Re: Narrow plants - like narrow cars

---

If my memory serives me right, there is a podocarpus at Lotusland that shedded pretty badly in the summer.  I'm sure in most situations, a little mulch is welcome in the garden.  It may be that the gardener of that section was lamenting the leaf drop more so because the leaves constantly fell in the lotus pond.

 

For those of you familiar w/ Lotusland, the tree was in the aloe garden near the old bath house... 

bridget

seattle, wa--75 F and clear!

 

On 7/5/07, david feix <d*@yahoo.com> wrote:

Moira,
Podocarpus gracilior is a very amenable tree that is
much abused here in California as a shrub/espalier
plant tucked into places below roof overhangs and as a
foundation shrub where it will eventually outgrow the
space and need to be removed.  There are examples of
very large Podocarpus gracilior to be seen in older
gardens and parks in southern California in
particular, and the occasional 40 foot tall by across
specimen here in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I
suspect that the espaliered forms sold here are
propagated from cuttings, and tend to be slower
growing and more lax in habit rather than tree-like at
young age.  Seed grown trees are rare here, but are
probably faster to put on height as compared to the
cutting grown material that dominates the nursery
trade here.

As to narrow growing plants for both hot sun and
shade, might I suggest something that can easily take
both conditions, and can be sheared as a hedge to keep
neat, yet still bloom nearly year round, as well as
being almost completely drought tolerant?  Try some
Mexican Lobelia/ Lobelia laxiflora.  Also you might
consider the shrub Myrsine africana, which also is
quite well behaved in sun or shade as a clipped hedge.
Chasmanthe or Watsonia might be other things to try,
or Dianella tasmanica and Libbertia peregrinans.
--- Tony and Moira <t*@xtra.co.nz> wrote:

>
> Tony & Moira Ryan, Wainuiomata, New Zealand
> Climate ( US Zone 9). Annual averages:-
> Minimum -2°C; Maximum 28°C Rainfall 2000mm
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Reidfamily
>
>
>   I am in the exact same zone and have a spot JUST
> like that: fence on one side, reflected sun side is
> the pool and a paved pool surround!  I have planted
> Podocarpus gracilior which is fairly easy to prune
> to stay within bounds and makes a rather nice screen
> after 7 or so years.  Don't know if you want
> something that tall however.
>
>
>
>   Karrie Reid
>
>
>
>   This suggestion somewhat astonishes me as I knew
> the tree in the wild in Kenya and there it can
> easily stand 60-80 feet high and appropriately wide.
> It is closely related also to some of the largest
> trees in NZ.
>
>
>
>    It is amazing what pruning will do!!
>
>
>
>   Moira
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>