Why I Oughta...

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 detailed some potential 'plan

All the way back in February of 2020, I posted about a conifer tree as part of a 'tree dreaming' series named the Oregon Green Austrian Pine tree .  At that time, I was busy spending my time during the cold, dark Winter researching some trees that I *could* put in my yard - and learn a little bit about them at the same time.  I was focused on 'columnar' trees - or narrow ones that grow upright and included the Oregon Green Austrian Pine in that set.  At that time, I said that the Oregon Green wasn't strictly-speaking columnar, but it was 'narrow'.   I included this description from Monrovia: That reads:  " Deep, glossy, rich green, stiff needles, densely spaced and curved against the branches give the appearance of large pipe cleaners.  The unique, more open form with asymmetrical branching creates a striking landscape specimen.  In the Spring...there is a firework explosion of pearly white candles that come out in clusters.  Evergreen. " It also s

Our dahlias keep blooming, but this week, we'll see overnight temperatures down into the 40's.  I'm thinking that means that these things will SLOW WAY DOWN and the blooms will be coming to an end.  Here, below are a couple of photos showing some of the dahlias that I cut this morning - Melina Fleur, Cornell Bronze, Orange Nugget.  

I planted a pair Spring Grove Ginkgo trees (dwarf trees) on either side of my back stoop last Summer - in May 2023 .   All Summer-long, I protected them from the sun with a shade cloth as they were drooping everytime we'd have a run of hot days.  They seemed to make it thru the season just fine and by September of 2023, they were showing some new, tender growth .   Both of the trees came back this Spring and I don't seem to have documented their growth in 2024.  This year, I did NOT put up any shade cloth and only watered them when I was watering my annuals.  It appears that they're *mostly* established by this point and are filling out. Below are their current looks.  On the left (below) is the tree on the southside.  On the right (below), is the one on the north - in between the stoop and the screened porch door. At this point, I've done ZERO pruning on them and I don't intend to touch them - until they start to creep in/onto the stoop or doorway.

I planted three Miscanthus sinensis 'Adagio' - Dwarf Maiden Grasses in the backyard back in 2021 sort-of near the tree-swing tree.  They were - at that time - part of a layering that was going on over there with Hakonechloa Macra All Gold Grasses in front, these Dwarf Maiden Grasses in the middle and some dwarf Little Lime Hydrangeas in the back.  I posted about this 'slice' of my garden last September.    But...now...the pizza oven has happened.  And it is close to this spot.  I already moved the All Gold grasses out.   Now, with #FallPlanting here, I've turned my attention to these grasses.  They have done a lovely job of growing these past few season.  And...now it sure feels like they're good candidates for dividing. See below for current state of these dwarf Maiden grasses: I see a few spots for these: In back:  around the patio - to layer with Karl Foersters.  Or, on north end to anchor that corner. In front:  paired with a new conifer to create a little

In the middle of last Summer (July 2023), I planted a pair of dark foliage shrubs - Eiffel Tower Black Tower Elderberries - along the fenceline about mid-way back .  Looking back at them when they went in, the were short and compact.   Now, 15 months later, both of the shrubs are doing fine - putting on some vertical growth and doing their 'tower' thing.  They're not...however...black.  See below: This season, they're up over the top of the fence (you can see in the background), so they've bulked-up height-wise.  I cut these back to about 2' off the ground this Spring and I'll do that again.   According to the description, they're supposed to 'age to black', so perhaps that's still coming?  (I doubt it).  

Dahlias aren't the only thing 'popping off' in our garden right now .  Surprisingly (to me), I'm seeing some nice-shaped blooms on our Disneyland Roses that are planted in our sideyard.  Last year, we had six of these Disneyland Roses - but I lost all three in the front porch bed.  (I replaced them with Dahlias, which...I think worked out nicely...) But, the three on the sideyard are still around.  But, they struggled all year.  I published a post in June titled:  The Disneyland Roses are Struggling .  At that time, they were dealing with (what I'm pretty sure was) a double-trouble combo:  sawfly larvae and fungus.  I treated them a variety of ways - Neem Oil, insecticide dust, systemic combo treatment.  They seemed to 'rebound' by late June .  But, that might have been a response to fertilizer.  Then, they dropped all their leaves.  That had me REALLY worried. Articles like this one - talking about how roses drop their leaves when stressed - didn't pac