Planting Around My Pool
Planting projects at my Bedford, New York farm continue with a group of beautiful shrubs around the pool.
This week, the outdoor grounds crew took on the large task of planting about 200-specimens along the pool's fence. On the inside of the fence, we already have a growing hedge of purple columnar beech trees, Fagus sylvatica 'Dawyck Purple' - a splendid tree with deep-purple foliage that holds its color all season. For the outside of the fence, I chose to plant Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ and Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’. I always try to incorporate unique and interesting plantings into my gardens - both these shrubs have superlative color, appealing form, and will look excellent in this area.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
-
- I wanted to create a natural border along both sides of my pool fence and chose a dark purple color palette – these plants looks so handsome against the bright bold green of the lawn.
-
- I decided to alternate the shrubs – one phsyocarpus and then one cotinus, etc.
-
- Cotinus, also known as smoketree or smoke bush, is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs. They are a great choice for massing or for hedges. The stunning dark red-purple foliage turns scarlet in autumn and has plume-like seed clusters, which appear after the flowers and give a long-lasting, smoky haze to branch tips.
-
- Physocarpus is commonly called ninebark, and is an upright, spreading, somewhat coarse, deciduous, Missouri-native shrub which is closely related to the genus Spiraea. It boasts a deep burgundy foliage with ovate to rounded, usually three to five lobed leaves that are dull green in summer changing to an undistinguished yellow in fall. Then its color veers toward bronzy red by the time the leaves fall in late November.
-
- Because the area already has a top dressing of mulch, Dawa carefully moved the mulch to one side before digging the hole.
-
- Each hole is made twice the size of the container. A plant’s roots grow out more easily into loosened, enriched soil.
-
- As with all our gardening projects, any extra soil is gathered and returned to the compost heap, so it can be reused again at a later time.
-
- Dawa then buries the plant to the same depth it was in its pot. Never bury a plant deeper than its crown, or where the roots and stems meet – buried crowns will suffocate the plants. Cotinus grows best in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade, but it is quite tolerant of alkaline soils, moist, clay soils, dry, rocky soils, and drought.
-
- Dawa sprinkles a handful of fertilizer around the plant ball.
-
- Fertilizer is very important for new plantings. It increases transplant survival, as well as water and nutrient absorption.
-
- I have many smoke bushes around the farm – it is among my favorite small trees. These can grow to a moderate size – up to 15-feet tall and 10-feet wide.
-
- All the plants are lined up along the entire perimeter of the fence before any planting is started. Doing this ensures there are enough plant to go around.
-
- Equidistant from a Cotinus at either side, Phurba begins to prepare the area for a Physocarpus.
-
- Here is the hole – already treated with some fertilizer.
-
- Physocarpus plants prefer well-drained, acidic soil in full sun and thrives in hardiness zones 3 to 7.
-
- Always position the plant, so its best side faces front. Phurba turns it slightly in the hole before backfilling.
-
- Physocarpus can reach 10-feet high and 10-feet wide in four or five years, so it is a good grower.
-
- Once planted, each side is given a good, thorough watering. I think it will all look so stunning.
-
- At one end of the pool fence, on the inside, I planted a group of Heuchera ‘Obsidian’, also known as Obsidian Coral Bells. The glossy dark maroon, almost black, leaves keep their color all season – it adds a gorgeous accent to the bed.
-
- I love the undersides of the leaves – a bright purple. Heuchera is exceptionally cold hardy and loves sun or partial shade on moist but well-drained, organic-enriched soils.
-
- In the same fashion, Phurba moves the mulch before planting.
-
- Then digs the hole and adds a scoop of fertilizer.
-
- The deep purple-black leaves deliver the darkest hue of all Coral Bells. The name is taken from the rock obsidian, a black stone formed when lava strikes water. Like all Coral Bells, Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ doesn’t grow huge. At maturity, it will be about 10-inches tall by 16-inches wide.
-
- Here is a view of the pool surrounded by the striking beech hedge. I’m so proud of how this area has turned out.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
