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Showing posts with the label buds

Saucer Magnolia Pink Flowers Appear - March 2024

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It is (barely) Mid-March and I'm ALREADY seeing our Saucer Magnolia tree (multi-trunk) in our front yard dotted with signs of pink petals that have begun to emerge from their wooly shells after a long Winter's nap.   What is MOST striking about this is the timing:  a full month ahead of 2023.  Here's a post from April 12, 2023 that shows the pink flowers at the same state they're currently in - photos below. 2023's bloom-time of mid-April was (mostly) in-line with historicals.  2022 saw the tree in peak-bloom in late April .   2024 - (so far) flowers emerged in mid-March 2023 - Mid-April peak-Magnolia bloom 2022 - Late-April 2022:  Peak-Magnolia at end of month 2021 - Mid-April 2021 : In bloom by mid-month (April). 2020 - Early April 2020 : Blooms began the first week of April. 2019 - The tree did NOT bloom at all. 2018 - Early May 2018 : Didn't bloom until early/mid May 2018. This tree was planted in 2017 , so this make it the eighth growing season (seven ful

Lemony Lace Elderberry Purple Spring Buds - March 2024

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I planted a lone Lemony Lace Elderberry (from Proven Winners) late in the season of Fall 2022.  It was bought at the end-of-season sale at the Growing Place and came back for the first time last Spring.  Here's a post showing the purple buds on the shrub in April 2023 .    Last year, I planted another pair of elderberry shrubs - this time they were dark-foliage Eiffel Tower varieties .   The Lemony Lace Elderberry has BRIGHT green foliage that resembles a finely dissected Japanese Maple.  It is also supposed to flower.  This one with big, white blooms that arrive before the foliage.  But, I didn't seen any blooms in the first growing season.  Maybe we will this year?   That's what happened with the treeform Doublefile Viburnum shrubs.  Planted in Spring of 222 and didn't flower that first year.  But, when they came back for their second growing season (2023), they put out a lovely set of large, white blooms .   Here, below, is a look at the purple buds on the Lemony La

Bud Burst (Sort Of) on Matcha Ball Ash Leaf Spirea - March 202

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I planted a pair of Matcha Ball Ash Leaf Spireas in my burst of [Fall Planting] last October.  One in the front yard and the other by the Fanal Astilbes along the southside of the backyard border.    I was out puttering around in the back and noticed a flash of green on the tips of the shrub.  A closer look showed me that the buds on this shrub were/are opening up.   This is the first Spring for this thing, so I'm glad to see it coming back and (seemingly) survive the winter cold.  Below is a close-up photo of the buds and then a wider photo showing the overall structure:

Rhododendrons With Winter Buds - Backyard Shade Garden - February 2024

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The neglected rhododendrons (they're only neglected because they have - imho - failed to live up to their promise) are back with buds that were set in Fall and (hopefully) have made it through the thick of winter temperatures.   The pair of Rhododendons were planted on either side of our back stoop and sort of just were blah.  They started to get thin and decline.  Could be because of chipmunks eating away at their roots.  Or, could be they were were in the wrong spot.  I ended up digging them up and replacing them with a pair of handsome dwarf Spring Grove Ginkgos and I've been VERY happy about that move.   Without much thought, I stuck them in around the small (immature) Dawn Redwood tree in the backyard.  That area is a sort-of no-man's land with nothing there on purpose, rather just the result of having 'available space' and plants that 'need a home'.   They get a mix of shade and sun back there and since I water (with a sprinkler) that bed on-the-regul

Spring Grove Dwarf Ginkgos - Winter Interest, Buds and Marcescence - January 2024

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The pair of Spring Grove Ginkgo trees (dwarf Ginkgos) that I planted this past growing season on either side of our rear stoop are worth documenting in the garden diary.  Being winter, they're clearly dormant, but they're doing some interesting things:  They're clearly exhibiting some foliar marcescence with many of their leaves clinging to the limbs.   And, they're covered with buds.  That are stud'd everywhere.  On the limbs.  On the trunk.  At the tips of branches.  And all along them.  They're quite different and really nice to look at when contrasted with he white snow.  Here's a pair of photos showing the same one: the north-side Spring Grove Ginkgo .  The second one is planted by the Grill on the southside of the stoop, but I am not including photos here. The snow cover on the ground is a few inches thick and I'm hoping that it is providing a nice blanket of insulation on this young, one-year-in-the-ground dwarf ginkgo.  

Lemony Lace Elderberry Purple Buds - Spring - April 2023

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That photo above shows a new (to me) bud from a shrub that I bought on a whim last fall:  Lemony Lace Elderberry .  And, isn't that the most delightful sign of Spring?  It looks....alien.  Doesn't it?  Purple and lime green, ball and fringe.  All in one package.   I had these protected from rabbits with a chicken-wire cage and that seems to have worked.  See below for the current state of this shrub: This is one to watch, since it is the first full growing season.  Maybe I'll add more of these - via the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale - as I see them there every year.  They work in 'part shade' - which has a lot of value in our garden. 

Oakleaf Hydrangeas Mid-Winter Old Wood: February 2023

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One of the things in the garden that we didn't get this past season were ANY blooms on the stand of Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas that are planted near the patio.  Rabbits ate 'em all up last Winter by gnawing on the tips.  This year? I used chicken wire to protect them .  And...a quick peek at them outside shows that the tips are all hanging on - out of reach of the dang! rabbits.  See below for a couple of mid-Winter shots.  Leaves still hanging on, too. Way less than were on in mid-December .  But, as you can see...a bunch still there.  

Winter Saucer Magnolia Tree Furry Buds - January 2023

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Tree buds are some of the stars of our Winter garden here in Northern Illinois - Zone 5B.  As I've continued to grow as a gardener and observed the natural rhythm of our garden, I've come to really appreciate buds.    I used to think about the garden season cycle as something that starts with Spring and ends with Winter, but as I've watched our garden more, I've now come to the realization the garden growing season actually starts - for many things - in the fall.  That's when trees set their buds before they head into dormancy.   Tree buds are all unique and tell a story.  One of the sets of buds that I've been following for a number of years is the Saucer Magnolia tree that we planted in our front yard in 2017.  I posted some photos of the Saucer Magnolia buds last year - in February .    Here's how it looks right now - in early January. This tree continues to grow up and out.  And, it appears that the aphid and/or scale problem that has been going on the p

Triumph Elm Tree - Fall Buds - November 2022

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A couple of weeks ago, we had a 3.5" caliper Triumph Elm - Ulmus Morton Glossy - to our front porch beds.  At the time the tree arrived it has *some* leaves on it with some branches already bare having dropped their leaves.  Today - just two-or-so-weeks after planting, the tree has dropped ALL of its leaves and has a set of roundish, brown buds all over the limbs.  Below, is a look at the buds that have set on our new Triumph Elm tree: Over the years, I've documented in the [garden diary] a look at some of the tree buds in our yard - including these Exclamation London Planetree that I planted during the pandemic .  I'll go out and try to capture some photos of this year's tree buds in the Fall/Winter garden in the coming weeks.  

Trees Breaking Bud Timing - Spring 2022

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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 is the small Pagoda Dogwood tree that we a

Spring (Or "Late Spring") Tree Canopy - Northern Illinois - April 2022

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Earlier this week, we had some snow fall overnight.  And flurries flew during the day.  It didn't last long, but the temperatures have hovered around freezing all week and I keep hearing people talk about how we're experiencing a "late Spring" this year.  The grass has green'd up, some of our ornamental grasses (the feather reed grasses) are up, tulips have pushed foliage (but no flowers) and I'm seeing some buds swell on our shrubs.  And, I keep going outside to do little garden tasks, but I haven't taken on any large scale ones.  Planting a few things, cleaning some parts of the garden up.  But, mostly....waiting.  Waiting for the weather.  Some of our perennials are moving ahead - despite the temperatures.  I see hosta tips (some cultivars), Brunnera tips and (as I posted yesterday) even peonies. But the trees?  They're still bare.  I wasn't sure how *normal* this is:  to have no leaves at all on any of our trees in mid/late April.  I don't

Red Fox Katsura Tree Winter Buds - February 2020

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Yesterday, I started with the first of the late-Winter tree bud photos.  I like to document these things throughout the year so I get an understanding of how things are going and what is struggling to return from dormancy (and which trees I shouldn't worry about because they're right on schedule).    I posted the current state of the buds on the vase-like Saucer Magnolia tree in our front yard .   Medium-sized, fuzzy and starting to crack open.  They're fun to look at right now. One of the other front-yard trees that I haven't tracked the buds and their setting/swelling/opening series on in the diary here is the Red Fox Katsura.  Planted in the Fall of 2020 , this is a tiny, whip-like tree that hasn't grown much at all and has very few limbs.  It suffered a bit from heat and drought stress last year, but it has - as of now - set some buds on the limbs that *do* exist.  Below you can see them.  To me...they kinda look like buckthorn tips - but on the middle of the br

Saucer Magnolia Tree Winter Buds - February 2022

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Late February and Early March is usually the time when I start to get a little garden-stir-crazy and begin to get back out to examine the winter damage and build up my hopes for the coming growing season.  It is when the tree and shrub buds begin to swell and we can start to see what is going to pop.  It is also a sloppy, wet and muddy time of year.  Or, a frozen-solid, snow-covered time of year.  This past week, it was a mix of both.  We had some warming temperatures with snow melting and some rains which made the ground soggy and saturated.  They say you're supposed to stay out of your garden beds during the wet season of Spring to keep the ground from compacting too much, so I've mostly tooled around the lawn this week.   It is a good time to document in the [tree diary] and [garden diary] the state of some of the buds that are beef'ing up and getting ready to put on a show.  I'll start where I have typically started before:  with our Saucer Magnolia.  Below, you can

Dawn Redwood - Winter Bud Series - December 2021

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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 NOT perfectly lined up, but they're N

London Planetree - Winter Tree Bud Series - December 2021

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Yesterday, I posted a terminal bud of our small Harry Lauder Walkingstick tree and talked about how Rutherford Platt was fascinated by tree buds and said they were as varied as jewels.  The next up in my [Winter tree buds] series is a revisit to where I started (last year) with the London Planetree that I planted in 2020.  Here's last year's post showing the buds .  Below, you can see some other looks at the buds including terminal and lateral buds.  They're pointy and red.  And look good for this time of year, don't they? This tree has been (somewhat) temperamental.  It reacts poorly if it is neglected in any way, but then responds really well when water is given to it in any way.  You could say that it is both needy and resilient.  It is planted in the back of the yard and is in a gap in between the scrub shrub and the largest tree we have - the hackberry tree that is covered in galls every Summer .   It will provide a lot of shade for future families, but for us?  I

Terminal Bud - Harry Lauder Walkingstick Tree - December 2021 - Winter Tree Bud Series

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The photo in this post is featuring the leaf bud of a small Harry Lauder contorted Walking Stick tree that we bought back in 2020 and was DIRECTLY inspired by our trip to Disneyland Paris and the landscaping around their Haunted Mansion called Phantom Manor .  I planted it in the backyard in the Summer of 2020 and have had it wired up with some bamboo poles ever since.  Early this Spring, I moved around the poles and wires because the growth was causing a little damage due to the pole locations .   Most every Winter, I try to include some updates and photos of the various leaf buds from some of the trees that I've planted, but in looking back through the [buds] archives , I don't seem to have included this particular tree and bud in the catalog.  The most recent buds that I posted a photo of were the damaged Ginko tree from this Fall .   Here, below, is a look at a couple of the Harry Lauder Walkingstick tree buds: Buds of our trees that get set in Fall and persist over Winter

Christmas Cactus White Flower Buds - Early December 2021

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This Christmas season, we added a new Christmas plant - a Christmas Cactus - to our normal Amaryllis bulb setup that we plant every year.  I mentioned the Christmas Cactus back in late November and posted a photo then that showed tiny buds were already on the plant .  Today - about 10 or so days later, those buds are getting larger and getting ready to unfurl.  See below for current state of Christmas Cactus: The instructions said that this particular cactus (non-cactus) will bloom more if it is root-bound , so I'll have to remember that and not transplant next Winter (if it makes it that long!).   I'll try to track the blooming of this one to see if it stays in bloom all the way up through late December and lives up to the "Christmas" in the name.  

Backyard Ginkgo Tree Set Buds - November 2021

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At the beginning of the month, I posted a couple of photos showing off the pair of VERY SMALL Ginkgo trees that we planted this Fall .  The reason we planted TWO of these trees was because the first one that was delivered 1 was damaged and basically cracked in half.   In that post, I talked about how the damaged tree was aging different from the replacement tree that I planted in front .  The one in front (which wasn't damaged) had leaves that were turning yellow (like Ginkos are known to do), while the damaged tree in back was drooping and had more brownish leaves.   My belief then - and still today - is that the damaged tree in back is unlikely to make it and leaf-out next Spring.  But....but...but...what do I see on the tree this week?  It appears that this tiny, thin Ginkgo tree has set some buds as it headed to dormancy.  See below for a peek at one of the buds that is near the top of the small tree. These are kind of interesting shaped - almost cone-like.  The bud is set on

Greenspire Linden Spring Buds - April/May 2021

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 I titled this post April/May because I'm posting it in May, but I took this photo in April of 2021.  April 24th, to be precise.  Those are the beautiful, exciting tree buds of one of our espaliered Greenspire Linden trees that are ready to burst open.  I posted a photo of these very same buds that were setting last Fall .  I planted these trees back in our first Summer here (2017) and set up the wire system that year, too .   I posted a similar photo EXACTLY one year ago today (May 4, 2020) with the buds showing a similar green and pink hue .   Last Summer - in year four of training (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), I made the decision about the final form and pruned off a bunch of the limbs to leave just a four-tiered horizontal cordon espalier.   Also, last year this tree was infested with Yellow Jackets that were feasting on an aphid infestation .  Before all the leaves fell, I applied in two rounds some insecticide on the limbs in the hopes that I killed off any of the remaining aphi

Springtime Garden Relief: Our Dawn Redwood Is Budding Out - April 2021

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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 and showing off