Newspaper Page Text
Page 8B
The Braselton News
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Get the jump on junipers with early planting
Neurology Physician Group opens in Gainesville
If you’re the impatient sort
who just can’t wait for spring
to start that new landscape
enhancement project, you can’t
go wrong by planting junipers
early.
No matter how cold, warm,
wet, or dry fluctuating weather
conditions may be, many mem
bers of this large family of
coniferous evergreens thrive where
countless other shrubs fail.
Although fall is considered the
most popular time to introduce
new junipers, and the season when
nursery stock is almost as prolific
as it is in spring, there’s absolutely
no reason to wait for short-sleeve
weather to plant these. And winter
is probably the best time to install
balled and burlaped field grown
specimens, while it’s safe to plant
containerized junipers year-round.
To the amateur horticulturist,
the general appearance of most
cultivated junipers suggest that
these shrubs are happiest in more
northerly climates, at least fifty
to seventy species are widely
planted throughout the temperate
zone, and well into the subtropics.
Consequently, you’ll see just as
many used in landscaping at Walt
Disney World as you’ll find on the
coast of Maine.
But whether covered in snow or
used as a skirt around the bases of
palm tree trunks, they are decid
edly sun lovers. Plant them in
dense shade, and they’ll generally
look kind of anorexic.
Yet, where soil conditions are
involved, junipers will tolerate just
about anything from beach sand to
hard red clay. They’re more likely
to prosper, however, when planted
in a well-drained mix of sand, clay,
and organic humus.
And under no circumstances
should they ever be planted deeper
than the vertical length of their
root balls or sited in areas which
remain constantly soggy.
GROWTH HABITS VARY
The growth habits of junipers
vary considerably and, conse
quently, it’s impossible to stereo
type them as foundation shrubs,
groundcovers, or small trees. There
are species and cultivars that fit
any one of these categories. It is
wise, however, to learn the growth
habits of each to avoid their mis
placement in the home landscape.
Many old Pfitzer and Hetzii juni
pers, for example, are frequently
placed too close together and too
near masonry walls to maintain
their characteristically open fern-
like shape. When this occurs,
home owners often respond by
And where a contrasting blue
color is preferred in our par
ticular climate zone, either the
Blue Pacific cultivar of Shore
Juniper (J. conferta) and Blue
Rug Juniper (J. horizonta-
lis ‘Wiltonii’ ). Both Shore and
Blue Pacific are ideally suited
for steep slopes and for cascad
ing over retaining walls.
Blue Rug, on the other hand,
grows very close to the ground,
and retains its intense azure col
oring only in warm weather. In
winter, this one assumes a more
purplish tint which many garden
ers find just as attractive as blue.
BENEFITS OF MULCHING
These and other ground-hugging
junipers will benefit from a shal
low mulch of either pine straw or
pine bark, at least until the individ
ual plants grow together as a solid
mat. When this occurs and mulch
is no longer essential to hold mois
ture and deter weed growth, other
steps may become necessary to
prevent occasional infestations of
grasses and vines from spoiling
the view.
Honeysuckle, briars, blackber
ries, and other weedy plants may
have to be initially removed by
hand. But annual grasses and
annual broadleaf invaders can
be easily controlled with selec
tive herbicides and pre-emergence
products such as Preen.
PEST RESISTANT
Well-fed junipers with good
air circulation generally remain
healthy and, for the most part, stay
free of insect pests. But occasional
ly, infestations of spider mites can
become a problem, and may cause
rapid needle drop if not immedi
ately sprayed. A good water-solu-
able systemic is preferable once
infestations have occurred, though
some of the granular systemics are
effective in controlling harmful
insects before infestations reach
epidemic proportions.
Aside from these infrequent
problems, junipers are among
the most trouble-free shrubs and
should be used more imaginatively
to add low-maintenance interest to
residential landscapes. They also
have a long shelf-life at area nurs
eries and garden centers, and this
makes their relative cost as appeal
ing as their beauty.
Fil Jessee lives in Braselton,
where he works as a freelance jour
nalist. He is a Georgia Certified
Plant Professional with experience
in ornamental horticulture and
landscape design. Reader ques
tions relating to gardening can be
sent to Fil at filwrites@aol.com.
Gardener’s
Grapevine
with
Fil Jessee
filwrites@aol.com
shearing the shrubs like boxwoods,
thereby ruining their natural form
and texture.
These taller growing varieties
of the Chinese juniper (J. chin-
ensis ‘Pfitzeriana’ and ‘Hetzii’),
however, make excellent privacy
screens and dramatic accents. And
a few newer cultivars of these are
smaller and better suited for foun
dation and framing use.
Among the showiest Chinese
juniper cultivars is the Hollywood
juniper ( J. chinensis ‘Tortulosa’ ).
Published horticulturist Michael
Dirr said “this form is appro
priately named for it belongs in
California.” But I disagree.
In my opinion, the Hollywood
juniper is great for framing the
corners of taller homes, and pres
ents a delightful diversion from
the straight up-and-down form of
arborvitae and similarly ridged
evergreens. The loose and billowy,
slightly twisted branches of this
shrub greatly soften sharp archi
tectural lines, and provide excel
lent deep green contrast to the
winter brown of Bermuda lawns.
For mass plantings taller than a
typical ground cover but shorter
than what most of us consider foun
dation shrub height, the Parson’s
Juniper (J. chinensis ‘Parsoni’) is a
great choice. Easy to identify by its
dark green mixture of both dense
mature and more open awl-shaped
juvenile foliage, it is among the
toughest of all junipers.
With age, this cultivar will attain
a height of about two feet, and
a spread of eight feet or more.
Its branches are held horizon
tally upright, rarely touching the
ground. This habit of growth makes
Parson’s Juniper perfect for level
and gently sloping areas which
receive the harshest winter winds
and summer heat.
CHOICE OF COLOR
Although some homeowners
favor a variegated sport of this
cultivar to break the monotony of
unbroken green, I think its ran
dom patches of creamy white look
unhealthy, like a symptom of chlo
rosis or bleaching from too much
sun. Where variegation is desir
able, I prefer other junipers which
display a yellow color break in a
more even and consistent manner.
C & D LANDFILL
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Northeast Georgia Health
System has announced the open
ing of the Neurology Physician
Group in Gainesville.
Neurologist Jonathan Kerrick,
MD, is opening the practice
and will begin seeing patients
Monday, Jan. 14. The practice
will offer treatment for a wide
range of neurological conditions,
such as migraines, epilepsy, mul
tiple sclerosis, stroke, dementia,
Parkinson’s Disease, and others.
Dr. Kerrick will also offer Botox
injection treatment for migraines
and perform EEG and EMG test
ing at Northeast Georgia Medical
Center.
Dr. Kerrick has practiced neu
rology in Gainesville for three
years, most recently as an inpatient
neurologist at Northeast Georgia
Medical Center. Dr. Kerrick
received his medical degree from
the Medical College of Georgia.
He completed both his intern
ship in internal medicine and
residency in neurology at Wake
Forest University Baptist Medical
Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.
He has completed specialty train
ing in EMG, epilepsy and sleep
medicine. Dr. Kerrick is a mem
ber of the American Academy of
Neurology.
The Neurology Physician
Group will schedule appointments
between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Mondays through Fridays.
The office is located at 592A
DR. KERRICK
Medical Park Drive NE in
Gainesville, behind Northeast
Georgia Medical Center’s Lanier
Park Campus. For an appointment,
call 770-536-7721.
Volunteer group donates equipment to BJC
VOLUNTEERS AT BJC
Pictured left to right are: (front row) Jerry Archer, auxiliary trea
surer, (back row) Tom Durham, Wellness Center director, and Edna
Hix, auxiliary president.
Thanks to the generosity of the
BJC Medical Center Auxiliary, the
BJC Wellness Center now has three
new exercise equipment options to
offer clients.
Operated strictly by volunteer
workers, the BJCMC Auxiliary
members donate countless hours
assisting BJCMC in various ways.
Their fund-raising efforts of the
Wishing Well Gift Shop, as well
as hosting a range of other fund
raising sales and activities, have
been used to purchase state-of-the-
art hospital equipment, enhance
patient care and support other
employee activities.
This year’s Christmas Sale
allowed the auxiliary to donate
three new pieces of additional
exercise equipment to the BJCMC
Wellness Center located at 615
Hospital Road. The president of
the auxiliary, Edna Hix, recently
presented a $2,000 check to Tom
Durham, director of the Wellness
Center, for the purchase of a Life
Fitness recumbent bike, incline
bench press and a lower abdominal
stand.
“We give our time and effort to
help raise money for BJC Medical
Center and Nursing Home projects
for which other sources of funding
are not available,” said Edna Hix,
auxiliary president.
“The auxiliary plays a critical role
and the volunteers are all an impor
tant part of the BJCMC Team,” said
Hospital CEO, Jim Yarborough.
“In addition to providing volunteer
services and fund-raising, they help
unite the hospital with the commu
nity. We are very fortunate to have
the selfless support of these truly
dedicated volunteers.”
To join the BJCMC Auxiliary
Volunteers, contact Edna Hix at
706-335-1199 or visit online at
www.bjcmc.org/auxlink5.html.