25 Sep 2010

Autumn Yellowing of Conifer Foliage

It's almost October.  In our Northland this is the time dramatic changes take place in the outdoors.  Actually, the changes begin  in late  June when the days begin to shorten.....The changes go  unnoticed until "autumn". ....Until  this past week.  Visually, "the  fall" is here. Every fall we get calls from friends regarding changes they notice on the foliage of  their pines or arborvitaes.....or on any of our conifers, for that matter, the trees and shrubs commonly called evergreens. ...

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13 Aug 2010

What Catalogs Don’t Tell Us About Mature Conifer Plant Sizes

I am looking at a nursery wholesale catalog....a guide which carries a paragraph or less to inform the unknowing a bit about the nature of the plant.  Information located there is made available by a number of sources.  It could be from the original plant propagator, a plant salesman, or a university professor in the horticultural department. In the landscape artist's world knowing names of individual plants is seldom important, except perhaps for billing.  Plants...

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30 Jul 2010

Global Warming Right in My Front Grounds!

I had a mature elm removed from the front grounds of my landscape garden last Thanksgiving weekend.    I suspect it was over 65 years old and of about the same height.  If someone wants to purchase  the trunk I have it stored away in a quonset hut.  I am not certain what I am going to do with it. The tree did not have Dutch Elm disease, but it was afflicted with  a minor disorder.....a...

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28 Jul 2010

Tree Categories: What’s the Difference Between the White Pine and the White Oak As A Shade Tree?

Trees are by far the most revered species of the floral world.  We believe we've lived in them.  We've  eaten  their fruit, their syrup, sapped them for their rubber,  used them for shelter,  for weapons, for comfort and for fire.  Countless trees are beautiful with some species considerably more beautiful than others.  Many, many trees are among the landscape gardeners' worst weeds.....defined as  plants seeded out of place.  No matter how ugly, how scrawny  or  sick,...

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20 Jul 2010

There’s a Thuja in My Garden!

Not all plants found in our northland gardens are equal.  Some have significantly more value than others.  One cannot rank them according to value.  So many have certain features that despite their lack of beauty, or ugly habits, are simply needed in the landscape garden for perform a special function. Shade elms used as street trees became beautifully formed tunnels for city traffic lining the boulevard spaces in our Minnesota communities.  However, the   trees have  little value in...

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