Why I Oughta...

The Fall Colors series of posts continues today with a look at the Dawn Redwood tree in our backyard. Yesterday, I posted a look at the red foliage on some of the Oakleaf Hydrangeas in our backyard and talked about how I don't have a ton of 'red' Fall colors .    Earlier, I posted a look at the contrast between the small Saragoga Ginkgo tree and Little Henry Sweetspire by our front stairs .   And before that, I posted a photo of the Butterscotch Amsonia in our 'kitchen curved' bed that was as bright as it has EVER been in the Fall.  This post shows (at the top) a photo of the orange needles on our Dawn Redwood tree.  This tree went in the ground in 2018 as a three-to-four-foot-tall container-grown tree .  It has grown up and sprawled out.  I'd call this a more 'informal' shape right now.  The leader is leaning over and not shooting up very fast.   This tree has given this small little orange 'show' each Fall - and I've tried to doc...

I have been spending some time tool'ing around the Conifer Kingdom website recently as I try to think about adding dwarf conifers to our garden this season.  I have a full post that I should do that details a bunch of what I've found interesting (so far), but there's one tree that (at this point) warranted a 'getting to know' post:  The North Light Dawn Redwood.  Or the 'Schirrmann’s Nordlicht' Dawn Redwood. Metasequoia glyptostroboides.  The Conifer Kingdom listing for the tree is here .   The guys over at Mr. Maple have the tree listed there , too.  And they do a good job with their description (screenshot below).  The image at the top of this post is also from Mr. Maple ( source ).   Here's how they talk about the Nordlicht Dawn Redwood: Via Mr. Maple What's not to like about what they say about the North Light Dawn Redwood.   It is a dwarf.   Has spectacular foliage. Compact habit. Winter interest. Award winning....

With all the #FallPlanting posts running here for a few weeks, I wanted to sneak in a post showing some of the things that are happening in the garden, yard and even on our block as the trees turn from green to yellows, oranges, reds and...well...even browns.  Dormancy is just about here and the garden is putting itself to bed.   Below are a number of photos that I took in late October (25, 26), but this post is going up more than a week later.  Since then, we've had a couple of HARD FROSTS.  Bringing the growing season to a close.   Here's a look around: I'm not sure what to think is going on with all of the Japanese Maples.  Some of them appear to be "just fine".  While others...they...well...could be dying?  And others have been picked at by the (dang!) rabbits.  Starting with the First Ghost Acer palmatum planted back by the firepit.  This one has received the least attention, but seems to be doing fine moisture and sun-exp...

I was away from the yard and garden for more than a week recently, so on a recent walkabout, I noticed a few new things - or seemingly new (to me).  One of those new (to me) things was all the Summer growth on the pair of Rhododendrons in our backyard.    There are two of these tropical-looking shrubs that I transplanted from our back stoop to the feet of the Dawn Redwood in the back .  They suffered and struggled in the stoop area for what I think are multiple reasons (the conditions AND the fact that there are Chipmunks eating the roots) and while I didn't want to just toss them out, I didn't have much hope that they'd come back strong. That's why I'm surprised at seeing all this new growth on the tips of these.  Are they (now) thick and full shrubs?  No.  But, are they showing signs of life that is surprising?  Yep.  See the photo at the top of this post that shows off the new five-or-so inches of growth that has pop'd-off on the tips of t...

I've documented a flush of growth on our Dawn Redwood tree over the year that typically occurs a little later in Summer - August (usually) - where the tips of the tree see some new, light-green (and tender) needles that appear.   This year, that flush (or...perhaps a different flush) came in early July.  Below is a photo showing one of the limbs of the tree that is showing some new growth.  A few things to note:  this entire tip is seasonal new growth.  It isn't woody (yet) - and is still green - so that means it arrived this growing season.  Second....the new growth I'm talking about...is at the very tips.  You can see that lighter green set of needles in a few spots. This Dawn Redwood is a tree that I have NOT touched one bit - in terms of pruning.  Not an inch of limb has been removed.  Why?  Because, I really learned quite a bit with my FIRST Dawn Redwood.  I don't know where I picked up the idea that limbing up young tree...

The Dawn Redwood tree that we have in our backyard is turning from green to orange and is showing a mix of needles on the tree.  One thing that I've noted about this tree THIS YEAR is that it didn't seem to put on much growth.  Seem is the key word.  I'm sure that it did.  But, it just didn't make any meaningful leap like it has in previous years.  The top of the tree - the apical meristem - is thin and wispy.  And has taken on a curved or flop'ed-over appearance.  The last big 'leap' on this tree was in the Summer of 2019 when the leader jumped up .   Back to the orange needles:  this happens each Fall.  Here's a post from 363 days ago showing the same green-to-orange needle transition .  We don't get a ton of oranges and reds in the garden - something to note - so this orange is welcome.  (We get A LOT of yellow and browns.) Below are a couple of photos showing the emergence of the orange needles on this (now) four-year ...

I've been tracking our small (but growing) Dawn Redwood tree for a number of years - since planting it (as a replacement) in the 2018 growing season .  That means, we're in the midst of the fifth growing season ('18, '19, '20, '21, '22) and the tree continues to kind of creep-along.  It put on massive growth in 2019, but I haven't been tracking it that closely ever since - because the height is now out of reach for me. But, every year - in late Summer - I've been seeing a 'flush' of new growth.  This usually happens on the tips of the limbs with new needles emerging in late August.  See below for an example of this year's flush of needles: Here's the post showing the same growth spurt in August of 2021 .  And, here, in very early September 2020 shows the same flush .  And the first Fall - 2018 - it had a similar flush but a little later.   I'm overdue for a full caliper measurement of all the trees (including this one), but I hope...

Last week, I posted a couple of photos showing the timing of the Cherry Blossoms in our backyard on on small Kwanzan Flowering Cherry Tree .  This was the fifth of six growing seasons where we able to experience Cherry Blossom season.  Kinda nice.    Before we get too far into the Summer, I wanted to post a few photos in the [ tree diary ] showing the timing of some of our trees breaking bud this year.  These photos were all taken on Monday, May 9th.  So, we can call that early/mid May, right? First up - Dawn Redwood.  By May 9th this year, the needles were beginning to show up.  See below: Here's another look at the Kwanzan Flowering Cherry Tree.  Leaves and flowers by early/mid May: Below is the "Grampy Tree" - the first London Planetree in the far back of the yard .   The three smaller ones I planted at the end of last season that I'm planning on PLEACHING aren't this far advanced.  That has me a bit concerned.  Below ...

This photo (below) shows off the buds that have formed (lateral buds) on our Dawn Redwood tree .  This is the tree that I monitor the MOSTLY closely through all four seasons in the garden.  It is, by far, my FAVORITE tree.  It was one (originally) that we planted with the kids on Earth Day and was the first tree we put in.  It had to be replaced , but in spirit...I consider this the same tree.   Each Spring, I watch this tree and how the buds are ready to open - while I hold my breath - that the tree has survived ANOTHER winter.  This year, it opened up - what I THOUGHT was VERY late (April) , but in doing a little research of past years, it was right on time.  The tree is covered with lateral buds on all of the very thin limbs - you can see a run of them below: I suppose I should revisit that guide from UW-Stevens Point that walks us through the Winter buds .  These are opposite buds, aren't they?  The photo makes it look like they're ...

I've posted photos of our Dawn Redwood here on the blog over the years - usually including a photo showing the needles turning orange in a nice Fall show.  Last year, I posted in late October a fully-orange tree .  This year - we're in the first week of November and just *some* of the needles are turning orange.  You can see in the photo below a few of the pairs of orange needle-lets (is that what they're called??) surrounded by green ones.    This is my favorite tree in our yard and I'm really interested to see it keep growing. It is slow-going (unlike the Bald Cypress in our front yard), but it just keeps putting on a little bit of height each growing season.  I posted photos showing the usual Fall flush of growth in late August this year .  It seems that 2020 (Orange in October) is the outlier.  As, this photo from November 2019 shows a mixed orange/green tree .  That's where I think we'll end up this year - something like a mid-November o...

Back in the end of July, I posted a couple of photos showing the flush of new, mid-Summer growth on our small Bald Cypress tree in our front yard.  Well..technically, it is IB2DW , but that's still in front.  We have a second deciduous conifer in our yard - a Dawn Redwood that is planted out back - that had the same flush of new, Summer growth on the tips that I wanted to document.   This is our second Dawn Redwood; planted in the 2018 growing season .  I had planted one originally in 2017, but between some neglect and not knowing anything (I limb'd it up), it died.   This tree was green and happy just about 12 months ago (late July 2020 when we were deep in COVID). Below you can see the new, soft growth that is on the tips of the entire tree.  The top, apical meristem has added about six inches to the top so far, too. Last year, I posted similar 'new growth' photos of this same tree in September .  I'm wondering if that means we'll see new...

Posting a couple of photos of two trees in our yard that I took earlier this month.  First, we have two Catalpa trees in our yard.  Starting around June 8th and running through the middle of the month, both of our Catalpa trees were in bloom with lovely white blooms.  I inherited both of these, so filing these under [inherited tree] like I did with the Oaks and River Birch clump .   Here, below, is Catalpa tree that is closer to our house in bloom.  It is a really nice tree that I never looked at very closely.  It is tucked in behind the large Northern Red Oak tree and in front of one of our large Walnuts.   You can see the blooms scattered on the ground under the tree in the photo above. The other tree that I wanted to share was the Dawn Redwood tree below.  It was VERY slow to break bud but by late April, it started to come alive.  With the drought we've had all Spring, it seemed to my naked eye like this tree hasn't filled out a...

I've been worrying about our Dawn Redwood tree for the past four weeks.  I use the traditional fingernail scrape method on tree bark to see if trees are healthy and showing green right under the bark.  Our Dawn Redwood tree seemed to be very slow to start this Spring.  I was seeing other trees have buds set and begin to leaf out in some ways while this tree was seemingly stuck in neutral.  Making matters worse, my fingernail test wasn't showing any green on the trunk.  It wasn't brown.  And the limbs weren't cracking.  But, I wasn't seeing green like I was on our other young trees.   But, I don't have a Spring 2020 post in the garden diary here to show WHEN this tree needle'd out, so that gave me concern.  What was making me relax (a bit) was this post from 2019 when I show it being 'needle'd out' in early June of 2019 .  So, imagine my delight (and, frankly RELIEF!) when I walked out in the backyard and noticed the buds swelling an...

Our Dawn Redwood is my favorite tree in our yard.  It is easy to miss or forget due to it being tucked away in the back of our yard and is still pretty small.  This is the replacement tree and I planted this version of the tree in the Summer of 2018 and this version of the tree has done well over the past three growing seasons.  It survived in 2018.  In 2019, it shot way up.  Like 3' of new growth. The tree is putting on a nice fall show with orange needles.  You can see it in the photo above.  Our yard is mostly yellows and greens and browns come Fall.  But this Dawn Redwood is a lovely orange.  The last time I checked in with this tree was in September when it was throwing off some new, lush growth after weathering the heat of the Summer.   However, I'm a little uneasy on this tree as the orange is a little different than last year - which I know was a positive Fall season because the tree came back this Spring. It wasn't until ...

My history with our Dawn Redwood has been mixed overall, but over the past few years, it seems that things have been going well. Originally planted our first Spring - in 2017 - I over-pruned the tree and didn't baby it enough leading to it only lasting that first season .  By 2018, I had replaced it.  That year, I really tried to pay attention the small, thin tree.  I hand-watered it regularly and we had a little bit of a milder Summer.  And the tree made it through its first year.  By Fall of 2018 - the first full year with the replacement tree - I was seeing Fall growth .  That felt good.  It needle'd-out in the Spring of 2019 and hasn't looked back.  It grew 36" last year .  The last time that I checked in on the tree was earlier this Summer when I found a little bit of new growth on top - gaining even more height.  Today, I'm diary'ing a few photos showing some late Summer growth on the tips.  I've tried to pay a mod...

It isn't super easy to glean from the photo above, but that is our Dawn Redwood tree that seems to be doing well - again - this Summer.  The last time I shared a photo of this tree was last Fall when it was starting to turn colors and was beginning to drop some needles. This tree grew three feet of height last Summer and built out quite a bit of new branching , so I had been hoping that we'd see another good season.  And, so far?  It seems to be doing ok.  I've run a soaker hose on some of the plants in this bed, including this Dawn Redwood - to make sure that it gets enough water. I left the spade shovel in the ground next to this tree - that's a five-foot-tall shovel and gives you a sense for the height of the tree as it stands now.  I'm NOT seeing a new three-foot-tall top on the tree right now, but there *is* some new growth on the leader (or...if you will... the apical meristem).  Below is a photo of the leader.  Can you see it? Here'...