Trees and Vines at Digging Dog
Including Clematis, Hydrangea, & Schizophragma
If gardens are outdoor rooms, designed to create a sense of enclosure, then trees are the pillars or columns that support the walls and ceiling. No wonder there are so many tree worshipers. 
Trees are permanent legacies to the future; even if your plot of ground isn’t an estate, you can leave something of enduring beauty behind. Use them to block unsightly views or to frame and emphasize outstanding ones. Only trees can give a garden that certain satisfying sense of permanence and maturity. Their shade and dappled light create microclimates beneath.
Plant trees singly as a starring role specimen, use three or five to create a grove, or get carried away and plant a French allée with double or multiple rows paralleling a central corridor. If your property is blessed with some ancient specimens, remember that they won’t last forever, and plant a new generation with that in mind. However you decide to use them, do plan your garden around trees.
Vines are amazing in their ability to lend an air of maturity to the garden; trained on fence, arbor, pergola or house, they can frame a distant vista or intimate view. Vines can be used to “ground” any structure to the earth, and are perfect for harmonizing architectural forms with the environment; they can visually soften stone walls and fences, even camouþage an unsightly feature. Select a vine for its delicacy of pattern and leaf shape, or choose a veritable cascade of blossom.
Further reading about gardening with trees:The Pruning of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers (Second edition, revised and enlarged by Tony Kirkham) by George E. Brown and Tony Kirkham Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs An Illustrated Encyclopedia by Michael A. Dirr Dirr’s Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates An Illustrated Encyclopedia by Michael A. Dirr Acer
Maple
Paperbark Maple
With a dignified, rounded form, dramatically flaking mahogany-colored bark that peels to expose the cinnamon hues beneath, and rich green trifoliate leaves that blaze to a brilliant red each fall, China’s Paperbark Maple is a splendid specimen for just about any place in your garden. This Maple requires well drained soil, and will tolerate sun, shade or wind, but never drought. Unparalleled for its winter beauty, Acer griseum grows slowly to its full size. Large Band.
Size: 20'–30' high x 15'–20' wide; hardy to zone 4.
Acer griseum (t-0028)
Each $19.00
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Actinidia
Hardy Male KiwiWith a name that sounds like a magical chant, this deciduous climbing vine extends the Kiwi’s hardiness range into the Northern U.S. and Canada. Its 3 to 5 in. heart-shaped leaves are painted with creamy white, green and pink. In summer, it bears small white flowers without fruiting.
Give this charmer well drained soil and watch it ramble up a pergola, fence or wall. Grant up to 2 to 3 years for the striking variegation to appear. Grows rapidly. Large Band.
Blooms June. Size: 15' high wide; hardy to zone 4.
Actinidia kolomikta Arctic Beauty (T-0003)
Each $13.00
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Porcelain Berry
If you would like to soften a wall, a pole or a fence quickly and dramatically, consider planting one of these deciduous Asian climbers. Woody, self-clinging vines that offer alluring, alternate leaves and showy berries, Ampelopsis flourishes in any garden soil with little care. Large Band. Variegated Porcelain BerryThis elegant vine is densely covered in small leaves delicately splashed with pink and white, and young pink shoots. In the autumn, as the foliage turns light yellow, the porcelain-colored berries darken to steel blue. Not quite as energetic as the species, ‘Elegans’ is the perfect choice for an intimate setting.
Size: 12'–15' high & spreading; hardy to zone 5.
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Elegans (T-0125)
Each $13.00
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Trumpet Creeper
Robust, rich and rampant, this eastern American native provides a living screen festooned each summer with richly colored blossoms that resemble flaring trumpets. A beacon to hummingbirds, Campsis are tolerant of almost any conditions, but flourish in sunny spots with moist, well drained soil. To encourage a lavish show and control its shape, prune hard in wintertime.
Medium Band.
Yellow Trumpet CreeperThe pendulous clusters of 3 in. long, richly yellow trumpets, each extruding prominent curved stamens, shine against lustrous, dark green compound leaves defined by seven to eleven coarsely toothed leaflets. When the weather cools, foliage mellows to yellow-green and blooms give way to podlike capsules of winged seeds.
Easily ascending by self-clinging aerial roots, ‘Flava’ casts its cheerful accents upon fences, pergolas or walls.
Blooms July–September. Size: 25'–35' high & spreading; hardy to zone 4.
Campsis radicans Flava (T-0229)
Each $12.00
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Carpinus
Hornbeam
European HornbeamThe deciduous European Hornbeam, with its handsome, densely arranged foliage, is renowned for making hedges. Also known for the hardness of its fine grained wood, it’s used to manufacture the inner moving parts of pianos. Glistening, toothed and oval-shaped, the deep forest green leaves transmute to yellow in the fall against smooth gray bark inscribed by muscular, vertically aligned undulations. If clipping isn’t your forté, don’t worry because Carpinus naturally grows in a dense, pyramidal to rounded shape.
Aside from the classic elegance of the pleated foliage, Hornbeam also exhibits an overall hardiness, capable of withstanding wind, shearing, heavy pruning and clay soil. Try it as a hedge, windbreak, single specimen, or get wild and plant an allée, pleached or not. Deep Large Band. 10 feet in 10 years.
Blooms March. Size: 40'–60' high x 20'–30' wide; hardy to zone 5.
Carpinus betulus (T-0004)
Each $15.50
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Katsura Tree
When Japanese philosopher Toshitsuna said that trees “bring the magnificence of heaven to the human realm,” he must have been contemplating a Katsura Tree. The graceful foliage is rounded, almost heart-shaped, announcing spring in purple and bronze, then maturing to a sprightly medium green. In fall, it keeps us guessing with its variable autumn colors: pale or brilliant, yellow or orange, red, pink, or mauve, while the leaves mysteriously exude the distinct scent of fresh strawberries. Give it rich, slightly acid soil and adequate moisture.
Katsura Tree
Perhaps Japan’s largest shade tree, normally multi-
trunked Katsura manifests a gracious symmetry; trained to a single trunk it provides a narrower, almost columnar shape. Its dappled shade is a cordial host for Corylopsis. Grows moderately to rapidly.
Large Band.
Blooms March–April. Size: 60' high x 30' wide; hardy to zone 5.
Cercidiphyllum japonicum (T-0005)
Each $15.50
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Weeping KatsuraThis captivating Cercidiphyllum makes a stellar specimen. Vigorous vertical shoots grow rapidly at first, then more slowly as the distinctive weeping silhouette eventually develops. With elegant ease, branches clad in shimmering blue-green leaves flow downward like a waterfall, while minimally invasive roots allow Cyclamen, Epimedium and Hakonechloa to be planted under its pendulous canopy for a dreamy vignette.
Grows moderately, 15–25' in 10 years, up to 30´ x 15–20'
Medium Band.
Blooms March–April. Size: 30' high x 15'–20' wide; hardy to zone 5.
Cercidiphyllum japonicum Morioka Weeping (t-0256)
Each $22.00
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Fringe Tree
Chinese Fringe TreeNamed for its clustered, snow-white fleecy flowers, the broadly spreading Chinese Fringe Tree casts light shade with rounded leathery leaves. This deciduous Olive family member is a captivating, four season specimen displaying blue, egg-shaped summer fruit, warm yellow autumn foliage and peeling gray-brown bark in winter. Well sized for a lawn or small yard, it’s easily cultivated in moist, loamy soil. Grows slowly. Large Band.
Blooms June. Size: 20' high x 15' wide; hardy to zone 5.
Chionanthus retusus (T-0008)
Each $14.00
Add to Cart American Fringe TreeWith ample cream-colored, lacy blossoms and blue, egg-shaped fruit, the American Fringe tree is one of the most beautiful of all North American trees. Native to the eastern United States, it appears quite elegant near water, where its openly branching limbs and glossy green leaves can be reflected in the afternoon light.
Growing into small trees or occasionally multistemmed large shrubs, Chionanthus are easy to cultivate in moist, loamy soil and are well sized for a lawn or small yard. Grows slowly to its full size.
Large Band.
Blooms late June–mid-July. Size: 15' high x 20' wide; hardy to zone 4.
Chionanthus virginicus (T-0034)
Each $14.00
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Simple and beautiful, Clematis includes over 300 named cultivars and even more wild species than the rose. Our selections offer opulent blossoms, attractive, carefree foliage, and ornamental seed heads, in exchange for a minimum of attention. Use them to cover just about every stump and dead tree, as well as on trellises, arbors, pergolas, walls and tall shrubs. They prefer to be planted slightly deep in cool,
well drained soil, with mulch or a ground cover to shade their feet; provide a support and let them climb.
Medium Band. Further reading about Clematis:An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Clematis by Mary K. Toomey and Everett Leeds
Gold soaked frilly centers heighten the lavish and lengthy showing of large, well rounded mauve-blue flowers, which span some 6 in. across. Gracing lance-shaped deciduous leaflets, long narrow tapered buds herald the marvelous blooms, each described by 6 or 8 broadly overlapping tepals with subtly notched margins and red-tinged bases.
An award winning, compact Polish cultivar whose blossoms and fluffy seed clusters make first-class additions to cut arrangements, the robust ‘General Sikorski’ can be trained up an obelisk or pergola alongside climbing roses, or sited in a container as a colorful summertime specimen.
Blooms June–September. Size: 6'–8' high & spreading; hardy to zone 4.
Clematis General Sikorski (T-0248)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Bred nearly 100 years ago in France, ‘Huldine’ faithfully delivers copious pearly white, cup-shaped blooms all summer long. Amid plump pointed buds, dark stems and handsome, strong growing deciduous greenery, the perfect-for-cutting, 3 to 4 in. luminous flowers are held upright while uniting 6 translucent nonoverlapping tepals around a cluster of greenish yellow anthers.
This sophisticated hardy Clematis features recurving tips and slightly incurved, mauve-blushed margins. It is best grown over a large trellis, arch or pergola—anywhere the lovely undersides, which glow with 3 pinkish mauve central bars per tepal, are easily relished.
Blooms July–October. Size: 10'–15' high & spreading; hardy to zone 4.
Clematis Huldine (T-0249)
Each $16.25
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For its hardy, manageable habit and its quantities of large, opulent long blooming flowers amid green tapered deciduous leaves, this celebrated Clematis earned the coveted RHS award in 1993 and worldwide notoriety. Single and flat-faced, nearly 6 in. wide blooms showcase 6 to 8 rich as velvet, ruby-red tepals, which are broad at the base, narrowing toward the tip and clutched in the center by sprightly yellow stamens, while aging to the color of a fine red wine.
Poland’s Wladyslaw Noll bred ‘Niobe’ whose compact form can be partnered with climbing roses or featured as a regal specimen in a mixed bed or in a container.
Blooms June–September. Size: 6'–7-3/4' high & spreading; hardy to zone 4.
AVAILABLE SPRING 2010
Clematis Niobe (t-0253)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart (Integrifolia group)With a name that translates “memory of the heart,” this vine’s floral elegance is hard to forget. Long blooming and satin sheened, the rich colored heliotrope purple blooms show off darker, glossier midribs. Caught in a partially open, spirited flounce that surrounds pale yellow anthers, the 3 in. long tepals are sometimes twisted and irregularly edged. ‘Pamiat Serdtsa’s sturdy herbaceous shoots will climb and saunter but not cling, while slightly nodding blooms pose suspended from subtly crooked stems.
Developed at the Ukraine’s Nikita Botanic Garden, she etches an exquisite juxtaposition of color when meandering up through Spiraea ‘Ogon’ in the mixed border.
Blooms July–September. Size: 4'–6' high & spreading; hardy to zone 3.
Clematis Pamiat Serdtsa (T-0243)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Gracing gardens with its classic sky blue presence for over 100 years, freely flowering ‘Perle d’Azur’ presents 4 in. wide, seminodding blooms centered by light green stamens and a tinge of pinkish mauve. The nearly translucent tepals have deeply grooved midribs and recurving edges, which makes each exquisite flower appear rounded. This vigorous, deciduous Clematis puts on a lofty show as it scrambles through the golden foliage of Physocarpus ‘Dart’s Gold’.
Blooms July–September. Size: 10'–15' high & spreading; hardy to zone 4.
Clematis Perle d’Azur (T-0143)
Each $16.25
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(Integrifolia group)Dangling from the curved ends of lax stems, dark plum-colored droves of dainty ribbed bells, edged in light lavender, compose a nonstop summer fling. The 3 in. long blooms showcase prominent curled up tepal tips that add fairy tale appeal.
Hybridized by Kazuhige Ozawa, this endearing Clematis grows as an herbaceous perennial, its nonclinging stems scramble about to grace a container, form a ground cover or thread their way through an open shrub.
Blooms July–September. Size: 6'–8' high & spreading; hardy to zone 3.
AVAILABLE SPRING 2010
Clematis Rooguchi (t-0244)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Beguiling colors distinguish this new Dutch selection. Reminiscent of fairy lanterns, abundant, blue bell-shaped flowers dangle amid lambent golden foliage. Twining, red-tinged upright stems are vigorous yet manageable, while the deciduous serrated leaves turn chartreuse in the summer and remain more vivid in the sun. Superimposed against a dark verdant backdrop or spotlighted as an irresistible container candidate, ‘Stolwijk Gold’ produces fluffy silver seed heads for late season intrigue. (PPAF)
Blooms May–June. Size: 6' high & spreading; hardy to zone 4.
Clematis alpina Stolwijk Gold (T-0257)
Each $18.00
Add to Cart Hats off to British Columbia’s University Botanical Garden for selecting this long blooming, citrus-hued gem from a group of South Korean seedlings. Wine-colored stems and sturdy, trifoliate deciduous foliage host masses of pastel yellow bells described by thick, ribbed tepals, burgundy bases and slender, pointed tips that turn outward.
Arising mostly from the previous season’s wood, its fairylike flowers welcome in summer, while ethereal fluffy seed heads extend the enchanting composition.
Blooms May–June. Size: 6-1/2'–10' high & spreading; hardy to zone 6.
Clematis chiisanensis Lemon Bells (t-0240)
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Let ‘Durandii’ twine its way through the branches of your favorite shrub. This semi-herbaceous Clematis is coveted by floral arrangers and gardeners alike for its choice 3-½ to 4 in. flowers and sturdy, nonclinging stems. With centers of creamy white stamens and deeply ribbed tepals, these richly colored indigo-blue flowers will bring an exquisite splash of color to your garden or an arrangement.
Blooms June–September. Size: 3-1/2'–5' high & spreading; hardy to zone 5.
Clematis durandii (T-0109)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Prized for its sweetly scented, Hyacinth-like flowers, this pretty semiherbaceous perennial was collected by Pére David near Beijing in 1863. Luminous tight-knit clusters of powdery blue-lavender flowers with curled-back petals are borne at both the leaf axils and stem tips. Medium green and good-sized, the serrated foliage and strong stems form an arresting textural mass that emits a pleasant woodsy aroma when autumn arrives.
Spreading by underground rhizomes, Clematis var. davidiana is certain to spark attention as it rambles around Deutzia setchuenensis var. corymbiflora in a mixed grouping.
Blooms late July–September. Size: 3' high & spreading; hardy to zone 5.
Clematis heracleifolia var. davidiana (T-0220)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart We especially like this vigorous deciduous cultivar for its smoky silver seed heads. But nodding violet-blue flowers with inner petals of cream also combine with young red stems and coarsely toothed medium green leaves to make this species a colorful favorite.
Blooms June–September. Size: 15' high & spreading; hardy to zone 4.
Clematis macropetala Blue Bird (T-0037)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Claiming the British Clematis Society’s 1998 Certificate of Merit award, this renowned “star” was named after a local parish by the English couple who bred it. Each 2-½ in. semidouble flower is the color of crushed strawberries and features a distinctive inner ring of tepals, luxuriously staged against bronzy green deciduous foliage. For a far-reaching display of enticing blooms aplenty, let ‘Broughton Star’s vigorous stems weave their way amid the Dove Tree’s heart-shaped leaves.
Blooms May–June. Size: 15'–20' high & spreading; hardy to zone 5.
Clematis montana Broughton Star (T-0232)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Cultivated by Mrs. Freda Deacon, ‘Freda’ is the proud recipient of the RHS’s Garden Merit Award, and once you see her delectable colors you’ll understand why. Spangled across lavish chocolate and purple bronzed leaves, her satiny buds and 2 in. bright cherry-pink, Anemone-like flowers deliver a profuse performance. Rounded tepals wear darker margins, while gathered around sprightly lemon-yellow anthers. Tinged with burgundy, the young stems sprout handsome foliage that manifests hints of green as the flowers melt away. This Clematis is a little less vigorous and better suited for a smaller space.
Blooms May–June. Size: 15'–20' high & spreading; hardy to zone 6.
Clematis montana Freda (T-0242)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Golden Bells ClematisA new variety from Holland, this robust deciduous climber is adorned with exceptional seed heads, which look like loose silky balls of shiny silver thread. The four-tepaled, nodding golden yellow flowers will cascade over stone walls or be carried on mischievous stems to adjacent shrubs. It is especially enchanting entwined among Melianthus major.
Blooms July–September. Size: 15' high & spreading; hardy to zone 5.
Clematis tangutica Golden Harvest (T-0134)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Sweet Autumn ClematisThis spectacular New Zealand native is covered with small white flowers borne on long, arching panicles. The pink anthers, silky seed heads, and dark glossy leaves combine with the Hawthorn-like fragrance of the flowers to create a sensuous, alluring effect. We trained our Sweet Autumn Clematis to grow horizontally against a wall, so that the evergreen foliage contrasts with the hanging flower panicles.
Blooms September–October. Size: 25' high & spreading; hardy to zone 6.
Clematis terniflora (T-0108)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart The unusual open blossoms of this vigorous Clematis bob like pale butterflies drifting on the breath of a lazy wind. Luminous against the slightly glaucous foliage, the recurved tips of each 3 in. white flower are brushed with green, while its prominent eye of dark purple anthers is tipped with black. Plant with roses and let them intertwine up and over a pergola, or contrast it with the purple foliage of Sambucus ‘Black Beauty’.
Blooms July–September. Size: 10' high & spreading; hardy to zone 4.
Clematis viticella Alba Luxurians (T-0135)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Bred by an 85 year old Polish monk in 1967 and named after a young Polish freedom fighter from the early 1800s, this vigorous cultivar exhibits grace and unwavering tenacity. Her splendid summertime flowers, painted in stunning bluish lavender hues, are considered large for a viticella, measuring 4 to 6 inches across given favorable growing conditions.
Widely spaced tepals surround creamy green anthers and are distinguished by undulating edges, recurving tips, shaded central bars and darker veins. Acquiescent to most garden soils, even drier ones, 'Emilia Plater' can ramble up a pole in the midst of the border backed by Buddleja knappii's silver and green leaves.
Blooms July-September Size: 10' high & spreading; hardy to zone 4.
Clematis viticella Emilia Plater (T-0245)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Plush crimson hues imbue the blooms of this robust and free flowering deciduous cultivar raised in the 1880s by the well-known French nursery, Lemoine. Green-tipped upon opening, four rubescent tepals exhibit illuminated white bases and margins that curl under, while their vivid dance encompasses a central hub of black anthers. The luxurious, downward glancing blossoms create an alluring vignette against a pearly colored backdrop.
Blooms June–September. Size: 10'–12' high & spreading; hardy to zone 4.
Clematis viticella Kermesina (T-0222)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart An outstanding cultivar introduced by a Polish priest, this sumptuously colored Clematis has long, slender buds and a satiny, wavy-edged bloom of saturated purple. Each tepal is marked with a subtle deep fuchsia central stripe and accented by wine-colored anthers and chartreuse styles. Dense, deciduous foliage holds its vibrant good looks all the way to the ground. Lovely from below, let it scramble up and over an archway.
Blooms July–September. Size: 10'–13' high & spreading; hardy to zone 4.
Clematis viticella Polish Spirit (T-0136)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Believed to be a natural deciduous hybrid between Clematis flammula and Clematis viticella, the
ruby-margined flush of this floriferous 1860s cross is made more delectable by its rich, marzipanlike fragrance. Arranged in terminal panicles, starry white, four-tepaled, 1-½ in. blooms are drawn together by creamy anthers. Assuring billows of bloom, vigorous ‘Rubromarginata’ imparts a celestial charm amid the golden foliage of Physocarpus ‘Dart’s Gold’ or a dark green Yew.
Blooms July–early October. Size: 10'–13' high & spreading; hardy to zone 5.
Clematis x triternata Rubromarginata (T-0221)
Each $16.25
Add to Cart Davidia
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