Incorporating evergreen and versatile arborvitaes in landscape design
ARBORVITAE is a group of evergreen shrubs that has many shapes and colours.
Although some can grow into fairly large trees, they will always remain neat and tidy so are ideal for landscape design.
There are various names and forms of arborvitaes found in different locations around the world. Those dense and symmetrical-shaped trees can often be used to decorate gardens in shapes such as globes, pillars, or cones.
They have evergreen scale-like leaves or tiny needles in flattened sprays. Wild species are full-sized trees and many variants have been developed for garden use.
Because of their symmetry and natural dense foliage, all arborvitaes are excellent accent plants. They will give your landscape design majestic columnar or pyramidal shaped forms ideal for the front entrance to a property. They can also serve the same purpose for garden gates.
In a formal garden, arborvitae cones, globes or columns naturally heighten the sense of neatness and order that exists in the setting. For a good focal point, you will definitely have a wide selection to choose from among arborvitaes. For a tidy green wall or fence, plant green arborvitaes as a hedge.
You can then prune the shrubs according to the height and width of the fence once the arborvitae has been established. Varieties The American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) has some of the smallest varieties known as Nana and Little Gem.
These globe-shaped plants will only reach around 60 centimetres in height, while the larger ones such as Douglaston Pyramidal, which is a dark green cone, can grow up to seven metres tall.
Some American arborvitaes also have yellow foliage. The Rheingold is a classic variety that can reach two metres in height, while the Ribbon is taller still and columnar in shape.
The Oriental arborvitae (Thuja orientalis) is distinguished by its vertical foliage sprays. It can be grown in warmer climates unlike the American arborvitae, which prefers cooler climes.
There is the gold foliage trademark of the Aurea and Raffles variants in this group that we grow well in our tropical climate. Secrets of success Always start with good planting materials that are dense and healthy with flexible branches and foliage. The foliage should actually be moist to the touch. Avoid using any plants that are sparse or with patchy leafs.
You should also avoid plants that feel dry and stiff as these are actually signs of stress and therefore unhealthy plants.
Ensure to plant your arborvitae in a bright spot with partial shade for good growth.
Dig a planting hole that is equal to the size of the root-ball. You should choose well-drained but moist soil that has been enriched. Create a mound around the rootball. Mulching at the base using compost will help to keep the soil moist and cool. However, you should keep the mulch away from the trunk.
Watering is important to prevent the leaves from drying out in our hot weather. Ensure that you give the plant enough water to soak the root-ball.
You can wait until the top of the soil looks dry before watering again. Prune the plants to control their shape and size.
However, do not prune the branches back to the bare wood as then it is likely that there will be no new growth forming or developing on the leafless stems.
Sometimes there are cases of moths laying eggs on the plants and then the caterpillars will feed on the needles.These can be destroyed by meticulously handpicking them off or spraying with an insecticide.
Do give arborvitaes a try in your home garden. Send me an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Happy gardening.