In mid November, the garden has crashed following a twenty-four degree night. Blooms of autumn flowering azaleas have turned to mush, and leaves that remained on hydrangeas and paperbushes (below, and other shrubs) have faded or fallen. Overnight, even though this was not the season’s first frost or freeze. As expected, flowers of camellias (above)…
Coloring of leaves of the ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple is richest when leaves have newly emerged, and then in the last days before leaves drop to carpet the front walk (below). Today, as the deep red has begun to dry and darken, a fierce autumn breeze has swept the bluestone path clear. My wife stops in…
Two weeks ago my wife mentioned that there was little color on the Fernleaf Japanese maple (Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’, below). A small section turned, but colors were not vivid, and larger areas had leaves turning brown rather than mottled reds and yellows. I advised patience, of course mine is well documented, but I know that…
Admittedly, my observational skills can be limited. If there’s a bloom or otherwise notable attribute, I won’t miss it. But, handfuls of camellias that now rise to ten feet in height were hardly noticed when flowers were scarce. Mostly, they were just big, green shrubs, backdrops to more colorful treasures. And then, a year ago…
In this thirty-one year old garden, plants come and go. Most losses were minor presences, not well suited from the start, but occasionally a more prominent focal point is lost. A year ago, a long established, but slowly declining Alaskan cedar was lost, and while I’m happy not to be gazing out the kitchen window…
As many leaves have fallen at the start of November, my wife notices the splendid coloring of the Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia, below) outside the kitchen window. Leaves of several Japanese maples are late to turn, so there are colorful trees, and others that are now completely bare. I am not fooled, however, by the…
Stubborn. Obstinate. Take your pick, but I am not one to give up, even when evidence to the contrary is overwhelming. A discarded ‘Soft Caress’ mahonia (Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’, above) became available, and no matter that several have died in the garden in recent years, the price was right and what the heck. I…
I speak with little expertise regarding starting plants from seed. Yes, the garden features many hellebore seedlings and fern sporelings, but these occur naturally with no assist from me. I am challenged by routine tasks such as watering, so gardeners with such lackings are ill advised to undertake growing from seed. Failure is nearly guaranteed….
Leaves of the garden’s sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum, below) are now gloriously colored, and with arching seedpods it is quite a marvelous sight. Unfortunately, I must imagine this beauty since the lowest branches are at least thirty feet off the ground. Why are there no lower branches, you ask? Simply, the sourwood is sandwiched between a…
There are several ongoing trials in the garden, with tribulations certain to follow. If forecasts for another mild winter hold true, though one as “warm” as last winter cannot be expected, ‘Spider Web’ fatsias (below) might survive again without protection. Though rated as hardy to zero, I lack trust that these will tolerate temperatures below…