Category: Trees & Shrubs
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Sugar Maple Seedlings – Mast Year
Last fall, we had a bumper crop of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) seeds, leading to a bumper crop of sugar maple seedlings. I’ve never seen so many sugar maple seedlings in the garden. Why Are there so many Maple Seedlings in My Yard? Sugar maples have what are known as ‘Mast Years,’ when they produce…
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Hartlage Wine Calycanthus
Hartlage Wine Calycanthus, Calycanthus raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine,’ is an underused large shrub that ticks all the boxes: gorgeous blooms, long season of bloom and easy to care for. Where does Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub Grow? Hartlage Wine Calycanthus will grow in full sun or shade. However, you’ll get more and larger flowers in full sun. Calycanthus likes average…
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Tree Petunia Flowers?
The other day, I spotted a beautiful pink flower two feet off the ground and felt a rush of adrenalin, thinking I discovered tree petunia flowers. Upon closer inspection, I realized my self-sewn petunias had grown into a Cornell Pink Rhododendron. I still think it’s cool! You’ll see Hartlage Wine Calycanthus foliage to the right…
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PeeGee Hydrangea Window Peeping
The off-white PeeGee Hydrangea contrasts warm yellow lamp light inside the house viewed through a double-hung window older than me. PeeGee Hydrangeas give instant class to any landscape. Click on image to view larger.
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PeeGee Hydrangea Full Bloom
PeeGee hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’) gives instant elegance to any landscape. PeeGee Hydrangea – Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ The white, reliable blooms of PeeGee Hydrangea slowly become pink as fall progresses. Other features of PeeGee Hydrangeas include a course habit and yellowing leaves as the temperature grows colder. Prune PeeGee hydrangeas whenever you see fit, for…
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Patriotic Lambsquarters
Last week, I woke early and headed out to hone my photography skills. While I would like to put all of my award-winning photos in one post, I realized a picture truly is worth a thousand words and decided to break up the posts. Click on a photo to open a larger version. Patriotic Lambsquarters…
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Spring Flowers for Early Bloom in the Landscape
We all want to see color after a long dreary winter. However, what can we plant to get spring flowers sooner? Yesterday, I looked out the kitchen window and the Arnold Promise Witch Hazel was on fire. It’s mid-march and I’ve already got a flowering tree in full bloom. Arnold Promise Witch Hazel doesn’t have…
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Oakleaf Hydrangea Glowing in the Morning Sun
This morning I stepped outside for a breath of air and caught an Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) glowing in the warmth of the morning sun. Oakleaf Hydrangeas are one of my favorite plants for several reasons. First, the oak-shaped leaves create interest in the landscape all year. Second, mid-summer blooms light up the landscape and…
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Nurse Log, Trees Growing Out of a Tree
The other day while eating at my favorite lunch spot I noticed a decaying hemlock with deciduous seedlings growing out of it, a nurse log. Nurse logs are rotting logs that support tree seedlings. As the old tree decays it creates a seedbed for tree seedlings. The decomposing wood stays moist and provides organic matter…