Thứ Hai, 10 tháng 3, 2014

First day above 50 degrees in four months... (and 59 of those days went below zero!)


Yes, I know what I said... no more posting until I have something fresh from 2014 to share... 
sorry... guess I lied! 
Actually I haven't been feeling very well and between naps I was bored so started to look through photos from last spring. There were plenty that I haven't shared before, plus a few that I don't recall sharing, so you probably won't remember them either if you are a regular visitor here.


I can't get to the names of these cypripediums as they're still under about 8" of snow (the plants and the labels)... I'm really not concerned about the plants coming through this difficult winter as they have been buried under pine needles and snow for the duration. I put in six cultivars (hybrids) a year and a half ago... the foliage on most of them got pretty well desiccated by wind prior to last fall and some by mid-summer... I can't imagine that this would affect the new growth for this year as they were ok for some time but it's just one of the little mysteries/concerns of gardening that will be solved in the next couple of months.



The first day of warmer weather is always a blessing and a curse... one walks the gardens in the soft mushy snow and revels in the sunshine and running rivulets about the garden's edges, while at the same time thinking ghastly thoughts about "whatever did this horrible winter do to my beautiful gardens"!! It's always a shock... damaged plants (in my case the most badly burned are the various cultivars of Pinus densiflora and the rhododendrons). The snow is covered with droppings from all nature of trees and beasts... conifers show bald spots where in summer lush deciduous plants shade them out but also fill in the holes... 

...and one says to oneself... am I too old to go through getting these two acres in shape yet again... but somehow we manage.



I will be amazed if the rhodies look this good (above) this season... not a lot of buds to start with and lots of brown foliage... if I were starting over I would create even more hardy conifer shelter belts throughout the gardens... not on the north sides of the plants, but rather on the south and west... something a young gardener really doesn't consider until experience has its way with him or her...


Rosa hugonis is also known as Father Hugo or Golden Rose of China. It's been here at Oak Lawn for 35 years at least. There's a story behind it that explains why it's no where near as large as it could be. It was originally planted at the foot of this white pine when the pine was very small. As the pine grew it eventually shaded the rose out to the point that it no longer bloomed. I put a chain about its base and hitched it up to a large tractor and ripped it from the ground. For years an occasional shoot from some remaining snippet of root would pop up yearly amongst the Gallium odoratum and I would remove them. Over time, the pine needed limbing up and the light situation improved so I decided to leave this sucker to develop amongst the 'Sweet Woodruff'... The good Father is back and I am thankful for it... it's a one time a year highlight in the gardens and I adore it !


The mounding effect of three Picea abies 'Nidiformus' or bird's nest spruces are very effective it they get sufficient sun... mine grow much more in this mounding form which actually makes me wonder if they were mislabeled when purchased out of Oregon... normally they grow with a depression at the top, hence the name 'Bird's Nest'...


This is my 5th attempt at Picea omorika ' Brun's Pendula' and this one is doing well... rabbits have been the biggest problem and destroyed smaller ones... this is a tree of eventual personality... growing tall and narrow with great cones, and kinking this way and that... I just know I will sit at its foot when I'm 80 and greatly admire it!


The rock garden isn't looking so great today... I spread chunks of burlap here and there to protect the miniature conifers from the sun combined with frozen earth... again it's rarer cultivars of pines that are showing the most damage, but I suspect the new growth buds will be fine...




One doesn't need to be concerned about the intersectional peonies... cut back almost to the ground in fall, they will be just fine... are hardy and don't mind this sort of winter whatsoever...

Callie's Memory above and 'Scarlet Haven' below ...


Another family of conifers that are much hardier than I anticipated are the Pinus parvifloras or Japanese white pines... I have a few now and many more ordered... none are showing any signs of winter burn... 



Dictamnus albus or gas plant... in white and pink and a huge problem for those whose skin is allergic to it... I am one of those and I don't touch it in season, clearing off last year's growth only in spring when it is totally dried up... believe me... you don't want this rash... huge blisters and the skin turns black! It is caused by the volatile oils touching the skin in sunlight I believe... been there, done that, not going back!



A couple scenes  from the north gardens...


The ascent through the rockery...




A couple pretty blooms... Siberian iris 'Charming Billy' and a nice clematis below...


A sun bathed Aruncus dioicus...



A favored scene during intersectional peony bloom...



Views of three of my four 'Bartzella' intersectional peonies... I'd have a hedge of them if I could afford them...
I actually dug one up a year ago this last fall and cleaned off the roots with the intention of dividing... I was surprised that there were no obvious ways to do the deed and I returned it to the ground in one piece, not wanting to damage the plant(s)...






For a bright spot of color in the garden, this plant is Papaver orientalis 'Flamenco'...


Now, I'm not into most shrubs because of the space they take, but my friend 'Frog Pond' gave me a start of Philadelphus x virginalis 'Natchez' (a mockorange) and this is a winner... can you imagine it at a majestic weeping 10' x 10'... wow, I can't wait!! The only downsize is that it doesn't have the fragrance of the old fashioned Philadelphius coronarius. This is actually an interspecific hybrid which as I understand means crossing two species from the same genus... sort of like a horse and a donkey to get a mule...



Pinus contorta 'Taylor's Sunburst is a lodgepole pine that just gets more exciting with every passing season (fresh yellow new growth will fade towards summer to green)... I have it combined with the red leafed Acer palmatum 'Trompenburg' which seems to be pretty hardy here...


I have lots of plant loves and among them are tree climbing, climbing hydrangeas (Hydrangea anomala spp. petiolaris) ...




Hostas... 'ya gotta luv em!', including the yellow variegated 'Liberty' s pictured here along the birch walk...


I'll end this episode with Delphinium 'Purple Passion" from the New Millenium series... I especially like the size of the individual florets on this cultivar!... take care, and if spring is coming your way... embrace it! It may have been 50 degrees here today but tomorrow we're having a snow storm and high of 20 degrees the following day with a low of zero...
Give me patience please...
Larry

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