| Wilmingtons top garden designers and smartest plant experts tell us about their favorite plants that work well in our unique climate. Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles) is another of Ericsons favorites for its early, long-lasting blooms. McCullen says he loves the way Weeping Willows "dance in the breeze and provide such a soft, wispy texture to a garden. Its magnificent branches often form arches which invite you to walk or drive under. When I plant a Live Oak, I feel like I am doing something good for the present along with for generations to come. Erwin is a big fan of the spring-flowering Camellia (Camellia japonica), too. "Farfugium is evergreen around here in the winter; it can tolerate drier shade than, say, a Hosta or Ligularia, and it makes a great tropical statement. He favors the exotics like Farfugium (Farfugium japonicum), also known as the Leopard Plant, and especially likes the varieties Giganteum, Aureomaculatum and Cristata. "Its handsome form and broad dark leaves make it a plant I would use even if it did not bloom. "Another plant I like is Breeze Grass (Lomandra longifolia). Breeze Grass grows about two-and-a-half feet high by three feet wide. Twigg also prefers Purple Pixie Loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense "Purple Pixie") for its unique growth habit 18 inches high by about three feet wide and its deep purple, evergreen leaves. "It needs to be watered and looked after to get it established, of course," she says. This plant is a spreader so it's in need of some form of restraint. The spines provide strong vertical line quality and striking visual richness to a contemporary composition, Parker says, and the bonus is that Horsetail thrives in wet, poorly drained soils always a challenge for landscapers. The popular Wintergreen Boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. The Carters choose a selection of plants for year-round landscape interest. "Michael and I both agree these are some of our favorites," Karen says, Camellias, both the spring-blooming (Camellia japonica) and fall-blooming (Camellia sasanqua). "We use this variety as a foundation plant and to accent gardens. David Erwin of North State Gardens loves Live Oaks, as well. "I have many favorite plants but if I had to choose one, it would be the Southern Live Oak," he says. "This plant gives you the best of both worlds. The Carters are fond of Crapemyrtles as well, particularly the white-flowering Natchez. Like Hight, Karen Carter says, "It adds elegance with its unique growth habit and color variations on the trunk. "I dont really have favorite plants as much as I have appropriates. "One plant I do like is Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), or false bamboo. Tony Parker, landscape designer and owner of Classic Landscapes, has a very practical approach to choosing his favorite plants. "As long as you give them good sun, average soil and decent drainage, they will perform beautifully for you. Hight has studied Crapemyrtles and has his favorite varieties: clear pink Osage for its bark and open, arching growth habit; medium pink Sioux for its slender habit; dark pink Miami for its long-bloom period; red Tonto for its hardy flowers and its medium, 10-foot height; and a fairly new variety, white High Cotton, developed in North Carolina, for its tall, upright height and decorative bark. "I wish we could get people to choose Crapemyrtle varieties for the spot they are planting them so we dont have to prune them," Hight says, referring to the Crape Murder term coined by Southern Living senior garden editor, Steve Bender. Crapemyrtles don't have to be pruned in order to bloom; this is a very common misperception. The Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) and the Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica) are the two favorites of landscape designer and artistic director of Landscapes Unique, Tracy McCullen. "I love the Live Oak because its a tree that lives for many, many generations," McCullen says. I just think thats incredible," he says. Spring is a wonderful time to visit gardens and nurseries. |
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Designers Favorite Plants
