The Garden Life: In autumn, focus is on leaf color, plant silhouette

In addition to the relentless introduction of new plant varieties, a few plant growers have introduced new selections of conifers that were once shunned in the Northwest garden, specifically junipers. When I began my previous garden, the first thing I did was remove 50 feet of overgrown, skin-prickling, no-name junipers.

Through the years, I planted a few of the latest introductions and found them to be great additions to the all-season garden. Grey Owl Juniper, Juniperus virginiana, is a finely textured evergreen with silver-gray needles on arching branches. It forms a uniform, 3-foot-tall drought-tolerant groundcover.

Juniperus chinensis “Gold Lace” is a compact Pfitzer juniper with dazzling, golden-tipped foliage. J. “Good Vibrations Gold” changes color through the different seasons, beginning chartreuse in spring, turning bright yellow in summer and taking on orange hues in autumn. This juniper is so different that it’s even soft to the touch.

Variety of spireas

Any plant list should include a selection of spireas. I risk repeating previous suggestions because these shrubs are so valuable to the Northwest garden. Spireas come in an array of sizes, with spring and autumn leaf color from lemon yellow to pale pink. A few of my favorites are included in the Double Play series from Spring Meadow Nursery. The term double play refers to the shrub’s color interest beyond flowering. The foliage display is especially vibrant in spring and fall.

Spirea “Double Play Gold” is a compact, low-mounded deciduous shrub with vibrant golden foliage and masses of pure pink flowers. “Double Play Big Bang” sports massive clusters of pink flowers atop bright yellow foliage. The blue-green foliage of Spirea “Double Play Artist” emerges in the spring with hints of rich purple-red.

Often, the plants we choose in fall make the difference in how we feel about our winter gardens. Don’t think of winter as a time of bare spots and see-through borders. Instead, focus on large-scale plantings of trees and shrubs, both deciduous and evergreen. Create spaces that feature attractive specimen plants that take center stage when the prima donnas of summer fade away with the season.

The avid gardener is rarely satisfied with the obvious. My favorite special interest tree is the Birch Bark Cherry, or prunus serrula. It’s of great value to the winter garden with its glossy mahogany red bark. Include the Paperbark Maple, or acer griseum, in your garden for its cinnamon-colored bark that pee ls away into thin, curling sheets. Backlit by the setting sun, you will marvel at this tree’s subtle beauty.

I can’t help feeling that there is always more left out of a Northwest garden plant list than what is included. If you happen to be one of the blessed few with enough space, time and help to put every plant you crave into the garden, limiting your plant palette is not necessary. For the rest of us, making sound plant choices that enhance the size, scale and style of our living spaces may be the key to a satisfying garden.

Robb Rosser is a WSU-certified master gardener. Reach him at Write2Robb@aol.com