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Showing posts with the label morton arboretum plant sale

Peachberry Ice Heucheras - Rabbit Damage - February 2024

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I planted three Peachberry Ice Heucheras that I picked up at the Morton Arboretum Spring Sale last year and planted them around the border of the firepit in the back.  I've had mixed success with Heucheras in general, but these were pretty striking color-wise, so I opted to bring them home.    They seemed to do well in their first year and by late Summer had put on some size and were showing a nice two-tone set of leaves.  Here they were in mid-August 2023 .   I have left most of my Heucheras un-protected from rabbits over the past few Winters and never noticed that the (dang) rabbits went at them.  But...these must be different.  I was back there cleaning some things up when I brushed aside some of the leaf litter and saw what was left of the Peachberry Ice Heucheras.  See below for what they look like: I have no idea if these will come back this year, but because they lost so much of their mass, I'm not betting on it.  

Both Merlin Hellebores Died - August 2023

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This Spring, I planted a pair of new (to me) Merlin Hellebores that I bought from the Morton Arboretum plant sale and stuck them in the bed near the rest of the Lenten Roses/Hellebores.  They didn't take to transplanting very well and I've now lost both of them.  See below for the photo showing the remaining four: There's always 'next year' and that's how I feel about Hellebores and the Morton Arobretum plant sale.  Will I go to the sale?  Yes.  Will I buy Hellebores?  Yes.  

Inaba shidare Japanese Maple Planted - July 2023

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At the Morton Arboretum Arbor Day Plant Sale this year, I came across this sign (photo below) describing a Japanese Maple variety that was new (to me):  Inaba shidare.  It was listed as an Acer palmatum and the photo had red laceleaf foliage.  The sign describes it as "The best of the weeping red laceleaf maples for its leaf color retention in Summer, its scorch resistance, vigor and hardiness.  The lace-like foliage emerges deep purple in Spring, matures to purple-red by Summer and finally turns bright red in Fall."   I mean...what's not to love about that, right?  I had previously purchased a Japanese Maple from the Morton Sale - an Emperor 1 in 2021 - and have been REALLY happy with it in our garden.  So, when I saw this sign for the Inaba shidare, I wanted one.  The only problem?   They were gone.  Sold out.  Or...at least...sold out during *my* visit. Felt a little bit like a 'one that got away' sort-of-deal. So, imagine my delight when I was picking up some

Greenstalk Update and Fruits - Early July 2023

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Number four on my 2023 to-do list was to 'get (more) serious with vegetables'.   And, despite not really posting about it, I think we've (sort-of) done that - by planting up a Greenstalk vertical container garden.  This Spring, I filled it out with a mix of herbs and vegetables (fruits) and we're seeing some of them set fruit right now.  We harvested these strawberries from the Greenstalk .  Below are a few signs of the tomatoes that we planted in the bottom row of the Greenstalk - the Red Robin dwarf plant from the Morton Sale and both a Rutgers Heirloom and a Roma Paste from the orange big box store.  What was the reason for these three?  They're all DETERMINATE tomatoes.   Which means...they grow to a specific size and stop.  Other, vining tomatoes can just.keep,growing.  Since this is a container-situation, I figured determinate varieties were the right choice.   Also, these are tomatoes that are known to be slicers/eaters/canners.  What kind of growth are we

Saratoga Ginkgo Tree - Summer Update - July 2023

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Last Spring, I put in a TINY Saratoga Ginkgo tree in amongst the Little Henry Sweetspire out front .  The height of the Ginkgo was *below* the height of the shrub, so I thought the tree would be allowed to sort-of grow-up in the shadow of the shrub.  The Saratoga is a unique Ginkgo that has longer leaves that most normal/traditional Ginkgo trees.  I didn't pay this tree too much attention over the last year, but it was watered with the sprinkler out front that was hitting the front porch beds, so I think it was watered enough to survive.  But, how does it look like one year later?  It has put on about six inches of new height.  See below for a photo showing the current state of the Saratoga Ginkgo tree.  It is now emerged above the full height of the Little Henry Sweetspire - by about eight-to-ten inches.    The American Conifer Society suggests that this tree will get to between 12-to-24-feet tall in ten years.  Lets suggest this is the third growing season and I bought a two-ye

Spring Grove Ginkgos + Brookside Geraniums - One Month Later - June 2023

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Back in mid-May, I replanted our two small, square beds on either side of our back stoop .  I dug out the RJM Rhododendrons that were there since our first Summer and replaced them with a pairing of Brookside Geraniums and a witches broom, dwarf Ginkgo named Spring Grove .  #13 on my 2023 to-do list was to 'fix the back stoop beds' and this swapping out was a big part of that need.   I also took a few plugs of Angelina Sedum from the north bed and transplanted it to the south bed, so they would be mirror-images of each other.   When I planted the Spring Grove Ginkgos, they has leaf'd out, but had suffered a litttle bit of late-frost damage to the tender leaves.  The geraniums were small and just emerging, too.   A little bit over one month later, what do they look like?  The geraniums have grown quite a bit.  And, so too, have the Ginkgos.  See below for (first) the north bed.  And then, below that, the south bed. Spring Grove Ginkgo tree - dwarf Ginkgo in Northern Illinoi

Hacksaw Hostas Persisting - Backyard - June 2023

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Last year, we planted a tiny (but unique) hosta called a Hacksaw Hosta in the backyard .  I placed it in amongst some other shade plants and mostly forgot about it.  Then, the rabbits found it and ate it all up.  I figured it was gone.  So, imagine my delight when I see not just ONE small Hacksaw hosta emerging from the wood mulch.  But...two of them.  See below for the pair of (tiny) Hacksaw Hostas: I've already repurposed one of the chicken wire rings to protect these tender hostas from the dang rabbits.  And, I sprinkled a little bit of municipal biosolids around the base of these to try to give them a tiny bit of a boost. 

Peachberry Ice Heucheras Planted By Firepit - May 2023

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Some of the plants that we brought home from the Morton Arboretum annual plant sale were things that *had* to go in a specific spot.  I KNEW IMMEDIATELY where the Spine Tingler Epimedium was going to go.  Same with the Merlin Hellebores.  But, there were other plants that we bought that I KNEW I wanted to go in our garden, but also knew that there were a handful of spots that were viable options for their location.  The Dark Side of the Moon Astilbes are an example.  I put them on the southside, but I could have put them in a like 5 different spots. Another one that is similar are three Peachberry Ice Coral Bells - or Heuchera Primo Peachberry Ice.  The sign from the sale is at the top of this post that details these beauties.  But...that last line is the one that is most compelling:  Tolerates Black Walnut.  Isn't that interesting?  We have a bunch of Black Walnut trees.  We've lost some Heucheras over the years - like these Dolche Apple Twist varieties - that I didn't co

Spring Grove Ginkgos + Brookside Geraniums Planted - May 2023

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Yesterday, I posted about the removal and transplant process for a pair of mature(ish) PJM Rhododendrons from the two small beds on either side of our back stoop to the far reaches of our yard.  Back in late April, I posted about this new (to me) Witches' Broom dwarf Ginkgo tree called Spring Grove Ginkgo .  Spring Grove is a small, upright that has those fan-shaped Ginkgo leaves that turn bright yellow before they fall in Autumn.   They something that I haven't seen before, so I thought they'd be a great fit for the back stoop beds - as Rhododendron replacements.  The new Ginkgo's are NOT evergreens, but the uniqueness of them feels like a good trade-off.   I bought a pair of Spring Grove Ginkgos that were in 10# nursery containers and planted one in each of the stoop beds.  Below is the north bed - a few things to note:  The Spring Grove Ginkgo is much smaller than the Rhododendron that was there.  Second, the Angelina Sedum has continued to grow.  (Which...I finall