Re: overgrown dwarf mugho

> There is still a fairly large space to fill up, so I am open
> to suggestions of things that might be deer resistant.

The first thought that came to mind was not to forget to include
Colchicums - they'll help cover all season bloom and also may help to
protect your tulip bulbs.
Years ago I had one of those Giant Dwarf Mughos too.

Kitty

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Aplfgcnys@aol.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, September 03, 2004 6:30 PM
Subject: [CHAT] overgrown dwarf mugho


> When we moved here 34 years ago we cut down much-overgrown spruces that
had
> been foundation plantings once, and at the corner of the house planted a
nice
> little
> dwarf - we thought - Mugho Pine.  I know dwarf evergreens are designated
that
> way
> because of their slow rate of growth, but I don't think this one was ever
> really the
> Pinus mugho mugho that is the true dwarf.  At any rate, it thrived and
became
> a
> handsome shrub, even if a bit large. I kept it under control by "candling"
> each spring
> until a few years back when there was a large wasps nest in the middle of
the
> tree.
> Finally it had become an almost perfect globular plant about 12 feet in
each
> dimension.  We said it was too large - it obscured the dining-room
window -
> but
> it was so fine we just couldn't think about replacing it.  However, last
> winter the
> heavy snowfalls bent its branches down more than had ever happened before,
and
> the snowplow damaged the front of it pretty badly.  This summer it was no
> longer
> handsome, so it had to go.  I felt as if we were murdering a family
member,
> but we
> had it taken out last week.  Now I have a large bare space in front of the
> house
> which doesn't look pretty either.  A crew of men were working in the
> neighborhood
> with big earthmoving equipment, so DH had them bring in a large stone to
put
> on
> the corner of the bed to protect things from future snowplow damage.
> Yesterday
> we bought a new pine - this time we are assured it is really a P. mugho
mugho
> -
> and for the amount it cost, it had better be.  However the man who sold it
to
> us
> assured us that we wouldn't really have that problem with another standard
> mugho -
> in other words it wouldn't begin to get that big in the years we have left
to
> live.
> I have moved a hellebore into the back of the space, and we bought another
> shrub that is supposed to be dwarf - a Pieris japonica 'Prelude.'  We have
> Pieris
> at the other end of the house, and it does well.  Deer haven't eaten it
> there, though
> they ate down the ones we planted at the bottom of the garden.  DH would
not
> have replaced the mugho, but I held out for it because it has never ever
been
> eaten by the deer who routinely parade through the drive and sample most
> things.
> They haven't eaten hellebores elsewhere, so I think that will make a nice
> green
> mound.  I will fill in the front with dwarf daffodils - maybe put some
large
> ones
> to the back - and I have a nice Artemisia 'Powis Castle' and a couple or
rues
> that are being crowded out of another bed.  Those are things that I think
> will be
> pretty safe.  I think I am going to try interplanting the daffs with some
of
> the
> miniature species tulips - maybe the daffs will protect them.  The bed
across
> the drive has been pretty untouched this year - it is full of 'Powis
Castle'
> and
> Perilla frutescens.  Nestled among these are several impatiens, and a
couple
> of
> miniature roses which are doing nicely - both of these are deer candy
> elsewhere
> so I think they are protected by the plants they don't like. At any rate,
it
> might
> be worth a try.  There is still a fairly large space to fill up, so I am
open
> to
> suggestions of things that might be deer resistant.  The soil is good -
sun
> until
> mid-afternoon - south-east facing.
> Auralie - Z5
>
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