Favorites in a Japanese Garden

Viewed from the road on a mountainside in Mars Hill, North Carolina, Jack Jarvis's four-acre garden looks like a giant painting. Set in a valley on 80 rolling acres where Jarvis's ancestors farmed for more than a century, the Japanese-style garden is mostly made up of shrubs and trees chosen for their colorful foliage.

Jarvis, a farmer turned full-time landscaper, set his own garden in a former cornfield, where he carved out a waterfall and made five ponds which hold koi, lotus, iris and water lilies. Paths meander past a pagoda made from recycled American chestnut and through large swaths of shrubs and trees (mainly conifers, barberries and Japanese maples in gorgeous hues of burgundy, lime green and blue). In the center of the garden is a large bonsai collection, which contains a specimen believed to be 500 years old.

Jarvis doesn't use chemicals and has made his garden a sanctuary for wildlife. Every June he welcomes visitors to view the thousands of lotus blooms in his ponds. On most Saturdays, he can be found working in this very unusual and stunningly beautiful garden.

Flowers like Johnny-jump-up (Viola tricolor), Japanese iris (Iris ensata) and pink evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa) grow in large sweeps in Jarvis's garden. But the best color comes from the foliage of trees and shrubs, which create a tapestry effect in the pastoral setting. Some of his favorites:

The plant: Native to Japan and introduced to the U.S. in 1861, the Hinoki falsecypress is a broadly pyramidal evergreen conifer which grows to 50-plus feet with a 10- to 20- foot spread. Hinoki falsecypresses typically have dark green needles on graceful, fan-shaped spreading branches, but the selection in Jack's garden is one of many golden forms, the best known being 'Aurea'. The bark of 'Gold Plume' resembles that of the species, with a reddish brown layer that sheds in long strips. The new growth is golden yellow and holds its color through the season. Hinoki falsecypress is hardy from USDA Zones 4 to 8. Many dwarf cultivars exist in addition to several yellow forms.
How to use it: This is an excellent evergreen for a large landscape. Jarvis has limbed 'Gold Plume' up to show off the beautiful exfoliating bark. He also has several specimens of Hinoki falsecypress in his bonsai collection.
Cultivation: Grow in a sunny location in moist, well-drained neutral to acid soils. Some protection from wind is advisable.
Source: PorterHowse Farms

The plant: Colorado spruce is a widely grown tree and a U. S. native, occurring in the wild in the Rocky Mountains from Colorado to Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. The species, which can reach heights of 30 to 50 feet, is a dense, broad pyramid with horizontal, stiff branches. The color of the needles ranges from gray-green to blue-green. Numerous cultivars exist, including dwarf and weeping forms. 'Globosa', also sold as 'Glauca Globosa', is likely 'R. H. Montgomery', a broad blue dwarf form which may take on a more conical shape as it matures. Colorado spruce is hardy from USDA Zones 2 to 7.
How to use it: The powdery blue forms of Colorado spruce are beautiful planted next to shrubs and trees with golden foliage. Jarvis has planted 'Globosa' with golden barberry (Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea'); the combination is knockout. The blue needles of the Colorado spruce look good against a dark green backdrop and with burgundy foliage as well.
Cultivation: Grow in rich, moist well-drained soil in full sun.
Source: Coenosium Gardens

The plant: This deciduous shrub produces foliage with green, pink and creamy-white variegation. The delicate catkins that appear in spring are followed by bright pink shoots which open to mottled leaves. In winter the bare stems are reddish. 'Hakuro-nishiki' is sometimes grafted onto a single stem to form a standard (tree form). Most often, the cultivar is sold as a shrub. The solid green Salix integra is native to Japan and is a shrub with pendulous shoots. 'Hakuro-nishiki' should reach a height of five feet with a spread of four feet and is hardy to USDA Zone 5. In Jarvis' garden, this lovely willow has grown into a huge plant, at least twice or three times as large as advertised.
How to use it: Plant as a specimen (by itself) or in a shrub border. A dark evergreen backdrop would show off the winter color and the bright foliage of late spring. Jarvis has planted 'Hakuro-nishiki' on the bank of his lotus pond.
Cultivation: Site in full sun. Cut back in early spring to encourage good foliage color.
Source: Joy Creek Nursery

The plant: In the wild, Spiraea japonica is a variable shrub, but most often has flat, rosy-pink inflorescences that can measure up to twelve inches in diameter. 'Magic Carpet' is a patented selection that is distinguished by its light green foliage tipped in red. The deciduous shrub measures only about 18 to 24 inches in height with a similar spread. In spring, deep pink-purple flowers cover the plant for several weeks. In autumn, the leaves turn to russet tones. Spiraea japonica is native to Japan, Korea and China. 'Magic Carpet' is hardy from USDA Zones 4 to 9.
How to use it: This is an excellent ground cover for sunny spaces. The flowers are colorful, but it's the foliage that really counts with this spirea. Although it's a deciduous shrub, 'Magic Carpet' affords a long season of interest, especially in milder climates.
Cultivation: Grow in full sun in a wide range of soils. This is a pretty tough plant and will grow on slopes.
Source: Sold in garden centers that carry plants distributed by Monrovia Growers.

The plant: The dissectum group of Japanese maples offers deeply cut, lacy foliage that has a delicate appearance. The trees have a pendulous growth habit and are usually as wide as they are high, forming a dome shape. In spring the new shoots of 'Ever Red' are covered with fine, silvery hairs. The young foliage then takes on a deep, purple-red color that persists well into summer when it changes to bronzy green. In fall, the leaves become bright red. 'Ever Red' has a cascading form and will grow slowly to 10 feet or so in the landscape (smaller in a container). Hardy from USDA Zones 5 to 8.
How to use it: This is a very refined plant and is lovely mixed with other shrubs or as a specimen. The fall foliage is particularly beautiful next to dark evergreens. In milder climates 'Ever Red' can be grown in a large container.
Cultivation: Dissectum forms of Japanese maples are sensitive to hot afternoon sun, especially in warmer areas. Plant in dappled shade or filtered sun in moist, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. Protect from strong winds. Be sure to provide even moisture during dry spells.
Source: Mountain Maples

—Martha Tate is co-executive producer of Gardener's Diary.