Yew Trees for My Living Maze
A selection of yew trees, Taxus, a coniferous evergreen, related to pines, spruces, firs, cedars, and cypress now fills another section of my living maze.
My three-acre living maze is located in a pasture just outside my Winter House. As many of you know, I designed this garden maze last year, and already we've planted more than a third of the space. The area is a growing puzzle of tall plantings - tall enough to prevent those walking through from seeing the paths ahead. The maze includes rows, openings, and various dead ends, but only one true route leading to the center - all according to a very detailed map I created. It's a huge undertaking, but I am so pleased with its progress.
Enjoy these photos.
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- We picked up the yew trees from Select Horticulture in nearby Pound Ridge. The yew, taxus, is a small to medium sized evergreen that grows up to 65-feet tall. Yews are incredibly long lived – in fact they can survive for 900 years before becoming ancient.
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- The leaves are flat, dark green, and arranged spirally on the stem.
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- The maze is drawn out on a map, so the area is marked according to the map’s specifications. The first step is to remove the sod from where the yews will be placed.
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- And then in the same location, a trench is dug out for the yew trees.
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- My outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, removes all the plastic shrink wrap from around the root ball of each yew.
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- He also removes any twine that is used to keep the root ball intact.
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- And then he removes the wire cage that supports the root ball. Some gardeners will just cut and then 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.
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- Chhiring then rolls the yews into the trench, carefully positioning and spacing each one.
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- Here are the yews all inside the trench, lined up perfectly.
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- Yews are known for being slow-growing, but in the right conditions, yew hedge trees can grow about 30-centimeters per year. These yews are spaced closely, so they become a closed hedge in time.
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- It’s very important to give the trees a good feeding. I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.” Chhring sprinkles a generous amount down the trench.
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- First on the root ball itself…
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- … and then on the surrounding soil that will be backfilled into the trench. The best type of fertilizer for yews is a complete, slow-release fertilizer labeled for trees or shrubs and evergreens.
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- Then the soil is backfilled. With any tree, it is crucial to plant it properly in the ground. The rule of thumb is “bare to the flare” meaning only plant up to the flare, where the tree meets the root system. If a tree is planted too deeply, it will often have branch dieback, splitting bark, and overall reduced growth rate.
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- These yews were quite dry, and it was also a very warm and humid day, so a hose is also placed into the trench at the same time to make sure the trees get a good drink as they are planted.
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- The paths within the maze are six feet wide to accommodate those who enter the maze – on foot or on horseback. The maze will take some time before it is complete, but I am so happy with how well it is turning out so far.
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- Here, Chhiring fills a wheelbarrow with compost. We always top dress the planting beds with a thin layer of compost to add more nutrient rich organic matter to the soil, which provides for proper drainage. The compost also also gives it a finished and groomed appearance.
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- Chhiring spreads the compost around and between all the yews in a level two inch layer.
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- Here is the row all done and another area complete.
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- I add a variety of plantings to make sure the maze is interesting – there is a variety of different hedges, espaliers, and trees. Some of the other specimens planted here include European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, parrotias, espaliered apple trees, American sweetgums, barberry, London planetrees, privets, holly, and yews. What else would you plant in a living maze?
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