Virtual Garden Tour 2000-2021

Discussion in 'How's It Growing?' started by Margot, May 15, 2020.

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  1. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    It got down to -2C and we had our first frost last night so I went to check the gardens...

    Japanese cedar showing winter color
    Bloodleaf with frost - not sure how this one will winter but so far not bothered with the frost
    Scabious with frost
    Sweet Williams - nothing seems to bother them
    Fern-leaf clematis with buds - another evergreen, winter blooming vine
     

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  2. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Your photos are lovely @pmurphy!

    The best I can come up with today are these two. I like to watch the Corylus avellana 'Contorta' catkins elongate over the season - kind of a seasonal clock ticking the winter away. The other is among the first of my Hellebores - Helleborus x nigercors ‘Honeyhill Joy’, kind of a disappointment every year because, despite the fact that it is so early, it always looks like it's been in a fight. My hybrid Hellebores that bloom a bit later are far more satisfactory.
     

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    Last edited: Dec 12, 2020
  3. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    We got a dusting of snow yesterday but the sun is out today so I thought I'd check the gardens...

    Frozen droplets on a Japanese cedar
    Ice on one of the water barrels containing marsh marigold (among other things)
    Frost patterns on the plastic covering my garden
     

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  4. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    This morning in-between the showers I was pleased to see my Cottoneaster michrophyllus with some berries that the Blackbirds have left for us to enjoy.
    IMG_20201223_095031621.jpg
     
  5. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Very Christmassy!
     
  6. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    With rain predicted over the next week or so I decided to take a last look at the gardens before the new year...

    Paper bush buds looking like so many miniature Christmas ornaments
    Woodruff rimmed with frost
    Loquat starting to set flower buds
    (appropriately enough) Christmas fern with frost

    Merry Christmas to All!
    Stay safe, stay well!
     

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  7. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I love the frost on the Edgeworthia and Galium.
    Do you have any open flowers on your 'Fudan-zakura' cherry? I saw a few flowers on the one on Nanaimo at Parker, SE corner (not the corner tree, but the one next to it).
     
  8. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    Tree is loaded with buds but nothing open yet...I will post once they start
     
  9. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    It wasn't raining so I decided to take care of some wind damage to my hazelnut tree, sooner rather than later, and noticed a couple of interesting things....

    I hate to admit it but I've never noticed the flowers on a hazelnut before, they're quite delicate.
    At first I thought this was a clump of leaves in the pomegranate but it wasn't...the fruit is about the size of a tennis ball. I'm not sure if it will ripen but it had no intention of letting go of the branch while large hazelnut limbs fell on it.
     

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  10. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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  11. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    I love Hellebores. A few years ago I made a Power Point presentation with all sorts of photos and information about their history, the many species, anatomy and cultivation which I shared with a few local garden clubs. Trouble is, I don't grow them very well myself, especially the ones known as Christmas Roses.
    Pacific Horticulture Society | Not Your Mother's Hellebores: A New Look at Species and Hybrids (Part 2)

    So many new Helleborus varieties have come on the market in the past 20 years due in large part to developments in tissue culture propagation. Instead of hit-and-miss hybrids grown from seed, now growers can mass produce named cultivars which grow and flower in predictable ways. This has led (in my opinion) to too many different plants and flowers that look very similar to one another and make it difficult for gardeners to choose between.

    This for example is one of the Christmas Roses in my garden . . . like virtually all Helleborus niger, it is white and blooms early. Special ones are selected for features like flower size, upward-facing flowers, leaf qualities and plant vigour. Really though, you have to look hard to tell them apart. They're all beautiful.
    Jacob - Helleborus
    Scroll down to see Helleborus 'HGC Jonas, Jesko, Joel, Jasper, Jericho, Josef Lemper' and more.
     

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    Last edited: Dec 29, 2020
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  12. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    The main thing I notice is that most of the colored (non white) hellebores at retail outlets in later years are dirty shades lacking clearness and purity.

    Then there is the disease issues including the new Hellebore Black Death...
     
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  13. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Hello @Ron B - those dirty shades you mention are admired by some hellebore afficionados as 'antique' colours. :-) All in the eye of the beholder I guess. Anyway, there are literally hundreds of new hellebore cultivars and varieties being introduced these days - enough to satisfy everyone.

    Hellebore Black Death strikes more fear in my heart than Murder Hornets. Keeping plants free of aphids (thought to spread the virus) is important but is easier said than done. Keeping fingers crossed is probably just as useful but if symptoms should become apparent, gardeners must be prepared to destroy suspect plants immediately. Having said that, we need to take time to look at photos online because some fungal diseases can look similar at first.
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2020
  14. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    This Lewisia cotyledon in a pot deserves top marks for blooming literally year 'round but never more appreciated than in winter.
     

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  15. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Lots of frost here in Southern England this morning, so the cobwebs on my Lelandii in my front garden were looking too pretty not to photograph and post.
    Lylandii cobwebs 270.JPG Leylandii cobwebs 271.JPG Leylandii cobwebs 272.JPG
     
  16. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Another morning of frosts here in England and my plants are looking pretty because of this. Here are two, my Whitebeam and Lebanese cedar.
    Sorbus Lutchens Whitebeam 270.JPG Lebanese cedar 270.JPG
     
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  17. Nik

    Nik Contributor

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    Have not finished cleaning the leaves off the backyard, but here are some cleaner spots.
    It is a common misconception that moss does not like sunlight. The vast majority of moss in our backyard is in a southern, full sun exposure. I think the critical factor for moss is a good daily dose of air moisture.
     

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  18. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    I have to agree N, although moss is found in dank places, it is also found in good sunlight, I have found over the years that it is more prominent on Northern exposure positions, but in good light.
     
  19. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    We had a couple of days without rain so I was pruning my trees (we haven't had any cold so far and things are starting to "wake up") when I noticed some more color appearing in the gardens. With night time temperatures hovering around 4 or 5C and day temperatures as high as 9C I think it's really confusing some of the plants...

    Ornamental cherry - a little late this year (could be all the rain we've had).
    Paperbush - right on time; starting to open for a nice February display.
    Helleborus - right on time for January/February blooming.
    Lungwort - very early with many buds starting to show; they usually flower in late winter or early spring.
     

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  20. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    My goodness P, what is going on, I think we here in England are following you next week with 10° C forecast. Our poor plants are not going to know whats hit them.
    But I have to say, we enjoyed your photos on this dark cold evening here.
     
  21. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    The funny thing is that I have peonies that are starting to show above ground and yet my snowdrops haven't flowered...
     
  22. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Wow, how weird is that P. Hope a freez does not come along and knock them back too much.
    Think we all have very confused plants !!
     
  23. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Not many plants are brave enough to show their faces this time of year but Hellebores are ready to bloom if not already and snowdrops are showing white.
    1. Mahonia aquifolium - you would expect such burgundy leaves if it had been cold but temps continue very mild this year.
    2. Winter flowering jasmine patch now about 9 feet in diameter; it will be a priority to cut back as soon as possible.
    3. Helleborus hybridus - lost the tag
     

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  24. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Must have been very easy to walk on those Hellebores how disguised they are amongst the fallen leaves. Wonderful to see new life Margot.
     
  25. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    I hear whispers in my garden sometimes - plants referring to me as 'Big Foot' - stepping on their nascent buds but I do try to tread softly.
     
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