Ideas and advice for very small tree and dwarf shrub

Super gardener · June 2023

This island bed between my drive and lawn is not right design wise. I’ve never been happy with and think it needs layering up a bit. At the moment I have the following shrubs in it: Broomhill Gold, conifer Danica, Dward Physocarpus ‘Little Devil’, a small spiraea Anthony Waterer, Euonymous Emerald and Gold, an upright conifer and a Choisya- this has been hard pruned so doesn’t show on photos.

I seem to quite good at colour scheming in the garden - the bed is mainly pinks and purples, but I’m hopeless at the ‘form’ aspect, and don’t have much confidence with that. I’m wondering if a a very small tree - about 5’, would help. Also I’d like another small shrub with purple leaves to balance the purple Physocarpus.

I’ve tried a Cotinus lilla but it didn’t survive -too dry I think. I’ve read somewhere about a thornless Berberis, so wondered if there is a dwarf, purple one?
Our soil is neutral I think, good soil loam/sandy and the bed is South facing and gets full Sun. The site is quite exposed to wind.
Any ideas for plants or design tools very much appreciated 😀

Fairygirl · June 2023

You already seem to have some structural shrubs, so just let them develop. You've hard pruned a Choysia, so why not leave it to develop?
The conifers, for example, will keep growing as long as they're happy, and all you need to do is trim lightly, so that you aren't cutting back into brown wood. Very few types can take that.
If you're concerned about the dryness of the site, it might be better to have fewer shrubs but let them grow properly to give height, and also use vertical perennials to give variety in that regard, along with the shrubbier specimens, and lower growing planting. Plenty of organic matter added will also help keep the soil healthy, and less likely to dry out rapidly. The more shrubs/trees you have, the drier it will become because they naturally take up more moisture. If you have consistently drier conditions, it's important to take that into consideration when choosing suitable plants of any kind

You've got alliums there, so you could add Irises, and things like Fennel, Liatris, Verbena bonariensis, Lychnis, Veronicas etc, to give those verticals. Bulbs in spring.

The purple Berberis aren't evergreen as far as I'm aware, unless there are newer varieties now. I don't know of any thornless ones though. There are plenty of purple leaved Hebes, and Pittosporums too, so they're worth considering, but there's not a lot of room for more shrubs or a tree there without removing something else.

Plantminded · June 2023

If your bed is dry and you want some height and variety of form, I’d be inclined to remove some of those evergreens and replace them with tall, narrow ornamental grasses such as Calamagrostis Karl Foerster or Panicum north wind. I have a similar area at the front of my house which is dry due to sun, wind and sandy soil. These grasses are drought tolerant once established and will also give you interest over winter. For extra colour you could add some drought tolerant perennials like Nepeta and Erigeron karvinskianus.

Obelixx · June 2023

I agree with @Fairygirl and @Plantminded. That bed looks failry crammed already and any new tree or shrub wuld either struggle or create compettion for nutrients and moisture that would make others struggle.

Let the plants you have grow on a bit and take their shape. Gardening isn't instant like slapping wallpaper on a wall. It takes time for plants to mature to their full beauty.

Improving the soil would be good too so, after the next decent rainfall, give it a mulch of well-rotted manure and/or garden compost or bought in soil improver to provide nutrients and help retain moisture. Think also about adding some light and breezy looking verbena bonariensis in the gaps - picks up the colour scheme and adds height without bulk. For low growing ground cover and colour that erigeron would be perfect but a herbaceous salvia would give you some spikes of colour if that's the shape you're after.

Super gardener · June 2023

Many thanks for all your thoughtful comments. The Choisya had to be hard pruned as it was looking sad. Physocarpus is a dwarf cultivar so won’t grow much, similarly the little upright conifer. I was thinking more shrubs less perennials to reduce maintenance a bit, but it sounds as though I’ve maxed out with shrubs, and I just hadn’t thought about a tree drawing moisture from the soil. I feed the bed each spring and add compost twice a year so the soil is good.
I add low growing cosmos in lovely magenta pink colour each year, ready to go in now, but will add more lupins and research the other taller perennials you’ve suggested.
My garden is helping my well-being massively as I’ve had long covid for over a year, had to stop work, and have to pace myself strictly, but as long as I can potter a bit in the garden and keep learning I’m a happy woman😊

Fairygirl · June 2023

When you say you feed the bed each spring, what do you mean? Adding organic matter is what helps the soil, so regular mulching, especially with things like rotted manure and leaf mould, is more beneficial than anything, especially to help retain moisture, as well as improve the soil itself. It's good to do it in late winter if springs are dry in you area. Compost won't do an awful lot by itself, even if it's home made stuff, although it's also a good soil conditioner.

The conifer [B. Gold] won't stay terribly small. It gets to a couple of metres easily, and will have a decent spread too. Many conifers can take years to get to a certain height, but then they keep going, so you need to be sure what kind you have and how to maintain them. They're also a big draw on moisture, especially as they're shallow rooted, so if you're not in a wet part of the country, they can be a huge drain on resources, at the expense of other plants.
By your description, it sounds as though you're in one of the drier parts, so you'd need to look for planting that will suit, or be adaptable enough once established

Super gardener · June 2023

Thank you Fairygirl, I meant with blood fish and bone. However I have some leaf mould which is rotting nicely now, it’s taken ages as it’s mainly beech leaves, so I’ll put that on in late winter/ early spring. Springs vary here, we’re in Cumbria. The Broomhill Gold has a regular trim to keep it from becoming too big. We did have more big conifers in the bed, but they looked too heavy, so we removed them.
Im sure with a few more tall perennials in it will look more balanced. Thankyou all for your advice, it’s much appreciated.

Fairygirl · June 2023

Lots of organic matter is what's needed to improve the soil. The more shrubs, or woody specimens you have, the more they take up water, so the more you need to help the soil. I rarely feed that kind of planting after it's in. It just gets topped up with compost/manure / leaf mould every so often.
Your conditions will be quite similar to mine. I don't grow too many shrubs in the sunniest areas, I save most of those for the shady areas, but I pick ones which can cope with sun if I use them. It just comes down to the right plants for the site.

Euphorbias are very useful for all sorts of aspects too, so they'd be fine with the aforementioned Hebes if you want some structural planting for all year round colour, but it's about mixing different types of planting to give a good balance. Another useful upright plant is Achillea, and the shrubbier planting will also save a lot of plant supports as they do the job for you

Super gardener · June 2023

I find Hebes don’t do well here, in any of my beds -I think it’s the cold winds. Not sure about Euphorbias because of the irritant sap. I tend not to use gloves much as I like to feel the soil, and I have to get in amongst the plants a lot to cope with all the beech leaves our hedges shed. I think more vertical perennials are the answer- even the lupins now they’re out are improving the look so I’ll plant one or two more of those, and try the others mentioned. I darent go too tall because of the wind, but I’m guessing verbena bonariensis might be ok.

Fairygirl · June 2023

It may simply be too wet and cold long term for the Hebes. We often lose them here because of that, but it comes down to getting the conditions right for them, and that goes for any plant. Even then, there will always be occasions when you lose a plant.

My current back garden [also south-ish facing] was windy and exposed, because it had never really been cultivated, so the first thing I did was create a new boundary fence and a good shelter belt. That's vital if you then want to create a bit of a micro climate in order to grow certain plants. Even fairly bog standard ones can struggle if they don't have enough protection from different types of weather. Then it's about the soil, and it's structure.
Those two things are what dictate the type of plants that will cope, as well as ongoing conditions, especially the temps.

Euphorbias are only a problem when you cut them back, and it's just a question of doing it from the back of the plant to the front, so that you aren't leaning over a cut stem, and wearing gloves. I usually give the secateurs a wash/clean afterwards. I don't wear gloves very often either - only for heavier jobs.

Slow-worm · June 2023

At the risk of repeating myself, lol, I think someone mentioned salvia - something like a deep purple or an Amethyst Lips to bring a bit of cool colour to a hot border would look great there. They don't have a massive root system, and will cope with a fair amount of drought once they're established. Growth is around 4ft x 3ft +, flowers from May to autumn, very much appreciated by bees and other pollinators. What's not to love? 😁

Ideas and advice for very small tree and dwarf shrub

Posts