Thuja 'Green Giant'

Thuja 'Green Giant' is one of the fastest growing of all Conifers. This very rare Western Red Cedar will put on 3 to 5 feet of growth per year. An excellent evergreen privacy screen or windbreak, it's also tremendously dense, weather-resistant, repellent to deer, and marvelously fragrant! This is the tree you want outlining your property, shielding you from noise, neighbors, or rough wind!

Elegant and uniform, the conical habit of 'Green Giant' needs no shearing or pruning, and is cloaked in dense, dark, evergreen foliage clear to the ground. Of course, you can also shear the foliage into any desired shape, and keep the plant trimmed to just the size you want.

And this is a very easy plant to grow, tolerating almost any soil type and resistant to damage from ice and snow, as well as deer and most other pests. 'Green Giant' is able to withstand drought well, and once established in your yard is very resistant to heat, humidity, and cold.

The most vigorous growth will be in full sun and enriched soil with plenty of water and fertilizer, especially the first few years. 'Green Giant' can also tolerate a bit of shade. Expect it to eventually reach 30 to 50 feet tall, 10 to 12 feet wide. Zones 5-9, plus 10 on the West Coast.

Take the time to research which tree you want and its needs. Try to get as much information as you can about your tree before you plant. This section offers a few brief tips about general care that should get you started in the right direction.

How to Plant Your Tree

When planting a new tree, know the strengths and weaknesses of your treevariety. For example, if your tree has delicate leaves placing the trees fully exposed to drying sun and wind will certainly lead to scorched leaves and a puny trees. Think of your tree's habit and mature size when planting. You would not want a tree that will be 15' wide in a few years planted too closely to any permanent structure or other trees. Choose a place with plenty of room in a partially shaded place, preferably a spot where your tree can get a nice dose of morning sun and be protected through the harshest part of those hot summer afternoons.

Gardeners will often plant their trees in holes that are too deep and too narrow. Roots need access to oxygen and room to grow. Dig a hole about three times the width of the root ball, and the crown (the place where the roots meet the trunk) should be level with the soil surface. If you have clay soil, make sure to break up the sides and bottom of the hole to prevent water from being trapped and rotting your brand new tree. If your tree was in a container, carefully pull apart the roots to ensure that your tree does not become girdled and strangle itself. Recover the soil to the crown, but do not pack it down tightly—loose dirt allows roots to become established.

How to Feed and Water Your Tree

Trees, once established are very low-maintenance for most of the year. Most trees love moisture—during the warmer months, make sure you give your tree a deep watering about twice a week during hot, dry summers to help it establish strong roots.Some varieties with more delicate leaves may have a tendency to dry up and scorch in the summer or freeze in a late frost and scorch. If you suspect a late frost is headed your way, just go ahead and cover the more delicate plants in your garden. Deep watering may be your only hope against drying in the summer.

An all-purpose slow-release fertilizer or rich compost will supply the basic nutrients to feed most trees. Just work the fertilizer into the soil around the tree at the beginning of every season to get the best results.

How to Prune Your Tree

If your tree has been properly planted, has established itself, and has developed a strong root system, the only thing left to do is periodic pruning and shaping. Pruning maples is really simple. Remove dead or damaged limbs, and any new growth that appears on the main trunk (allowing your tree to focus its energy on filling out its distinctly beautiful branches). You may also want to shorten long limbs that distract from the overall shape of the tree.

Choosing Tree Varieties to Suit Your Garden

Want to make a dramatic change in the overall look of your garden? Planting a trees is the quickest way to change the look and feel of your garden. Trees add structure and height, and they have striking presence and style. A few strategically placed trees in your landscape design can change the entire look and feel of your yard. Planting a tree provides incredible results for the modest amount money and time invested, it's good for the environment, and it's fun.

Some of the quickest growers are also the most interesting. Many varieties of dense firs, colorful maples, and wispy willows grow quickly enough to noticeably change the look of your garden in just one season. Fast-growing trees are as functional as they are beautiful—quickly providing privacy screens, shade trees, and dramatic color and fragrance that could take years to achieve with slower varieties.

Landscape Design with Evergreen Trees and Shrubs

Most Pines, Cypresses, and Thujas grow incredibly fast, and make a great quick fix for most of your tree-related garden needs. A tall pine, like a Loblolly or Rock Pine, can reach impressive shade-tree heights in a third of the time that it would take many deciduous trees to reach the same height. And the long, dark-green, wispy needles give an ephemeral—almost mystical—feel, turning your garden into the setting of a great fairytale. Thujas, also known as Arborvitae, are the fastest-growing evergreens around. Their dense green foliage is perfect for blocking outside sights, sounds, and wind—turning your garden into a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle.

Fast Growing Deciduous Trees

Many of the most popular trees for gardeners are also some of the fastest growers. Red Maples and Weeping Willows are sold bare-root, about two or three years old, and not more than a few feet tall. But often, after being planted in your yard, they will grow 3 to 5 feet in one year. These trees are popular because of their interesting foliage and habit, and because they offer such quick return on investment, they have become indispensable in landscape design.

Grow Your Own Fruit

Growing your own fruit is cheaper, more fun, and usually a lot safer than buying fruit from the grocery store. Also, fruit trees are usually very impressive in the garden--they usually have pretty, fragrant blooms, and they attract humming birds and butterflies.

Fruit trees are always popular, but often it takes several years before a tree produces a substantial amount of fruit. There are a few fast-growing fruit tree varieties that produce a useful amount of fruit within a couple seasons. Dwarf citrus trees are small, and mature very fast, but you can only grow these in containers unless you live in a very warm place. Trees from the genus Prunus, like cherries, apricots, plums, and peaches, all grow fairly quickly, and they are so diverse that any gardener will be able to find exactly what they need.

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As the deer population has boomed and food has become scarcer, they have become more aggressive. In some areas deer will strip your garden bare, leaving nothing green or flowery behind. While there is no such thing as a completely deer-proof garden, there are some effective things you can do to protect your garden from these hungry animals.

Use physical barriers

A High Fence
Deer can jump pretty high, but a fence higher than eight feet (higher on an up-slope) and flush with the ground will keep any deer out.

Electric Fences
They are a much easier and less expensive solution. Deer generally will not try to jump electric fences, but will rather try to climb through the wires, receiving a deterring shock.

Bird-Netting
An even less extreme physical option is to put bird netting over your larger and more susceptible plants.

Plant Deer-resistant Varieties

Herbs, some conifers, and many flowers are some of the best deer-resistant plants. More fragrant plants will often deter predation. Planting just a few deer-resistant plants will limit grazing of your other plants. Remember, "deer-resistant" does not mean deer-proof. A hungry animal will eat just about anything.

Having a dog In the Family

Owning a dog, especially a big dog will almost always keep deer from approaching your home. Just the scent of the dog will keep most deer away, and if your dog lives outside you will probably never see any deer.

For most gardeners, it is a combination of different solutions that works best. Every gardener has to find the solution that works best in their garden.

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Thuja plicata

Giant (Western) Arborvitae

Planting:

For hedges, set plants 6 to 8 feet apart. For specimen plants, space 10 to 15 feet apart. Performs best in a moist and fertile but well-drained soil, either acid and alkaline in nature. The most vigorous growth will occur in full sun, however plants will tolerate light shade.

Maintenance:

Water regularly during hot, dry periods and add a summer mulch to maintain soil moisture. Prune as needed in early spring and midsummer to maintain the desired height.

Zones:

Zones 5-7.

A Tradition of Distinction

Since its founding in 1920, Wayside Gardens has brought the rarest and highest-quality plants to the garden market. Wayside was founded in 1920 by two acclaimed growers who came together to pursue their shared vision of marketing all high-end plants for the serious garden enthusiast. Originally located in Mentor, Ohio, Wayside Gardens swiftly grew a reputation for the highest-quality plants and the most sophisticated clientele. In 1975, Wayside was purchased by the Park Seed Company, and moved to Hodges, SC.  The company has flourished since then, growing to become an undisputed leader in rare and unique plant growing.

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Wayside's horticulturists travel the world in search of new and unusual plant cultivars and proudly offer the garden industry’s most sophisticated selection of high quality and rare perennial plants, bulbs, trees, shrubs, roses, vines, and indoor plants. Beginning with ties to the Dutch family bulb business in Holland, our horticulturists have developed close relationships with perennial and bulb growers throughout the United States and Europe, providing access to many rare and unique garden treasures. Throughout our history we have had the pleasure of introducing numerous exotic foreign and domestic plant cultivars to the American garden market. The Wayside collection of new and exclusive plant products is so preeminent that the catalog has long been lauded in the industry and is even used as a reference work in horticultural schools.

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We use larger containers and grow bigger plants than other nurseries, leading to greater root strength. Where appropriate, Wayside Gardens propagates our plants vegetatively rather than from seed, to ensure the plants possess the correct form and are true to variety, like a true double form, as opposed to the single or semi-double forms that may result from seed propagation. Because we employ only the finest and most technologically advanced plant growing methods, you can be confident in receiving healthy plants ready to burst forth in glorious growth in your garden.

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