Signs of spring

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Interesting what is being said about japanese beetles.

I had two lindens at my former home, a Tilia cordata ‘Bailey’, the Shamrock linden (wow, what a magnificent tree). I went all the way to Wisconsin to get a larger caliper tree, and a Greenspire, which was planted by my community (not my choice, but a nice tree).

Since my community had a program through which they would reimburse you for 50% of the cost of a tree up to $400, I of course got a big Shamrock (a $375 tree at 50% off) and had it professionally planted with the cost savings. I never believed the stuff about a smaller tree growing faster - it took off and got huge. And because it tends to branch close to the ground, it provided great privacy from nosy neighbors. And because it was so big and robust, it held off the japanese beetles quite well. I would plant it again.

But my next door neighbor had a linden that was put in before mine - not sure of the cultivar, but bigger than my tree initially - and japanese beetles just about killed it. The two trees were only about 30 feet apart. True, they never watered or fertilized it. I kept a soaker hose around my tree and made sure it got an inch of water each week, making me wonder if drought stress is a factor in japanese beetle love and affection. Also, I put tree wrap on mine in the winter because of the thin skin of the linden (I had three neighbors who each had a single linden that developed enormous frost cracks).

Pictures 2 and 3 are at the height of japanese beetle season.

In picture 4, there is a sidewalk along the easement. This baby eliminated the gawking.

If I had the room,I would have planted this tree again. There are no lindens in my community. But I didn't, so I put in a new paperbark maple. I had one at my previous house.

Thumbnail by DonnaMack Thumbnail by DonnaMack Thumbnail by DonnaMack Thumbnail by DonnaMack Thumbnail by DonnaMack
Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

We had a terrible drought a couple of years back, and I had a bunch of soaker hoses from my old house. I offered them to neighbors, but only one took me up on it. The number of trees that died around here was incredible. Several were in yards adjacent to mine, and the falling limbs were so bad that I actually had to get an arborist to remove their dead limbs that were overhanging and falling into my yard. Some of them were as long as 20 feet, and nicely placed over my planting beds. More than once I walked away just before one of them came crashing down in a place where I had just stood.

Eau Claire, WI(Zone 4a)

That's interesting. Is it possible T. americana (your cultivar) is more resistant to Japanese beetles that T. cordata (commonly planted)?

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

You know, I just was doing some research that indicated that it is budded on cordata understock and has resistance to aphids and japanese beetles and transplants really well (please see the link below). I wish I could say that that's the reason I chose it, but I simply bought it because I thought it outrageously beautiful and not prone to disease. I also was trying to avoid any kind of standard maple, since we had hundreds in the community (the various red maples were being heavily marketed), and I needed a good shade tree because we were on former farmland and it was so freaking hot! And I didn't mind yellow fall color - most people want red.

The Greenspire I had, which is a cordata that is now commonly planted, did suffer more damage.

http://www.hansenstree.com/wordpress/arbor-age-tree-of-the-month-shamrock-littleleaf-linden/

And I did notice that the Basswoods in my community (my understanding is that they are T. americana) got viciously chomped.

Eau Claire, WI(Zone 4a)

Sorry, my mistake. I must've confused 'Shamrock' with 'Redmond', which is a cultivar of the native linden.

Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a)

Quote from Mipii :
Resin, are you worried about getting another hard frost? I hope you enjoyed your warmest winter yet...I think we had ours last year (could use a few more).


Nope! There's a few frosts in the forecast, but only light, nothing hard expected.

Not been too enjoyable a winter though - it's been the stormiest on record, with repeated hurricane-force winds, and the wettest on record too (in over 240 years of recording), particularly down south, where some areas have had 2˝ times their average winter rainfall and apocalyptic flooding.

Resin

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Resin, your weather has definitely made the news. I watch the BBC News when I can, and they are actually saying that living area will be reduced in the UK because of rising water levels! I've seen footage of people walking down the streets in waist high water.

Astounding!

(Robin) Blissfield, MI(Zone 6a)

Sorry to hear you couldn't enjoy your warm temps. Hurricane force winds and record setting rainfall sure doesn't encourage popping your head out, let alone a walk in the park.

I saw the pics you uploaded of the south, man those were freakish...and yet, the UK was still beautiful!

I sure hope the damage is minimal and spring treats you better than normal.

Vienna, VA(Zone 7a)

Resin, my newspaper carried a color photo of the aurora borealis in Embleton Bay? Could you see it from where you live?

That must have been a small bright spot in the UK's otherwise terrible winter.

Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a)

Quote from Muddy1 :
Resin, my newspaper carried a color photo of the aurora borealis in Embleton Bay? Could you see it from where you live?

That must have been a small bright spot in the UK's otherwise terrible winter.


Yes! Saw it on Thursday evening. Not very well, because of street lights, but still visible. The Embleton photos are stunning, though!
Some others taken by people I know down at the coast:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhhAOMaCYAAdhDx.jpg:large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhhJMq1CIAAgi65.jpg:large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bhgyr7CCEAARWt0.jpg:large
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kivBGS9E-sE/UxCVFwFObjI/AAAAAAAAGpQ/C4bMgNDb-XE/s1600/Aurora+3.jpg
And one taken up in the hills away from street lights:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhjxKxzIAAE26YU.jpg:large

Resin

Scott County, KY(Zone 5b)

The blogspot.com link worked - nice image. The other four go to blank pages...

Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a)

See if this works:

Some others taken by people I know down at the coast:
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhhAOMaCYAAdhDx.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhhJMq1CIAAgi65.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bhgyr7CCEAARWt0.jpg
And one taken up in the hills away from street lights:
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhjxKxzIAAE26YU.jpg

Resin

Eau Claire, WI(Zone 4a)

OMG -- what a beautiful sight! I want that last image to be my screen background.

Scott County, KY(Zone 5b)

Very nice...

(Robin) Blissfield, MI(Zone 6a)

Beautiful pics!

Pseudo, you can write the Guardian and ask for a raw image large enough for desktop wallpaper.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/gallery/2014/feb/28/northern-lights-illuminate-the-uk-in-pictures-aurora-borealis
This is the one you're looking for:
Northern Lights at Sycamore Gap, Hadrian's Wall.

Vienna, VA(Zone 7a)

Phenomenal! I have never seen photos of the aurora borealis in such Christmas-y colors.
As I looked at them, I wondered what people must have thought when the lights appeared tens of thousands of years ago before anyone knew what caused them.

Saint Louis, MO(Zone 6a)

I can't compete with the aurora borealis,
but I have an eager quince wintering in a pot in my garage.
He seems oblivious to the predicted 4 degrees tonight.
I have a bunch of Japanese maple seedlings also chomping at the bit.
The way this winter is going, I'm not sure they'll ever see the light of day!

Thumbnail by Weerobin Thumbnail by Weerobin
Saint Louis, MO(Zone 6a)

I potted up a little metasequoia seedling last fall and overwintered him in the garage also.
I see he's putting out new growth now.
And signs of spring are occurring not just in my garage....
After another pretty cold week with highs in 30's still, we got a couple days in 50's and
suddenly my first snowdrop made it's appearance.
And my helleborus foetidus is putting out new growth and even starting to flower,
such as it is. Spring is here for real!

Thumbnail by Weerobin Thumbnail by Weerobin Thumbnail by Weerobin
Vienna, VA(Zone 7a)

Nice photos, Wee. I hope you're right about spring's being here; I've had it with winter.

Lititz, PA(Zone 6b)

Oh I long to see my Metasequoia in leaf...

Eau Claire, WI(Zone 4a)

Mine has been buried under snow for so long I completely forgot I even had one.

I never met a sequoia that I didn't like.

~ Will Rodgers

Lititz, PA(Zone 6b)

LOL...what a guy!

(Robin) Blissfield, MI(Zone 6a)

Lucky you Wee, spring isn't here for real yet.

Saint Louis, MO(Zone 6a)

We're not yet in the clear, some nonsense about 'snow' tonight - but I think they're backing off on that prediction. I'm still convinced spring is coming. Forecast for this weekend still isn't offering any guarantees, but I'm chomping at the bit to get started on spring clean up.

Lititz, PA(Zone 6b)

Spring clean up will be a thing of the distant future for the poor folks of NY, VT, NH, and ME today and tomorrow they are supposed to get 12-24" of snow throughout!!

Eau Claire, WI(Zone 4a)

We lost a lot of snow over the past three days with high temps in the mid 50's, but there's still about a foot on the ground. March can be a very heavy snow month for us, so there's a pretty good chance we'll get hammered again before it's all said and done. Did anyone else enjoy last evenings western sky?

Thumbnail by Pseudo
Lititz, PA(Zone 6b)

I just couldn't live up there...I'd have to find a solid winter hobby or something.

Scott County, KY(Zone 5b)

I got to see that fine coloration from my office window...

Anne Arundel,, MD(Zone 7b)

wow Pseudo, beautiful.

Eau Claire, WI(Zone 4a)

Sequoia ~ you'd love it here. Beer, cheese, and conifers everywhere. What's not to like?!

John ~ Must've been a long day at the office.

Sally ~ Thank you. There will be a few days in spring when we get sunsets like this agains the oaks emerging foliage that is pause for reflection.

Lititz, PA(Zone 6b)

I think the 8 months of cold would count me out. If I was up there, I might have to take up drinking...again...lol

Eau Claire, WI(Zone 4a)

Where are all the pictures of flowering trees? Some of you must have magnolias, redbuds, etc. flowering by now. C'mon, share them with us.

Lititz, PA(Zone 6b)

They ain't happening yet here...

Saint Louis, MO(Zone 6a)

We're way behind schedule here too,
but I always plant several super-early blooming trees to help me survive winter.
Here are a few of the earliest stalwarts which were blooming last weekend.

#1 Cornus mas.
#2 Hamamelis x intermedia Jelena Only a few blooms this year.
#3 Hamamelis x intermedia Arnold Promise. Very floriferous this year.
#4 Dirca palustris. Always very early blooming.

Dogwoods, magnolias aren't even getting close yet.

My earliest blooming tree is usually prunus mume, sometimes blooming on New Year's day.
It's buds are totally toasted this year. I'll wait 'til next year.

Thumbnail by Weerobin Thumbnail by Weerobin Thumbnail by Weerobin Thumbnail by Weerobin
Eau Claire, WI(Zone 4a)

Oh wow, Dirca -- I love it! A few years ago in spring I was traveling through rural northern WI and noticed a woods filled with flowering Dirca. It was one of those beautiful early spring days (mid-late April) with bright sunshine pouring into the open woods. The Leatherwood flowers were in full glory! Dirca is a wonderful native understory shrub. I left behind a nice specimen at the old place that I still miss, especially this time of year. Thanks Weerobin for posting these pictures. You've brought back some nice memories.

(Robin) Blissfield, MI(Zone 6a)

Thanks Wee, I feel better too (love Hamamelis x intermedia Jelena)!

Lititz, PA(Zone 6b)

This is the only flowering shrub we have. Hamamelis Intermedia x Arnold's Promise. These pics are from a week and a half ago but it's still blooming and smelling wonderful.

Thumbnail by Sequoiadendron4 Thumbnail by Sequoiadendron4
(Robin) Blissfield, MI(Zone 6a)

Nice Sequoia!

Lititz, PA(Zone 6b)

Thanks! I can't wait until it's bigger! We planted another one but it's only 18" tall.

Weerobin: our Fire Charm flowered poorly this year too. Not sure why.

(Robin) Blissfield, MI(Zone 6a)

Do you guys collect seeds from your beauties?

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