It looks great then, but later too. I love sedums. There's a nursery, Filippi, that specializes in dry gardening, that usually has a lot (though mostly out of stock now). I have an old cider press that we've finally set up, I plan to fill the outside trough with "no-water" buddies like sedums, and the inside, which will have a dome of earth, with JMs. I probably have most of the JMs in pots I need, though I haven't really planned it out yet. I'll get the outside plants from Filippi this winter. The main problem right now seems to be finding good quality earth to get delivered, which has to happen before the wet gets very advanced. Here's the cider press project: Here's a nice buddy, does anyone know what it's called?
The cider press will look fantastic..There is an ongoing tv series here “Dick and Angels chateau” not sure if you get it..they found a press very similar in the grounds..the press wheel travels in between the two concentric circles if I remember correctly.. great project
Indeed! It's a fabulous Cornus, evergreen, blooms prolifically (and late, which is nice) for an incredibly long period (up to 6 weeks), seems fully hardy and has done well enough with spring frosts: last year it had a lot of leaf damage but nothing serious, when many maples were wiped out in the late frost. It even set new buds and managed to still get a bloom in! The leaves are really glossy dark green with reddish new growth, so it always looks good. On garden visits it's always admired. In short, if you can get one, go for it! Great little tree.
Thanks Emery that’s super helpful…I have a couple of other Cornus plants..but the form of this looks great. My local chain garden centre is selling a 2M tree in a 40ltr pot that looks super healthy for £89 instead of £449!!! The latter seems rather hefty! I notice a big online uk seller is holding them out for £780 in the sale at this size!!!
That sounds like a really good deal, I don't think you'll regret it for a minute. I'm really glad that this tree has become available so rapidly, it's a measure of just how good it is. When I bought it maybe 15 years ago, it was rare and there were a lot of questions as to whether it would even be hardy in our climate; people were saying it would be safer in a greenhouse. Around here it's now pretty available, which is amazing market penetration in only 15 years. The TSO article (pulled from New Trees) gives an indication of how rare it was only recently: Cornus hongkongensis - Trees and Shrubs Online They talk about individual specimens in the various locations. Two other points of interest are the various subspecies -- I've never looked all that closely, with this key, to see exactly what we have here -- and that the fruit is comestible and somewhat sought after. We've never seen any fruit, but even C. kousa doesn't fruit well here.
Very interesting thank you..I’ll get it! This was the first year I’ve seen this particular Cornus available..but I am not inundated in purveyors of exotic trees where I live! Re fruit I do get some on another Cornus kousa I have.. the birds eat them so you have to be quick to get a photo..I read they are poisonous! Speaking of fruit this came off my Strawberry Tree Arbutus unedo, this morning..it’s only 1.2m but it’s full of fruit. I think this tree is worthy to be added to the Acer buddies list.
The other similar Cornus Kousa I have has a lower spreading form rather than upright. Photo taken in the summer. Flowers and fruit on the Strawberry tree..nice colour in November when all my JM have dropped
Interesting, so yours produces a lot of fruit? It was my understanding that they didn't fruit very prolifically. Here are a few pics of C. hongkongensis in situ, taken this evening. Sorry about the big text, been trying to figure out a watermarking formula, which seems to be an iterative process (and I can't be bothered to regenerate the small-sized photos, so this batch has an extra large watermark...) The flowers are from the end of June this year, and on the pics from today, you can see next year's flower buds.
@emery looks fantastic! Yes this Strawberry tree is covered in fruit and flowers right now..strangely the flowers come at the same time as the fruit! The fruit take 6 weeks or more to ripen..lovely yellows, oranges and reds
Actually many of the clusters of flowers seem to have dropped off in the past few days..it’s been super windy! Today’s breakfast fruit supplement!
Iris 'Action Front' released in 1942, tall bearded with a good scent. Planted to the southwest of the maple behind so that the rhizomes receive plenty of afternoon sun.
Heuchera are nice companion plants to make a contrast with some maples. I've just separated two that were potted and were beginning to suffer from the heat and sun (28° here). One is "citron" (lemon), the other one is "caramel" (toffee). I put them in almost full shade, which is what they like :
Rich, did you end up getting the Hong Kong Dogwood? Just coming into bloom here, later than the kousas but still pretty early this year. Here are a few pics, taken around 20h, so the light is a little tricky. That's Autumn Moon in foreground in the backlit photo.
Woww your one looks superb! The dense flowers are beautiful. Nice Autumn moon too. I did buy it..you may recall it was from the end of year sale so had been sat in the national chain nursery store for maybe 8months..not the best at looking after plants over a period..wss £80ish instead of a hideous £449!!! As such it needed sone TLC..it’s now looking happier with new glossy leaves all over and a few flowers..next year I will have bigger expectations:) Thanks for asking
@emery You can see it’s slowly regenerating new leaves..still lots of viable buds emerging towards the top.. In the second photo at the uppermost part of the photo you see the typical leaf pattern, rather than the darker, glossy/red tinged form of the Hong Kong so. These are coming from a leader from the base of the tree..I wonder whether this is a revered limb or whether they are grafted on regular species.. I’m thinking I might cut that off ? Also sone leaves are curled upwards..typically those that are getting full sun..do you think this species is not full sun hardy? Or maybe just because mine is in recovery phase ?
It's a species, so I don't think it can revert to anything. So, my guess is those leaves in pic 2 are from the understock since they don't look like C. hongkongensis. I can't find my cornus book (argh) so I'm not sure what is normally used. Dirr doesn't talk about grafting at all, but cuttings are apparently used a lot. Do you see a graft union? I think it does well in sun, but it does look stressed, so it might be a good idea to keep it in some shade until it seems happier!
