Potted trees are lots of work and don't think I'll go that route... yet We had a longer cold winter then last year...about the same low temp. of around minus 32C which is the critical temp. for flower buds to die off. More fruiting buds died off then last year. On the Lapin I have a double leader...one completely died back, the other is alive all the way up with all fruiting buds dead, only some lower branches have some fruit on. The other trees are all green to the top but most of the fruiting buds got winter killed also.

Okay...I'm going to go with all the viburnum answers as the identity of these wonderful trees/shrubs... Yipes!! They bloom????? The one shaped/pruned into a tree-shape was like that when I moved here 7 yrs. ago, and I've kept it pruned. No wonder I've had to fight the "suckers" on the main stem and from the base!!!! It should really be a shrub??? Yipes again!!! Do they really bloom????? I prune them in the spring and throughout the summer and fall - about 3-4 times a year, to keep their shapes and to keep them in bounds (they are vigorous growers!). So...when should I shape them so that it won't interfere with the bloom pattern? I have to follow a "pruning regimen" with my azaleas so they'll bloom - and boy do they ever!! Thanks for all the help!! It's so strange that all three are the same type of plant! Who'da thunk it?? :-) Blessings, Kat

Marlorena, I agree that Erasmus's roses are spectacular. Their sizes alone are impressive, but each one is covered in blooms, too, and that is what's most incredible to me. However, I admire your garden equally, Marlorena. You don't have the luxury of a lot of space, so you skillfully keep your roses' size in check, and then pack them in. Just stunning. But my favorite thing of all is how you grow the lovely combinations of perennials and roses so well together. You are fearless. I would be afraid of killing something if I tried to grow a hardy geranium up through a rose like Ballerina, yet that has got to be my favorite mix yet--and in a pot, to boot. The soft blue is so perfect for the soft pink of Ballerina. So both of you, Marlorena and Erasmus, please post away with the photos. Diane

i am going to go very basic here.. forgive me if it doesnt help ... first.. have you had this under observation since it started growing.. or are you just presuming it came from your mature tree ... it is a good idea to try growing some specifically harvested from your tree as you suggested ... so you can confirm this ... next .... we have to think about how it pollinated ... did it self pollinate.. or is there another parent involved ... once you add a second set of genetics ... then it is a hybrid .... as you heard before ... the next question ... which i hope someone else will answer ... is whether this is a self pollinating species .... if so.. it should be true to form.. to the parent who self pollinated .. presuming no other tree around could have also pollinated it ... once you get down this road ... frankly.. my head starts spinning.. lol ... and i lose interest .. even on my own endless questions... lol ... the only way i could figure to narrow it down.. would be to isolate some flowers ... let them self pollinate.. and then grow the seeds .... something like this: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=isolating+flowers+for+pollination&t=ffcm&iax=images&ia=images then of course.. you are working with trees... and they can take a decade to flower ... you can see why i usually lost interest with such projects ... i came to the conclusion.. with trees... if you find some anomaly.. you would be best off.. taking scion.. cuttings... and have them grafted .. and cut the loop ... or learn how to graft them.. onto the seedlings you will be growing ... again.. this is very basic.. just to get you thinking along these lines .. ken