Why I Oughta...

Yesterday, I posted an update on the small caliper Black Tupelo native tree that is planted in our parkway and talked about the small, pointy buds that the tree had set on the tips of the lower limbs.   I talked about how I've been 'turned on' to the beauty of tree buds in Winter over the years.  But, it isn't just the action that is taking place on the deciduous trees in our yard that is worth noting.  Last week, I showed some photos of one of the Weeping Norway Spruce trees planted IB2DWs and talked about the brown 'buds' that were set on the tips of that conifer tree.   Another conifer tree in our front yard is an Oregon Green Austrian Pine.  I planted it back in the Fall of 2024 and it, too, was a tiny tree.  The Oregon Green pine is known to grow into an open-branching habit in form, but also comes with heavy 'candling' - or the emergence of white candles on the tips.  In May of 2025, the first Spring for this tree, I posted some phot...

Planted back in the Fall of 2021 , we have a (still) small Mugo Pine in the backyard northside bed about 3/4's of the way back.  It is planted pretty close to the Harry Lauder Walking Stick Tree that I posted about yesterday .  It was a #1 gallon conifer when it went in and cost just $5.00.   I posted about it one-year after planting as it was establishing itself (but not putting on any growth at that time).   Then, in Fall of 2022, I noted that the (dang!) rabbits were feasting on this small shrub .   By Fall of 2024 it had grown a little bit , but it still was small.   Today? Like the Harry Lauder Contorted Walking Stick Tree ...this one has been 'slow-growing'.  Here, below, is the Mugo Pine peeking up out of the snow: I included the idea of ' conifers should come first ' in my v1 draft of Jake's Great Garden Rules   and this Mugo Pine is an example of a conifer that I planted earlier than most.  Was it likely too ...