help me find my perfect evergreen
 

Hi all,

I'm redoing my foundation planting and looking for an evergreen to
replace my sickly azaleas. The qualities of the evergreen that I'm
looking for are given below, starting with the most desirable given
first.

1. Nice foliage, green all year long (to zone 5)
2. Good companion to Emerald Green Arborvitae
3. Neat appearance
4. Low maintenance (little to no trimming/pruning needed)
5. Medium to fast growing but matured height is 3 1/2 feet

Much thanks,

Audrey

Hanokii cypress. Awesome structure and foliage, beautiful tree.

--

Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect
"audrey" wrote in message
om...
Hi all,

I'm redoing my foundation planting and looking for an evergreen to
replace my sickly azaleas. The qualities of the evergreen that I'm
looking for are given below, starting with the most desirable given
first.

1. Nice foliage, green all year long (to zone 5)
2. Good companion to Emerald Green Arborvitae
3. Neat appearance
4. Low maintenance (little to no trimming/pruning needed)
5. Medium to fast growing but matured height is 3 1/2 feet

Much thanks,

Audrey

oops, sorry, it sent before I realized you wanted shorter. check out the
dwarf evergreens for what you're wanting, even a Mungo pine has awesome
shape and texture and needs no maintenence for what you're looking for.


--

Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect
"audrey" wrote in message
om...
Hi all,

I'm redoing my foundation planting and looking for an evergreen to
replace my sickly azaleas. The qualities of the evergreen that I'm
looking for are given below, starting with the most desirable given
first.

1. Nice foliage, green all year long (to zone 5)
2. Good companion to Emerald Green Arborvitae
3. Neat appearance
4. Low maintenance (little to no trimming/pruning needed)
5. Medium to fast growing but matured height is 3 1/2 feet

Much thanks,

Audrey

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Duke Gardens'.

Dave

"audrey" wrote in message
om...
Hi all,

I'm redoing my foundation planting and looking for an evergreen to
replace my sickly azaleas. The qualities of the evergreen that I'm
looking for are given below, starting with the most desirable given
first.

1. Nice foliage, green all year long (to zone 5)
2. Good companion to Emerald Green Arborvitae
3. Neat appearance
4. Low maintenance (little to no trimming/pruning needed)
5. Medium to fast growing but matured height is 3 1/2 feet

Much thanks,

Audrey

On 19 Nov 2004 07:01:12 -0800, (audrey) wrote:

Hi all,

I'm redoing my foundation planting and looking for an evergreen to
replace my sickly azaleas. The qualities of the evergreen that I'm
looking for are given below, starting with the most desirable given
first.

1. Nice foliage, green all year long (to zone 5)
2. Good companion to Emerald Green Arborvitae
3. Neat appearance
4. Low maintenance (little to no trimming/pruning needed)
5. Medium to fast growing but matured height is 3 1/2 feet

Much thanks,

Audrey


Consider a holly. There are many varieties. I have Oregon Grape root
(looks like a holly but it's not) that is about 3-1/2 foot high. It
does not seem to be bothered by pests nor deer. You should also
consider the conditions (light, pH, moisture, etc)

You could also use evergreen boxwood - the small-leafed varieties are hardy
to zone 5 at least. Most top out no higher than 3-4 feet.
"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On 19 Nov 2004 07:01:12 -0800, (audrey) wrote:

Hi all,

I'm redoing my foundation planting and looking for an evergreen to
replace my sickly azaleas. The qualities of the evergreen that I'm
looking for are given below, starting with the most desirable given
first.

1. Nice foliage, green all year long (to zone 5)
2. Good companion to Emerald Green Arborvitae
3. Neat appearance
4. Low maintenance (little to no trimming/pruning needed)
5. Medium to fast growing but matured height is 3 1/2 feet

Much thanks,

Audrey


Consider a holly. There are many varieties. I have Oregon Grape root
(looks like a holly but it's not) that is about 3-1/2 foot high. It
does not seem to be bothered by pests nor deer. You should also
consider the conditions (light, pH, moisture, etc)

I personally like Chamaecyparis obtusa (dwarf Hinoki false cypress)
- Zones 4-8
- Nana grows to 3' tall x 4' wide

Here are more options:

Cotoneaster horizontalis (rockspray cotoneaster)
- Zones 5-7
- 2-3' tall x 5-8' wide - semi-evergreen

Cryptomeria japonica **love this one! (dwarf Japanese cedar)
- Zones 5-9
- Elegans Nana is 3-5' tall and compacted
- Globosa Nana is 3-5' tall x 3-5' wide

Ilex glabra (inkberry holly)
- Zones 4-9
- Nigra grows to 4-6' tall - compact growth habit - great for foundations
- Shamrock grows to 5' tall and is slower growing - bright green foliage

Juniperus chinensis (Juniper)
- Zones 3-9
- Old Gold or Saybrook Gold grow 3' tall x 4-5' wide (very pretty yellow
foliage on tips)
- Would make a nice contrast with Emerald Arborvitae

Pieris japonica (Japanese andromeda)
- Zones 5-8
- Purity grows to 3-4' tall with large white flowers in spring
- var. yakusimanum 'Prelude' grows to 2-3' tall x 3-4' wide - compact grower
with white flowers

Spiraea japonica (Gold Mound or Gold Flame) **This is a deciduous shrub that
would be beautiful with another small evergreen.
- Zones 4-8 on Gold Mound
- Zones 3-8 on Gold Flame
- Gold Flame grows to 2-4' tall x 4-5' wide - new growth is purplish bronze
and the same for fall
- Gold Mound grows to 3-3.5' tall x 3-4' wide - bright yellow green leaves
with tiny pink flowers in summer.

**A perennial that would also be pretty in front of the small shrubs would
be Heuchera sanguinea "Bressingham Hybrid" (coral bells)
- Zones 4-8
- 18" - 24" tall and evergreen
- Heavy bloomer with various shades of pink flowers.


Hopefully, this gives you some ideas to start with. I would recommend
checking them out on Google or Yahoo. You should be able to see pictures of
all to get some idea of their looks. Another very important consideration
is how much sun/shade you have on your foundation. This could determine
what thrives in that location.

Good Luck,

Penny
Zone 7b - Raleigh, NC
"audrey" wrote in message
om...
Hi all,

I'm redoing my foundation planting and looking for an evergreen to
replace my sickly azaleas. The qualities of the evergreen that I'm
looking for are given below, starting with the most desirable given
first.

1. Nice foliage, green all year long (to zone 5)
2. Good companion to Emerald Green Arborvitae
3. Neat appearance
4. Low maintenance (little to no trimming/pruning needed)
5. Medium to fast growing but matured height is 3 1/2 feet

Much thanks,

Audrey