The postman always rings twice....

Well, actually once was enough to wake two napping babies, but who can complain when somebody got their Cornus Kousa Wolfeye!!!

Anybody else get any cool trees & shrubs in the mail lately?

Willis

Nothing that will go outside, but I got a Carambola 'Kari' yesterday.

Wow! Is that ever beautiful! What nursery sent you that beautiful specimen?
Thanks,
Mike

I had a "Wolfeyes". In spite of what I thought were perfect planting conditions, lots of TLC, and a "Summer Stars" thriving under identical conditions 50 ft away, I was forced to put it out of its misery after five years of stunted growth and dieback. The "Summer Stars" has reached near maturity and is a very appealing tree. Someday I hope to learn what I did wrong with "Wolfeyes". I have no doubt that yours will thrive and exceed expectations.

Mike, I got it from Whitman Farms http://www.whitmanfarms.com I was told they have very nice material, and apparently so. I splurged as it was gift for da misses.

Willis

edited to hopefully fix link

This message was edited Mar 31, 2007 8:46 PM

Thanks, Willis, that looks like a dangerous place.
(It's funny, when I click on your link, I get taken to a website for the ASPE. I had to put the address in my browser to get there. Weird.)
Mike

Snapple, hopefully that isn't the case with my wolfeye. The other big mail order purchase was an Acer Shirasawanum "Aureum' which people often say that up and die thing with also. I guess I won't get the Cornus alternifolia 'golden shadows' until these 2 show their vigor.

Willis

Golden Shadows IS mighty appealing. My guess on that one would be dappled sunlight at the very most. What conditions will you plant the Acer in? Here you have to be extremely careful they don't ever dry out. I keep a tree ring hose waterer buried under the mulch of even the established trees.

Willis,
Is that tree one of their "field grown" trees?

Also, I have Golden Shadows™ growing in full sun and it's doing pretty well. I need to keep it well watered, though. My GS has been in the ground for approx. 3 years. It's a much nicer plant than 'Argentea', IMHO.
Mike

Bill ~ Lovely tree. Thanks for fixing the link. I've been poking around for something to add to a small planting, to complement a dogwood shrub I just bought, Cornus alba 'Elegantissima.' I found a pic of a planting that included a Corylopsis glabrescens and a few Helleborus niger. Any idea how hardy that Corylopsis is here, and where I can find one?

I can't vouch for their hardiness, but I can give you some places to look for one:
http://davesgarden.com/ps/search.php?search_text=corylopsis&submit=Search

Thanks Terry. Does yours frequently lose buds due to early frosts? That's always a possibility here, in the land of freakish weather.

treelover, Thanks for the info on the Golden Shadows. I think I am too cautious. The leaves just seemed tender to me. I am going to rethink an open spot I have.

I lost my Golden Shadows for some unexplained reason last year. Good location - part shade - mostly early morning sun, good drainage and I kept it watered. It was just planted last Spring. Bummer.

Sorry - no, I don't have any Corylopsis, so I can't vouch for them (plus I'm guessing I'm nearly two zones warmer than you, so all bets are off when trying to compare growing notes ;o) I was just giving a link to some sources.

snapple,
GS would definitely like a shadier spot in my yard, it's just that a spot like that is not available at this time. I have a couple of trees that should start to shade the GS in a few years and the GS will be much happier then. For now, GS is doing okay in full sun.
Mike

Ok Terry, thanks anyway. I've seen too many sources list corylopsis as zone 6 to be comfortable shelling out for it. What do you all think of fothergilla with it?

Bill, do you plan to plant your tree in a mixed grouping or as a single specimen?

PG, I don't think that Corylopsis glabrescens is hardy here. It is listed as Z6 everywhere I see. I can't really recommend any pairings until I see the form and colors of the wolf eye. It will be in a mixed group that I am still designing and waiting to see how this looks to decide where in the planting to place it.

Mike, yes it was a "field grown" tree in a root control bag. Their nomenclature is kinda confusing, but the roots were nice in the bag, except for the awful sound of tearing the fine roots as you cut and peeled off the bag.

Willis

Would you guys mind posting pics of that GS when it flowers and leafs out and maybe fall colors to boot?

Willis

Hi Willis,
Sure. It might be a month or more before the plants start to really leaf-out around here, but I'll get some shots and post them in a new thread.
Mike

Here is that Aureum waiting patiently in the garage for the weather to break. Ditto for the Kingsford.

Luckily when I built the garage two years ago I anticipated this spring storm and installed a south facing 3x7 window which allows for my leafed out maples to not stretch too much in search of the light.

Willis

Cute little pine too.

Is that a bosnian pine. Mine is not doing well. too many bugs when I got it. I may have to break down and use a systemic insecticide.

Hey Willis,

Can I borrow some charcoal?

Scott

You bring the brats and we can huddle around the grill. Does Acer palmatum make for good smoke flavor?

The pine is a dwarf form of mugo, not to sure of the actual cultivar since I got it from a demolition sale at a house whose previous owners liked conifers. It just has a tag with Pinus mugo #x (to cold to go read the tag at the moment).

Sofer, there are so many pines I am waiting to try, even a cultivar of your favorite ponderosa. This little mugo is potted with a Chishio Improved palmatum which might have to strut its spring colors in the garage.

Willis

Willi Mac, The critical question here is: Is the car parked outside and all the garden "stuff" inside. I must admit I have a two car garage and one side has a mix of compost/soil in a pile about 4' high and containers full and empty ringing that pile. The dwarf conifers purchased "late" last year are in the house ina "cold' upstairs room. Oh, the other side of the garage? The leaves and grass/deadplant material to compost when things turn normal again. Priorities.

I had a nice reply typed and then crash. So here it is in shorthand

The 2.5 car garage/stroller depot has 1 car currently parked in it. That is more due to building materials which I am currently using to tile a portion of the basement and replace stair treads. Here is a link that has a pic to my limited plant area in the garage (sorry I can't find the original pics anymore). http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2989894

I am also lucky enough to have a cold room for plants. It is an addition that was done to add a foundation under an old front porch to fix a settling issue I am guessing. It houses my cacti collection which was my first plant addiction from the days when I lived in an apartment with a very sunny deck. Here is a thread with a pic of that area also. http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2077470

Willis