Conifer Information

The following information is provided courtesy of The Association of British Conifer Growers
www.conifers.org.uk

Few gardens rely solely on flowers for year round interest. They also need a structure of different plant shapes, colours and textures to give a background to the garden and provide appeal throughout the year.

Conifers, and other evergreen shrubs, are ideal for providing this structure because they come in many different colours, shapes and growing habits. All are hardy, easy to care for and long lived. They are also interesting and versatile; from hedges that give us privacy and absorb the noise and pollution of local traffic, to dwarf ground-cover plants that provide a perfect foil to flowering bedding plants and bulbs.

On their own, conifers will provide vibrant colour year round and interesting shapes that transform a dull corner that would otherwise be an eyesore.

Below you will find details of some of the most popular conifer plants, their uses and how easy they are to plant and maintain. Your local nursery or garden centre will be able to help you choose the best ones for your particular situation.

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera Aurea'

Arching sprays of golden cord-like foliage eventually forming a rounded flat-topped bush.

75cm x 100cm spread after 10 years.
Needs trimming annually.

You can find conifers in blue, grey, yellow, gold and sparkling emerald green. Some change their season to provide interesting variations of purple, red and orange when other plants are dormant.

These are living plants and their size is determined by the variety and not by the size you saw it in the garden centre or nursery.

Don't confuse eventual height with the rate of growth. Some plants may grow quickly, for example some types of unchecked hedging can grow up to a metre (3ft) each year. In contrast, some slow growing conifers may only add a centimetre (1") of growth in the same time. The best advice is to study the label carefully. It will contain useful information on growth rate. Garden centre staff will also help.

Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana 'Ellwoods Gold'

A slow growing gold form. Probably the best selling variety of recent years.

Grows to 2 metres in 10 years.

Conifers are tolerant of most soils and positions. Yellow or gold varieties do need sunlight to maintain their richness so avoid your darkest spot for them. All forms of yew are tolerant of chalky soils and some blue spruces and firs prefer acid soils best colour.

Dunk the container in a bucket of water for ten minutes to ensure the root ball is thoroughly wet. Clear the soil of weeds and dig in some organic matter such as well rotted garden compost or some fresh Composted Bark. Dig a planting hole big enough to take the root ball easily ensuring that the top is at soil level. Half fill the planting hole with soil and firm down. Sprinkle a handful of Controlled Release Fertilizer into the hole and then complete the planting with more soil firmed down to existing soil level.

Juniperus squamata 'Blue Carpet'

Introduced in recent years and has already established itself as a very popular horizontal variety. descriptively named and an easy grower.

Achieves 1.5 metres in 10 years.

Keep newly planted conifers well watered during their first year. Cut out any all-green branches that appear on otherwise golden or variegated varieties. Lightly clip at any time of the year to keep them to the height and shape required.

Some conifers are planted to provide a protective hedge because they grow quickly. To encourage these plants into maximum growth, water over the foliage and around the roots with a liquid feed. Feed once a month from April through until September.

There are scores of different conifers commonly available from most nurseries and garden centres around the country. For ease of reference they can be grouped by shape, colour and growing habit to give an infinite variation. Below are some of the most popular. If you want something unusual find a specialist supplier who will have hundreds more.

The choice is pretty endless - the ones listed above are some of the most popular on the market today.

Don't be frightened of the latin names used to specify these plants or be too dogmatic about insisting on a specific one. Plant breeders are producing new varieties all the time and as long as the plant you find is the right colour, with the chosen growing habit (column, globe etc.) then you will not be disappointed. Use the names as a guide and let your nurseryman advise you.

Here is an example of how to use conifers to fill a garden bed. It shows the different colours, shapes and textures that provide interest and appeal throughout the year.

1. Cupressus Macrocarpa Goldcrest
Popular, fast growing golden pillar. 4metres after 10 years. Suitable for coastal areas.

2. Picea Glauca Conica
Popular old variety. Forms a perfect green pyramid. 75cm in 10 years.

3. Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana Minima Aurea
This very popular golden pyramid is ideal on the rock garden.45cm after 10 years.

4. Chamaecyparis Pisifera Nana Aureovariegata
Low bun shape. Paler green, attractively blotched with brilliant gold. 30cm x 30cm after 10 years.

5. Juniper Squamata Blue Star
One of the finest dwarf conifers ever introduced. Exceptional colour, gradually assuming a star-like shape filling in the centre. Very much in demand. 30cm x 45cm after 10 years.

6. Cryptomeria Japonica Compressa
This plant is a real gem for the rock garden. A true dwarf, it rarely grows larger than a football and has the same rounded shape. It turns a rich red-bronze in winter. 20cm x 20cm after 10 years.

7. Juniper Communis Repanda
Still one of the best in the group, it has attractive dark green foliage and grows easily. 175cm spread in 10 years.

8. Juniper Media Carberry Gold
Slow-growing but eventually becoming a superb gold semi-prostrate juniper. A choice variety for the rock garden. 40cm x 75cm spread after 10 years.

A grouping of selected conifers

By allowing space between the evergreens you can plant flowering bedding plants to add summer colour. In a sunny, dry site like this use French and African marigolds, geraniums and petunias. In a shaded corner, Busy Lizzies, bedding begonias fuchsias and pansies will provide plenty of flowers.

Trim after establishment in an A-shape to avoid leaf loss at the base. Once your conifer hedge has reached the desired height, cut back by at least a foot to encourage branching and to thicken the top. To reduce hedge trimming to a once a year operation, simply trim the tops and sides each Spring and spray with a hedge growth regulator.

Conifers can be used very successfully as Bonsai specimens. Most respond very well to pruning and thus are not distressed when regularly clipped to shape for producing classic Bonsai presentations.