Planted four 'Compacta' in fall 2005. But these are Ex-Plants now.
Replanted three 'Just Dandy' in spring 2012 These are also Ex-Plants.
Bun shaped. 'Compacta' was planted in 2005, but voles ate the roots in 2010 and all of them were destroyed. In 2012 I replanted with three 'Just Dandy' varieties. They are still tiny buns.
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| 'Just Dandy' from Weston Nurseries |
In 2013 there is not much to show for the three 'Jim Dandy' plants. They are there, but are insignificant and are overwhelmed most of the summer by everything else now planted in this strip.
Even in earliest spring, you can barely see them in this busy mix, tiny buns next to the rounded heath and among the colorful sedum.
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| 4/10/13 |
In 2014 there was not much to see of the three 'Jim Dandy' buns. They disappeared into the sedum ground cover and other plants along the walk, and did not seem to grow at all, although they are healthy. They never put on the fullness and size of the original 'Compacta' dwarf cypresses.
I took out two and put them in shallow containers and will figure out what to do with them next year.
In January 2015 an injured deer that has been staying unnaturally close to the house ate the remaining 'Jim Dandy' dwarf cypress. That hasn't happened before -- the little plants were not touched because they were so close to the house.
But this terribly injured deer is acting oddly, and it did nibble the little shrub down to nubs. It also got one of the 'Jim Dandy' plants I had potted but left outside.
2015 may be the end of trying to grow these.
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Here are the original 'Compacta' plants that had to be taken out in 2012:
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| 'Compacta' 4/22/09, but voles got them the next year. The tulips too. I loved the look of this strip with the contrasting shapes and textures. |
They were actually kind of nice, fluffy and loose but compact and round. They stayed a good green in winter. Deer have not bothered them, although they go after every other kind of false cypress. I had another false cypress, a small fernspray, planted nearby but the deer got that immediately. These they left alone.
The whole effect, with the little green buns tucked in among the bulbs along the front walk:
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| 'Compacta' 5/20/2010 |
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| the original 'Compacta' buns 3/29/2006 |
Propagation:
Semi-ripewood cuttings, overwinter in coldframe.
