I found this website in my search for anything Japanese Garden :
http://academic.bowdoin.edu/zen/index.shtml?overview
such a beautiful site to visit!! the garden tours are incredible.
However, It doesnt get down to the nitty gritty on specific plants but has provided me with a better general idea on what I should try to accomplish here in my yard.
Besides azaleas and camelias which shrubby plants would you recommend to provide me with larger areas of evergreen? I have a rather large bare area that needs to be filled. The area would take about 8-9 large azaleas to fill up.
Also need some input on groundcovers - I bought a few 'babytears' to cover an area under the Persimmon tree but feel as if the baby tears are so commercially available that I should probably consider other types of cover for the large bare area.
The summer heat in my area is intense and we do not get but 4-5 days of freezing temperatures a year so most plants do well so long as they can take the heat.[/url]
Garden Ideas
Moderators: whis4ey, George Nesfield
I suggest you look, for a start, at Escallonia, Hebe, Cistus & Box.
Escallonia (except for E. Newport Dwarf) grow quite big & have nice leaves & they can be shaped - e.g. as hemispheres or even as a hedge.
Hebes vary very much, but some of them grow naturally in a low, mounding shape & some have very small leaves & come in a range of leaf colors.
Cistus (Rock Rose) is quite a fast grower, & can be shaped. Its leaves are dull green & not at all glossy.
Box comes in various sizes & of course can be clipped or sheared.
And then there's Eleagnus and Euonymus. Maybe Skimmia though I don't know how it stands up to heat. If you want to include a shrub with grey leaves, take a look at Senecio.
Herb
Escallonia (except for E. Newport Dwarf) grow quite big & have nice leaves & they can be shaped - e.g. as hemispheres or even as a hedge.
Hebes vary very much, but some of them grow naturally in a low, mounding shape & some have very small leaves & come in a range of leaf colors.
Cistus (Rock Rose) is quite a fast grower, & can be shaped. Its leaves are dull green & not at all glossy.
Box comes in various sizes & of course can be clipped or sheared.
And then there's Eleagnus and Euonymus. Maybe Skimmia though I don't know how it stands up to heat. If you want to include a shrub with grey leaves, take a look at Senecio.
Herb