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Category: Trees & Shrubs

White Fringetree – Chionanthus virginicus

Last week while driving I spotted the beauty above, a White Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) in full bloom. The tree was a sight to behold.

I took this picture the first week of June in Zone 6a. Bloom time is in line with the Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa), possibly starting a little earlier.

Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia says the White Fringetree grows 12 to 20 feet high and wide in Zones 4 to 9. Dirr recommends it as a woodland or understory naturalizing plant. I agree. I’d love to see it on the edge of the woods with a high canopy above.

The Missouri Botanical Garden White Fringetree writeup says there are both male and female plants with male plants having showier flowers. This tree is male.

I’ve only planted White Fringetree once in my career and while the flower was beautiful the tree seemed to linger and never thrived. I spotted dead branches on this tree though the branches that are alive seem perfectly healthy.

While some dead branches may be a drawback I recommend White Fringetree. I would relegate it to the edge of the woods and not in a prominent spot in the landscape. Know that you’re going to have to periodically clean the tree out, especially in Connecticut.

If you look at the base of this tree you can see a lot of sucker growth. That’s a sign of a stressed tree. I have to give credit to the person who planted it, you can see the root flare. Nice job!

The White Fringetree is great for collectors, and possibly naturalizing, here in Connecticut.

I started looking for White Fringetrees online and found White Fringetree Seedlings at Garden Hills Nursery. I’m impressed with the variety of trees Garden Hills offers, be careful if you’re a collector and visit their website.

Have you ever grown White Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) ? What do you think of it?

June 9, 2019
Perennial Border June 2019

I’m pleased with how the plants have been growing in my perennial border this spring. We’ve had a very wet spring making the plants green and lush.

The bed you’re looking at has been weeded three times and edged twice. Plants have been added, subtracted and transplanted.

Gardening takes work.

I’m not trying to dissuade you from gardening. I want you to know gardening isn’t a once and done thing. People with beautiful yards spend a lot of time keeping those yards looking that way and love every minute they spend out there. I know I do.

The pink flowers are some kind of Poppy. I wish I could tell you more but I can’t.

A little up and to the right of the pink flowers are Mountain Bluet (Centaurea montana). I lost all but one of my Mountain Bluet over the winter. I suspect the cause of death was wet soil in the Fall, Winter or Spring. I got replacements at the grocery store this spring. If they don’t make it this time I’ll try something different.

You’d be amazed by how different the bed looks through the season depending on what is in bloom.

If you look over the fence you can see my Weber grill. It’s been in that spot for 19 years and counting. I enjoy peeking over the fence while grilling hot dogs in the Summer.

Click on the picture below for a larger version.

A closeup of the Poppies is below. Lauren, see below in comments, thinks it’s Papaver Orientale. I agree!

June 3, 2019
First Shade Day – The Leaves are Out!

First Shade Day is the first day you can see shade from the trees each spring. May 5 was First Shade Day this year; though it was raining when I made the observation.

First Shade Day signifies the unofficial beginning of spring. I know the cold, damp gloomy days are over.
John Holden

Below are some observations of the yard on First Shade Day 2019.

Shade Garden Ideas

Below is the Hosta Garden leafing out. This garden has a lot of significance for a couple of reasons.

First, the root flare of the Sugar Maple to the left that’s 100 to 125 years old.

Second, when we bought our house this area was half moss and half weeds. It was a mess! Over the years I placed the stepping stones, spread compost, and planted the Hosta to get it to where it is today.

Theo is enjoying First Shade Day too! On the right are some Tiarella (Tiarella cordifolia) in full bloom along with an Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis ‘Old Fashioned’) .

Epimedium – Plant for Dry Shade

Sulphureum Barrenwort (Epimedium × versicolor ‘Sulphureum’) in full bloom growing in dry shade and looking great! Barrenwort dies back to the ground in the fall but reliably returns each spring. It’s a very slow spreader that works better as a grouping than as a ground cover.

Sulphureum Barrenwort (Epimedium × versicolor ‘Sulphureum’) flower and foliage. The foliage has a reddish tinge when it emerges and the small yellow flowers provide interest in the spring garden.

Japanese Crabapple – Spring Flowering Tree

Japanese Crabapple in full bloom. When we moved into the house 20 years ago the tree was a stick 6 to 8 feet tall.

Over the coming weeks, the petals will litter the plantings and lawn beneath the tree. Following that leaves will slowly drop through the summer. When the leaves drop in the fall they are thick and leathery and don’t ‘grind up’ with the lawnmower easily.

While I’m not a fan of Japanese Crabapples; few trees can compete with their beauty in full bloom. Here’s a great list of Japanese Crabapple Cultivars .

If you can identify the cultivar of Japanese Crabapple from the flowers please let me know.

Square Foot Gardening

Last year I started a square foot garden. I planted lettuce seedlings a couple of weeks ago. I only covered the plants once to protect them from frost so far.

In my other bed I planted onion sets, broccoli and peas.

When I was a kid I visited a friend whose father was growing peas early in the season. I remember watching the peas growing in the muddy, cold soil and wondering why anyone would plant so early.

I’ve learned that peas like cold, muddy soil. These seedlings were planted mid-April and they’re thriving.

Seasonal Color Ideas

My wife came back from Target with this cool bucket. She poked holes in the bottom with a nail for drainage, filled the container with potting soil and planted some pansies from the local grocery store. Voila!

German or Bearded Iris

This picture is the bed of German Iris I made a video about years ago. In the video, I mention weeding around the iris. I decided to keep the leaves in the bed to shade the soil and see if it keeps the weeds down.

Thanks for sharing First Shade Day with me.

May 10, 2019
An Evening Walk – The Road not Taken

Last night I went for the best walk I’ve had in a while. We’ve had high heat, high humidity and a ton of rain the last couple weeks which hasn’t encouraged walks.

I started around 5:00 PM without much of an idea where I was headed.

At one corner left would take me home in half an hour or right in two hours. I went right.

I haven’t felt so calm and at peace in months as I did last night.

Robert Frost wrote “The Road Not Taken” about a similar situation.

I enjoy getting lost in the details of houses and landscapes as I walk by. You never know what you’ll see.

The picture at the top of the post is an old mill-pond. There’s a guy on a canoe or kayak somewhere in there. The pond is on a seldom traveled dirt road where it’s always calm and quiet.

Walking through a different neighborhood I stumbled on a giant boulder or ledge. I’m not sure which. If I were standing in front of that rock my head would be in the shadow.

Near the rock a Caterpillar D5N sits waiting for work. It’s a BIG machine.

I stumbled on a Callicarpa closer to home.

This picture, taken in early August, shows Callicarpa blooms. Purple berries will be coming soon. If anyone knows the species please let me know.

The picture below was a surprise. I walked by a hidden stream and glanced over to see a Cardinal Flower in full bloom. Cardinal Flower is a native in Connecticut but I rarely see it in the wild. I don’t know if this plant grew on its own or planted/tossed in the stream.

We’ve had a lot of rain the last couple weeks and that stream is normally a trickle this time of the year.

This post reminded me of The Road Not Taken by Bruce Hornsby, on of my favorite musicians.

Thanks for joining me on my walk. I look forward to sharing more pictures with you soon.

August 6, 2018
There’s a Fungus Among Us

While working this week I spotted this cool fungus. I wish I could tell you more about it.

In the picture at the top of the post you can see a puddle of rainwater on the fungus. We’ve had a very rainy summer which is probably why this fungus looks so healthy.

Looking down at the fungus and the puddle. I bet a frog finds that sooner than later.

A shot from the side showing the fungus attached to the tree. The tree it’s growing on is a Japanese Maple, probably a Bloodgood.

Fungus only grows on decaying matter. This tree has dead wood.

If you notice fungus growing on trees in your yard have an arborist you trust have a closer look before it’s too late and the tree falls injuring someone or damaging your property.

If you know anything about this fungus I’m all ears.

August 3, 2018
Early Spring Blooming Plants – Part 1

I visited the Bartlett Arboretum in mid-April and had a ball looking at early spring blooming plants. Below are some pictures from my visit.

Cornell Pink Rhododendron (Rhododendron mucronulatum ‘Cornell Pink’)

Cornell Pink Rhododendron was in full bloom. Cornell Pink is a deciduous rhododendron and blooms before foliage emerges.

A close up of Cornell Pink Rhododendron flowers.

Winter Hazel (Corylopsis pauciflora)

Winter Hazel in full bloom. I’ve never planted it but I like the compact habit and bright yellow blooms in early-spring.

Winter Hazel flowers aren’t big but there’s enough of them to catch your eye.

Lenten Rose Sp. (Helleborus sp.)

The Lenten Rose was in full bloom. You can see last years foliage under the flowers. If you have Lenten Rose you can prune the foliage back in early winter once it goes dormant or early spring. There’s no harm if you don’t cut back last years foliage before bloom.

Star Magnololia (Magnolia Stellata)

Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous.

Because they flower so early Star Magnolia blooms are often damaged by frost. These blooms are as good as it gets for Star Magnolia.

More pictures from my visit coming soon.

May 8, 2017
How Does a Tree Heal

A tree forms callous tissue to cover wounds. How quickly a tree heals depends on the size of the wound and where it’s cut.

The Sugar Maple cross-section at the top of this post shows a well healed wound. You can see the cut and the callous tissue that closed the wound.

Below is the same wound from the outside.

This Choke Cherry stump grew around suckers cut years before. I can’t say the tree was ‘healing’ but the picture demonstrates how a tree envelops objects.

In elementary school we’re taught to count a trees rings to learn the trees age. Growth rings also give us a clue to a trees health.

The growth rings on this White Oak are very close for many years. There may have been a drought, lighting strike or a pest attacking the tree.

The rings are so close because the tree was healing from pruning and lost a lot of its canopy causing stunted growth.

The Three Cut Method of Pruning

When splitting wood I see all kinds of neat things demonstrating how trees grow. The video below showcases healed wounds and shows the three cut method for pruning trees.

If you just want to learn about the three cut method skip to the second half of the video.

February 6, 2017
Common Witch Hazel – Late Fall Bloom

Common Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is an underappreciated small tree. It blends into the background most of the year until late Fall when in bloom. How many other trees are in bloom in early December?

A closeup of Common Witch Hazel blooms. I took this picture on a cold and wet December morning with sleet on the ground from the previous night’s storm.

Where to Plant Common Witch Hazel

Don’t use Common Witch Hazel in your foundation planting. It’s informal habit won’t work with modern homes. If you live in a rustic log cabin nestled in the woods I say, “Go for it!”

Plant this large shrub on the edge of the woods where it can blend in most of the year and give late Fall interest.

I planted my Common Witch Hazel at the back of my shrub border. You don’t notice it until late November to early December.

For more information visit the Missouri Botanical Garden website.

December 7, 2016
Jack Frost Exceedingly Bad Day

Yesterday we had snow, then rain, then ice and then snow again. When I woke this morning it was a frigid 26 degrees.

You’d think I’d be used to spring snow. I’ve lived in southern New England all my life where the weather is anything but predictable.

I’m not.

Every time Jack Frost lays waste to the landscape I’m surprised. Yesterday Jack was having an exceedingly bad day.

While the pictures below show plants at their worst I assure you they’ll be fine. In a few day they’ll look as good as when it was in the sixties last week.

Hellebore (Helleborus sp.) thrives in weather like this. In a few days you won’t know the plant was under half an inch of ice and snow.

Can you can see the layer of ice on this Japanese Cornel Dogwood (Cornus officinalis)?

This pansy is in for a rough couple weeks. Most of the foliage will turn brown and die. Growth deep inside the plant will survive. It’s going to take time. I should have brought the plant inside BEFORE the cold weather arrived.

These poor Daffodils (Narcissus sp.) were laid out on the lawn. I can’t say the flowers will look as good as they did before the snow. However, they will right themselves and shine again in a few days.

Mr. Science Guy how does water run and freeze at the same time?

The first thing I did this morning was get wood to build a fire. The twine holding the tarp is surrounded by thick ice.

What’s the weather like where you live?

April 5, 2016