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Showing posts with the label flowering shrubs

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

Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangeas Going Pink - August 2023

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Our front yard hydrangeas have never had a better year than this year.  Full stop.  They are covered with blooms.  And those blooms are big and full.  Leading to the WORST flopping that we've ever hard - even with the large Limelight Hydrangeas that have been the most productive over the years. First...the Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangeas.  They are starting to 'turn' with pink showing up on the flowers - you can see one of them below: I've tracked this 'turning' over the years - in 2017 it started in July , in 2018 it was in September,  same in 2019  and in 2022 (last year), I only documented them when they were in full color - October.   This year it is late August when they're starting to add pink to the big, white mophead blooms. As for the flopping, it appears that the removal of the Norway Maple has changed so much up there and that I'll have to deal with them this Summer (trying to string them up) and that my pruning technique will have to change sta

Little Honey Oakleaf Hydrangea Summer Update - August 2023

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Just a few days ago, I posted photos of three (happy) Little Lime Hydranges in our backyard garden.  They are NOT the only dwarf varieties of hydrangeas that we have planted.  We also have three Oakleaf hydrangeas - Little Honey - that are from the Morton Arboretum plant sale.  I put them in the ground in May of 2022 .  These were gobbled up/gnawed-on by the dang rabbits, so I protected them all Winter. All three re-emerged this year with foliage.  But, suddenly...one of them has taken a turn.  See below for the current state of these three.  Clearly a 'good', 'middle' and 'bad', right? They all appear to be dealing with similar conditions:  light and water.  One of them is a TINY bit closer to a large Black Walnut tree, but I don't think that could be the issue.  Could it? I'll keep an eye on the troubled one, but my hunch is that it may NOT make it through this year.

Little Lime Hydrangeas - Summer Bloom Time - August 2023

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Last Summer (June 2022), I bought three Little Lime Hydrangea (a dwarf cultivar of Limelight ) and planted them in front of the Belgian Fence of Apple trees.  They were small, but produced a handful of blooms in late July that first growing season . Fast-forward a year and these three flowering shrubs have changed quite a bit.  They're thicker, more full and...FULL of blooms this year.  See below for a photo of their current (mid-August) state: These are a really good solve for this spot - they're at the back of the bed, but with the Belgian Fence behind, I couldn't use a full-height shrub here as they'd obscure the espalier.  So, this dwarf version is perfect.   It also has me thinking about how I could re-use these in other spots that are mid-bed.  Further back on this same northside of the backyard, there are spots.  And, maybe even IB2DWS?

Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangeas New Growth - July 2023

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Before we left town in June, I planted a pair of new (to me) Oakleaf Hydrangeas - Snow Queen - along the fence in an attempt to extend/continue that run of Oakleaf Hydranges along that bed .  These are interplanted with some evergreens - Green Giant Thujas.  When I planted these, I followed Ralph Snodsmith's advice and gave these "Five Dollar Holes" along with a heavy dose of municipal biosolids to get them started.    I set up irrigation for the couple of weeks post-planting for these flowering shrubs and I'm very surprised at how much growth they appear to have put on in such a short time.  See below for a photo showing the pair of shrub as they stand now.  Flip back here .  Very different in a short period of time, right?  I'll plan on protecting these with chicken wire this Fall/Winter and hopefully...we'll see some blooms next year.  

Two Eiffel Tower Black Tower Elderberry - July 2023

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Last Fall, I planted a Lemony Lace Elderberry that we bought at the end-of-year sale at The Growing Place basically on a whim .  I've come across Elderberry shrubs before, but I didn't have them in our plan.  But, a quick Google search of the Lemony Lace Elderberry had me intrigued, so I brought it home.    This Spring, the Lemony Lace Elderberry has become a star in the garden.  F rom the purple buds that first emerged to the BRIGHT foliage in a dark spot in our garden, it has really impressed me.   So, when I came across something called a dark-foliage Elderberry that was called Eiffel Tower Black Elderberry, I was intrigued.  Here's the tag for the Eiffel Tower Elderberry: Just like with the Lemony Lace Elderberry, I went off to looking on the Web for details.  The Missouri Botanic Garden has this to say about the Black Tower Elderberry : It is an upright columnar shrub with dark stems and large serrated leaves that emerge celery green and mature to burgundy to almost j

Two Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangeas Planted - June 2023

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Yesterday, I posted details of how I had to move a small Tuff Stuff Red Mountain Hydrangea to make room for some new Oakleaf Hydrangeas.   I had been holding a few spots for some shade-tolerant Hydrangeas (per our plan) that extend the row of Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas from our kitchen window bed all the way back to the south Oak tree.   The plan calls for a mix of Oakleaf and Tardiva Hydrangeas - both shade-tolerant flowering shrubs - to fill in the remaining space.   I was on a trip to Menards and came across a pair of Oakleaf Hydrangeas that weren't on my radar:  Snowqueen Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  Here's the tag on the shrub: And, here below is the full tag: That idea of Winter protection for the first year is new (to me).  Maybe I can do leaf mulch with these, too? The Missouri Botanical Garden has this page up with this description that had me at the word 'upright': SNOW QUEEN has an upright broad, rounded habit and typically grows 4-6' tall. Features elongated, c

Tuff Stuff Hydrangea Transplanted June 2023

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Back along the fence, behind the large colony of Summer Beauty Ornamental Onion is one of my first flowering shrubs - that has NEVER flowered :  Tuff Stuff Red Hydrangea .  Part of our plan is extending the current row of Oakleaf Hydrangeas with another few flowering shrubs that sit in front of - and in between - the Green Giant Thujas .   In order to plant the new flowering shrubs (I ended up finding another Oakleaf Hydrangea variety), I needed to move the Tuff Stuff Hydrangea.  It never has grown much in size (nor...flowered), so I knew I could tuck it into some smaller spots.  I opted for moving it right next to the other non-blooming hydrangea - the Everlasting Revolution - closer to the border of that same bed.  See below for a photo showing the location of the newly transplanted (and slightly larger) Tuff Stuff Red Hydrangea: With that out of the way, I can move on to planting the pair of Snowqueen Oakleaf Hydrangeas. 

Oakleaf Hydrangea Blooms Are Back - June 2023

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Last Summer, we had just ONE bloom on all of our Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas .  One bloom on like six shrubs.  Why?  Because of the dang rabbits .  They FEASTED on these young shrubs all Winter.  In 2021, the Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas in our backyard put on quite a show - with blooms in July and some quite lovely red colors in the Fall .   Anyone who reads up on various hydrangeas will quickly learn that Oakleaf Hydrangeas bloom on 'old wood' - meaning...they put out their flowers on growth that happens the previous Summer/Fall.  That's the very same growth that the dang rabbits were eating.   As a result, last Fall, bought A LOT of chicken wire.   I learned from experience I had with the small Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea that I bought at the Morton Arboretum last Spring:  they grew their entire life inside of a chicken wire ring .  And they bloomed.    So, I created rings of chicken wire and surrounded every one of my Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  And the work paid off.  Here (be

Fire Light Hydrangea - Planted Front Porch - May 2023

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I've continued to make progress on my #3 priority on the 2023 to-do list:  the front porch bed .  Most recently, it was planting of five very small (1 gallon) Green Velvet Boxwoods that run from the new Triumph Elm to the property line and (will) create some structure in the bed.  Earlier this month, I laid out a bit of an overview of the plan up there - including what I wanted to plant.  In that post , I listed the plant material required. Here's where it stands after the Boxwoods: 3 Disneyland Roses  (planted) 4 Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grasses  (have them, just need to transplant) 1 Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea 10-12 Ajuga Chocolate Chip 8 (or so) Summer Beauty Allium 4-5 Green Velvet Boxwoods (going to buy small) 8-10 Moor Grassses Flat or two of French Marigolds (Annuals) The next item on my list is solving for that Hydrangea. I have three Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangeas up there that have been doing...umm...just fine. One of them died, but the other ones haven't b

Doublefile Viburnum White Blooms - May 2023

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This is the first true Spring for the treeform Doublefile Viburnum shrubs that I planted early last Spring.  I say "first true" Spring because I planted these when they were *mostly* still dormant last year and they leaf'd out post-planting.  I planted four of these and three have made it through the first year.  The best of the bunch is along the northside and that's the one that has been the most prolific early bloomer.  Below are a couple of photos showing the blooms in mid-May.  They're really quite nice as they sit - sort-of - on 'top' of the shrub.   I didn't have treeform on my radar when I bought these, but I'm sure glad that I pulled the trigger and brought these home.  The treeform Viburnum provides two great benefits (for me...at least):  Instant height and maturity coupled with ability to underplant with perennials.  

Lilac Shrubs - Spring Growth - Post-Transplant - May 2023

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Last Spring, I dug out two pairs of Lilac flowering shrubs and moved them from a shady, understory spot along the south fence (under a Walnut tree, too) to the north side fenceline - in a a more open, and sunny location.   The two 'common' Lilac shrubs have responded and are flush with green leaves and new growth at the tips.  These were planted as small, 2 gallon shrubs in 2018 .  And they struggled.  Too much shade.  Too much Walnut (probably).   That's why I moved them out.  I planted them along with some Thujas.  Those...didn't work.  More on losing two of those soon .  But, the Lilacs?  The common ones, at least.  They're seemingly thriving.   They are thickening up and growing.  See below for first a photo of the pair of them and then the new growth on the tips. Would love to see these get over the top of the fence height this growing season.

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.  

Oakleaf Hydrangeas Holding Their Leaves Into Winter - December 2022

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Most everything has let go of their leaves for the season.  Our Hornbeams are holding some of their leaves and the Chanticlear Pear flowering trees have many of theirs, too.  But, there are a few shrubs that are playing the marcescence game, too.   The deciduous shrubs that I recently noticed are holding their leaves are a few varieties of Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  This is, I think, the latest they've head their leaves into Winter, but this is ALSO the first year that I've protected them with chicken wire cages from the dang rabbits.  So...is it just a unique situation where they're holding their leaves longer than normal?  Or, is the nibbling from the rabbits what has - in past years - caused the leaves to drop?  Either way, I'm happy to see these leaves stick around. First...the Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas that are closer to the house.  These are holding deep purple leaves on all of them.  See below: Also, a little further down that same bed are three Little Honey Oakleaf H

Hydrangeas and Pulmonaria Going Dormant - November 2022

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Yesterday, I posted a photo of this strange feather grass that is still green and alive in a large container on my patio and mentioned that everything else has gone dormant and has suffered from the series of frost-filled overnights that we had last week.  Almost all of the various shrubs have dropped their leaves and most of the low-and-mid-height perennials have let their leaves and flowers shed.  But, there are a few things of note in the garden that I thought I'd document for the diary here. First, the Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  They're still holding their leaves.  And those leaves are a dark, dark red/maroon.  A few green ones, too.  See below for a peek at one of these in our backyard: Also, below, you can see the three Twinkle Toes Pulmonaria that are wilting from the frost.

Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas Blooming - July 2022

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We had some (dang) rabbit damage this Winter on most of our young Oakleaf Hydrangeas in our backyard .  They ate away on a bunch of the shoots, stems and limbs.  All of the shrubs made it through and have put on new foliage and growth this season.  The problem?  Oakleaf Hydrangeas flower on what is called 'old wood'.  That means...the growth from 2021 creates the buds for 2022's flowers.   The dang rabbits going hog on these this Winter means that I wasn't planning on seeing any flowers this season from these Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  Last year, they were lovely - see this post from a little bit over a year ago showing tons of flowers .  This year?  Not so much. We have just ONE bloom - on a dwarf Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea - munchkin.  You can see it below: One of the big projects this Fall is going to be protecting these - and others - from those dang rabbits - so we get a full set of blooms next year. 

Little Lime Hydrangeas - First Blooms - July 2022

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Earlier this Summer, I brought home and planted three Little Lime Hydrangeas in our backyard .  What feels like so long ago - but was actually just six weeks ago - I was wrapping up my big push around planting shrubs this year with these three flowering dwarf hydrangeas.  I ended up planting them right in front of the Apple tree Belgian Fence along the north fence line.  In the photo below, you can see the three shrubs and how they're getting their first blooms - and really earning their name: A few notes for the garden diary here:  in the foreground of the photo above, you can see two of the three Miscanthus sinesis 'Adagio' grasses . They're doing well in this spot - with this being their second growing season having gone in late last year.   Second - if you squint, you can see one of the Chicago Lustre Arrowwood Viburums on the far right.  Aside from the dang rabbits nibbling on these, they seem to be doing just fine - and are putting on new growth.  They'll nee

Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangeas In Bloom - June 2022

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This Spring, I planted a pair of Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangeas in our backyard in the north bed, behind the Weeping Nootka Cypress and right in a colony with a dwarf Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea that I moved over there a couple of seasons ago.  These two small Oakleaf Hydrangeas were from the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale this year .  As soon as I planted them , the dang rabbits started attacking them, so I kept a little ring of chicken wire around each of them.  That seemed to keep the foliage going and now we're seeing the first blooms.  See below for a photo of the two Ruby Slippers (in the back) showing their first, tall white blooms.  Each of these get four-to-five feet wide, so they have quite a bit of spread yet to come.  But, I'm excited to see these first flowers.  I'm pretty sure that these are far earlier than they'll be in the coming years - and maybe that's due to the flush of growth ahead of the Morton Aboretum Sale has quickened their cycle this year. Ac

Little Henry Sweetspire - June 2022

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Early Sumer is peak Sweetspire season.  We have a trio of Little Henry Sweetspire (Itea virginica 'Sprich') planted in a little border by our front walk.  I posted a VERY SIMILAR photo almost exactly one-year-ago when these were in bloom in June 2021 .   Below, you can see the peak bloom season for these flowering shrubs.  And, you'll also see the Saratoga Ginko that we planted last month peeking out in the middle . Last year, I applied some fast-acting iron to help darken these up and if I have that bag on hand, I'll do the same this week.  These were planted in 2017 as part of our pre-move-in landscape planting.  That means they've had five growing season with 2022 being the sixth.

3 Little Lime Hydrangeas Brought Home - June 2022

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Yesterday, I showed a couple of photos showing three new Green Velvet Boxwoods that I bought and planted IB2DWs - right by the gravel path.  In that post, I ran through the 'shrub math' and compared my initial priority list with what I've done (so far).   Here, below, is the initial list with annotations on what has been done so far.   5 Oakleaf Hydrangeas.   Planted and done.  8 Viburnum.  4 treeform bought.  3 planted in back.  1 in front.  Call it 5 remaining. 3 Little Lime Hydrangeas.   3 Tardiva Hydrangeas 1 Panicle Hydrangea.   Planted one of the Doublefile Viburnum here.   6-8 upright evergreens   Planted six Green Giant Thujas in two spots. 6-8 boxwoods and/or Yews - 3 Green Velvet planted IB2DW .  (at least) 3 left.  This post is about how I found and brought home three Little Lime Hydrangeas.  Here, below, is what the three of these 2# Little Lime Hydrangeas at the big box nursery. These were $29.98 each and were on a lower rack, kind of tucked-away so they seem