Variagated tree

It's not usual to see a variated tree of this size. This is a variagated tulip tree, tulipifera I believe. They have nice large blooms, but they get the name from the tulip shaped leaf. I'm not sure if this photo is going to show up well, but this one is close to 30' tall, still in the box.

Girdled trees

When you're buying nursery trees, there are many things you have to look for aside from the basic aesthetics. One of the most common root health issues for boxed trees is when the nursery doesn't move the trees into a larger box soon enough and the roots begin curling around each other called root girdle. Here is a picture showing signs of root girdle. Sometimes it's less obvious than this and you need to pull the dirt away a little to check. This will stunt the trees growth and lifespan. There are root cutting methods to try and salvage a tree in this state, but most of the time the tree will not fully recover.

Taste the rainbow

Can you believe this bright yellow was bright green just 2 weeks ago and it will be bright red in about 4 months? Euonymus fortunii is a seriously colorful shrub if you're needing year round interest. It can handle heat and cold as well.

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What is this Dr. Suess Looking Plant?

What is this? Can anyone identify this funky succulent? I found it at a client's house on their hillside next to a rose garden. (I know, they obviously don't go together).



Anyway, it's the only one I've seen. Let us here your knowledge!

Simple and impacting

Who needs an expensive sculpture when you have a $100 pot and a $75 Chrondipetalum? (I'd better check my spelling on that plant).

Living focal pieces can be as memorable as water features if you pick a plant with foliage that moves with the wind. Keep in mind you background and work to compliment or contrast in color.

Textures

Sometimes all you need is one type of grass that you like as with this Italian Timothy. Then you mow a path through and your blade contrast is created by the mown to unmown transition. Very simple planting design can be best.

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The Silhouette

This may be jumping a bit ahead to go right into lighting design, but I want to share one of my favorite lighting techniques. I call it the 'Silhouette'.

The idea is to have a soft glow behind your plants so that the outline of the plants is defined by their shade side. It reminds me of the old comedies where they would have people with a light on in a tent or behind a curtain and their silhouette makes them look like they're being naughty... then they show the characters and they really aren't even close to each other, it was just an optical illusion. Did I lose everyone on that one?



Anyway, this technique works best with these ingredients:

- Character or sculptural planting such as bamboo


- A backdrop to catch the light behind the plant subject such as a plaster wall or smooth fence

- Wide angle, filtered, low voltage, lighting. You want the light close enough to the backdrop to illuminate and create a silhouette, but not so close that you create 'hot spots.'


I really do not like to see the source of lighting, so in-grade up-lights with a 'hood' to hide the lens from the onlooker works best. In these applications where the source is being hidden, do not waste your money on expensive brass or bronze fixtures. You want it to be hidden anyway. The black, high-density plastic ones are fine. Check your warranty and enjoy!