Q: I am intrigued by the Acer pseudoplatanus 'Puget Pink.' The foliage comes on shrimp pink, turns to golden peach and then green as summer progresses. It sounds so unique. Can you tell me what color it is in the fall? So many of the maples also have great fall color. I am choosing a maple for our front yard.
A: This unusual maple, with a name that brings to mind a duck-billed platypus rather than an elegant little tree, has flashier color in spring than in autumn. While it doesn't put on much of a fall show, its tidy stature makes it an ideal tree for urban landscapes, topping out at only 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide.
Q: We recently completed a complete exterior remodel of our home — siding, roof, windows. The house is gorgeous, but our side garden is now a muddy, trampled mess, as the workmen were busiest during the 20-plus days of rain Seattle endured in January. We now call our yard "Beirut," but so many plants are in disarray, it also could be called, "bare-root."
If we had had a lawn there, perhaps the damage would have been minimal. But we avoided grass and instead opted for moss and other low-lying groundcovers in a Japanese mode. The area is mostly shaded with an eastern exposure, but hemmed in by the house, the garage and a tall fence. We'd like to get our groundcovers restored as quickly as possible.
Is there any way to hasten the recovery of the ground cover and mossy plantings? Anything special we can do to ensure the speediest possible regrowth?
A: First of all, don't walk on the area until it has thoroughly dried out. It needs time to recover from the workmen's boots. Unfortunately, in Seattle our gardens often don't dry out until late spring.
An obvious answer would be to speed up the drying process by laying some new drainage pipe, or trenching, but that depends somewhat on space and topography. Certainly you'll need to add a layer of rich new soil this spring to encourage your mosses and groundcovers to grow back.
It wouldn't hurt to seek professional advice on drainage and getting the garden off to a good start this spring. If this idea appeals, ask friends to recommend landscapers they've enjoyed working with, or call the PlantAmnesty gardener referral service at 206-783-9813 for expert help in matching up your need with the skills of an experienced landscaper.
Valerie Easton also writes about Plant Life in Sunday's Pacific Northwest Magazine. Write to her at P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111 or e-mail planttalk@seattletimes.com with your questions. Sorry, no personal replies.
