Why I Oughta...

Fall Planting 2024 continues with a second front-yard conifer tree: the Skylands Oriental Spruce. Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’.  This is the second, small conifer tree that I put in our front yard in the past week - with the first one being the Oregon Green Austrian Pine .   At the end of September, I wrote about the Skylands Spruce and detailed the golden needles - among other features .  I've been thinking about a Skylands Spruce in our yard for years and now...thanks to Nat's Mom...we have a small one.   I extended (back towards the house) the island bed that features the Northern Glow Korean Maple and the Spring Grove Ginkgo.  Now, there's a Skylands Spruce.   I had a lot of luck with Fall Planting (#FallPlanting) conifers last year, so *fingers crossed* that trend continues with these two new conifers this Fall. Below are a few photos showing the tree and the island bed: Below is a look at the island bed from the sidewalk - the Skylands ...

Just yesterday, I shared the details (and description) of a new (to me) tree:  the Austrian Pine 'Oregon Green'.  This is an upright, narrow and semi-dwarf conifer tree (grows to 10' tall and 6-8' wide at 10 years) that lends a touch of Japanese Gardening to the landscape.    I mentioned at the end of that post that I found a small (young) ball-and-burlap specimen at the end-of-the-year sale at the orange big box nursery.   Ever since I read the statement:  " Conifers Should Come First ", I've been aware of the need to plant (even) more of them - specifically in the front yard.  In January, I mused about adding more conifers to our front yard and highlighted some inspiration photos .  I also posted (earlier this year) about using a hide-and-reveal technique with a front-yard path .  In both of those situations, the ideas call for upright conifers in various spots.   One last data point - back in 2019, I created a post that deta...

The single-best decision we've made with our landscape in the six seasons since we moved into our house was planting a row of Frans Fontaine European Hornbeam trees along the property line on the north side.   Over the years, I've tried to document their grown from 2" caliper trees to a full hedge today (one that likely needs to be pruned next season).   Here's a post from July 2022 that somewhat chronicles the full history of these trees .   I typically try to post some photos of these trees in late Summer - here's the trees from a year ago (September 2023 ) and then again as they drop their leaves.  Here's last Fall/early Winter when they were dropping their leaves - and some holding their leaves .   Have a look at what the trees look like below - right now.  They're tall, full and surprisingly in need of (I think) a prune. Like all the trees in our yard, if you look closely, you'll see a bunch of brown, dead 'tips' on the branches....

Back on July First, I posted the details of a new (to me) Northern Glow Korean Maple tree that I planted in our front yard in a newly created island bed.  I tucked it in next to our third Spring Grove dwarf Ginkgo tree.  Planting a new tree in the middle of the summer Summer is always a risk - with the heat and drought conditions that usually occur around here in Zone 6a/5b.   But, I learned last year that some shade cloth (50%) is a pretty good path towards helping young, dwarf trees get established during the heat of July and August.  So, that's what I did:  I put up a shade cloth covering both the Ginkgo and the Northern Glow Korean Maple .  With the cloth down at the end of August, I've begun to provide supplemental water to both of these small trees.  And, what I'm seeing on the Maple is a surprise (to me):  new, late-Summer foliage growth.  There are a handful of new buds that have emerged on some of the tips of the tree and some n...

Back at the very beginning of COVID - when the world was grinding to a halt, I was $30 cash as a birthday present from Nat's Grampy.  I used that money to buy a tree - the Grampy Tree.  That tree was a London Planetree.  I stuck it in the backyard, along the northside of the fence, about 2/3rds of the way back.  It suffered some shock at the beginning, but figured itself out and got established.  Today, it is growing up an dout and putting on new foliage growth far beyond my reach. Below is a look at the tree as it stands today: It has plenty of room to keep growing and it sure looks like this planetree has put down enough roots to drink from when I sprinkle the adjacent beds.  

In late Spring/early Summer 2023, I planted a small (1.5 gallon) Emperor 1 Japanese Maple - Acer palmatum in what I call the 'kitchen curved bed' .  Right behind/amongst some Fanal Astilbes.  By last Fall, it was showing a little bit of new growth and put on new foliage .  A good sign.  This Spring, it was one of a few trees that I wrapped in tulle - to protect from cicadas.  Doing that, wasn't great for the tree and damaged some of the tips of the tree along the way.  No big deal because the trade-off of a few broken small branches vs. the tree getting killed by the cicadas seemed worth taking. This was also a spot where I did a 'garden edit'.  Moving a border of Ajuga Chocolate Chip in and widening out the front of the bed this Spring.   I removed the netting more than a month ago and today, the tree is rebounding a little bit.  Below is a look at the current state of our second Emperor 1 Japanese Maple: Looking forward to this one fil...

The small, volunteer Northern Catalpa tree that is growing up on one corner of our patio had a three-leader situation going on in June.  Catalpas are whirl'd - which means they show growth out of three points, so having three leaders isn't surprising.  About three weeks ago, I made the decision to cut-off two of them and then forgot about it.  It didn't take long, but the small tree reacted VERY STRONGLY to the leader situation being sorted and has shot up about a foot in the past two weeks.  Here, below, is a look at the tree as it sits currently: I'll note that the peak is right above the tips of the Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grasses.  Looking back at September 2023 - late last Summer - this same tree was coming in a foot-or-so below the grass tips and I measured it at 41" tall. What is it now - after this growth spurt?  65" tall to the top of the foliage.  24" growth since September of 2023 - and most of it (I think) in the past couple of weeks.

In 2023, I bought a pair of dwaft ( Witch's Broom) Ginkgo trees named Spring Grove Gingkos and planted them on either side of our back stoop .  They're handsome dwarf trees that have done well.  They wilt in the hot sun a little bit, but have put on good growth in their two growing seasons .  So...when I came across another one earlier this Summer, I grabbed it. I wasn't sure where it would go, but when I decided to cut out and create the new front yard Island Bed and plant the Northern Glow Korean Maple , I figured this small Spring Grove Ginkgo would make a handsome companion.     I put it in the opposite corner of the bed and like the Korean Maple, I also covered this with some shade cloth to give it a little bit of protection from the summer sun.  This one is multi-trunked (2 stems).  You can see the as-planted state below: Here (below) is a capture of the plant tags: This is the second island bed plant and will (hopefully) serve as the ancho...