SunnyGardens.com - Online gardening community featuring a searchable plant encyclopedia, glossary of botanical terms, and recipe database.http://www.sunnygardens.comen-USSunnyGardens.comCopyright 1999-2008Fri, 09 May 2008 0:06:48 MSThttp://www.sunnygardens.com/garden_plants/ligustrum/ligustrum_2391.phpCommon Privet. Many of the vigorous, fast-growing, evergreen or deciduous shrubs in this group are practically synonymous with the word "hedge". All can be clipped, pruned, and groomed into formal shapes or screens. Unclipped, they bloom in clusters of fragrant, creamy white flowers, which attract bees. Birds like the blue or black berries that follow the flowers. All parts of the plant are poisonous to human beings, so keep small children away from them. Be sure of what you are buying, as many varieties look alike. Ligustrum ovalifolium (California Privet, called Common Privet in Great Britain), which tolerates some heat, and Ligustrum vulgare (Common Privet), which has lighter green leaves and tolerates dry soil, are often confused. They grow in almost any soil and in many climates, but most need lots of water. In the North, grow the cold-hardy Ligustrum amurense. In the South, plant the evergreen Ligustrum delavayanum. Most are pest- and disease-free. Fri, 09 May 2008 0:06:48 MSThttp://www.sunnygardens.com/garden_plants/ligustrum/ligustrum_2391.phphttp://www.sunnygardens.com/garden_plants/thuja/thuja_0156.phpBlue Cone Arborvitae. Tough foundation plants, windbreaks, headges and screens, these cone-bearing evergreens thrive in wet soil and full sun. Use the dwarf types in rock gardens. Their flat needle-like leaves are fragrant. Protect from winter sun and cold winter winds in northern climates. Prone to snow and ice damage. Prune to control size and shape and to remove damaged or diseased branches. Do not prune beyond green growth, as you may leave a permanent hole in the foliage. Watch for spider mites in dry climates. Fri, 09 May 2008 0:06:48 MSThttp://www.sunnygardens.com/garden_plants/thuja/thuja_0156.phphttp://www.sunnygardens.com/garden_plants/castanea/castanea_0624.phpChinese Chestnut. This massive deciduous shade tree has dark to bright green foliage, and clusters of creamy white foliage in summer. In autumn, chestnuts ripen in spiny brown husks, just in time for roasting on cold nights. The species Castanea dentata has died out due to a blight, so plant other types of Chestnut. Mostly drought-tolerant, though they prefer occasional deep watering and fertilizer. Fri, 09 May 2008 0:06:48 MSThttp://www.sunnygardens.com/garden_plants/castanea/castanea_0624.php