Dwarf trees ideal along fences

Q: I have a narrow, sunny planting bed along a back fence where I have the idea for columnar apple trees. How big do they get? Can you recommend the kinds that don't need to be sprayed and will have a good crop of apples?

A: Columnar apple trees, which are genetically dwarf and bear apples on a single pole-like trunk, sound ideal to plant along your back fence as they take up very little space. These are weird looking trees because the apples grow on short spurs right along the trunk. Although the trees themselves are slight in height and width, the apples are full sized and delicious.

Edible-gardening expert Rose Marie Nichols McGee of Nichols Garden Nursery in Albany, Ore., recommends several kinds of columnar apples bred for disease-resistance and high-quality fruit.

'Golden Sentinel' has large yellow apples that are crisp and juicy. 'Scarlet Sentinel' is a smaller tree with red and yellow fruit with a sweet flavor. Both trees bear fruit the year after you plant them and stay small enough to grow in a pot on the patio.

'North Pole' has dark red Macintosh-type apples that ripen earlier than the Sentinels, but the tree is slightly more prone to apple scab. Columnar apples should be widely available in nurseries; I just saw all three of these kinds last week at Bayview Nursery on Whidbey Island.

An extra bonus is that columnar apples don't need pruning. If they grower taller than you like, just lop off their heads (back to half their height), and they'll soon bear fruit again.

Q: You recently answered a question about planting a pink garden for a breast-cancer survivor. My neighbor wants to do an all-yellow memorial garden in support of our troops. We don't have a very large space (8-foot-diameter circle) but good sun and drainage. What can you suggest?

A: How lovely to plant gardens for memorials, celebrations and in honor of others. I can't think of a better tribute and sign of hope than a living, growing garden.

I'd begin by purchasing a large urn to center the garden, in a color like cobalt blue, rust or matte black to contrast with the yellow tones. Then plant a large shrub with yellow foliage in the urn, so you'll have a focal point over a long season.

A golden smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria 'Golden Spirit') would be a good choice, surrounded by blue-flowering catmint or Russian sage to show off its spectacular yellow leaves. If you want an evergreen centerpiece, a yellow-trimmed New Zealand flax, such as Phormium 'Yellow Wave,' would be striking in the urn.

Fill in around the central urn with yellow-foliaged small shrubs such as Lonicera nitida 'Bagessens Gold,' Spirea 'Golden Elf,' and golden barberries such as Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea' or 'Bonanza Gold.'

For year-round structure, mix in a few shrubs with distinct shapes such as Juniperus communis 'Gold Cone' or any yellow-tipped dwarf conifer.

Every garden needs a place for contemplation, and in such a small space your seating should do double-duty. A little bench or seat backed with a simple but sturdy arbor would provide height and shade as well as support for a climbing rose such as 'Golden Showers' that blooms all summer and is highly fragrant.

Tufts of the ornamental grass Carex elata 'Bowles Golden' will warm up the garden in springtime, and yellow-flowering perennials such as Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa), lupines, evening primrose, yarrow, rudbeckias and the chartreuse blooms of euphorbia will continue the yellow-bloom through the season.

Be sure to plant some yellow lilies for summer fragrance and a few towering yellow sunflowers for fun. All of these flowers will thrive in the sunny conditions you describe.

And you might want to mix in a few dark notes, such as a purple barberry, smoke bushor several Heuchera 'Chocolate Ruffles' as counterpoint to all the yellow tones.

In a larger space I'd suggest a dark green hedge such as yew to set off the various shades of yellow, but with such limited room, a forest-green or charcoal-colored fence would be better to surround the garden. And be sure and add stepping stones or pathways so you can get in there to groom and enjoy the garden.

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.