A Dozen Evergreen Trees for Small Gardens

Strawberry Tree flowers and fruit

1. Arbutus unedo 'Compacta' - Compact strawberry tree

Size: 8' tall by 8' wide

Comments: Related to our native madrone tree; peeling, reddish bark; dark green foliage; clusters of white, bell-shaped flowers in spring; red fruit in fall resembling strawberries

2. Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula' - Weeping Alaska cedar

Size: to 20' tall; width variable

Comments: Choose carefully to get the tree shape you want; some are pencil-shaped, others spread 6- 8' wide; yellow-green foliage; weeping habit; Northwest native tree

3. Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Gracilis' - Slender Hinoki cypress

Size: to 20' tall x 5-6' wide

Comments: There are several types of Hinoki cypress, all beautiful, small trees that work well in urban gardens; dark green flat sprays of foliage with nodding tips; some varieties have gold edged new foliage; slow growing

4. Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans Compacta' - Plume cedar

Size: to 15' tall

Comments: 'Elegans Compacta' is much smaller than the species; grey-green foliage turns coppery-red or purple in cold weather

5. Cupressus sempervirens - Italian cypress

Size: 25' tall x 3' wide

Comments: 'Glauca' - blue Italian cypress has bluish foliage; 'Stricta' is green, also very narrow. These are classic Mediterranean garden trees; great accents

6. Garrya eliptica 'Issaquahensis' - Coast silk tassel

Size: 10' tall to 20' wide

Comments: Northwest native tree; hard to find but well worth the search; 10" long catkins in winter, very striking

7. Laurus nobilis - Sweet bay

Size: 12' - 20' tall and wide, depending on conditions

Comments: Once this tree gets going, you'll have all the bay leaves you'll ever need for cooking; upright, column-shaped tree with aromatic leaves; good in containers

8. Magnolia 'Little Gem' 

Size: up to 20' tall x 8' wide

Comments: Column shape; glossy green leaves with brown, felty undersides; creamy white flowers in summer

9. Pinus contorta contorta- Shore pine

Size: 20-30' tall and wide

Comments: Northwest native tree; open growth habit; takes sea coast conditions well, gets its name "contorta" because of the shape these trees take in the winds off the water; tolerates salt spray

10. Pinus flexuosa 'Vanderwolf' - Vanderwolf pine

Size: 18'+ tall x 6-8' wide

Comments: Dense, pyramidal shape, blue-green foliage

11. Pinus strobus 'Nana' - Dwarf white pine

Size: to 7' tall x 5' wide

Comments: Very slow growing; long needles with bluish cast; graceful; may have weeping habit

12. Tsuga mertensiana - Mountain hemlock

Size: 20 ' tall x 8-10' wide

Comments: Graceful, layered growth habit; blue green foliage; very slow growing; native to high mountains from Alaska to the Sierras in California; does best with some protection from hot western sun exposure

Growing Cannabis in Seattle

I recently had the opportunity to tour the cannabis growing operation at New Leaf Enterprises in Seattle. I've done some propagation and greenhouse work in the past, so I found the tour fascinating.

However, seeing how cannabis is grown for commercial use isn't something the average person might get to do. Although the sale and use of medical and recreational marijuana is legal in Washington State, you won't be seeing acres of marijuana planted in open ground any time soon. According to state regulations, each plant must be registered and accounted for throughout its lifecycle, and it's hard to protect plants from poaching when they're grown outdoors.

Plus, indoor operations can control everything: heat, humidity, water, nutrients, and day length (i.e. periods of light and darkness). Not surprisingly, users say that the quality of products grown indoors is superior to what is grown outdoors.

If you've ever been curious about how these plants are grown and harvested, and no one has invited you inside their operation to show you around, here's the next best thing - a video tour inside New Leaf Enterprises, home of Dama Cannabis. Take a look.