The Perfect Pairing of Conifers and Hostas in Your Garden
- John Plant
- Nov 7
- 3 min read
During the design and construction of our garden we had to carefully think about the type of trees we used to provide shade and shelter for the garden bearing in mind that we were to grow a lot of Hostas.
Once the hard landscape was decided we set about planting. Firstly came the upper story, the larger growing specimens using both deciduous and evergreen trees. These were planted quite heavily knowing that over the years, as they grew, we would be taking some of these out to create more growing space for those that remain.
Bearing in mind, that at a later date, we would want to plant Hostas amongst and alongside these trees, we were careful of the choice of specimen. We needed to be able to manipulate these trees with crown thinning and lifting to give more light for the plants below, as the trees grew and created more shade.
Conifers were perfect for this. The conifers were all evergreen, giving an all-year-round interest, and would look great with the Hostas, especially in the early years.
As the conifers got bigger and taller, we were able to remove a lot of the lower branches to expose bare stems. This further enhanced the look of the Hostas, as well as the conifers. Lifting the crown enables you to see further through the greenery as well as showing off the Hostas in the ground. Just look how sexy the misty photo shows off the effort.
By removing the lower branches, it also allows the rain to reach everything planted below. It also highlights the natural brick paving below the trees.
With the majority of the conifers chosen for the garden, the root systems are limited. They won’t spread into the surface of the soil, competing with other plants. This means that once a conifer has been crown lifted or even removed, leaving in the roots, it can be planted below.
The above photo shows a recently trimmed conifer having new planting below. We forked the area to loosen any compacted soil or tree roots, them covered with a thick layer of new compost. This compost was heavy on natural water retaining organic material. In our case it was leaf mould & garden compost. This was mixed with generic potting compost. This was then forked over again to mix everything in, before planting. This will give your Hostas the best possible start.
A planting of beautifully colourful Hostas, mixed with ferns bare conifer trunks, with timber edges and a brick path…. What’s not to like.
Of course, not all conifers are tall, larger growing types, you also have much smaller ones.
These can look fabulous when mixed with Hostas, throwing in an occasional rock or two. Here you have a Picea albertiana Conica and a few medium sized, slower growing conifers mixed with Hostas.
If you are limited with space, then you should be looking at the smaller conifers.
The bigger the space, the better the choice of conifers.
A word of warning when buying dwarf Conifers. All Conifers start off, small. This is the cheapest form of purchase. However, just because they are small, does not mean they are dwarf. Go on-line and check the Latin names, before deciding.
Conifers were at their peak for sales in the 70’s but have lost some of their sparkle since. They are not everyone’s cup of tea now, but frankly, I feel they still have a place in the garden. Gone are the days of island beds of different size and colour conifers, but I wouldn’t be without them in my garden. They give an element that you can’t get any other way.
If you haven’t considered growing conifers, together with Hostas, why not give it a go? Be patient though. You won’t get large trunks for many years. All the conifers in our garden were planted between 20 years and 25years ago!!
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John Plant
Rewela Hostas
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