What’s what and where?
Well I think it’s about time that everything got a bit documented and seeing as trees were at one time all that I cared about, here goes.
The plan is to keep all of the trees in the more shaded back garden. Why, because last year I bought a number of Acer Palmatums and most of them are now dead or at least in some kind of dormancy, the Atropurpureum suffered badly from leaf burn and I think it may never come back, although it does still resist being gently pulled from the ground.
This year I have bought five more Acer Palmatums, two ‘Butterfly’ one Going Green, one Orange Dream and another Atropurpureum – although a lot smaller than last year. Two of the ‘Going Green’ variety and one ‘Butterfly’ did survive last year’s scorching, so here’s hoping that they have a better showing this time around. Elsewhere, the big Sycamore (it’s about eighteen inches tall) continues to thrive, the trunk isn’t very wide but at least it looks healthy and has now been joined by a considerable amount of seedlings (curtesey of next door’s giant) which are spread across about four of five pots and even the scrub area on the border of ‘No man’s land’. I want to keep as many of these seedlings as possible.
The transplanted Elm from the front garden appears to be bouncing back from its massive pruning and has been joined in another pot by an Elm which was being engulfed by Ivy. Alas, on inspection tonight this refugee is not looking in good health, the leaves are all crispy, I think a good watering every single night for the next week will be called for if the poor little blighter is to stand any chance.
The Pyracantha which I bought from Asda last year has flowered and is looking in fine fettle, I occasionally search ebay for a semi-cascade bonsai pot for it, as of yet, nothing affordable. I aim to try and source some Hawthornes for the collection, either wild seedlings or I may buy one intended for hedging and start to train it. I did grab a couple of Horse Chestnuts from Hesketh Park but I think these were suckers and the transplanting process has not left them in good nick…when will I learn to be a bit more gentle. The same goes for the Acer Palmatum, Weeping Willow and Popular cuttings that I took, did I know there was going to be a minor heatwave this weekend whilst I was out galavanting on Blencathra?
I have thrown the seedlings which were in the heated propagator into one of the shaded beds…if they take, they take and I have sown all of my Giant Redwood seeds in my micro-propagator (a former blueberry muffin case) at work!
That leaves just one tree – the cascading Mint Julep Juniper around the front, it needs full sun so I can’t really bring it into the shade garden and will just have to be extra vigilant with regards to the searing heat of the front garden.