EverWinter

One of the key things to be aware of when designing your Winter Garden is the range of your palette. It is comprised of four things; size, shape, texture and color. Generally your tree evergreens such as Spruces, Firs and Pines will be the largest and tallest elements in your design. there are many small evergreens that you have to choose from as well. Many of the Cotoneasters and Hollies make fine additions and help to add small accents of color. these plant types will be individually described in detail in later posts along with many others. The next thing to consider is shape. Many of the Spruces, Firs and Pines generally have a conical shape, however through crossbreeding efforts many new shapes have come to be readily available. I have seen many free form Spruces being used to accent a landscape bed. They can also be seen as bush shaped or global. There is a wide variety to choose from. The next thing to consider is texture. Evergreen leaves can vary from the needle form of mo...

Well the Spruces are getting their new Spring foliage. Thought I'd throw in a picture or two. These are some spruces that I started last season from seeds that I collected. This season they are getting their first Spring growth.

 This post will center mainly on the Conifers such as Spruces and Firs. First I would like to give you some explanation for the shape of the aforementioned types. Nature gave them their conical shape for a reason. This shape sheds snow very well and can still hold a large amount of snow on its branches. The tree's branches are distributed in such a manner that each one can help support the one above it. So when it snows there is a cascading effect. The snow weighs down an upper branch that rests and is supported by the one below it and this continues until the bottom branch is reached and it rests on the ground. This information is key and its significance will be more evident in the list of Do's and Don'ts. See the accompanying photos of my own Blue Spruce, pictured above. Conifers unlike deciduous trees do not hibernate in winter. They will slow down their metabolism to react to reduced sunlight but they maintain their Chlorophyll levels year round. That is why it is cr...

Evergreens, natures "Soldiers of Winter". They stand tall and proud against all that winter can throw at them. Limbs strong yet designed to bend under the weight of the snow to rest on the branch below. Generally when people think of evergreens they see a stand of one color trees lined up like soldiers. The world of evergreens are comprised of many colors from emerald green to electric blue to gold. The trouble is people are introduced to a small amount of specimens. People generally rely on what is easily available to them at  Home Depot or Lowes. I will show you many of the different less common species that are available to you, but, you may have to visit a local nursery or surf the web for them. In the picture you will see a tree called, Golden Hinoki. It's needles are very short and are bright yellow golden in color. It produces clusters of small round cones. This species will grow quite well in most parts of the U.S. I will show you how to add color to your Winter G...

Gentlepeople, Hello, my name is Thomas Marcucci. I am starting this blog to share my knowledge and love of Evergreens, Winter Gardening and Poetry. Since I am launching this in the spring months I will concentrate on introducing everyone to the many different types of evergreens there are and how best to implement them into the winter landscape. I have gained a good bit of knowledge about their care and maintenance and wish to share it with all who will listen. I will be showcasing plants that are not necessarily evergreens but, will compliment the winter garden and provide additional color at a time that is normally stark. As we reach the halfway point in Summer, I will begin to share my views on what a Winter Garden should be. This will be achieved through verbal explanation as well as photographs. So join me on this journey of knowledge about the plants in our world that were designed to be rugged and hold their beauty the year round. And in addition I will try to show all the beaut...