How to Use Arborvitae in a Cottage Garden

Create a luxurious backdrop for a bed of traditional cottage garden perennials. The dense, green foliage of three or more arborvitae planted closely in a row provides bold contrast for tall, blue delphiniums (Delphinium spp.) and flamboyant Oriental poppies (Papaver orientale), both hardy in in USDA zones 2 to 7, old-fashioned bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis), hardy in USDA zones 2 through 9, and other flowering plants that return to bloom year after year.

Clip an arborvitae into a spiral topiary for a whimsical focal point in a bed of bushy herbs and boisterous annuals. Wind masking tape around the arborvitae to define the spiral you will create. Hold the tape in place with clips as a guide while you snip away a swath of foliage using hand-held pruners, starting at the bottom of the plant and working upward. Alternatively, plant an already-shaped arborvitae directly in the ground or in a large pottery container. Trim the arborvitae twice each year to maintain its sculpted appearance.

Frame the garden gate with a tall, slender arborvitae planted on each side of the gate. The cultivar called American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis “Smaragd”), hardy in USDA zones 2 to 7 and tolerant of air pollution and clay soil, grows just 3 to 4 feet wide and up to 14 feet high, making it ideal for a cottage garden on a small urban lot. On a larger property, dark American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis “Nigra”), which is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8 and reaches a mature height of 20 to 25 feet with a spread of 5 to 7 feet, can flank the gate or an entry to a garden path.

Brighten the view of the cottage garden in winter – when the annuals are gone and the perennials have been cut back – with the yellow glow of “Golden Globe” arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis “Golden Globe”), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8. “Golden Globe” matures to 4 feet high and wide, making it a complementary companion for medium- and low-growing flowering plants in the summer garden, too.

Separate your cottage garden from neighboring properties or from a street with a low hedge of dwarf arborvitae that won't completely block the view but will establish a graceful barrier between your property and the rest of the world. “Rheingold” arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis "Rheingold"), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, reaches just 3 to 5 feet tall at maturity and can be pruned to keep it shorter. In late autumn, it's gold-toned foliage takes on shades of copper that last through winter. “Hetz Midget” arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis “Hetz Midget”) matures to be a 3- to 4-foot tall and wide, globe-shaped shrub. It is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 7.