Why I Oughta...

All the Oakleaf Hydrangea-related attention that I've focused on over the past year-or-so has been on the cluster of Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas up in the 'kitchen curved' bed that is close to the house.  But, I also have a few other Oakleaf Hydrangeas in other parts of the garden including a small grouping in the 'nook' area behind the Weeping Nootka Cypress tree.   In May 2022, I planted a pair of Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangeas alongside one of the transplanted Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas .   This post shows the location of the three of them.   Last year, I covered these when they were in bloom and when they turned bright red in the Fall .   Last week, I posted a photo of the new (to me) flowers on the Japanese Sun King Aralias .  In the photo below, you can see those same Sun King's on the bottom left and one of the Oakleaf Hydrangeas right behind it (in the middle of the photo).   I think this tall one is an Alice Oakleaf....

One of the shade-tolerant foliage shrubs (is it a shrub?) that continues to be a standout in our backyard is Japanese Golden Spikenard - also called Sun King Aralia.  I have a drift of them in the far back 'nook' behind the small Weeping Nootka Cypress tree.  And this year, I planted three more on the other side of the garden - in hopes of bringing some of that sweet 'garden repetition' to the backyard .   I called them 'foliage' plants because that's what they're grown for:  bright green, almost-tropical-looking foliage that thrives in low-light conditions.  But, for the first time...I now have discovered that they also FLOWER.   See below for the little cluster of flowers that has appeared out the top of the canopy:  That's new (to me).  But, wait...there's more (than flowers).  Via the Missouri Botanical Garden listing : Sun King’ is a golden-leaved cultivar that features a large rounded clump of golden yellow compound leaves whi...

In the Summer of 2023, I planted a pair of Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangeas in between some of the Green Giant Thujas along the fenceline in the backyard.  Since then...both of them were ravaged by the (dang!) rabbits.  One of them - the one closer to the house - never came back.  But the other one - a little further back - survived the past two Winters.  Despite the rabbit pressure.  Has it flowered since I planted it?  No.  There's been no "Old Wood" left after the rabbits get to it.  But, that isn't stopping it from putting on some new - and much needed - growth this Summer. See below for current state of this shade-tolerant flowering shrub:  From the looks of them in this July 2023 photo , I'd say that this one isn't quite back to the size it was when I first planted it, but getting close.   Also...note the chicken wire attached to the fence behind this shrub.  More on that soon. 

Earlier this Summer, I planted a pair of Pink Beauty Doublefile Viburnum flowering shrubs.  One on the northside in the back by the Dawn Redwood and the other one on the southside near the little container water feature.  At that time, I i ncluded a little blurb from a product listing that described the shrub like this : A spectacular shrub when in bloom, covered in beautiful rich pink flowers along the branches in spring, an outstanding selection; attractive horizontal branching on a compact plant with bright red berries in summer and good fall color. That part about 'bright red berries' is what I'm interested in right now.  Below, is a photo showing one of these shrubs right now, in mid-Summer.  What do we see?  Bright red berries: These berries are down near the bottom of the shrub, so as it matures, I'm guessing we'll see the berries migrate further up the branches.  

Planted in the Fall of 2021, we have a cluster of three Green Gem Boxwoods planted in our backyard.  They're in a transition spot in the beds:  behind what I call the "kitchen curved" bed and in front of the Stumpery.   These were planted for four-season interest and to add some evergreen structure to the bed when it was just being planted.   Green Gem Boxwoods stay small.  This post shows their details, including their 2-to-3 feet size/height .   In their fourth full year of growth in our garden (plus a half-year from Fall planting), they've put on some size, but I don't think they're done growing.   Here's what they looked like after two seasons .  Still LOTS OF SPACE between them.   Below is a look at these three evergreen shrubs.  When I planted them, I stuck some boulders/large rocks in between them .  Back then, the rocks were the feature.  Today...the rocks are almost unseen - due to foliage grow...

Yesterday, I introduced the Pink Beauty Doublefile Viburnum and showed how I planted the first (of two) flowering shrubs behind the Dawn Redwood in the backyard .  Today, I'm showing the other one.  This one is planted on the southside of the backyard, near the container water feature.   In the original plan, we were looking at a few Tardiva Hydrangeas along the fenceline on the southside .  As part of the "lilac replacement project", we sort-of called an audible and went with some Green Giant Thujas with alternating flowering shrubs in-between.   Earlier this Winter, I mused about adding more Thujas along the fenceline - so I wanted to keep that option open .  So, I chose to plant this a little bit 'up' from the fence.  In what would be an 'in between' spot between those (potentially) future Thujas .   Just like the other one, I pulled back the mulch, dug a 'f ive dollar hole ' and watered it in heavily.  Below are a couple ph...

I've talked about how the (dang) rabbits have destroyed a number of our oakleaf hydrangeas in the backyard.  I *really* like Oakleaf Hydrangeas, but I've mused (post here) if I'm just fighting nature too much and should plant things that can do better.   One of the shrubs that we have growing in the yard is a number of viburnums.  They, too, are flowering shrubs.  And they, too can handle some shade.  We have two different varieties:  doublefile and Chicago Lustre Arrowwood.  They've both done well.  The doublefile are treeform - which I really like as we can plant *under* them .  The Chicago Lustre have done well - despite the rabbit pressure.   There are a couple spots in our backyard that still need screening shrubs, so I always stop by the flowering shrub section of the big box stores to see if there's anything interesting.  I found a pair of these "Pink Beauty" Doublefile Viburnum at Menards.  (The trick to s...

More Yew posts.  At least...I have a few more Hicks Yew posts to document the current state of the garden.  Next up - today - is a pair of Hicks Yews that are planted along the fence in the firepit border on the south side of the gravel pad.   I last posted about these in Summer 2023 , when I discovered that I had NOT posted about their planting.  I'm going to guess that these went in the ground in 2022.  That means they have had that same 2.5 growing seasons under their belt. In the photo at the top of this post, you can see the current state of the Yews.   Slow and steady it seems.  In the shade.  Even without irrigation.   This is part of the Yew update series of posts that are documenting the various shrubs in our yard.  I've posted about the  Brown's Yew , the  hedge of small Hicks Yews (for an undulating hedge)  in the far backyard,  the Hicks Yews that I planted *behind* the Oakleaf Hydrangeas ...

We have three Doublefile Viburnum in treeform in our backyard.  Two along the north property line and one in the back by the firepit.  They went in the garden in Spring 2022 .  And, struggled.  These were hard to get established and required some baby'ing with water that first year.  Last year, they seemed to be able to handle themselves more and by this Spring, they were what I'd call 'established'.  That took two full growing seasons with the beginning of the third growing season producing the best/biggest/most-full blooms yet.  Here they are in Mid-May of this year with white flowers all over them . Two months later, we have another first:  these red berries on the tips of the shrub.  See below for a couple photos of the bright red berries.  The birds have not found these (yet).  There are A LOT of misses in our garden, but these Doublefile Viburnum are a big 'hit'.  They do A LOT for a shrub that grows in the shade.  W...

I bought and planted a pair of Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangeas from the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale this Spring.    Here's the location and lay-of-the-bed where they went in . I've had trouble with Oakleaf Hydrangeas being eaten up by dang rabbits in the past, so I decided to ring these in chicken wire to protect their tender shoots this Summer - their initial growing season. By last month - the end of June - they both were showing the beginnings of tall, pointy blooms .  Three weeks later?  They're starting to earn their name by putting some color on those blooms.   See below for a look at the pink that is emerging in mid-July on these flowering shrubs: I don't want to jinx myself, but (*knock wood*) so far, so good when it comes to the chicken wire.  These have seemingly avoided being decimated by the dang rabbits and leads me to believe that I REALLY need to wrap all of these in wire this Fall ahead of Winter.  

I planted a Hicks upright Yew hedge in the far back of our yard in the middle of the Summer 2019.   At that time, I planted 15 #1 shrubs about 30" spaced on center.  Here's how they looked when I first started showing the gaps between each Yew .  And, I documented what the hedge looked like in October of 2020 here with growth going up and out for each Hicks upright Yew.  Below, you can see what the hedge looks like RIGHT NOW.  This is now after two full (2020 and 2021) growing seasons and half (2019).   Here's a top/bottom look from 2020 to 2021 - one year of growth:  I'll be honest....I *know* that they grew, but the photos stacked as they are below aren't conclusive to me. I recently planted a bunch of other #1 Hicks Yews around the yard in hopes of bringing this look to other parts of the garden for cohesion.   My plan is to help protect as many of these Yews as I can from the rabbits this Winter, but I know I'll see some dam...

Fall shrub planting has included 8 Hicks upright Yews - in 2 locations so far.  First the pair for the (eventual) Block I topiary .  And then, last week a very SMALL hedge (in planning stage) of six more Yews along the south border in the backyard.   And a trio of dwarf Green Gem boxwoods .  Today's post is almost a year in coming but features two more upright Yews - planted close to the fence in one of our shade beds.   You can see one of the two #1 Yews that I planted in the ground in the photo below: I say that these Yews have been in the works for close to a year because it has taken me that long to complete the various steps that I needed to do in order to get these Yews in the ground. First, I suppose I should explain the WHY behind these yews, their location and what I'm trying to accomplish with this planting. I've posted before about learning from and gaining inspiration from Amy Fedele at Pretty Purple Door including her shared love of na...