Most of us think of roses only as late spring- and summer-flowering plants, but many rose bushes have much more to offer the year-round garden. Before you fill your garden with roses that have nothing to offer but spring flower power, consider roses that have the additional interest of colored bark, decorative thorns and rose hips in winter.
Rosa pteracantha has huge, deep red thorns that are the primary feature of the plant. This rose was meant to be planted so that the setting sun would highlight the thorns from behind. Rosa virginiana gives a wonderful fall foliage display and holds its own in winter with rich, chestnut brown branches. Rosa geranium has plump, showy winter hips and rosa glauca sports dusty blue foliage all season long.
Do keep in mind that many of the large, rugosa roses with attractive hips are not suitable for small gardens. Most of the species’ roses grow so rampant and have such deadly thorns that it’s best to plant them out and away from cultivated areas. These are best for hedging a boundary on large properties with extra space to fill.
The first rule of pruning is to plant the correct plant in the correct place. Do not attempt to keep a tree or shrub a different size than it was meant to be. Prune to enhance the natural shape of the plant, and if you do not have to prune a plant, don’t. Give yourself at least a full year in a new garden before you decide which plants need seasonal, yearly or twice-yearly pruning.
I like to tackle one type of pruning job at a time. I feel like I can get in the groove of the job by focusing on a specific group of plants that require similar pruning. So, for example, I will pick a day or a week to focus on trimming Japanese maples. By sticking to a group that has similar requirements I become more specific in the plant’s pruning needs. Then I might tackle deciduous shrubs for a few days and, after that, evergreen groundcovers.
As in most garden chores, I recommend taking an uncomplicated approach to pruning. Try to keep in mind the natural shape of a plant. Don’t plant a shrub with a full, fountain shape when what you really want is a neatly trimmed hedge along a sidewalk. You will be pitting your sense of esthetics against the plant’s natural tendencies. If you ultimately want a neatly trimmed, geometric evergreen, try shaping an English or Japanese boxwood that can be pruned on a regular scheduled program.
Give a shrub with a distinct silhouette the chance to fill out completely before pruning. Ask yourself what you like about the shape of a plant you are buying. Spend the extra effort choosing the correct plant to eliminate any extra jobs of pruning from your garden list. If you still need to trim the plant, follow the natural lines of the plant.
Begin your garden pruning by establishing the scale of any hedging materials you have on the property. Since a hedge is such an important part of the landscape’s design, it’s best to trim the hedge to the height you want and then plant shrubs and trees that fit the scale of the hedge in that area of the garden. The larger the garden, the more chance you have to play with the scale of beds, borders and individual garden features.
Pay attention
One of the suggestions I give to gardeners who want to expand their plant collection, is to pay attention to the plants that do well in their garden. For example, most of us have fallen for the good-looking coral bells, also known as alum root, which are all in the plant group known as heucheras. If you have had success with the old standbys such as Palace Purple and Cherries Jubilee, try adding more plants from the heuchera family.
If there is an area in your garden that works especially well for growing heucheras, begin to buy newer varieties and experiment with new leaf and flower color combinations.
Heucheras come in a mix of sizes that vary in height, leaf color and texture, as well as flower color. Just listen to the names of a few to get an idea of the range of interest in this plant family. Amber Waves is golden bright with a stunning burgundy reverse. Cathedral Windows, Autumn Haze and Champagne Bubbles make me want to plant a hundred more varieties.
Robb Rosser is a WSU-certified master gardener.
