Jack of all species - Masters of none

Scott County, KY(Zone 5b)

On this pleasant weekend, I harken back to April 2008 when I had the good fortune to be invited to visit Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

Far from being "a good walk spoiled", it was an experience of a lifetime. From the eye-straining hues of green to the phenomenal quality of upkeep, I was amazed around every turn of the course.

Here are a few of the woody denizens of this verdant reserve.

**Magnolia grandiflora lining the entrance drive

**An embankment of (I think) Lady Banks' Rose - Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'

**Acer griseum happily in open pine shade

**A big old holly coming into bloom, likely an Ilex latifolia clone

**The rampant Wisteria sp. next to the clubhouse

Edited to add italics which inexplicably didn't register with first posting

This message was edited Apr 9, 2016 6:32 PM

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Clarksville, TN(Zone 7a)

Nice.

Scott County, KY(Zone 5b)

You know all I needed was encouragement...

Amazingly, some people don't know each hole at Augusta National is named after a plant. See here for more on that:

http://www.augusta.com/masters/coursetour

On hole #1 (named for another Osmanthus sp.) there is a big planting of one of my favorite trees that is hard to find to buy: Osmanthus americanus - Devilwood. They were just coming into their fragrant bloom period.

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Pequannock, NJ(Zone 6b)

It looks like an incredible visit!

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

VV, these are lovely!

Speaking of Arboretums, I just got some plants from Raulston. Here is one:

Styrax calvescens
smooth snowbell

This rare Chinese member of the snowbell genus should be more widely grown. It makes an attractive large shrub or small tree, typically reaching only 15'-20' tall. In spring, small white flowers with reflexed petals and golden stamens are borne on short racemes. In full sun, the leaves are medium to dark green above, and paler beneath. The dark gray-brown bark is handsome in winter. It is easy to grow and a perfect size for most landscapes.

I think that this is zone 6, so I am going to perhaps keep it in a big pot and move it to my garage and/or plant it in a protected location (which I have) and give it major protection each winter. It's so gorgeous, I have to try. I have a bunch of plants that overwinter in the garage. The trick is to pull them and put them in the house if they break dormancy and then it refreezes.

I also got this:
Deutzia pulchra
beautiful deutzia

This deutzia is often described as one of the best in cultivation. In late spring and early summer, dangling clusters of white star-shaped flowers often touched with pink, adorn this plant. The bark provides winter interest, as it peels to expose the orange bark beneath. It has an upright habit reaching 6' - 9' tall and is native to woodland edges and scrub in the Philippines and Taiwan.

This is listed on Daves as Zone 5a hardy, and I have ahd a deutzia Chardonnay Pearls for ten years that has done beautifully. I got that from Raulston too. It has stayed compact and is completely reliable in bloom. I have a couple of deutzia Codsall pinks that almost bloomed last year before they got "thripped" along with some roses. The reblooming roses recovered and bloomed but one of my once bloomers said - "that's it for the season". It was neighborhood wide because lots of people had it - so I have preemptively treated for it this year.

I also received a salvia that is not hardy, but what I do for a plant I like is simply to pull it indoors . Crazy people do this. I have a southfacing area that has a large spot where tender plants overwinter. You do this if you are obsessed.

Oxdrift, Canada

Viburnum: Thanks for sharing these. Very nice
Donna: it takes a lot more craziness and obsession to garden in Zone 3. Believe me

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

Wow Oxdrift. I think I have ONE plant that could survive there. But it's a honey. The Explorer rose Quadra.

Do you take crazy steps? If so, you are a kindred spirit!

Lake Stevens, WA(Zone 8a)

Tell us about the Devilwood- why the name, and why is it a favorite or yours? It looks very nice.
I got a start of Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus 'Apricot Echo' from Logee's this winter, it has been living on a windowsill, awaiting it's new home in my garden. I have never tried Osmanthus before, hoping this one is scented. Not sure I can grow it here, I never see Osmanthus in peoples gardens, which probably means I can't keep it. All it takes is one mild winter for me to become a "Zone Pusher".

(Robin) Blissfield, MI(Zone 6a)

Funny, I was in Augusta today, well it was a virtual visit on my TV screen. It's such a beautiful course. Please tell us more about Osmanthus americanus, before you got to hole 2.

Oxdrift, Canada

DonnaMack: for an answer to your question, "do you take crazy steps" go over to the Propagtion forum if you have time and follow the 27 post thread that I started and was joined by Pistil and Mipii. The title is "How to propagate Oxalis Zinfandel and Molten Lava. If you join the conversation there then if your forums are set up like mine you should get notification of the updates I promised the girls come late July or so.
Keith

(Robin) Blissfield, MI(Zone 6a)

Yes Donna, you've got to check out Oxdriftgarden's gardens, he's crazy good!

Elgin, IL(Zone 5a)

I'll do that later today.

My two viburnum opulus are arriving today from Classic Viburnums! It's so hard to find this plant - I was unsuccessful with Gary and Sue two years ago so got a Sargent 'Chiquita' another wonderful plant.

I may not be the one who has the most viburnums in the end but I'm enjoying growing as many as I can!

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