PLANT WISDOM, A HORTICULTURE SALON
  • PWGC Home
  • Plant Inventory
    • Edible Plants
    • Trees & Shrubs
    • Perennials
    • Tropicals
    • Annuals
  • Events
  • About Us
  • Plant Profiles
  • Gallery
  • Seeds
  • Online Shoping

Boost your skill

Conifers and Evergreens for Container Gardening

21/10/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
Succulents are all the rage right now, and they have been for a while.  It’s easy to see why.  They are low maintenance, interesting and colorful without flowers, making an arrangement attractive throughout the season.  Most come from extremely harsh climates, so bringing them here they almost grow too easily.  They can be planted in a trough or bowl for a mixed arrangement, planted in small individual pots that can be rearranged on the fly, or planted singly to use as a specimen.  They need full sun to stay healthy and vibrant, but usually this is not a problem in Oklahoma...until winter.  Most succulents are tropical or at least not pot-hardy here.

Conifers(and some evergreens), however, meet all of these requirements including that critical one.  They are evergreen, cold hardy, and for the most part, pot hardy, meaning they can be left outside all winter.  Something that can’t be done with most succulents.  But the best part is that they look great all year.  We carry a line of evergreens and hollies that are either dwarf or extremely slow growing, which means they only out grow a pot every 5+ years or so.
Picture

Picture
Rock Garden Holly

This hybrid Holly has shiny dark green leaves that are bronze when they emerge in the spring and during the growing season.  It’s mature size is only a foot tall and wide, so it’s perfect in a mixed pot or as a specimen or even a small bonsai.  The red berries in fall and winter make it ideal for decorating for the holidays!

Goshiki False Holly

This will grow into a larger shrub, about 5-6 feet tall and wide but responds well to shearing.  It has a holly-like leaf that is variegated, changing from pinks to copper to yellow as the seasons progress, giving it renewed interest all year.  It only grows three to six inches a year, but eventually, it will need a large pot or a home in your garden.
Picture
Picture
Wilma Monterey Cypress

This beauty has a soft, fine texture with a narrow, upright habit.  Another one that will get large (12’ tall X 4’ across).  This will do better solo in a pot or straight in the ground.  Its golden color is highlighted by cinnamon colored bark and lemon scented foliage.

Whipcord Red Cedar

This is for the fans of Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons.  You can almost hear the low grumbling as his plans are being thwarted by Bart.  Whipcords only get three to four feet across in the garden or pot and develop a lovely bronze color in winter.  Just watch out for the rakes as you plant it!


Picture
Picture
Jean’s Dilly Alberta Spruce

Similar to the typical dwarf Alberta Spruce but much more compact.  Growing only a couple inches a year, it will max out at three feet tall and about a foot wide.  Perfect for a mixed conifer bowl or collection of pots.

Upright Mugo Pine

Slow-growing, upright mugo with attractive cones.

Picture
Picture
Valley Cushion Mugo Pine

An extremely hardy, low-growing Mugo - less than a foot tall and four feet across, with a growth rate of three to five inches a year.  New buds are a rusty red that contrasts with the dark green foliage.

These are just a few of the conifers we have, and I hope I have given you an idea for a different kind of arrangement. In containers or in beds, hollies and conifers can create a garden unlike anyone else on your block. So think out side of the annual, perennial, hedge, and succulent boxes and come check out our selection. Below is a link to the web page of the nursery from which we get most of our conifers and evergreens. It has lots of great information as well as pictures of the full grown plants and ideas for arrangements.

http://www.iselinursery.com/fanciful-gardens/
http://www.iselinursery.com/colorful-conifers/
http://www.iselinursery.com/container-gardens-alternative-for-small-spaces/

Alex Wisdom

Plant nerd since grade school.

1 Comment
best cv writing service link
11/3/2017 04:16:40 am

There are many plants that are sold here that comes in various shapes and sizes. These plants are sold in this store have reasonable prices and that is the reason that adds to the beauty of our garden. Plants are known in making a fresh air and will divert our minds to greater things.I want to visit this store and I want to make it happen.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Kathy and Alex have combined experience of over 25 years, and offer their expertise here.

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    April 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016

    Categories

    All
    Annuals
    Care And Feeding
    Conifers
    Containter Gardening
    DIY
    Evergreen
    Food Crops
    Funny
    Garden Hacks
    Gardening
    Grasses
    Holiday
    Landscaping
    Lawns
    Native Plants
    Oklahoma
    Organics
    Perennials
    Pests
    Planting
    Plant Wisdom News
    Products
    Propagation
    Pruning
    Recipes
    Roses
    Shrubs
    Sustainable
    Trees
    Vegetables
    Weather

    RSS Feed

How to Find Us...
April through October:
​Saturdays: 9 - 1 at Scissortail Park
300 SW 7th St, Oklahoma City, OK
OKC Metro Web Orders

and other local events

Contact Us

405 942-GROW
(4769)

PWGC@plantwisdom.garden

  • PWGC Home
  • Plant Inventory
    • Edible Plants
    • Trees & Shrubs
    • Perennials
    • Tropicals
    • Annuals
  • Events
  • About Us
  • Plant Profiles
  • Gallery
  • Seeds
  • Online Shoping