Planting Privets in My Maze
My garden maze here at my Bedford, New York farm now includes a section of evergreen privets, Ligustrum ovalifolium.
I started this three-acre maze in the spring of last year. I designed the maze with a variety of interesting trees, hedges, espaliers, and shrubs that would all grow tall enough to prevent walkers from seeing the paths ahead. Each row would branch off with pathway options and dead ends - with only one correct route to the center. So far, I've completed about a third of the entire course. I've planted European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, parrotias, espaliered apple trees, American sweetgums, barberry, London planetrees, and now these privets.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Recently, we picked up 58 privets from Select Horticulture in nearby Pound Ridge. I knew these shrubs would be great additions to my living maze.
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- Ligustrum ovalifolium, also known as Korean privet, California privet, garden privet, and oval-leaved privet, is a species of flowering plant in the olive family native to Japan and Korea. It is a dense, fast-growing, deciduous evergreen shrub or small tree.
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- Here is one side designated for this newest grouping. Chhiring and Ryan secured landscape twine according to our maze map. These plantings must be placed very carefully and precisely in order for the maze design to work.
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- The next step is to remove the sod from the designated area. This was done with our new Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter. It cuts the sod in two strips, which are then cut and rolled into sections, so they can be removed. Sod is quite heavy. The sod will be used in another section of the farm, so nothing is wasted.
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- And then the digging begins. Chhiring maneuvers our Kubota M62 tractor loader and backhoe to dig a trench for the trees.
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- From one end to the other, Chhiring carefully removes about two feet of soil along the trench.
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- Here is the trench dug and ready for the privets. Digging a trench is not only faster when planting a number of trees in a row compared to individual holes, but it also allows more break up of the soil for new roots to grow and for better circulation of oxygen and water.
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- Chhiring removes the protective wrap from around each privet root ball.
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- And then he removes the cage around each root ball. Removing all the material is very important. Some gardeners will leave the wrapping in the ground, but I prefer to remove everything around any trees that are planted at the farm, so there is nothing blocking its root growth. Some burlap is also treated to prevent it from disintegrating.
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- Now the first privet is in place – the natural burlap will also be removed once all the privets are lined up in the trench. The burlap helps keep the root ball intact for easy moving and positioning.
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- One by one, the privets are positioned – 30 on one side and 20 on the other.
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- Chhiring manually smooths out the trench as needed. The entire process of planting these 58 privets takes several days.
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- To place them in the trench, Chhiring uses our Hi-Lo fork lift. It i s able to lift the tree and get it right into its designated space.
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- All these shrubs are in good condition, but we always position plantings with the best side facing inward toward the walking path.
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- The map also includes some plantings going perpendicular to this row in the center, so Chhiring digs trenches just big enough to accommodate four privets on each side.
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- The last four privets are carried into place. If doing by hand, when moving trees, only hold it by the root ball and the base of the trunk – never by its branches, which could easily break.
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- Here, Chhiring removes all the protective burlap from the privets already in the trench.
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- The shrubs are then backfilled. A good tip is to “plant bare to the flare,” meaning do not bury the tree above its flare, where the first main roots attach to the trunk. Tree roots need oxygen to grow. By placing the root flare at or slightly above ground level when planting gives the tree the best chance for survival, growth and development.
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- Chhiring also sprinkles fertilizer specially made for transplanting. Remember, “if you eat, so should your plants.”
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- Here is one side of the row planted and backfilled. When fully mature, these privets will grow 10 to 15 feet tall.
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- One can see that these privets are all equally spaced in the trench. They will eventually grow into a nice thick hedge.
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- The leaves of the privet are elliptic-ovate, glossy, dark green leaves and about two and a half inches long.
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- Small, tubular, dull white flowers in upright panicles up to four inches long bloom on the stem tips in June and July.
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- Once they’re all planted, the privets are given a very deep and thorough drink. It’s been very hot and humid here at the farm this week – we’ve been watering quite a bit.
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- And finally here they are all planted and mulched. The mulch is made right here at the farm.
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- Here it is from a distance. The maze will take some time before it is complete, but I am so pleased with how well it is turning out. It gets more interesting – and more confusing – with each row of plantings.
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