Smaller Yards Need Smaller Plants

 

As urbanization takes on a life of its own, home builders are faced with the need for smaller homes on smaller lots.  Homes are spaced closely, and attached homes have even less outdoor space.  Condos, and semi-attached homes still need to feed the need for outdoor spaces.  Patios and yards with limited green space have made small plants a must-have and the nursery industry is stepping up to offer some great options.

This patio is enclosed for a private space for this homeowner, but notice the neighbors just over the wall.  Screen plantings are useful here, but typical plants may outgrow the space.  Dwarf varieties will serve the purpose and allow the space to function as a gathering place. 

 

Here are a few of the many varieties of dwarf plants that may help landscape a small space. 

Small shrubs mature size is usually about 5 feet, and dwarf shrubs mature at about 3 feet  at most.  These mature elements can be very important detail when designing a small garden.   

 

 

This Blue Shag Dwarf white pine has blue-green long, soft needles and it's globe shade tops out at 3 - 4 feet high and wide.  Here the Blue Shag is flanked with Elijah Blue Fescue grass clumps that also remain small.

 

 

Mahonia aquifolium 'Compacta' is a multi-season plant that just keep giving.  Common name is compact Oregon Grape Holly. It stays small at 2 - 3 feet. This low maintenance  shrub has new leaves with a bronze/red color and turns to a green during summer.  Fall leaves turn a purple/red color and remain all winter. Birds are attracted to this Grape Holly berries and it is deer resistant.  This shrub does well in containers, too, and can be a nice potted plant on the patio.  Grape holly is hardy in Zone 5a - 9b.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many small gardens need tall plants to expand the view upward.  Here, conifers are placed against the backdrop of a wall.  Pruned varieties have a stem that extend the foliage up, and visually keeps the space from feeling crowded. 

 

 

These ground covers spread and droop along the ground. Both are thyme - the top one is Archer's Gold Lemon, and the lower picture is Wooly Thyme.  The texture of these plants is small, and dainty and does not overtake the small space.  Also, since this is a small seating area, the luscious aroma of thyme will permeate the area and create another pleasant feature of a small garden.

 

Keeping a small space tidy could become difficult if leaves drop, or petals fall on the patio or deck. Dwarf English boxwood is an evergreen shrub that adapt well to containers or small spaces, and except for a nip or snip occasionally stay neat and tidy. 

English Boxwood are hardy in Zone 6 - 8 and grow to about three feet tall.  

 

A pretty flowering shrub that stays small is a Regent Serviceberry.

 

 

Regent Serviceberry is a compact shrub with bluish-gray foliage and white blooms in early summer.

Great fall color and edible fruit make this plant pretty for three season each year. This shrub grows up to 4 - 6 feet so it may not be suitable in a really small patio. 

 

 

Juniperus squamata 'Meyeri' is a drooping variety that only grows to 3 feet.  Ideal for evergreen color in a small garden.  The cool blue color is spectacular, and this juniper is hardy in Zone 5 - 8. 

 

Many shrubs are available in compact varieties.  Local garden centers and nurseries will have many choices.  Keep in mind the mature size of any plant that you may purchase.  Keeping size manageable in a small space will enhance the feeling of a coziness, and will keep maintenance to a minimum.  More time to relax in a small garden.

 

 

 

 

 

I have highlighted other small plants in a post and you can see them here.

 

Just because our outdoor space is small, does not mean we can not have a lovely, relaxing garden to enjoy.

 

 

 

Ground Covers - The Good, Bad, Ugly

The idea of ground covers is to green the area and cover the ground.  Duh!!  I've spent years trying to find the ideal ground cover.  The idea sounds simple enough, but ....

This is 'snow-on-the-mountain.' Other common names include Bishop's Weed, Gout Weed, Ground Elder. It's botanical name is Aegopodium. a perennial, ground cover ...an Boy does it.  This plant spreads  by runners, under ground. Snow-on-the-mountain is very aggressive and invasive.  Use a non-selective herbicide to the leaves to inhibit its spreading.  I'd use this plant in containers where you can restrict its growth.  But, as you can see, Gout Weed has moved all around my garden. Now I'm on a mission to remove it once and for all.

Another 'goof' I admit to (Other's not so much) is 'creeping jenny'.  I initially loved the bright, gold shades it offered the garden.  But once again, (Lysimachia nummularia) - plant has gone wild! The plant can jump and creep.  I've found it in areas not even close to the original bed.  I've used creeping jenny in containers too, but I urge you to be very careful where you put them.

   

This photo is wild strawberry. It is also known as Frais des bois, or Woodland strawberry. I have never planted this wild strawberry so I'm blaming birds for their deposit of this fruit to my yard.  Again, strawberries are everywhere - in the beds and in the lawn.  The fruit is quite edible, and the yellow blossoms are pretty but just not uninvited!


These ground covers would be classed as The Bad.  They are out of control and I'm ready to initiate a full fledged assault.  I'll let you know how that works!

The Good -

Not all ground covers don't mind their manners.  Some are quite nice.  I particularly like sweet woodruff, Galium odoratum, a shade gardeners delight.  It grows quickly and has a vanilla fragrance in early spring when it blooms. Sweet woodruff is a valuable herb in the garden as it has culinary and medicinal uses. It's a perfect choice for those shady spots near trees and overhangs. It's also a natural insect repellent. Sweet woodruff grows 8-12" tall and prefers moist, well-drained soils.

Pachysandra terminalis is perhaps the best evergreen ground cover for moderately- to deeply-shaded sites, forming dense mats of glossy dark green foliage.  The white flowers are not significant, but do brighten the area for a week or so in the early spring.  I've got this under a white pine which is a very dry area and pachysandra has taken many years to spread into this 30' by 15' area.  I started with only a dozen plants, so my waiting has paid off with a really dark green, well-behaved covering.

One more ground cover I enjoy is sedum.(I don't know the variety - sorry).  Here in a very hot, sunny area, this guy just hangs out.  The golden blooms in late summer are contrasted by the blue-green foliage. Full sun - at least six hours a day - make this plant perform well. 

The Ugly - Again -- this is subjective, but I am really about over the 'sweet violets' and the vinca that love the shade under the lilac bushes.  This too is an area that I need to revamp.

  The non-selective herbicides may get applied once I remove the perennials that I want to save - the hostas, the Solomon's seal, and some ferns.  The herbicide I like is an OMRI  listed product from St Gabriel Labs, called Burn Out II.  It's all organic and naturally degrades in the soil, leaving no chemical  residue to contaminate the soil or water. Since it is a 'non-selective' herbicide, it will kill anything you spray it on.  Use caution around desirable plants and turf.

The last ground cover I have to deal with is the grasses that pop up in the gravel paths and in unmulched areas.  The Burn Out II will work on these too. 

What ground covers do you like?  What invasive plants drive you crazy?   How do you deal with them?

I'd like to hear from you.