Garden Diary: Homage to suburbia, minus lawn

I've always disliked Arborvitae (Thuya occidentalis). For me, it epitomizes the unimaginative, dreary US front yard of unbroken lawn with a few accent shrubs and "foundation plantings." But I'm forced to try to love what I thought I hated. I want evergreen winter structure in my garden, at least near the house, and Arborvitae is my only option considering my extremely wet clay soil. So I'm playing with the concept, turning the American front yard on its head, so to speak, making a parody of it, by using one of its most popular cliches in an entirely different way. In this case, making a rather formal hedge at the edge of a naturalistic wet prairie planting. There is grass, to be sure, but no lawn in any sense of the word.

This photo from last July shows Salix alba 'Britzensis', a colorful willow (colorful in winter, that is - brilliant orange-yellows) in the large yellow box. The smaller box highlights Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum), with its silver mid-summer foliage. I point out these two plants because they are important components of a big change at this end of my garden, nearest the house.

I've planted a row of Arborvitae across the view you see in the photo above, with the willows on the far side of the Arborvitae (see previous post). Actually, there are two layers of Arborvitae, eight larger ones nearest the willows and, at each end, several smaller ones about 30 inches behind (closer to your viewing point).

I've also added, as you can see below, two others in the mid-distance to give a sense of visual depth to the flat background of the garden.

The layers allow opportunity for planting perennials in and around the hedge to better integrate it into the wild summer garden, yet leaving a permanent framework in winter - a structure of hedge, willows, and long-lasting perennials.

Below is the first row of Arborvitae, planted two weeks ago, with the brightly colored willows in front (cloudy day, so not so bright appearing here).

My intent is to add many more Salix a. 'Britzensis' in front of the hedge, as well as some behind it, and to fill in with the Pycnantheum muticum around the smaller shrubs and other areas needing added visual interest. But this first attempt seemed too piddling. I needed a grander gesture, and thus the additional shrubs.

So here is the final arrangement, sans perennials, which are all still dormant.

Returning to the summer photo, you can see many plants have to be moved, especially a vigorous planting of rather invasive Prairie cord grass (Spartina pectinata 'Aureo-marginata') on the right. Since I'm adding more salix a lot of reworking of the area will be needed. I'm rooting cuttings to make the new willows, so I can take my time if I just take care to provide room for the new shrubs to grow.


With hedges and stone walls, perhaps other plantings, eventually I hope to have a structural frame - made of many parts - to hold the wildness of the central prairie planting - my own bit of anti-suburban front yard (mine is behind the house).

Garden Diary: the Salix and the hedge

The Salix
Willows being water lovers, I'm trying to put them to good use. My three Salix alba 'Britzensis' have been growing for several years, to little effect. If you don't know this willow, you should get acquainted. It's new growth is a brilliant golden orange that can be striking, particularly against a dark background. In direct sunlight, it's a real fireworks plant.

The Hedge
My salix have been making a small show beside a drainage channel. In my crusade to add more structure and winter interest to the garden, I decided to back them with something green, something green throughout the year. Here is the willow without a background. (These photos were taken on cloudy days so the color isn't nearly as brilliant as it can be, but you get the idea.)


And here it is with a background 'starter' hedge of Thuya occidentalis (arborvitae), the only evergreen I can even hope will survive my wet clay.


I intend to coppice these willows (I've already done one, though you can't see it) and to make many more from the cuttings, which root easily. A colony of Salix a. 'Britzensis' will spring up here in a relatively short time. Cutting them will force new growth, which has the best color.

Arborvitae is such an overused shrub in suburbia, one I've learned to dislike rather intensely, that I'm having a hard time seeing this objectively. Now, at this bare time of year, this little set piece is definitely a major feature, too self-conscious, precious, contrived. This will take some getting used to, and time to integrate with the rest of the garden. I know to wait until high summer, when the herbaceous perennials, which are now all dormant underground, will make most of this invisible.

Structure
Taking a longer view, I can see the thuya and salix grouping makes an interesting triad with the pond and the new raised stone planting bed. Lots of structural potential here.


A long view from a position more to the right (below) shows even more. I probably need a longer hedge to get better balance with the other parts of the 'triad', and I need something at the far end, where I've been thinking about a separate area of the garden, partially blocked from view, and cutting across laterally, making a kind of 'conceptual' box frame around the central garden. The jury is still out. I remind myself I'm practicing slow gardening; this isn't an instant makeover. Have patience, have patience, I say to myself.


Details
The thuya are in a straight line, but the path behind them and the stone wall are curved. Should I replant the thuya in a matching curve, or leave them as is? The straight line emphasizes the gentle curve of the stone wall behind, an interesting effect that adds a subtle complexity. Still, I have to consider the effect on a stroller on the path. A curved hedge will make it more difficult to see around the curve, making the experience of the garden, from the path, more compelling.


I should return to this post near the end of July, at the height of the season, and consider the options from that perspective.