A Four-Season Border with Evergreen Conifers and Japanese Maples

Plant Combinations, Spring Borders, Summer Borders, Fall Borders, Winter Borders Https

Garden ideas, Border ideas, Plant Combinations, Spring Borders, Summer Borders, Fall borders, Winter Borders, Japanese Maples, Evergreen Shrubs, Conifers, Juniperus, Atlas Cedar

Prized for their brilliant fall foliage, in glorious shades of red, yellow, and orange, Japanese maples are ravishing four-season trees. While a single Japanese maple can provide a striking focal point, when combined with other maples of different graceful habits, elegantly cut leaves, and extraordinarily colorful foliage, the effect is spectacular. If you add a few evergreen shrubs, trees, or herbaceous plants, your garden becomes a place of outstanding beauty all year long.

In this stunning garden border, a few Japanese maples have been carefully selected. Most are famed for the dramatic effect they bring to the garden, such as ‘Bloodgood’, ‘Viridis’, and ‘Sango-Kaku’. The eye can never pass lightly over the dazzling color presented by their flaming foliage across seasons or the graceful outlines of their brilliant twigs and branches.

They are interplanted with popular blue evergreen conifers, such as Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ (Atlas Cedar), Cupressus arizonica var. glabra ‘Blue Ice’ (Smooth Arizona Cypress), or Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’ (Flaky Juniper). Rich with many shapes and habits, their cooler powder blue foliage tones down the gold and crimson foliage of the maples.

Fairly easy to replicate, this planting includes top-performing plants which have been awarded prestigious awards. Enjoy a glorious and colorful spectacle from spring to winter!

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Garden Information

Hardiness	6 - 8
Heat Zones	6 - 8
Climate Zones	7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Exposure	Full Sun
Season of Interest	Spring (Early, Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Maintenance	Average
Water Needs	Average
Soil Type	Loam, Sand
Soil pH	Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics	Plant of Merit, Showy, Evergreen
Attracts	Birds
Landscaping Ideas	Beds And Borders
Garden Styles	Informal and Cottage, Japanese Garden, Traditional Garden

Plants In This Garden

Acer palmatum 'Sango-Kaku' (Coral Bark Maple)

Noted for its showy coral bark and fall color, award-winning Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ (Coral-Bark Maple) is a large deciduous shrub or small tree that is highly desirable. In the fall, the delicate 5-lobed leaves which open pinkish-yellow, and mature to light green in summer, turn soft yellow in fall before they shed to the ground.

Hardiness	5 - 8
Plant type	Shrubs, Trees
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Height	20' - 25' (6.1m - 7.6m)
Spread	15' - 20' (4.6m - 6.1m)

Acer palmatum Dissectum Viride Group (Laceleaf Japanese Maple)

Acer palmatum Dissectum Viride Group or Acer ‘Viridis’ is a dwarf, often multi-stemmed, Japanese maple of low, spreading habit with strongly cascading branches forming a graceful, dome-shaped specimen over time. The delicate foliage of ferny, lace-like leaves with very long, thin lobes, each further dissected into sub-lobes, is bright green through the spring and summer and stands out beautifully in the landscape. In the fall, the leaves turn golden-yellow with occasional splashes of crimson before shedding to the ground.

Hardiness	5 - 8
Plant type	Shrubs
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Height	6' - 10' (180cm - 3m)
Spread	6' - 10' (180cm - 3m)

Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' (Japanese Maple)

Regarded as one of the best purple-leaved Japanese Maples, award-winning Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ is a large deciduous shrub or small rounded tree of great beauty in all seasons.

Hardiness	5 - 8
Plant type	Shrubs, Trees
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Height	15' - 20' (4.6m - 6.1m)
Spread	15' - 20' (4.6m - 6.1m)

Cedrus atlantica (Glauca Group) 'Glauca' (Atlas Cedar)

Highly popular, Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ (Atlas Cedar) is a large evergreen coniferous tree of conical habit and sparsely branched when young, but develops into a dense and broad pyramid over time. Its stiff, ascending branches are beautifully covered with clusters of short, silver-blue needles, adding charm to this picturesque tree. Fast-growing, 12-24 in. per year (30-60 cm), this Atlas Cedar is a magnificent sight in the landscape.

Hardiness	6 - 9
Plant type	Conifers, Trees
Exposure	Full Sun
Height	40' - 60' (12.2m - 18.3m)
Spread	30' - 40' (9.1m - 12.2m)

Cupressus arizonica var. glabra 'Blue Ice' (Smooth Arizona Cypress)

Prized for its foliage, Cupressus arizonica var. glabra ‘Blue Ice’ (Smooth Arizona Cypress) is a narrowly columnar evergreen conifer boasting showy, lacy, silvery gray-blue foliage in dense sprays. The waxy, scale-like needles are spirally arranged and retain their frosty blue-gray color all season.

Hardiness	6 - 9
Plant type	Conifers, Trees
Exposure	Full Sun
Height	40' - 50' (12.2m - 15.2m)
Spread	15' - 20' (4.6m - 6.1m)

Picea pungens 'Globosa' (Colorado Spruce)

Slow-growing, Picea pungens ‘Globosa’ (Colorado Spruce) is a dwarf, broadly pyramidal, densely branched, evergreen shrub with rigid, silvery blue needles. The attractive blue needles hold their color well throughout the year. A very charming Colorado Spruce that stands out in the garden, specifically in the spring when the new growth is at its most intense blue. Perfect for rock gardens, border fronts and small gardens.

Hardiness	2 - 8
Plant type	Conifers, Shrubs
Exposure	Full Sun
Height	3' - 5' (90cm - 150cm)
Spread	4' - 6' (120cm - 180cm)

Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star' (Flaky Juniper)

Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’ (Flaky Juniper) is a dwarf evergreen shrub forming a globe-shaped mound of dense, sparkling silver-blue foliage changing to a purplish heather-blue in winter. Slow-growing, this compact Juniper makes a wonderful dwarf groundcover and looks terrific in the rock garden. It creates a stunning and very classy look in the landscape.

Hardiness	4 - 8
Plant type	Conifers, Shrubs
Exposure	Full Sun
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Spread	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)

Taxus baccata 'Standishii' (English Yew)

Highly popular, Taxus baccata ‘Standishii’ (English Yew) is a dense, narrowly columnar, evergreen shrub forming a splendid exclamation point in the landscape. Its tightly packed, erect branches are clothed in rich golden-yellow leaves, which hold their brilliant color throughout the year. This female cultivar produces conspicuous, coral-red seed-bearing cones that contrast beautifully with the foliage.

Hardiness	7 - 8
Plant type	Conifers, Shrubs
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun, Shade
Height	4' - 5' (120cm - 150cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)

Aucuba japonica 'Picturata' (Spotted Laurel)

Luminous, Aucuba japonica ‘Picturata’ (Spotted Laurel) is a dense, upright, rounded, evergreen shrub, prized for its lush foliage of leathery, glossy, rich green leaves mottled with golden yellow and adorned with a striking, central splash. In early to mid-spring, small purple flowers, adorned with creamy white anthers, appear from the leaf axils of this female selection.

Hardiness	7 - 9
Plant type	Shrubs
Exposure	Partial Sun, Shade
Height	4' - 6' (120cm - 180cm)
Spread	4' - 6' (120cm - 180cm)

Catalpa bignonioides (Southern Catalpa)

Award-winning Catalpa bignonioides (Southern Catalpa) is a large deciduous tree adorned with an irregular, broad-rounded crown and short, crooked branches clothed with huge, heart-shaped, light green leaves, 10 in. long (25 cm). They are glossy on top and densely hairy on their undersides. They give off an odd aroma when bruised.

Hardiness	5 - 9
Plant type	Trees
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Height	30' - 60' (9.1m - 18.3m)
Spread	20' - 40' (6.1m - 12.2m)

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Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas

Juniperus (Juniper) Taxus (Yew) Picea (Spruce) Erica (Heath) Acer (Maple) Catalpa Cedrus (Cedar) Euonymus Cupressus (Cypress)

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Alternative Plants to Consider

Acer palmatum ‘Beni-Kawa’ (Coral Bark Maple)

Acer palmatum ‘Elegans’ (Japanese Maple)

Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’ (Laceleaf Japanese Maple)

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwoodii’ (Lawson Cypress)

Picea pungens ‘Koster’ (Colorado Spruce)

Cedrus deodara ‘Feelin’ Blue’ (Deodar Cedar)

Photo courtesy Four Seasons Garden UK

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.