Japanese Maples are one of our most used small scale trees and accent for good reason. They are easy to grow, have great texture and fall color, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They range from 5′ to 30′ in size. There are four basic leaf types of these pretty trees:

-Palmate Leaf: These have a broad maple leaf like a palm, much like the Canadian flag.
-Dissect Leaf: These have a finely cut leaf, which is more intricate
-Red Leafed: Different hues of red and purple in both palmate and dissect varieties
-Green Leafed: These can often take a bit more direct sun than their red leafed counterparts

Japanese Maples are versatile, and make a great eye catching accent in the garden, especially in the fall. Many have sculptural or colored bark in the winter, so even when dormant, they still have a unique presence. These trees are usually in the moderate water use category for our climate in the Bay Area, but they don’t need to be over used, a few can make a statement. Many prefer a little shade especially in the hot afternoons, but many will adapt to even full sun, although their leaves may burn.

Here are 8 of our favorite easy to find maple species from our awesome Plantmaster Database. You can see more of these in the Plantmaster Interactive View.

Hedges are traditional yet versatile components of planting design. They are great for screening, to act as a fence, to provide borders, and to lend a formal or modern element to a planting scheme. Here are some of our favorite plants for hedging from our great Plantmaster database. You’ll notice that some hedges are classified as small trees, which can be maintained at a smaller size with regular pruning.

Plantmaster Interactive View

Hedge Options

Tree

Callistemon citrinus | Lemon Bottlebrush

Feijoa sellowiana | Pineapple Guava

Laurus nobilis | Grecian Laurel

Ligustrum japonicum ‘Texanum’ | Waxleaf Privet

Prunus caroliniana | Carolina Laurel Cherry

Prunus laurocerasus | English Laurel

Shrub

Abelia X gra. ‘Confetti’ | Variegated Glossy Abelia

Buxus ‘Green Beauty’ | Green Beauty Boxwood

Coprosma ‘Pacific Sunrise™’ | Pacific Sunrise Coprosma

Coprosma repens ‘Marble Queen’ | Dwarf Variegated Mirror Plant

Escallonia X exoniensis ‘Frades’ | Frades Compact Escallonia

Nerium ‘Petite Salmon’ | Petite Salmon Oleander

Photinia X fraseri | Fraser Photinia

Pittosporum ten. ‘Marjorie Channon’ | Marjorie Channon’ Pittosporum

Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Golf Ball’ | Golf Ball Kohuhu

Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Variegata’ | Blackstem Pittosporum, Tawhiwhi

Prunus caroliniana ‘Compacta’ | Dwarf Carolina Laurel Cherry

Prunus laurocerasus ‘Otto Luyken’ | Luykens Laurel

Rhaphiolepis indica ‘Pink Lady’ | Pink Lady Rhaph or Indian Hawthorn

Westringia fruticosa | Coast Rosemary

Broadleaf Evergreen

Buxus sempervirens ‘Variegata’ | Variegated English Boxwood

Euonymus japonicus ‘Silver Queen’ | White Variegated Euonymus

Recently we featured our favorite evergreen small trees. Here are their compliments in all their fall foliage and spring bloom beauty- trees that make nice accents and don’t get huge. All images come from our Plantmaster database.

Plantmaster Interactive View

Small Scale Deciduous Trees

Acer palmatum ‘Crimson Queen’ | Crimson Queen Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Viridis’ | Laceleaf Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’ | Coral Bark Japanese Maple

Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ | Forest Pansy Redbud

Cornus florida | Flowering Dogwood

Lagerstroemia ‘Muskogee’ | Muskogee Lavender Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’ | Natchez Crape Myrtle

Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’ | Yellow Bird Magnolia

Pistacia chinensis | Chinese Pistache

Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ | Chanticleer Columnar Callery Pear

In our last post we highlighted our favorite Small Scale Evergreen Trees, using our awesome Plantmaster Database. This time we wanted to share some favorite grasses. Truth be told, these selections include “grass like” plants, such as sedges and reeds, as well as true grasses. Many of these grasses are evergreen (indicated with – (EG), providing year round appeal. Grasses are a great component of any planting design, providing a break in texture, form, and color. They range in size from the small Mondo Grass (less than a foot), to towering Miscanthus which may be 6′ or more. These plant genera also host many other interesting and nice cultivars to explore.

Plantmaster interactive view

Favorite Ornamental Grasses

Perennial

Chondropetalum tectorum | Cape Rush

Grass

Calamagrostis X acu. ‘Karl Foerster’ | Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass

Carex divulsa | Berkeley Sedge

Deschampsia ces. ‘Northern Lights’ | Northern Lights Tufted Hair Grass

Festuca ‘Siskyou Blue’ | Siskyou Blue Fescue

Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ | Japanese Forest Grass, Hakone Grass

Lomandra ‘Platinum Beauty’ | Platinum Beauty™ Lomandra

Lomandra longifolia ‘Breeze’ | Dwarf Mat Rush

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ | Morning Light Silver Grass

Miscanthus transmorrisonensis | Evergreen Eulalia

Muhlenbergia capillaris ‘Pink Flamingo’ | Pink Flamingo Muhly Grass

Muhlenbergia rigens | Deer Grass

Ophiopogon japonicus | Mondo Grass, Lily Grass

Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ | Black Mondo Grass

Pennisetum alo. ‘Hamelin’ | Hamelin Dwarf Fountain Grass

Sesleria autumnalis | Autumn Moor Grass

Stipa ichu | Peruvian Feather Grass

Nestled into the Northern end of the Sonoma Coast, Salt Point State Park is showcase of unique geology and stunning native plants. On a winding trail above bluffs of Franciscan melange and wind and salt pocked rock outcrops, are beautiful showcases of Buckwheats, native Plantains, and icy colored silver-blue California Poppies. Each bend in the trail reveals a new treat, from plains of false Dandelion to Dudleyas clinging to the jutting boulders in host of vertical gardens. While the coastal walk is the main draw this time of year, there a multiple areas to be explored, with the Pigmy Forrest, open grassland and Rhododendron  Preserve offering nice hikes on the other side of highway.

Pick an early weekend morning to head-up the coast and beat the traffic on Hwy 1 and you won’t be disappointed. See more photos in our Facebook gallery of our recent trip.

We use a lot of ornamental grasses in our landscapes. They fit very well in a number of design styles and are  fairly low maintenance and low water use. We typically prefer evergreen grasses for their year round appeal, but even those grasses that don’t go deciduous can benefit from a pruning (haircut) every year or two. This article from the Sonoma County Master Gardeners gives a good overview on pruning some common grasses.

Some of our Favorite Grasses

Evergreen: Blue Fescue, Deer Grass, Evergreen Miscanthus, Autumn Moor Grass, Berkeley Sedge
Deciduous: Purple Fountain Grass, Little Bunny Fountain Grass, Miscanthus
Grass-like: New Zealand Flax: Yellow Wave, Jack Spratt, and Tom Thumb among other more compact grass like varieties

The Chronicle had an article today about the continued virulence of Sudden Oak Death in the Bay Area’s Oak Woodlands. In Marin, 53% of samples taken tested positive for the pathogen, a spike attributed to high rainfall the past couple years that helps SOD spread.

“We found that the number of positives were double and in some cases triple what they were last year,” said Matteo Garbelotto, the UC Berkeley forest pathologist who organizes the annual surveys. “We were surprised. That was a big jump.”

The findings are part of a major effort over the past four years to involve citizens in the battle against the mysterious pathogen, which has killed hundreds of thousands of oak trees from Big Sur to southern Oregon.

As temperatures are going to get cold this week, there are a couple of easy steps you can take to help protect young or frost tender plants. If plants show frost damage you can spray Cloudcover, a polymer that provides 3-5 degrees of additional frost protection by forming a barrier on the leaves to help protect plants. Another good technique to help protect plants like citrus is to cover with sheets, or a frost blanket like this one from DuPont.

Image from Dupont Website

There was an interesting book review in the Financial Times today about a common plant and iconic fruit, the apple.  The Story of the Apple, by a pair of botanists, Oxford’s Barrie Juniper and the University of Washington’s David Mabberley, chronicles their search through cultural, historical, and DNA evidence to trace the apple’s origins. Their best evidence points to the forests of Kazakhstan. This is removed from the biblical areas of the middle east and fertile crescent, where temperatures do not get cold enough to help apples properly germinate. It is fascinating to ponder the rich past of such a commonly cultivated plant and leads to curiosity about the sources of other plants we take for granted.

As with any planting, location can be a key factor to the plant’s success. As I was walking by an office building today, I noticed a stand of Redwoods planted within feet of an office building’s foundation. The trees themselves looked great, and helped to screen the building, but functionally it was clear the trees were misplaced. Half of the tree had to be pruned against the building, leaving them misshapen. Large scale trees may work well in confined spaces when young, but as they grow taller and as their root systems grow more pronounced they can cause significant problems. We have seen this time and again on projects where tree roots are disturbing foundations, and sewer or utility lines.

Practically it makes sense to think about what the tree is being planted to do (screen, provide shade, visual presence etc.) and to take into account its mature size and the needed buffer distance to help prevent problems. Selecting the wrong tree for a particular application can be just as bad. Just ask those with high rooted Birch trees planted in lawns or Liquid Ambar trees planted along sidewalks.

I posted an entry a while back about a restoration planting that we had done for a personal project in the Sacramento Valley. On a recent site visit it is interesting to see how the native plants are progressing. Surprisingly, most are doing quite well, and continued survival rates are good so far. One major impact has been the grasses and weeds that have grown in the last month. This combined with lower than normal rainfall has taken its toll.

One interesting specimine was a California Black Walnut sapling that was dead above ground. When pulled up, there was still living material at the top of the tap root, which had grown a few inches in the past few months.

Pictured: Foxtail, Rye Grass and Other Grasses and Weeds Compete for Moisture and Often Crowd Out Native Plantings.

There has been quite a show this spring as fruit trees and other blooming trees are really blooming this year. This may have something to do with a fairly mild winter and not a lot of late winter rain. On a trip up I-5 the almonds and other fruit trees where ablaze with blooms.

A Beautiful Saucer Magnolia in Bloom

Taken in Larkspur, which seems to have great magnolias

A spectacular tree just leafing out

We are finishing up on a project in Sonoma and putting in a large sod lawn. No matter how many projects we do, it is always amazing the impact of a sod lawn. Clients almost always react once the sod is installed- this turf is a dwarf tall fescue, bluegrass blend.

During Grading

After installation

After installation

Currently we are working on a personal project to upgrade vegetation for stream corridors and create hedgerows for wildlife on a site in the Sacramento Valley. The installation consisted of Cottonwood, Buckeye, and Black Walnut trees, with Toyon and Creeping Rye grass planted as well. Taking a look at the site again recently after the cold winter weather, most of the plants are doing quite well. Retention on plantings of this type is typically pretty poor- most of the plants are not irrigated, and they are being planted from liner containers (just sprouted from cuttings).

While it is nice to see that the plantings have done well, with a 80-90% retention rate, the real test will be when the summer comes and the plants are exposed to 100+ degree temperatures without water. Fortunately, the plants were all chosen because they are native to the area and have adapted to such extremes of heat and cold. All the deciduous trees fared better than the Toyon, which was quite small and in some cases was frozen back in areas where it had less protection.

A California Buckeye (Aesculus californica) just leafing out

A dead Buckeye with Brown stem

A live Buckeye with green layer under bark. The scratch test is a simple way to test the condition of most plants.

We are spoiled here in the Bay Area with a great climate that allows us to plant a wide range of plantings. These range from sub-tropicals, to more temperate plants and even bulbs. Occasionally however, temperatures will drop down below freezing, killing borderline plants. Frequent casualties are Bougainvillea, Lantana, Heathers and soft stem perennials. When it gets down into the low 20’s other plants such as Eucalyptus can also be in danger. This is just a part of dealing with climate changes from season to season. On plantings that grow quickly the best solution is just to replant after a freeze. For other specialized plants or plants that aren’t must haves, better to replant with something more hardy. Sunset garden book is the best resources for finding your plant zone in California. Keep in mind that micro-climates such as cold sinks and other phenomenon can make certain areas colder or warmer.

There was an interesting article in the latest Sierra Club Yodeler newsletter for Marin on planting native plants in winter time. Planting in late fall or early winter helps plants get established and ready for spring growth. New plants can also take advantage of winter rains.

Native Plant Nursery Listings:
Marin Chapter California Native Plant Society
Yerba Buena Chapter Nursery/Plant Listing

Ginkgo’s are in full show this time of year- changing from their hearty green foliage to the golden coat of autumn. These trees are unique botanically among showy fall trees, being among the most ancient know tree specimens and belonging to their own division classification with no direct relatives. Other unique qualities include insect and disease resistance, and a specially veined leaf, which does not display the typical palmate and pinnate veination of most other broad-leaf trees. There are a number of interesting cultivars available- with the most commonly used variety in Northern California being ‘Autumn Gold.’

For More:
Article from Wikipedia
List of Cultivars (.pdf)

We received this question regarding watering roses in more shady areas from a client recently:

Q: We have several varieties of Rose Bushes in our garden. The sun is indirect there and there are trees doing their best to take over. We have been watering these roses every day … in what seems like hours the water has been running.

What would be your recommendation. The soil is rather sandy and tight, but moist.
A: Here is some advice from Berkeley Horticultural Nursery on ‘Growing Roses in the Bay Area:’ “Watering – in the ground: Water established plants deeply at least once a week) more often in hot or windy weather, less often during cool foggy spells). Soaker hoses snaked between the plants will make watering less of a chore and they can be hidden with mulch. Adding 2 in. or more of mulch around roses will reduce the need for water by preventing evaporation.”

Or, Sunset Garden Book recommends basin flooding if you don’t have drip irrigation and are watering by hand — in other words, creating a thick walled basin via a soil berm around the rose bush, about 3 – 4 ft. in diameter, then adding water by the hose to fill the basin. The idea is to deep water with enough water to wet the entire root zone of the rose. In hot weather, you might be filling the basin every other day. In general, by any method of watering, the object is not to get water on the leaves of the rose because it can contribute to mildew.

I was fooled last week by a deciduous Viburnum that has leaves and foliage similar to a Dogwood. These Viburnum make a nice accent. Other beautiful Viburnum this time of year is Snowball, with their large clusters of flowers

White Viburnum plicatum from a project installed in Larkspur after a couple years of growth

Box trees are a great way to create an instant effect for landscape projects. While their long term benefit is gradually lost over time (typically trees growing from small containers catch up in the long run) the impact in the first 3-5 years is dramatic, giving an immediate presence and maturity to a newly installed landscape.

Here is a breakdown of common tree sizes:

5 Gallon: Most trees are installed in larger sizes, some small trees (including multi-stem trees) and specimen trees like Japanese Maple are often found in this size. Height is typically 2-5′.

15 Gallon: One of the most common tree sizes installed, this size balances the desire for a tree that may be 6-12′ in height, depending on species, with budget considerations (box trees because they have spent anywhere from 1-5 additional years in the nursery are much more expensive). Callipers (diameter of the tree
trunk) on 15 gallons are typically .5″ to 1.0″ depending on variety.

15 Gallon Arbutus marina (Strawberry Tree) surrounded by 1 Gallon shrubs

24″ Box: Smallest common box size (the box size represents a 2′ x 2′ x 2′ box), the 24″ box is more mature than 15 gallons with heights of 8-15′ and callipers of 1″-2.5″ depending on species.

24″ Chinese Pistache with flowering fruit trees in the background

36″ Box: This tends to be more mature than the smaller sizes. Heights vary 10-20′.

36″ Box Arbutus marina, Strawberry Tree, compare to the 15 gallon or 48″ box size below

48″ Box: Typically fairly mature trees with 3-7 years of growth at the nursery. Heights vary 10-30′, costs for these trees can be up to several thousand dollars.

48″ Box Arbutus marina, these trees make a significant visual impact

A beautiful 48″ box green Japanese Maple

48″ Box Chinese Elms

Large Boxes 60″ and up: These are for almost full grown specimens of smaller trees, and very well established specimens of larger trees. Of course trees can be used that are larger than standard container sizes. Full size mature trees (full grown Oaks and others) are moved with giant hydraulic spades, cranes, and trucks by specialty tree moving companies.
One of the largest wholesale tree and shrub nurseries we use frequently for tree orders is Boething Treeland Farms, with nurseries in Northern and Southern California (Box tree photos from their Portola Valley Nursery).
For More:
Senna Tree– Specimen Tree Movers
Valley Crest Tree Company: Valley Crest’s tree nursery division with specialty moving services.
Plantsearch.com guide to wholesale nurseries for California

Sunset had a good article in this months edition on floribunda roses, otherwise referred to as shrub or bush roses.

The article underscored an important point, traditional hybrid tea roses (those with the large long canes and traditional flowers) can be a challenge to grow if afflicted with a number of ailments (aphids, black spot, mildew, rust, deer and others). Shrub roses give the same quality of roses without the work of traditional roses. One of our favorites is Coral Seas, which seems to bloom all year with beautiful and dense blooms.

For more on Rose care visit Ehow.com’s informative articles.
Black Spot
Rust
Aphids

This is a great time for bare root planting, visit Petaluma Rose Company for a great selection of roses

Continuing on a book theme from yesterday I wanted to highly recommend a pair of books on Native California plants for horticultural use. Both are co-written by David Fross of Native Sons Nursery out of Arroyo Grande on the Central Coast. I have had the great opportunity to take classes from Dave, who has a passion and expertise for native flora that is unmatched in the state. In addition, he runs a great wholesale nursery operation, and you can find Native Sons plants in many retail garden centers.

The first title, California Native Plants for the Garden (which you can buy direct from Native Sons), features,
“more than 500 plants and illustrated with 450 color photos, California Native Plants for the Garden is a comprehensive resource that will appeal to every gardener who has an interest in California’s unique flora.”
Fross co-authored the book along with a second being released for 2006, Ceanothus, which promises to be the authoritative title on a wonderfully varied native shrub and groundcover.

Both these titles will no doubt make great additions to any gardener’s library.

Image Courtesy of Amazon

For More:
Article on Fross from San Diego Union-Tribune
A True Blue Californian – LA Times Article on Ceanothus and the upcoming book

Of all the plants we use in our landscapes, Japanese Maples (Acer japonica) are one of the most recognized and loved by our clients. From avid gardeners, to those with no horticultural bent, Japanese Maples are typically one of the first requested plantings when drawing up the planting design. The beautiful fall foliage is one of their main attractions. In addition they feature beautiful bark, foliage and branch form. Also, because of such a great number of cultivars, Japanese Maples come in a great variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Sunset has a great overview in this months issue of some of the best cultivars available.

One thing to keep in mind, Japanese Maples are specialty plants which command a specialty price, especially for hard to find varieties. We typically use them as accent pieces in gardens to offset other plantings. They can be used in Asian themed gardens (as found in traditional Japanese Gardens), but they also integrate well with almost any garden style.

Suppliers mentioned in the Sunset Article:

Mendocino Maples
Mountain Maples
Whitney Gardens
Wildwood Farm

With its extensive open space Marin is a great place to view native plants. On a hike this weekend on the pacific facing slopes of Mt. Tam, which fall down to the pacific and Stinson Beach, I had a chance to see striking examples of native vegetation. Fir, Madrone, Bay, and Live Oak trees cover the slopes, in sections creating dense woods. Driving at sunset back through the reservoirs of the Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD), dense stands of Redwoods, with an occasional turning Big Leaf Maple, cast a deep shade. In sections along the roadway and trails, the thin inflorescence of native grass can be seen. Seeps and shady grottoes provide refuge for Juncus reeds and ferns. What makes it all more remarkable is to look to the south and see the densely packed buildings of San Francisco, and realize the great accomplishment of preservation Mt. Tamalpais State park and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area represent.

For More:
Mt. Tamalpais State Park
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Stinson Hike from Bay Area Hiker
Marin Trails
Marin County Open Space District
MMWD Recreation Areas
Article on Mt. Tam Grasslands

Under the Oaks

Madrone Bark

The final part in our series on mediterranean climates:

This is largest mediterranean climate region in the world, as indicated by the climate’s name. It stretches almost around the entirety of the Mediterranean sea and inland a good deal in places. It includes almost all of Italy and Spain and covers parts of western Asia. The basin has unique areas for developement of plants due to its large and varied geography.

Native Genera:

Cistus– Is an evergreen shrub commonly found in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco although it is also found in other parts of the world as well. It has dark green foliage and its flower colora typically white, purple, or pink. Flowers are saucer-shaped and rather simple in character. Most are five-petaled and bloom for most of the year. They do best in warm areas. Growth is often best on rather dry soils. Some are frost hearty, and all are extremely drought tolerant.

Narcissus– Over 50 species are native to the Mediterranean, they are part of the Amarylidaceae family and grow from bulbs. Narcissus are native to the eastern Mediterranean Basin area and found in hills, mountains, and valleys favoring a northern exposure. They often grow in large collective meadows. Narcissus multiply freely by bulbs and bloom yearly. They require cold weather to bloom well. Spring blooming is typical with fragrant flowers ranging from white to yellow in color. They are also quite frost hearty; down to -30°F.

Olea– This genus of 20 species is native to Europe, and parts of Asia. It is a prototypical mediterranean plant found throughout the mediterranean region. It has stiff leathery gray green leaves. Flowers are small and off-white in color, and fruits are a major economic crop throughout Europe and in the United States as well. Uses of the fruits are mainly for olive oil and for the olives themselves. These plants like a mild climate and winter sufficiently cool to induce flowering. They are tough and highly tolerant plants.