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I would be philosophically opposed overarching federal laws, on principle, for a lot of reasons, but I wish they would pass one to ban the sale of these in all but the northern tier, PNW, and high elevation intermountain west. I cannot think of a single tree people must spend more money on to end up with something that will eventually be dead or diseased and disfigured. It's a glaring indictment of the greed and stupidity of our country's landscaping plant production industry. And people go on planting them! Some poor ignorant fool on my street just planted one! When all of the others in town are dead or hideous! The local upper Ches. Bay climate is ESPECIALLY not to their liking, because there's just always a baseline of humidity in summer that never goes away, no matter how strong a cold front comes through.
Even the ones at my brother's large property in the outer suburbs of Philly, on rather calcareous and fast draining soil (he's on top of a low ridge) that looked good for almost a couple decades, are now starting to wane and lose needles. In the case of those I think the 'bare bones' (literally, there are whitish chucks of limestone when you dig!) soil and relatively (by I-95 corridor standards) cool nights slowed the still inevitable decline. Of course they were on a property line and planted by a neighbor, even 20 years ago I would have strongly advised him not to plant CBS.
I remind people of my helpful decision tree LOL...
concolor
Ah, I just looked up 'French Hollyhock'. I am amending my comment 'I love the mallows too' and adding 'apart from malva sylvestris which is a terrifying weed with roots which reach Australia'.
At least once a month, there will be a 'falling over on my arse' incident which more often than not involves pulling mallow roots.
Perhaps undulata Albomarginata
Another problem with that is someone will see what he did and may think that's the way it should be done. So many copycat murders will follow. :-o
indianagardengirl..you’re right 👍..the standing water’s back..thought of a joke..my Fire Islands are really islands! 😂..
a few hours later..a little less water
Picture This, like other apps, is not particularly reliable imo. Double check ids it throws up.
Hyperion daylily is my favorite lemon yellow plant. It even has a lovely fragrance and is a strong and vigorous plant. I can send you some if you want - I always have too much!
I think there is a support group that helps you with continuous buying syndrome.
Unfortunately, you're at the wrong site. ;-)
I have a seedling species Acer pseudosieboldianum in fact two, but only one has the red new growth feature. The other comes lime green with red leaf margins. Much diversity with this species.
This was in August (2022), second flush of first year planted. So lower down the leaves have turned green already.
Well, WOW, that was one of the more cool things I have experienced recently. Up until the time it was supposed to start, it was mostly an overcast day. Then, suddenly right on cue as it began, the clouds cleared. The sunlight was almost surreal - the intensity was amazing - and then it was enthralling to watch over the next hour as the totality increased. When the total eclipse happened, it was so amazing to see darkness descend in the middle of the day - all the outside solar lights came on as we sat in the darkness. Plus hearing the cheering and bustle from nearby places where people were congregating. I had a perfect view from my backyard deck, and was wonderful to sit in my garden to experience the whole thing.
Here is mine last fall.
I ended up with the original one, though I'm somewhat concerned that it sat all day Sunday--a very warm sunny day near 70 degrees in full sun. The medium in which the roots were wrapped was still quite moist when I opened the package Monday afternoon, however, and the plant looks good--still dormant but with lots of buds about to open. The buds seem soft and not dried out so I'm hopeful and planning to plant it this morning.
Just adding if anyone is following, the plant looks great after almost a week in the ground and cool, rainy days. Buds swelling.
Yeah, we know. That's the problem.
Not for me, of course. I live in a blackland prairie. It would take quite a strong vole to make it through that dirt (un-amended, it's like concrete, except when it rains. Then it's like black goo.)
A few years ago, a gentleman who grows/sells heirloom flower bulbs in East Texas (where they have sandy loam) was having a vole problem.
Someone suggested he get a pair of ferrets. You let one out at a time. That one will always come back as long as you don't release them together.
Whether he got the ferrets, I don't know.
He's still in business, though. It appears that his business is thriving according to the emails I get.
bk
I often wonder if these are AI ”practicing”. Jennifer appears to be new, and has made one post of no value on a 10 year old post…
I regret planting ajuga because of this ^^. I am still grubbing it out!
In my heavy clay it is not easily removed, and it is certainly aggresive for me.
I agree with what others have said about the plant. I planted Black Scallop ajuga. Beautiful, yes, very, very aggressive, also yes. By the third year, it was was growing through and around very hosta and perennial I had. I could barely see my garden! AND….it’s not easy to get out because it spreads through underground stolons which then develop a new base head for other shoots to grow. It took me 2-3 years to get it all out and I just have city front yard where I planted it. Think twice!
debra
Do your self a favor and use a nice thick mulch. It will look neater and avoid the aforementioned problems with ajuga.
Bee on the dianthus blooms
4-5-24:
I had this little guy visit me at my bench when I was working out in the yard today.
A surprise visitor made an appearance on the willow catkins late this afternoon (4/6/24). Temp around 52F at the time
Seems to me a pest that crawls 3 stories high should be called scale. ;-)
tj
Here you go, Ken:
https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub
Thanks, Ken. Regarding rigging up shade for the summer, do you have any more detail on that suggestion in terms of what percentage of shade would be optimal? I've been searching online for ideas and am getting some ideas. But any suggestions of links / info would be appreciated.
@indianagardengirl , @ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5, thanks for that link. It's quite a resource with a lot of really useful information that I had never heard. I'm new to this forum, but I guess all of you know the source as credible.
My sister was my garden guru, but she passed away last year, so now I have to fill that role. That link helps a lot. I appreciate all of your help!
I’m not in your zone, but for me, nothing beats LQF. It blooms earlier than the others you mentioned and also has better fall color.
Color progression from early July through mid September:
I have very heavy clay. I planted a few under a silver maple, where they are happily colonizing, both with seedlings and spreading. Yes, they are slow IME. And no, I don’t do anything here - no fert, no water except in the beginning.
" I can barely get them established in heavy shade. "
And that makes a certain amount of sense :-) Hellebores are shade tolerant but not necessarily shade lovers. Most species in their natural habitat grow in quite open locations and some are native to very dry, sunny climates and prefer as much sun as possible (eg. H. argutifolius).
Ideally, most of the popular hybrids like the early season sun position under the canopy of deciduous trees. This provides maximum sunlight when in flower but some protection to the foliage in the heat of summer once the trees leaf out. Heavy shade is not at all to their liking.
Here’s another clump I have growing. The original was the yellow - I don’t know the variety. At the time, I had no idea they were actually producing seedlings, I just left it there and the clump slowly grew. Then I realized there was a pink variety working its way in there…then I began to notice there were seedlings and the pink maybe was coming from the new seedlings…you can see from the second photo the small up and coming seedlings…
I have the species V. carlesii, and I love the glorious fragrance, which wafts across my yard. It also often has decent fall color. I have no experience with V. burkwoodii.
@ LaLannoxa nice that you will have them in time to enjoy their bloom this year, right? Now you will be able to tell us all, which variety is the best. I love that name 'Spice Island'.
@prairiemoon, yes, my thoughts exactly. One of the notable things about this cultivar is that it supposedly blooms after the leaves open up, which means it blooms later - much better timing for the garden :-)
c.kousa ”Satomi”
i think it is pretty even if it is not ”very” pink pink
The OP's (long gone, no doubt) question reminded me of something I've been meaning to whip up and post, once I found a quickie, free online flowchart creator. The one I found is called flowchart.fun.
I planted scarlet fire the first year they came out. Now it’s about 8’ tall and wide, rather like a large bush then a tree, although selective pruning could easily alter that. Its blooms last year, and the year before that, were a solid medium pink, not the bilious hooker rouge of the advertisements, but that could change as the tree matures. I am in beautiful Mountain View Arkansas, zone 7A, and it‘s planted in native soil. It has been a robust grower.
The milky way kousa dogwood I planted two springs ago is growing very fast, and has started its horizontal spread. That’s what I’m REALLY waiting for.
As I type this in late March, the Korean Spice viburnum is in full bloom, and for the life of me I cannot figure why these aren’t way more popular. The scent out-performs lilacs, and it is a care free bush.
One of my favourites. Fritillaria meleagris. (Sadly not in my garden.)
Wild Wood Anemone, A. nemorosa.
Laurie..love your pulmonaria and pulsatilla..beautiful blooms..💕 I never kept journals (intended to but…) but my garden does seem to be growing fast..
sandyslopes..sorry about your garden mishaps..hired help is sometimes necessary..but stressful!..good luck debra!..I’ve never seen/heard of a maskless raccoon..
steve..hope you removed the tick before it made you sick..pics today 4-18-24..this is the first time Fire Island has some red on the leaf..