We gardeners work off two calendars and the year is just ending on the gardening side of things. That means it's time for some serious planning, building, and ordering for 2014.
My post today is a compendium of the past couple weeks here at Oak lawn pre and post leaf drop, as well as plans for the coming spring. This is a lengthy post with discussion of my newly conceived conifer project and details regarding the cultivars I've ordered for spring. I'll also be sharing progress that has been made regarding planting areas for the conifers. Additionally I will share some of our fall color as we quickly transition into what is basically winter weather with a high of 30 degrees on Tuesday, lows in the teens, and yes… the first snowflakes.
Above and below are photos of the species Fagus sylvatica that grows immediately behind the gazebo. It's color is good this year and being a beech, it's still holding on to most of its leaves.
I have a start on the three arbors along the azalea path and my hope to complete the one pictured below this fall. Right now the time table is under some scrutiny because my back has totally locked up on me and I can barely walk… it's enforced vacation for at least a couple days and a routine of hot and cold packs with a dash of chiropractor visits.
 |
| Under construction… |
A couple days ago was rock moving day and I found out that I'm not as young as I used to be! Rolling rocks about is a young man's work, but that's ok. While some of them could still stand a bit of rearranging, it's just not going to happen. They'll look better when the soil is brought up to the proper level. I know… "moving about thousands of pounds of rocks and building arbors… and his back goes out…what does he expect afterall!" Well actually there was no problem with all that whatsoever… the back went out when I bent over to pull my socks on! That's how it usually works. Major work means constant consideration of every move I make… pulling on a sock… I don't give it a thought, and that's when I get in trouble.
The first area by the gazebo is meant for miniature conifers… these are conifers growing one inch or less per year according to guidelines set out by the American Conifer Society. I am excited about all the changes coming to the gardens in terms of conifer additions. Creating a conifer emphasis has been on my wish list for a very long time. More than any other plant, the conifers seem to emit a personality that is specific to each one. It's like having a garden full of friends, big and little, each with traits very specific to themselves.
I have a number of miniatures ordered in several sizes. Some will be shipped as 4" pots and will take a number of years to reach their potential. Others that I've ordered will offer immediate satisfaction, coming from 1 gallon and 3 gallon containers… these may be ten years old or more. I look forward to getting to know the plants on this spring's order as they become a part of my plant family… meeting their needs has become a major research project for me and a labor of love. The full list of miniatures ordered is at the end of this post.
My biggest concern for this area is the heavy dark loam so I intend to do some amending but with over three inches of rain in the past week, it's just not a good time to be playing in the dirt… this part of the project will have to wait until spring.
As I tried to think through the conifers I want to add, I realized that my best bet were probably the dwarfs which will still be a manageable size fifteen years from now. I had always thought about putting a recirculating stream and a series of low water falls behind the garage, but some things just don't come to pass. With that in mind, I decided to create three terraces for dwarf conifers that prefer good drainage and some protection from winter sun and wind . The following area is on the north side of the building and is generally quiet unless the wind is directly out of the west…
Again, the soil part of the project will have to wait for spring, but the drainage issue should be ok… I am starting to believe this is one of the biggest issues a gardener faces. The trees in this area from the left include malus 'Strawberry Parfait', three single trunk acer griseums, Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood', and a multiple trunked Acer griseum. All should accompany the new dwarf conifers nicely.
The entire area between each row of rocks will be built up and leveled. I'm thinking the area should house at least 15 dwarf conifers and depending on their form, perhaps even more. What fun it will be to develop this arrangement. Dwarfs can of course get very large over time so I've picked a fifteen year period for my placement. I've tried to look for clues as to how oversized conifers are dealt with and I have only heard chainsaws mentioned one time, but I do suspect that's the answer frequently. To place new conifers in such a way that one doesn't have to wait generations for the proper "look" is the goal. We've all seen collections that are so spread out that all sense of design is lost for years into the future. It's a difficult balancing act at the very least. My dwarf conifer order for this spring can be seen at the end of this post.
I also have a number of intermediate and a few large conifers coming in spring. The picture below is of an area which used to be 'the woodland' prior to removal of the five large elms that grew there. I really haven't totally settled on a direction for this space. The next photo is of the area prior to my tearing it apart…
It was quite attractive but pictures don't reveal all the secrets. These trees were constantly dropping everything from seeds to very large branches and we were constantly on clean-up duty. While their tall trunks were attractive enough, their upper reaches were anything but… additionally they drank up every last bit of moisture, making it difficult to grow more desirable plants.
For this season I've planted 30 pounds of annual rye on the area from which the trees were removed. The picture above shows the view in the opposite direction. I'll most likely sod the area and at the crest of the incline I'm planting more conifers. You can see the Chionanthus virginicus left of center above and to the right, Quercus dentata (emperor oak). Just behind the fringe tree, the somewhat rare Quercus dentata 'Pinnatifida' has been planted along this a few smaller magnolias. I have moved my 8' Pinus virginiana 'Wate's Golden' to this area as well, giving it some elbow room.
The photo below is 'post-backhoe' and pictures an area behind the above scene. With the removal of a very large Pagoda Dogwood, an expansive variegated juniper, and a few older chamaecyparis that were getting a bit worse for wear, I have opened up space for several new conifers and this spot has wonderful soil accompanied by great drainage.
I've ordered a few intermediate and large conifers for spring… there will be room for some here…
My ordered intermediate and large growing conifers can be seen at the end of this post.
Now… a bit of "end of the season at Oak Lawn"
 |
| Abies koreana 'Horstmann's Silberlocke' |
 |
| Acer 'North Wind' |
.jpg) |
| 'Arnold Promise' witch hazel |
 |
| Magnolia 'Wada's Memory' |
 |
| More magnolia fall color |
 |
| Larix decidua |
 |
| Magnolia 'Elizabeth' to the right |
 |
| Magnolia 'Daybreak' |
 |
| Quercus coccinea (Scarlet oak) |
 |
| Canoe birch clump and 'Wada's Memory' magnolia |
 |
| 'Wada's Memory' and rhododendrons |
 |
| Hosta 'Paul's Glory' fall color |
 |
| Birch walk view from the barn |
 |
| Barn view from tree peony garden |
 |
| Twin Picea glauca 'Pendula's looking towards utilities area |
 |
| View from back deck featuring Acer griseum |
 |
| an uncommon Larix…' Jacobsen's Pyramid' |
 |
| Rhododendrons and 'Mountain King' Hawrhorne |
 |
| Quercus dentata (Emperor Oak) |
 |
| Pinus virginiana 'Wate's Golden' |
 |
| Pinus strobus 'Pendula' |
 |
| Bur oak and Scarlet Oak |
 |
| Climbing hydrangea |
.jpg) |
| Pinus strobus 'Pendula' with Magnolia 'Yellow Lantern' |
 |
| Mary Potter Flowering Crab |
For those of you with a conifer interest, I've compiled a list of conifer additions for this coming season along with short descriptions of the plants.
More autumn photos at the end of the post…
Miniatures:
Abies koreana 'Blauer Eskimo'… Abies koreana are the Korean firs of which 'Horstman's Silberlocke' is perhaps the best known. 'Blauer Eskimo' is a globe shaped plant with gray-green needles and resin covered buds that provide texture and color. Flat needles are arranged on the short shoots in a spiral fashion.
Abies koreana'Silberkugel'… This is the Silver Orb Korean Fir. Also a globe shape, the tiny needles are a dark green. The plant is covered with resin coated , cinnamon colored miniature buds.
Abies koreana 'Silberperle'… The Silver Pearl Korean fir is decorated with white resinous buds during fall and winter that look for all the world like miniature pearls covering the plant.The dark green needles have a silvery white reverse and the tiny tree eventually takes on a pyramidal shape.
Picea glauca 'Laurin'… this is a miniature form of the Dwarf Alberta Spruce, with needles so tiny and thin that the tree takes on an appearance of suede in a beautiful shade of green.
Picea glauca 'Pixie Dust'… Another miniature form of the dwarf Alberta Spruce, this was chosen as the 2006 Collector's Conifer of the Year by the American Conifer Society. A second flush of growth emerges as yellow miniature buds in summer and contrasts beautifully with the deep green of the older foliage.
Picea orientalis 'Tom Thumb'… This was chosen by the American Conifer Society as the 2007 Collector's Conifer of the Year. This amazing little globe shaped plant was discovered in the 70's as a witches broom on Picea orientalis 'Skylands'. It sports the smae wonderful yellow as its parent.
Pinus leocodermis (heldreichii) 'Schmidtii'… slow growing, tight dark green needles, and lots of texture are hallmarks of this beautiful miniature Bosnian pine.
Pinus mugo 'Mitsch Mini'… heavily branched bun shaped conifer with lots and lots of short branchlets and slightly twisted short needles. I find the tiny mugo pines to have a real personality and this little plant lives up to this description.
Pinus parviflora 'Hagarumo'… Hagarumo is Japanese for angel's cloak. This miniature Japanese white pine sport blue green needles and is one of the slowest growing and smallest parvifloras.
Dwarfs:
Abies koreana 'Blauer Piff'… this is the 'Blue Whistle' Korean fir. It's a lovely and graceful plant that does produce the coveted cones one hopes for with Korean firs.
Abies nordmaniana 'Golden Spreader'… I first saw this plant at the conifer collection of the Chicago Botanical Gardens and was blown away… the color, an extremely brilliant yellow was amazing and I've never seen a photo that does it justice. It is a spreader, growing 3-6 inches per year and does appreciate some shade so I may have to locate it somewhere other than these terraces which are pretty much full sun, possibly it would work well at the back (east) of the new miniature conifer bed.
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Spiralis'… this is an Hinoki Cypress that is incredibly architectural in its form. It is quite demanding in terms of what it requires which includes moist well drained soil and light shade to full sun. A mature specimen has the character of a contemporary work of art.
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'White Pygmy'… this is a cultivar of the Sawara cypress and is rounded in form with a wonderful color created by the white tipped foliage. Since it may grow nearly as slowly as a miniature, it's home may end up being in the miniature garden as well. where I can provide some light shade.
Picea abies 'Coolwyn Globe'… this one is out of Australia. It's needles are half of normal size and it makes a two foot globe in ten years.
Picea abies 'Perry's Golden'… a great dwarf spruce with buttery golden yellow foliage in spring.
Picea abies 'Pusch' /standard… 'Pusch' excites me because of its promised cone production. I have a ground level plant in my present rock garden but it hasn't produced the cones as of yet. Like it's parent 'Acrocona', cones are produced on the tips of new growth and they are a bright red… when seen in combination with dark green needles, it is a gem of a plant. This second one I've ordered is grafted as a standard at 18" which should add even more interest.
Picea glauca 'Rainbow's End'… I've really become an admirer of these small Alberta spruces. Many of these dwarfs have wonderful form… 'Rainbow's end' is special because of its second flush of growth in bright lemon yellow that brightens up the summer. It's important with all of these Picea glauca to offer some protection from winter sun and wind which can dessicate them, especially when the temperature warms with frozen soil still about their feet. They are also susceptible to spider mites so an occasional lusty showering with the hose is a good idea.
Picea glauca 'Sander's Blue'….yet another Picea glauca, I learned too late that the beautiful blues of the foliage frequently revert, making this a green selection. With any luck this may not occur, but if it does, it's still a nice looking plant.
Picea orientalis 'Bergman's Gem'… this is considered to be one of the best smaller oriental spruces which eventually takes on a wide pyramidal form. It dawned on me that I had purchased a Pinus parviflora 'Bergmanii' this fall and for a moment I didn't catch that they were from two totally different species, so no duplication here.
Picea pungens 'Nimetz'… I like the looks of this one! Imagine a perfectly formed Picea pungens with creamy white new growth in Spring, and on top of that, the tree will never get much over several feet tall. For some reason, these colorful Picea pungens truly appeal to me. I planted a 'Walnut Glen' last year and the color is fantastic, but of course it can become a very large tree over time… not the case with 'Nimetz'
Picea sitchensis 'Papoose'… I've owned a larger specimen of this in the past… purchased in the fall and probably having experienced some difficult moment in the nursery, it didn't live long, but was a great shade of bright blue and a nice compact globe form. Picea sitchensis is the Sitka spruce, the species of which grows to 100 feet in height and certain trees have been documented to 300 feet… I'll be lucky to see 'Papoose' reach three feet in my lifetime.
Picea X Mariorika 'Machala'… this is a hybrid between Picea mariana and Picea omorika. It's a great shade of blue and basically has a nest time of form.
Pinus leucodermis (heldreichii) 'Irish Bells'… this another of those lovable Bosnian Pines that I have found so appealing since I saw my first one years ago at an Earl May's in DesMoines, Iowa. I love the color (dark green and year long), and the form which is multistemmed, but most of all I love the texture which reminds me a of a cuddly teddy bear when looked upon.
Pinus mugo 'Jakobsen'… this one's out of Denmark and it has a special look about it, due to its branches being arranged in clumps. The dark green color is a significant feature as well.
Pinus mugo 'Sunshine'… this is a mugo pine with a dragon eye look of variegation about it. I've read descriptions that say it can almost change according to the day and the light. The photo I located must have been on a really good day, because it was quite impressive.
Pinus nigra 'Black Prince'… this is a very slow growing dwarf form of the Austrian pine. There is some thought that it may be a hybrid Pinus thunbergii.
Pinus parviflora 'Kinpo'… another interesting and attractive cultivar of the Japanese white pine with inch long blue needles that have highlight of silver and green. The plant displays interesting form that will spread over time.
Pinus parviflora 'Pent. Azuma'… another tidy Japanese white pine and a very slow grower, this one provides lovely raspberry purple pollen cones in the spring. Though a dwarf, growth is slow enough that I may include this one with the miniatures.
Pinus parviflora 'Tanima no yuki'… I am thrilled to have found this plant… What a marvelous variegation, its english name is Snow-in-the-Valley Japanese white pine. The new candles open with creamy white variegation contrasting the older blue green foliage and are stunning. Very slow growing as well, the ten year growth is said to be a mere 18" by 18".
Pinus pumila 'Dwarf Blue'… this a cultivar of the Japanese stone pine. Dwarf blue grows mush wider than tall and features showy red catkins in the spring that equal or surpass in beauty, the blooms of many a flower.
Pinus thunbergiana 'Kotobuki'… a dwarf Japanese Black Pine… branches grow upwards and growth buds for successive years are whitish and interesting in appearance.
Intermediate and Large:
Picea abies 'Cobra'… considered a large grower, 'Cobra' is a sparsely branched weeper with a skirt that gives the impression of the ground being covered with cobra snakes… a bit of an odd conifer!
Picea abies 'Gold Drift'… another great weeping Norway spruce but extra special because of its green and gold foliage combo.
Picea abies 'Perry's Golden'… a great dwarf spruce with buttery golden yellow foliage in spring.
Picea engelmanii 'Fritsche'… I wish I had a complete windbreak of these… a large conifer (wherever shall I put it)… needs room to be appreciated… gorgeous color of blue, majestic, and flowing drapery of branches… very special.
Picea omorika 'Kuck Weeping'… This is a really narrow serbian spruce… even more so than 'Pendula Bruns', this is the narrowest of all. It will require staking to gain height and grows about a foot a year. I don't know why but I am very much attracted to these tall and narrow statements in the garden.
Pinus dens 'Golden Ghost'… a dragon's eye sort of variegated Japanese red pine. Not as large as some and similar to a plant I already have in the garden called 'Cessarini's Variegated. So far I've experienced needle burn in the spring, but by summer it's fantastic with new candles and fresh color. This is the same situation occasionally experienced with my 'Tanyosho' pines of the same family. I'm considering not wrapping 'Cesarinni's Variegated' this winter and see how it fares. I've read that it and 'Golden Ghost' are well suited to mid-west gardens… perhaps…
Pinus parviflora 'Fukuzumi'… a large Japanese white Pine with lots of character.. branches growing out at 45 degree angles.
Pinus parviflora 'Goldilocks'… an intermediate, this will probably go in the dwarf conifer terraces… a beautiful golden foliaged Japanese white pine.
Pinus strobus 'Angel Falls'… with staking this weeping white Pine has outstanding character… much classier than 'Pendula'… but then you would expect a plant named after the world's tallest waterfall to have some sophistication.
Thuja occidentalis 'Jantar'… new from Poland… 'Jantar' is Polish for amber, the color of this plant through the winter… in summer it's a brilliant yellow.
Farewell Autumn…
That's it for now… Larry
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét