Planting in the Pinetum
My pinetum continues to evolve with the planting of more interesting specimens.
Recently, I purchased a few plantings from Conifer Kingdom, an Oregon-based company that sells more than 600 conifer varieties from sapling to large, mature trees. Conifer Kingdom is a longtime participating vendor at the Trade Secrets Garden Tours and Rare Plant & Garden Antiques Sale. I decided the plants would look great in my pinetum behind my Equipment Barn and underneath my weeping willows. The new additions include a European Larch, Variegated False Holly, Colorado spruce, and Korean fir.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- As a serious and passionate gardener, I am always looking for ways to add more beauty and texture to all my garden beds. One area that is constantly evolving is my pinetum – an arboretum of pine trees and other conifers.
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- This Picea pungens ‘Utica’ is a slow-growing bright blue evergreen conifer shrub. It is a spruce that was actually found as a seedling in upstate New York.
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- Matthew starts by digging the hole at least twice the size of the plant.
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- Then he sprinkles a generous amount of food into the hole and mixes it with the existing soil. Remember what I always say, “if you are eating and drinking today, so should your plants.”
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- I use Miracle-Gro Organic All Purpose Plant Food. It’s good for both outdoor container and in-ground plants and feeds for up to three-months.
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- Matthew carefully removes the plant from its pot so as to get as much of the root ball as possible.
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- Using his pruners, Matthew scarifies the root ball, meaning he makes intentional cuts along the side to stimulate growth. I do this with all new plants before they are placed in the ground.
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- He also teases the roots on the bottom. Scarifying the root ball also helps with nutrient absorption by loosening the roots and allowing them to expand into the new soil.
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- Matthew checks to be sure that it is planted at the right depth. It should be at the same level as it was in the pot.
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- Finally, Matthew backfills and tamps down lightly to create a good connection between the root ball and the existing soil.
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- Look at this interesting specimen – Abies koreana ‘Kohout’s Ice Breaker.’ This is a dwarf, evergreen conifer that develops into a small, broadly pyramidal tree. It has short, stubby branches with flat, curved silvery blue and white needles and an incredibly slow growth rate.
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- Matthew removes it carefully from its pot. This plant will only mature to two feet tall and three feet wide after 10-years.
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- And once again, Matthew scarifies the roots. If the root ball is soft, scarifying can be done with the hands.
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- Matthew backfills and levels the surrounding soil. This specimen’s spherical shape shows it is still young.
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- This is a variegated false holly, a tree-form version of the Goshiki Osmanthus. It is a well-loved specimen for its radiant, variegated, holly-like leaves of creamy white, yellow, and dark mint green.
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- Another interesting conifer is this European larch, Larix decidua ‘Krejci.’ This is a twisted dwarf conifer that is also a slow grower with an interesting shape and habit. It is native to the mountains of central Europe, in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains, and in lowland populations of northern Poland.
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- The twisted, turning branches bear clusters of bright green needles in spring, turning dark green in summer, and golden-yellow in fall.
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- I recently expanded the garden to underneath these tall weeping willow trees, which I also planted here years ago.
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- Mugo pines are planted at the edge. Together with all the other new plants, this garden features a great mix of varieties, colors, and textures.
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- Everything thrives here in part because of the excellent soil which I amend often with nutrient rich compost and organic fertilizer. I am very proud of how it is developing. The newest additions will fill out this pinetum garden wonderfully.
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