My Favorite Plant(s) ...This Week

My favorite plants...this week are three dwarf conifers that came from Lael's Moon Garden, one of the few plant vendors at the Tacoma Home and Garden Show.   While I think that miniature gardens are sweet, I simply can't pull it off in my garden as diminutive plants tend to get lost in my "exuberant" (randomly planted plants jockeying for positions in the sun) plantings.  However, the stairs from our back porch to the garden are fairly narrow but I still like to have some sort of potted plants on either side.  This summer, potted miniature hostas and coleus did the trick but now they are a little, um, dormant or dead.  Enter the dwarf conifers!

First up is Chamaecyparis pisifera 'White Pygmy' which grows one to three inches a year, is hardy to -20 F, and likes sun to partial shade.  Tiny white-tipped, bun-shaped plant.

It maintains it's shape without pruning and will have a more open growth habit in less sunny locations.

Our next contestant is Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Butterball' growing one foot tall by one foot wide in ten years, hardy to - 20 F. I have to include this description from Klehm's Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery: "Bright, lemony yellow tips give this dwarf, globose Hinoki Cypress a fresh, cheery look. The vivid coloring contrasts beautifully with naturally darker inner foliage. Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Butter Ball' is distinguished by its consistently rounded habit and very dense, slow growth. Use in containers, rock gardens, and evergreen collections."  I'll be looking for opportunities to use the word globose!  Interesting fact:  the American pronunciation is glahb ose (having the shape of a glob?) while the English pronunciation, which is how I thought it was supposed to be pronounced, is globe ose. (having the shape of a globe.)

The third is Athrotaxis cupressoides or Tasmanian Cedar.  I liked the almost succulent look of this and when the nice lady from Lael's said that it was her favorite of the plants that they'd brought, that clinched the deal.

According to the tag, "A small slow-growing upright conifer with rich green foliage similar in appearance to the giant redwood, sequoiadendron giganteum.  Dull sun, well drained soil 5' x 2' in 10 years.  Hardy to 0 degres F."  So far, so good, but the interweb has pictures of this getting huge over a great number of years.  Mine will most likely be in a pot until one of us dies so I don't have to worry about placement in the garden. 

I'm joining with Loree at Danger Garden in posting a favorite plant this week.  Click on over there to see what plant is her favorite this week!  Hope you have a great weekend.  Molbak's is having a 40% off sale on Hellbores but I haven't visited Vashon Island for a long time.  Decisions, decisions.