Speaking of weaknesses...

It all started with a few strawberry plants some 40 odd years ago when I was a kid.

About 20 years ago I became fascinated with a stately Black Walnut in the front yard of our old home. I loved that tree. I loved everything about that tree from its winter form to its bark as well as the green golf balls that fell off in fall. Then I fell in love with the two magnificent Oaks in my back yard. I was particularly fond of their nooks and crannies and the hub of critter activity in and around those nooks and crannies. I puttered around the yard planting this and that but mostly what ever I could pick up from a chain of nursery stores called Franks. I had more failures than successes back then but I sure had fun tinkering around the yard getting dirty.

About 15 years ago I was gifted an Ortho book of some sort. That started the ball rolling and weaknesses began surfacing annually.

I think my major weakness will always be fruiting native trees and shrubs.
Next weakness would be native carnivorous plants.
Next weakness would be native temperate species terrestrial orchids followed closely by tropical orchids.
Next weakness would be native wetland species.
Next weakness would be tall bearded iris.

This year I picked up the Viburnum and Evergreen bug.

What are your weaknesses?

My weakness is Dave's!

I have to agree with Joulz, well anyway my other than being out in the garden weakness.

I guess i would have to say my worst weakness?? is probably wanting to try to grow something different. So my actual garden planting is a jumble. But I do have a sort of overall plan, with different room areas, it is just that I can't keep from planting something in any open space.

Here is a shot of my first structure put in place just after I moved into the house. There was no shade, so had this lattice shade house built. Now I don't really need it, after 11 years, the trees have created enough shade.

Donna

Boy, ain't that the truth, Julie. It sure has cut into my "reading for pleasure" time. Why should I really want to know what happens in zone 8 or with a species that would freeze up even if I had a greenhouse? I remember one incident way back in my youth at a large venue somewhere in Chicago. A group of hearing impared friends were in a big circle after the show "discussing" what they saw. The signing was fast and furious, and punctuated with "shots" to the arms and shoulders for emphasis or attention. And the emotion on their faces, it just blew me away. It is with this anticipation that I come each morning to Dave's. I am usually never disappointed. Thank you my friends. Ken

I would have to say my weaknes is to buy plants I like even if I don't have room for them or any plan otherwise.

Hello.
My name is Guy.
I'm a tree-aholic.
Am I at the right therapy meeting?

Yes Dear, you're in the right T-session. Come on in and sit a spell. You are not alone. We share your pain.

editied to add a word.

This message was edited Apr 4, 2006 9:12 AM

If one were trying to un-become a tree-a-holic, wouldn't it be better to go amongst non-tree people? Maybe go hang out with, say, a bunch of race car drivers or aerobic instructors? I don't think this is a good place for a recovering tree-a-holic to be visiting...here, amonst us unrepentent tree-ophiles blathering endlessly about the hub of all our dreams and visions.

Scott --And why would anyone want to recover from our illness? I like my disease.

I sort of like being diseased myself. What else are we going to spend out money on?

My weakness is lack of planning and creating a garden out of discards at every nursery within 600 miles radius. My wife and I buy whatever is sick unwanted or cheap. Then we bring it home and carefully research its needs and then place it where we think it will thrive. If it does we are excited and if it doesn't we get to move it again and again until it fits. Sometimes it travels up to 4 locations before it is happy. Trees are a little different they stay in their pots until the soil, area, or bed is complete then in it goes. But I know that some will be too close and how do I chose which one stays and which one goes? Maybe all will be OK. (denial) LOL

I am like Soferdig~~~~I buy plants (mostly perennials) because I have tooooo many trees already...and I buy them because I like them and have no place to put them and just stick them somewhere and then move them later. I love having a little clear space just waiting..

Funny you should mention race car drivers. One of my biggest Tree Grower's Diary fans is also a HUGE race car driving fan!!!

My second weakness besides Dave's is photographing anything that grows or moves or doesn't move. My children call me "mamarazzi."

Mamarazzi! Too cute!

The shoes I'm wearing today have an imprint of a tree on the bottom. It is fortunate that the shoes are relatively comfortable, and suitable for wearing to work! (No, I'm not obsessive. Well, maybe a little bit. Can a person be "a little bit obsessive"? Hmm.)

Only when parsing how they describe said affliction...or maybe photojournaling it. Let's see those shoes...

Welcome to my disease! That was sooo funny Guy, we're all afflicted, so we get it, cause we've got it too! Pssst - therapy's for wimps. ;-p

Yeah, I want to see the shoes too. I love the idea of leaving "tree' footprints wherever you go.

first weakness: starhillforest........i'm with you! i need the 12 steps to STOP buying every new tree cultivar that comes around.

i begin planning my "next" tree order in oct. ...by jan it's in. we only have a bit over an acer. when the 30 trees arrived this spring my hubby said.........i'm leaving you if i see one more tree.....and where are you putting them?!! and do you know what it takes to "pick a hole in this soil. i respond...with...well i have a plan...see i have it all here on paper! and besides i bartered a backhoe for our holes this year...you should be happy with me....happy he's NOT..... my biggest weakness....a forest of every tree cultivar that will grow in a micro sub zone 4.

second and not close behind.......in between the "tree" gardens over 1/2 acer of perennial garden beds.....which i keep extending and extending.....and intergrate trophicals with......which leads to....

third weakness....finding every single rare trophical plant that i can maintain and keep alive over the winter.

i look very very "weak" now that i have written this out!

What is micro sub zone 4?

Scott

scott...a micro sub zone is a different zone within a zone. usually small pockets of areas that are either cooler or warmer than the entire area around them.

i'm considered by the usda hardiness zones based on average annual min temps as a zone 6...which is 0-10 degrees...oh how i wish...i get wind chills to -30 and have experience -10 to -15 degree days in my "hole" in the wall or zone if i may. due to altitude etc temps are effected. i'm not only high but in a high altitude i'm in a gully, which is a frost pocket....just to make my life more interesting!

hope that explains it! :)



This message was edited Apr 6, 2006 9:41 AM

I think she is referring to microclimates. Most properties have them and they additionally occur naturally. Just like the area directly in front of the front doors to my home in that little courtyard deal is at least a zone 6a maybe even a 6b/7a while the rest of the property is a zone 5a. That's at least one jump in zone if not two based on temperatures in that area that I have been monitoring over the past few years. I can grow plants in that little area that I can grow no where else on the property.

Equilibrium---thank you! and i'm beginning to feel right at home here!

this is fast becoming my "comfort" micro sub zone! :)

.......or as you put it "microclimates". i say....."armpit" of the universe....!! it's so funny...someone was asking me where wave hill the gardens where the other day...and instead of saying ny city...i say zone 7! when asked where are you from i say...i was born and raised in a zone 8 and now i'm in a zone 4...and of course they look at me like i'm crazy because i am! :)

it's so bad for me i have to get all trees shipped in early march to adjust to the change. while everyone accross the way is in bloom i'm 3 weeks behind..((( it should happen to ME...of all people! if nothing else it has made it a challege and most intersting!

Except if windchills were included in zone mapping, then I would be in zone zero (is there such a thing?), with windchills -60 F every winter.

But no, I am in zone 4a and have experienced air temp of -38 F, although it is not the norm (-25 to -30). Lately it's been zone 5 winters, and just this past winter it only got to -15! But I have heard about that colder than normal area in the New Jersey area, and certainly do believe it exists. We have a couple zone 2 areas in Minnesota and the record low for the state is -60 F (Tower, MN).

That's kind of what I figured, but I couldn't imagine any part of New Jersey that would vary so much from any other part. I didn't know any part of New Jersey had any particular places of high altitude. Where about?

The USDA map is based on average minimum winter temperature. I'm square in zone six, but I have experience -25F on numerous occasions. Actually, I mostly just looked out my window at -25F--at least to the point where I couldn't put off going outside any longer.

Scott

I like where tobee43 owns "...a bit over an acer..." along with "...½ an acer..." of perennials. So many maples!

I'm guessing tobee43 lives up in that northwest corner of The Garden State, where PA/NJ/NY all come together. The edge of the Appalachians run through this part of her state, and for Jersey, achieves some decent elevations. Seems like the Watchung Mountains were around there.

A country boy from KY only knows this from dating a young woman in college who hailed from West Milford, NJ. Got to visit there during Christmas holidays one year, and it was simply a scene out of Currier & Ives.

My shoes: sole with a soul!

ok,....viburnumvalley...you are good! very very good. i'm right below the highest point and close to where ny/pa/nj is...exactly! west milford is about 45 minutes due south of us give or take the traffic on our one lane roads. yes, i have filled my little land all up with acer, aesculus, cercidiphyllum japonicum, robina, magnolia macrophylla, various salix, various fagus, various cornus, tilia americana,crataegus mollis (needed some natives) and i could go on and (i have some new cultivars coming this season!) hehehe....and in fact it is nice this year my gardens are listed on the arts and heritage council tours for what is considered outstanding gardens...(if they could only see me now!). actually the site was chosen because of his mico climate problems as well as i have wet lands, dry lands and just bout anything else existing here all on this little bitty piece of land. what that has done as far as gardening wise, is allow all different types of cultivars that normally are not seen together on one small area.
works of currier & ives is indeed a wonderful way to discribe this area. i know, no one could ever imanage that a place like that would or could exist in new jersey...but it really does!


scott...the highest point which is close to me ( i live right below it) is 1870 feet above sea level. which is nothing like the mountains in calif or colorado...but it's big time here! what is odd is you go down south 2 hours and your in zone 7. we went saturday to rarefind nursery in jackson...it was 78 degrees when we left there, by the time we returned 2 hours later to where i live, it was 51 degrees...that's the difference!

makes life interesting to say the least!

ps EXCUSE all typo's i just do not type well!!

joulz.....you do have soul...sole!!!

So, Joulz, when you're walking are you "leaving?"

Scott

Julie, Stylin!

Joulz you are awesome. I am 52 and until 2 years ago I always bought what was cheap. Well I accidently bought a cheap pair of Bjorn shoes and they are on my feet every day. I will never buy any other shoe ever. It is like walking on air and they never get old! Though I only have a leaf on the bottom of mine. ( well I do after I walk in dog doo doo)

Where do you buy Bjorn shoes?

Scott

Soferdig,

Sounds like finding those special shoes was a life changing event for you...kind of like being Bjorn Again. ;)

It's spelled Born, with a slash through the o.

http://www.bornshoes.com/

I'm wearing them again today, and I went to my writers' group meeting and the writing topic for today was --- wait for it ---

SOUL MATE (or sole mate, however you prefer to hear it). I laughed out loud and held up my shoes!!

These make me drool to no end!

You are funny Maackia. Hee Hee. I love being bjorn again. OK Born with a slash. How do I do that in America?
Conifers you have a nice lawn why is everything green? Ha Ha. Beautiful alaska Cedar. Looks like you have lots of room for more in the distant field.