# Japanese Maple - complementing plants - NJ



## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)

Kindly seeking some advice/suggestions for one or two plants (or more) to place in the bed on either side of the maple, helping fill in the area, as well complementing the tree.

If my thinking is off and there may be a better approach here, I'm entirely open to whatever you may throw at me. That is aside from scratching everything and replanting the maple elsewhere :lol:


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## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)




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## Lawn Noob (Jul 26, 2020)

How much sun does that area get?


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## 7824 (Oct 23, 2019)

blue star juniper
gold mop cypress
blue rug juniper
green mound juniper


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## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)

learningeveryday said:


> blue star juniper
> gold mop cypress
> blue rug juniper
> green mound juniper


I appreciate the suggestions. Looking forward to checking each of these out.

*That gold mop is really nice and looks to be exactly what I'm after.


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## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)

Lawn Noob said:


> How much sun does that area get?


Good question. Full sun the first half of the day. Then full shade. Sun sets behind the fence on the neighbors side.


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## 7824 (Oct 23, 2019)

A lot of variations of the gold mop cypress. Make sure you get the gold mop version and not one of the many others such as kings gold cypress. The gold mop is the smallest and the others will get too big for that space. Gold mop will still get some size to it, but you can keep it trimmed back. You need a blue star juniper or two in there as well, along with a green mound juniper or blue pacific juniper. They will cascade over and down the retaining wall to cover up some of it since it is kind of an eyesore just sitting there like that. A landscaping rock the size of a basketball placed near the JM would look good too. If you want some perennials, try a rozanne geranium or two for a great addition with no maintenance and continuous blooming through frost. Just keep it 3-5 ft away from the JM since the flowers are blue/purple and will clash if too close. It would look great next to a landscaping rock.


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

In reality, and even though it may not appear that way "today", that is a relatively very small area and it can be too easy to "fill it up," too fast …

Whatever you plant:

A) go with true "dwarf" varieties (or in case of junipers be sure they are true flat-lying, I.e., varieties with terms such as "prostratus" in the name); and,

B) just because a nursery label "says" dwarf," well, lemme tell ya about two supposedly "dwarf" gold mops I planted in a small raised bed on either side of a Jap maple in front of our last house. Haha, when we sold the house some years later the "mop" tops were approaching 10-ft tall and the trunks were better than 8" in diameter. The Jap maple had to be rescued and transplanted.

So can be the adventures of buying "dwarf" plants at chain stores … :lol:

Point being, many plants will grow way faster than that maple which is going to want to "cascade" out (and actually "down") 5-6" for every inch it goes "up" over the years.

I wound up going with mondo grass around a Jap maple I put next to a small koi pond I installed in a morning only sun and majority day deep shade location. The dark green of the tight compact mondo grass really "popped" against some bunches of variegated liriope and the two of them wound up really making the Jap maple stand out.

As will the blue gray or gold of the right junipers.

Another big plus about junipers, mondo and monkey grasses is their awesome drought resistance.

Just be ready to pull em quick if the "dwarf" or "prostate" labels turn out to be some employee error (don't ask how I know … ! :lol:  :roll:

Some articles and photos:

https://gardenfrontier.com/mondo-grass-vs-liriope/

https://rootsandmaps.com/liriope-vs-mondo-grass/


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## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)

learningeveryday said:


> A lot of variations of the gold mop cypress. Make sure you get the gold mop version and not one of the many others such as kings gold cypress. The gold mop is the smallest and the others will get too big for that space. Gold mop will still get some size to it, but you can keep it trimmed back. You need a blue star juniper or two in there as well, along with a green mound juniper or blue pacific juniper. They will cascade over and down the retaining wall to cover up some of it since it is kind of an eyesore just sitting there like that. A landscaping rock the size of a basketball placed near the JM would look good too. If you want some perennials, try a rozanne geranium or two for a great addition with no maintenance and continuous blooming through frost. Just keep it 3-5 ft away from the JM since the flowers are blue/purple and will clash if too close. It would look great next to a landscaping rock.


Wow! You are absolutely on fire! I don't even know where to start...Can I hire you? lol I have two more beds that need similar attention  I'm good at a lot of things, but I've always lacked was the landscaping "vison". At least when it comes to what to plant.

Obviously, you really know what you are doing and have helped point me in a whole new direction. 'Thank you' for that. I like the idea of the landscape rock! Great thinking. I may need to report back once I've made my haul and work on positioning everything together  That is if you don't mind and have some free time to help a guy out. :thumbup:


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## 7824 (Oct 23, 2019)

Also look at:
dwarf hinoki cypress
japanese cryptomeria globosa nana
japanese helleri

Everything I listed in this thread is available at home depot and lowes, minus the dwarf hinoki...might have to go to a local nursery for that. They are low maintenance, do not get fungus or insects, and don't need extra water. Just go for a balanced mix of blues, greens, and yellows. I like year round foliage so I usually go 80% "evergreens" and 20% perennials. That's not everyone's style.

Everything grows, buy small. It will save you money and transplant easier.


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## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)

440mag said:


> In reality, and even though it may not appear that way "today", that is a relatively very small area and it can be too easy to "fill it up," too fast …
> 
> Whatever you plant:
> 
> ...


That's a great suggestion on the mondo grass and I really like it. I had actually attempted to purchase some during my plant haul last week but with no luck. I may have to order some or just keep my eyes peeled and check other nurseries.

Funny story and good advice again on searching for a 'true dwarf' version and ensuring as best you can that's what it is. I wonder what the new homeowners thought lol must have been pretty funny to see.


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## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)

Some updates on my haul. Here's what the wife and I had put together. No idea if it works per professional say (?) but we think it meshes pretty well.

Multiple gold cypress. Probably not mops and may have to stay on them with pruning to ensure they don't get out of control, though two of them we think we wouldn't mind them getting quite big.

2 hidcote blue lavender straddling the cypress.
2 salvia meadow sage & early blue hydrangea next to another cypress.
2 english (?) lavender (can't find the picture of the tag), 1 blue star juniper, 1 blue pac juniper with a cypress.
1 cypress next to the JM where I plan to add mondo grass or blue fescue grass and a landscape rock.

(yes the small bed cypress with the lavender is planted a bit too far from the right. Please don't remind me on that one because I'll go dig it up right now lol my hopes are that it fills up nicely and I can balance it out accordingly from right to left to make it look more centered)

You may also notice a Dynamite Crepe Myrtle which in the mix which I had planted next year. I intent to border that off with stone and "dress" that up.

Constructive criticism heavily welcomed! Would love to hear anyone's thoughts on the layout 

QUESTION:

Based on my research, all of these plants don't need much water, with the exception of the hydrangeas. It sounds quite obvious when I say it out loud, but the hyndrangeas and the two large lavender by the junipers don't seem to be doing so well. Being that these are newly planted and likely experiencing different exposure than they were before, should I be watering them every day to help them establish?

Also, should I hit them with a light dose of liquid plant food to help give them a boost and throw down a light bit of MILO and or compost/other amendment?

Thinking I need some 911 support before I lost them and my investment.


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## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)

learningeveryday said:


> Also look at:
> dwarf hinoki cypress
> japanese cryptomeria globosa nana
> japanese helleri
> ...


I'm loving that dwarf hinoki and was thinking I would drop that in front/between the two lavender plants, which would be to the right of the blue star juniper and left of blue pac juniper. You may see if you look closely there's an old perennial in there which we may transplant out when that happens.

Looks like I'll have to special order that one like you said. Although, HD does offer it, but you basically get a sprout when I can order online at double the price and receive a fairly established plant.


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

NJlawnguy said:


> Some updates on my haul.


Outstanding! :thumbup:



NJlawnguy said:


> QUESTION:
> 
> Based on my research, all of these plants don't need much water, with the exception of the hydrangeas. It sounds quite obvious when I say it out loud, but the hyndrangeas and the two large lavender by the junipers don't seem to be doing so well. Being that these are newly planted and likely experiencing different exposure than they were before, should I be watering them every day to help them establish?
> 
> ...


"Every day" will likely lead to root rot; I learned at an early age to be generous with bone meal inside planting holes so, add that to your toolbox for future …

I usually expect some "shock" and give the newly l,anted specimen a good root drenching immediately post planting and then resist the temptation to do anything more than keep the soil from COMPLETELY drying half a fingers length below the surface. Say once a week depending upon the plants location, soil sand vs clay, etc.

Biggest thing in hot humid weather is water early as possible in am and. Avoid wetting leaves …

I'd wait at least a week before "feeding" a newly planted shrub (think of stuffing your house guests before they've got their luggage Inside …)

Any milo is gonna be days before availability to new roots and even then bone meal is much more as useable and soil amendments are going to be weeks to months so, I typically mix those in with the soil I put around new plantings


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## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)

440mag said:


> NJlawnguy said:
> 
> 
> > Some updates on my haul.
> ...


Really appreciate that and definitely on the same page, though something is off as they're not looking very healthy.

Didn't think of not watering the leaves and have only watered when needed, which is almost every day being that they're full sun, though have eased up a bit to really let the soil dry up.

Putting down mulch this week and adding some liquid lawn food.

Some pics added to show their current state.


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## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)

Lavender


One gold cypress


Meadow sage


Blue star and more lavender


Blue pacific juniper


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## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)

Other cypress


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## NJlawnguy (8 mo ago)

Thoughts on the above visual of my plants and potential course correction?

Adding mulch and liquid plant food this week.


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## 7824 (Oct 23, 2019)

It's the first year, they will have transplant shock, and you planted at the worst time. Just keep them watered properly and they will look great next spring.


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