Nice plants Igor.... is that green Aucuba a revert? Your Fatsia Japonica looks happy, have you tried Polycarpa... it is supposedly hardier than Japonica?

Please find a few pictures of the BLE I have being growing for a while in my garden.

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Wow. Fatsia as well?
How do you protect the larger ones?
Plastic? Mulch? Roots only? Or the whole plant?
Have you thought about Edith Bogue Magnolia?

Have any of you tried Aucuba japonica borealis? I always thought it was worth a try in zone 5, but haven't seen it tried!

Wow. Fatsia as well? How do you protect the larger ones? Plastic? Mulch? Roots only? Or the whole plant? Have you thought about Edith Bogue Magnolia?

I protect the whole plants digging the roots from one side and laying them down as low as it possible. Than I put a good layer of a wheat straw and plastic above.
I have one specimen of an unknown variety of Magnolia grandiflora which will be overwintering it's first winter in my garden. Protection is the same - a wheat straw and plastic.

Have any of you tried Aucuba japonica borealis? I always thought it was worth a try in zone 5, but haven't seen it tried!

I've never heard about this subspecies of Aucuba japonica. Most likely our British buddies have a chance to try this plant...

Nice plants Igor.... is that green Aucuba a revert? Your Fatsia Japonica looks happy, have you tried Polycarpa... it is supposedly hardier than Japonica?

Hi Andy, I tried to find what kind of Aucuba with a dark green foliage I have but failed. The only thing I've learned it is a mail plant 'cos once my the spotted one and the green one were blooming a few fruits had been appeared first time at the spotted plant.
As for Fatsia polycarpa... You know Kazakhstan will be a last country before Mongolia where this plant would be imported in. Most of the plants I have been growing in my garden were bought or were collected outside of Kazakhstan... Unfortunately it's true.

Have any of you tried Aucuba japonica borealis? I always thought it was worth a try in zone 5, but haven't seen it tried!

There are plenty of evergreen Baltic Ivy - Hedera Helix var Baltica climbing up to 6-7m high in Riga in even further East.
Riga is interesting because isotherm -5 is crossing Riga.
I know one place in Western Riga where Baltic Ivy grows in a forest naturally.
I can send you some to Canda.
The most important thing for them is very fertile soil at least 0.5m deep 1m2 wide and a shade from spirng sun and dry winds.
Once roots get established very deeply beyond the point of winter freezing, it will start climbing up.

Another supersuccess over time can be Euonymous.
Same rules apply.

The third one a total success in Riga is Pachysandra, as a ground cover.
Ten years ago, we had very few pulblic places with Pachysandra plantations.

Now it is now all over the place.

These 3 + Rhodies give 100% tropical feel at winter, because it's green everywhere,
I'm at work now. When I get back home, I'll post a picture, so you get the idea.

About 500m from my apartment there is this evergreen. I have no idea what it is.
But I want one, because it's been there for years.

Then in Riga LU botanical garden we have this evergreen oasis made up from
4 species - Euonymous 5-6 high climber, Baltic Ivy around 2m high,
pachysandra and Rhodies.

Then I want to get Ephhedras (evergreen)

Then I found in Western Riga Euonymous around 3m high.
Just to prove that in zone 5 it's a stable climber if given shade and protection from winds.

And this one is from Riga zoo - they have bamboos for many years.
Mulching is around 30cm deep. Checked with my hands. Stable dwarf evergreen.
Would someone be kind enough to tell me what species is it?

Cool! I'd say that the bamboo is probably dwarf whitestripe bamboo, Pleioblastus fortunei, which is a solid zone 5 type plant!

Very cool to see a similar zone on a different continent.

Cool! I'd say that the bamboo is probably dwarf whitestripe bamboo, Pleioblastus fortunei, which is a solid zone 5 type plant!

Very cool to see a similar zone on a different continent.

I know, that's why I'm closely following your posts.

Kalmia Latifolia was one super hardy evergreen I never came across before.
I still have to find and buy Kalmia Latifolia and two kinds of evergreen Viburnums.
I can't find it anywhere in Europe in a pot. I can only order seeds from USA.

Will see.

Hey, I believe that low hedge is ligustrum vulgare, pretty tough and robust plant to create thick hedges. Needs constant pruning to maintain its thickness and shape 🙂

Hey, I believe that low hedge is ligustrum vulgare, pretty tough and robust plant to create thick hedges. Needs constant pruning to maintain its thickness and shape 🙂

Thx, indeed it must be ligustrum.
It is semi evergreen in Riga