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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Meanwhile, Back in Reality

In Friday's post, we drove to the tropics. (The tropical area of Flower world.)  What a fun diversion from what was happening outside.  Truly though, what was happening outside was awfully miraculous as well.  I garden in area at roughly parallel 46 which is about the same as northern Maine but we are in hardiness zone 8!  Crazy man!  I'm thankful that there's always something happening in our gardens!    Anyway, here is some of what was happening on the grounds of Flower world and in some of the unheated areas.


 Abies korieana (guessing)
 
 Acer palmatum 'Sangokaku'
 
 NOID plant looking quite lovely!
  Euonymus 'Gold Spot'  and other similar evergreen Euonymus are widely used in municipal plantings for good reason!  They are handsome throughout the year and add welcome bright color to the winter garden.  They especially shine in the spring when new growth makes the whole bush glow as if it were in bloom. 

Ornamental grass seed heads.  Scott could tell you the name, I just call 'em purty.


 
 Cotoneaster berries and grey bark looking quite nice.
 Berberis

Cornus sanguinea 'Winter Flame'  Yup, that's snow on the surface of the soil.  Love this plant! 


Hamemelis x intermedia 'Rubin'  is as fragrant as it is beautiful.  I need to find space in my garden for one of these! 


Sarcococca confusa is a favorite plant. It will grow in the deepest shade, is drought tolerant for me (competes successfully with greedy bamboo roots in the grove) has handsome glossy evergreen foliage, and to top it off, has a heavy, heavenly, wafting fragrance when it blooms at this time of year.  The same could be said for the weedy Daphne laureola but Sarcocca isn't invasive.

This combination is far too garish and common for decorous and proper  gardeners.  I LOVED it!

Cornus plants in pots.
 Or Cornus branches in bunches.  You can enjoy the winter color even if the plant isn't hardy for you.
 In addition to this, many of the camellia images from this post were taken at Flower World on this visit.
 
 Jasminum nudiflorum blooms from late November through June in my garden.  I can always count on winter color from this even when everything else is frozen!  Plus it's fun to say it's Latin name and shock visitors by inviting them to view your nudies.

Ilex verticillata, a deciduous holly.  These at F.W. were in gallon pots and were producing berries.  Fourteen years ago, I ordered a male and female from a catalog, planted them and stood back to watch nothing happen berry-wise until this year.  Now that they're 5 feet tall and finally bearing fruit, I want to move them.  It's nice to know that these replacements are available when should I kill the ones I have.
 So much green goodness in this cold house.  All of this is hardy in the ground without protection here.

Autumn?  No, just beautiful winter coloration on a Nandina.

A Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) grove just for Ms. Bohl.

Pyracantha x 'Mohave'  Birds love these berries and also nest in the thorny branches of Pyracantha if it's allowed to grow tall enough.  Fragrant summer blooms are an added bonus.


Virbunum davidii is planted just about every gas station and boulevard median in this area.  The evergreen leaves are o.k. and most of the year the shrubs  create tidy, if boring, mounds of green.  Unfortunately, most of these plantings are viewed at 40 miles per hour and the stunning berries are missed.


Yucca 'Color Guard' seems to be following me this season.  Maybe Pam and Shirley are trying to tell me something.


On the list to buy on my next visit, without a passenger to take up valuable plant space, is one of these.
 
and a couple of these. to replace the ones I lost.  The dusky phormium looks delightful in front of the blue conifer behind it. 

How large are these phormiums?  Quite a bit taller than 5'10" !  Can you say instant gratification?
Hope you enjoyed  this winter trip to  Flower World.  I'm already  looking forward to my next visit!

19 comments:

  1. I love your close up shots of the frost on the stems and berries (especially the berberis!) I also liked the intense colour contrast purple/yellow, I can only describe the combination as POW! There's always so much to see, if you go looking :)

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    1. Thanks Rosemary. I'm always impressed by your beautiful images and thought-provoking words. You find great things happenig in your northern garden even when it's covered with snow!

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  2. Some nice shots there, especially the photo of the remains of tree with vegetation growing on it! Is that you on the last photo? :)

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    1. Thank you. That's Tom, my partner of 25 years, in the last picture. I break cameras with my hideousness so mostly stay beneath the streets of France although sometimes I visit my frend Erik at the opera house and occasionally I help Quasimodo ring the bells.

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  3. Love the frost images...and your grass looks like a form of Miscanthus to these eyes ;-) Love the Witch Hazels...wish I had room for one...such a great 4-season plant. Then again, I do have my Parrotia...which, while not quite as showy, fill a similar role :-)

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    1. Although we got tired of the constant cold and fog, the frost was very pretty. It's too bad that we have to make decisions like that (Parrotia or Witch Hazel.) So many plants, so little space.

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  4. So how much were those huge phormium going for? (I'm feeling symptoms of phormium relapse coming on too)...

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    1. They were fifty something which is twice the price and twice the size of what the box stores get. Although I want an oompa loompa NOW daddy, it would probably be financially wiser to get smaller ones and let them grow to this size.

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    2. So is it just a bizarre coincidence that we both started our posts today "Meanwhile, back...."???

      Oh and yes, I'd like my oompa loompa now too please! Although I do appreciate your faith that cheaper/smaller plants will grow to that size rather than be cut down by the return of the dreaded PKW!

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  5. Next time I need a splash of hardy foliage color I have to remember to take a look at the Euonymus offerings. Yes, they're common but you're right they really brighten up the place all year round.

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    1. I got some to fill in a space until I decided what to do with it and it turns out that I really like them so they'll stay.

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  6. I'm thinking Abies pinsapo rather than A. koreanna

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  7. I love the witch hazel and all the plants with winter berries - Pyracantha, Ilex, etc.

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  8. Peter, I love your photos of frozen grass and berries, great! I have some cornus in my garden and enjoy their red branches on snow background.

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    1. Red branches on snow background sounds beautiful Nadezda! I love the garden in winter.

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  9. Loved the trip! It gave me a lot of ideas for more winter interest here in my garden. I have to admit to loving the purple and orange combination, too. A very cheerful combination.

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    1. Glad to have you along! That combination is very cheerful espcially in winter - breathed a little summer into the day!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.