Conifers deserve a place in every yard.

Byline: Gardening by Sarah Robertson For The Register-Guard

AN ABUNDANCE of exciting conifer cultivars is currently flooding the retail nursery scene, allowing gardeners to blend their desire for dramatic year-round color and unique texture with relatively easy maintenance.

This marvelous family of plants has been largely ignored by contemporary gardeners, many of whom are still recovering from nasty childhood memories of parking strips and hillsides covered with prickly, wasp-infested junipers.

Breeders and nurserymen have been hard at work in recent years to vanquish that stereotype and spread the word about the many glorious members of the conifer family.

From the giant sequoia to the dwarf arborvitaes, the range of conifer form and size is vast. Their peerless foliage, occasional berries and often dramatic cones offer something for every season.

Whether combined with shrubs, mixed with perennials and bulbs or used as solo accents, conifers deserve a place in every garden.

Last week's column focused on ways to place conifers in both new and mature gardens. Today, I'll talk about pruning and highlight a few of the many terrific cultivars now available.

Pruning

Until I read British plantsman Adrian Bloom's new book, `Gardening with Conifers,' (2002, Firefly Books, $39.95 hardback; $24.95 paper) my thoughts on pruning conifers were muddled at best.

But Bloom admits that his views, too, have changed quite a bit since he first started creating his glorious, six-acre garden in Norfolk some 35 years ago.

Then, he felt it was wrong to prune conifers because it would spoil their natural shape.

Now, he knows better. Bloom learned that not all conifers improve with age. Many become open, unbalanced or just too darn big. Bloom found that almost every conifer eventually requires pruning to direct either shape or size.

Those of us with smaller gardens need to be especially vigilant about keeping up on pruning, starting immediately when plants are still young. Even larger-growing conifers can be kept to a reasonable size when pruned every year or two, Bloom says. And his book has the photos to prove it!

But space constraints happen in large gardens as well. Sharpen those shears! Don't delay this vital aspect of conifer care. And don't feel guilty - your plants will look much better with thoughtful pruning.

The key to success is keeping to a schedule. You never want to feel forced to remove too much at one time. Don't cut back to bare wood, unless you're doing so on purpose to expose a beautifully gnarled trunk or branch.

Conifers that grow in a Christmas-tree shape are best pruned in early summer by cutting back lanky spring top growth to accentuate the tree's natural shape. Side branches can be cut back as well.

Those with a more columnar habit are best trimmed all over every two or three years in either spring or midsummer. Bloom believes this method reduces the width and increases overall density. Since these type of conifers are notorious for developing gaping holes from wet snow or winter winds, encouraging tight growth can reduce the likelihood of this problem.

Some conifers simply look much better when pruned. Sequoia sempervirens `Adpressa,' (a variegated form of the coast redwood) becomes a rather scruffy medium-to-large tree when left to its own devices. Pruned annually in late winter, however, and it's transformed into a densely foliaged mound of bright creamy-white in spring, with the variegation remaining bright all summer.

Spreading conifers, such as the ubiquitous semi-prostrate junipers often found on hillsides, need pruning from a young age. The goal is to keep the plant's natural layered habit. Go ahead and remove the most vigorous branches, always taking care not to expose bare wood. If it's spreading too wide, carefully remove entire branches - don't simply whack them off midstream.

Mounding forms can develop strong leaders that require removal if you want to maintain a rounded form. To keep the conifer in check, prune side and top shoots in early spring. Always remember not to prune into old growth.

The candlelike new growth evident on pine species each spring can be removed to restrict the plant's size. If done while the growth is still soft, new buds will still form for next spring's growth.

With mature conifers, there comes a time when space constraints force a decision about a plant's ultimate future. Is it too large or can some of the branches be thinned and/or removed so that the conifer can remain in place? Get the opinion of an arborist or horticulturist if you're uncertain.

A sampling of conifers

The following selections, courtesy of `Gardening with Conifers,' focus on dwarf or slow-growing cultivars. Look for them at your favorite local nursery. If you don't see what you desire, ask - many nurseries are happy to make a search for a particular species.

Abies concolor `Compacta': An excellent slow-growing conifer with somewhat stiff, irregular branches clothed in widely spaced needles.

Height: 3 feet in 10 years. Ultimate height: 10 to 16 feet.

Calocedrus decurrens `Berrima Gold': This incense cedar is a recent introduction from Australia.

Pale yellow-gold in summer, it's a deep gold in winter with almost orange shoots lighting up the garden; best color in full sun or light shade. Light pruning of side branches will help it to form a broad column.

Height: 5 to 8 feet in 10 years. Ultimate height: 33 to 50 feet, shorter if pruned regularly.

Cedrus deodara `Feelin' Blue': An outstanding selection of the Deodar cedar made in Boskoop, Holland, in 1987.

A hardy, spreading prostrate plant with densely furnished blue-gray needles, its branches are pendulous at the tips. Ideal for any garden, it's attractive on a mound, over a rock or hanging down a wall. It doesn't seem to make a leading shoot.

Height: 12 to 18 inches in 10 years. Ultimate height: 4 to 5 feet. Width: 3 to 4 feet in 10 years. Ultimate width: 13 to 23 feet.

Cryptomeria japonica `Tansu': This attractive dwarf slowly forms a broad pyramid of mid-green, its ropelike branchlets clothed with needles that twist spirally around the stem. The nodding shoots turn an attractive bronze in winter. Mature plants have attractive red, peeling bark.

Height: 2 feet in 10 years. Ultimate height: 4 to 5 feet.

Juniperus squamata `Blue Star': Arguably the best dwarf conifer ever, this marvelous conifer was introduced from Holland back in 1964. Blue-green needles are accentuated by a silvery-blue sheen.

The fluffy look of this spreading groundcover makes it an excellent foil for broadleaf evergreens, grasses, herbs and many perennials. Needs sun and good drainage.

Height: 12 to 18 inches in 10 years. Ultimate height: 30 inches. Width: 2 feet in 10 years. Ultimate width: 5 feet.

A similar cultivar called `Holger' offers a brilliant display of butter-yellow shoots in late spring, gradually becoming sulphur-yellow over the entire plant before toning down in late summer. Best in a very sunny site.

Pinus longaeva `Sherwood Compact': An extremely attractive, slow-growing pine, introduced by Andy Sherwood of Gresham.

It forms a dense pyramid of blue-green foliage, with clusters of needles pointing forward, hiding the stems and buds until new growth appears in late spring.

Height: 2 feet in 10 years. Ultimate height: 16 to 23 feet.

Tsuga canadensis `Cole's Prostrate': A popular and useful dwarf conifer, this hemlock is suitable for the smallest gardens.

It's best in shade and, because of its prostrate habit, can grow over a wall or even tumble down a slope. It can even be trained up a support when young, allowing subsequent branches to form a column of cascading foliage. Feathery, even growth is very attractive.

Height: 4 to 6 inches in 10 years. Ultimate height: 1 foot. Width: 2 feet in 10 years. Ultimate width: 5 to 8 feet.

Sarah Robertson of Eugene writes a weekly gardening column for The Register-Guard.