesores. I usually try to replace them with a vari- 18598 Advent Road ety of deciduous and evergreen plants Pitt Meadows, BC and stay away from the ‘monoculture’ Canada, V3Y 2G8 typical hedge.” Toll Free 1-800-471-4448 Rossi has been able to use hedges Phone: 604-465-7122 as formal elements in in a few Fax: 604-465-8100 instances. “The plants used are typi- cally boxwood for and knot [email protected] gardens and lavender as a border in classic French and Mediterranean gar- dens,” she said. “These clients are interested in a very specific look and are interested in specimen using the expected plant material. trees “To use hedgerows or native WHOLESALE NURSERIES LTD. plantings for wildlife, you need a large garden, a ‘buffer zone’ where wildlife can interact within the bor- ders of the garden in a controlled www.specimentrees.com manner, as an attraction. For those, natives like Vaccinium ovatum and other plants with fruit and berries, like viburnums, are good choices.” Landstar provides supply chain For tall screening, Rossi likes to solutions and complete global and use fastigiate trees, such as ‘Fastigiata’, Acer ‘Bowhall’ or domestic transportation services. ‘Armstrong’ along with ‘Fastigiata’ and . Interest in sustainable farming methods led Jude Hobbs, farm and landscape designer with Agro-Ecology WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY AND EXPERIENCE YOU Northwest, and Dan McGrath, Oregon NEED TO MEET ANY SUPPLY CHAIN CHALLENGE. State University Extension horticul- SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES ture agent, to write a resource (OSU OVERVIEW OVERVIEW Bulletin EM: 8721) called “A Guide • Advanced Technology • Air or Ocean Freight To Multi-Functional Hedgerows In Solutions • Border Crossing • Integrated Solutions • Customs Brokerage Western Oregon.” • Outsourced Logistics • Expedited It discusses the benefits, costs • Supply Chain Engineering • Heavy Haul/Specialized and plants appropriate for hedgerows • Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) • Project Cargo • Warehousing • Rail Intermodal to “enhance wildlife habitat, diver- • Truckload or LTL sify farm income, reduce soil , From traditional transportation services to real-time order-to-cash decrease wind damage, conserve water supply chain management, Landstar provides the most reliable and create boundary borders and pri- transportation and logistics services in the global market. vacy screens.”

Elizabeth Petersen writes for and garden businesses, coaches stu- dents and writers, and tends a one-acre [email protected] • 800-440-2890 • booth #12083 garden in West Linn, Ore. She can be reached at [email protected].

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