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 Friday, February 26, 2010
Junipers - Ground Floor
Juniperus chinensis p.n.Low maintenance work horses, like the Japanese Garden Juniper at left, are plants we all depend on to carry us through the entire year. They not only look great in spring with their fresh new growth, but also look good in the heat of August, staying crisp in cool fall weather and continue looking good on those gray mucky days of winter. They are resilient to wet blankets of melting snow and harsh winds. It knows when to stand out, and when to help others take center stage.
       Common? Yes. Boring? Sometimes. Slackers? Never! They've made it into the corporate world holding their banks and steep hillsides diminishing the need for mowing. Give them a rock and they'll soften it, making them perfect for spilling over retaining walls and soothing sharp corners of walkways. They can take the cold wind and blazing sun of commercial plantings and parking lots. All this while suppressing a whole lot of weeds!
Take a look:
J. chinensis procumbens 'Nana' (Japgarden Juniper, above), 1'hx10'w, gray-green foliage, compact spreader. 'Sargentii' is another chinensis, 1.5'hx9'w, light green foliage. It's branches have a whip-like appearance. Found by C.S. Sargent on the north island of Hokkaido, Japan. Dirr has over 90 cultivars listed under this species.
J. communis 'Effusa'
(Common Juniper) 1'hx6'w, cold hardy to zone 2, turns a yellowish brown in cold months. Has a more open habit, showing off reddish stems. Native of northern regions of both the 'old and new world', and important in flavoring GIN.
J. conferta
'Blue Pacific',
(Shore Juniper) 1'hx8'w, trailing, blue-green foliage. Even though the foliage is pretty prickly, it has a softer, hazier appearance. The branches are soft and flexible. Salt tolerant as well.
J. horizontalis 'Bar Harbor'
(Creeping Juniper), 1'hx8'w, blue-gray foliage, purplish in winter, one of Peter's favorites as it's tips curl upwards making it look like waves. 'Wiltonii' (Blue Rug') is another horizontalis. A real ground hugger, it is possibly the lowest of the low growers. Also quite salt tolerant. 
J. squamata 'Blue Carpet' (Singleseed Juniper) 8"hx4-5'w, rich blue-gray-green foliage. Related to 'Blue Star' which has a taller more rounded habit (both have the bushy 'Meyerii ' as a relative). Purple cast to the foliage during colder months. Not as heat tolerant as the others mentioned.

Most of the above are low maintenance and trouble free, but can be susceptible to phomopsis (Juniper Blight) bagworms and spider mites. Also remember they don't like to sit in water. Good drainage is a must!  Once established they can tolerate dry soils. Come take a look at all the varieties we grow. Just look for the seas of green...and gray green, blue-green, yellow-tipped green, blue-gray-green, lime-green... you can't miss them! (Check them all out in M. Dirr's new 6thedition  of  The Manual of Woody Landscape Plants that just came in. It's a major revision of the last edition with 2000 new species and cultivars added).


FYI- Take a look at the Juniper Chart in our new 2010 catalog - page 42!

Also, Nearctica.com is an interesting site for detailed information of native conifers of North America. It's worth checking out.
Catalogs are In and Trucks are Coming
                               ...and Spring is only 22 days away!
Catalog 2010The 2010 Catalogs are in! Let us know if you haven't received your copy yet, we'll be happy to send one out. 203-426-4037.

O
n Monday we will see the first of many incoming trucks carrying freshly dug deciduous trees! Pears, Shadblow, Cherries, Dogwoods and Maples to name a few. 10 trucks in total for next week, followed by many, many more!

We're here to do your spring quotes. Get a jump on those bids! Fax or e-mail your plant lists over and we'll get them out to you in a timely manner. You can reach Drew in Newtown acantrell@planterschoice.com or fax 203-426-8057, or Liz in  Watertown lbette@planterschoice.com or fax 860-945-9282.


Thanks for Coming!
We had our last lecture for the winter of 2010. Thanks to everyone who came. We hope they were informative and that you'll have a chance to use the information received. We look forward to next year's talks, and with your input on future topics we hope to have another interesting series. Just pop us an email, info@planterschoice.com, or call 203-426-4037 with your ideas anytime during the year!
Thanks again!
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