For those unfamiliar with this gorgeous shrub which can be grown in Zones 4-8:
https://www.naturehills.com/false-cypress-japanese-lemon-thread
Posted on 11/25/2022 6:34:49 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
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Post a picture please next time you have snow.
Ever try a kerosene greenhouse lantern?
I have greens most of the year with a little help.
You’re doing everything I’ll be doing...six MONTHS from now, LOL! Sounds wonderful. :)
“Gotta love Wisconsin.”
Most of our snow is gone, too - except for a few shaded spots. (Ridgeway Township)
Since the weather has warmed up to the 40’s this week, I am cleaning out the (unheated) greenhouse some more and dumping a few plants that have been hanging on - barely! It’s been in the 70’s in there, so a little ‘Tropical Vay-Cay’ during the day. ;)
Thanks, Pete!
For those unfamiliar with this gorgeous shrub which can be grown in Zones 4-8:
https://www.naturehills.com/false-cypress-japanese-lemon-thread
Diana:
I’ve lost your email....
Eric
How to Grow and Care for Corkscrew Willow
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/corkscrew-willow-plant-profile-4844346-hero-67a00e6f5b1944ebae93b414aff03708.jpg)
https://www.thespruce.com/corkscrew-willow-plant-profile-4844346
Just sent it to you in the FR Messages/Mail! :)
We have dozens of Red Twig Dogwood, Highbush Cranberry Viburnum and Norway Spruce along our driveway on the North side as both a windbreak and erosion control. They look pretty together.
I have no luck with Holly of any kind. :( I really like the Inkberry varieties.
What growing Zone are you in? Sounds like you’re doing a good job of growing things that you shouldn’t be able to! :)
Got it.
Stand by...
The reason I'm saying the above, is because one of my new "favorite" people, Jon Forti of The Heirloom Gardener, posted what is below on FB this morning - I had a few things to say to my family about it ... figured I'd share what he had to say, although I know on the Garden Thread, it's "preaching to the choir"! :-)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++>
The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti
Small Business Saturday.
Have you noticed that farmers market, downtown shops, re-purposed mills and craft shows have created vibrant new economies. Younger people working the land, or simply trying to make ends meet are finding new outlets for products of the farm or a handcrafted life. This weekend, take a fresh look at your downtown, drop in at an artisan fair or farm market to see just how much more your gifts mean when they were crafted by hand from your own local economy. 75 cents of every dollar spent at home stays in your local economy...and I promise you that's not happening when you buy on line or in a box store!
The good news is it was sunny and in the 40s, and I took advantage of that to swap the mower and snow blower. And the blower started on the first try. Bonus!
But it was a shame to clean out the flower beds. One set of clematis on the shady side of the house was still green. And a few random flowering bed plants. But all the hanging pots and window boxes were done for the year. That hard freeze two-three weeks back did them all in.
Cute lil’ fellow.
While low maintenance and not needing to be watered, they really do thrive a location where they can get light shade and won’t dry out.
Like with the dogwoods, more light means more color, but not too much of a good thing or it’s not so good.
I have another lemon thread in a separate area, which I kept needing to relocate because of other landscaping projects.
It sure hung on like a champ for all the moves, but compared to the others, wasn’t really happy at all. That one was in a drier area, and one rough winter was particularly hard on it.
This spring, I moved it mere feet from its previous location, but to a place where I need to water other plants, so it now gets lots to drink too.
Win win, and what a difference this past summer! One happy shrub. Now in its forever home.
The moral of the story is to not give up. I understand that not everyone has the time to experiment and move things around — I sure don’t. But what happens is that no matter how much homework I do at the outset to prevent these issues... following the rules for the right light/soil/zone requirements etc...
It’s *always* something, so I might as well work with what I already have, if possible. Otherwise I just start the cycle anew with some other potentially cranky plant.
The young Japanese maple freaked out on a sunny slope because it was too wet (?! sneaky underground waterflow), and hated exposure to wind. The struggling tree turned into a bug-magnet and a deer snack. It was a bright red beacon for all the bad/hungry actors.
Yet, relocated near the house and out of the deer snack aisle — more warmth, no wind — what a revival. What color. No bug attacks. Well, then it decided it wants to be bush and there’s no straight up main trunk, so this will be interesting. And in the crevices in the retaining wall right behind it, a ninebark seedling helped itself (migrated over from the dogwood soil)... hilarious but pretty combo the way it arches over the maple.
I couldn’t plan that, and nothing could be planted in that location in the tiny crack between rocks, but there it was. Artistic license from above. They’ll be duking it out next year for sure and I’ll have to play mediator.
It’s like that. The plants order *me* around, lol. I let them surprise me and shine, instead of my trying to beat them into submission.
Happy Winter!
More on the topic of
Trees & Shrubs with Winter Interest...
The follow up to the bad scene with the Japanese maple: what to plant on a sunny slope that I had terraced, having a vision of coloful summer perennials and a couple small shrubs, with a lovely red maple behind them...
It’s too wet! That hill almost killed off some daylilies I had parked there temporarily over a winter.
It’s a focal point. Swamp grasses to the rescue. It’s funny because chocolate mint thrives there with some well-behaved clump grasses I excavated from other places in the yard. Along with milkweed. Even the native flag irises are happy campers out there.
It’s all very funny because how on earth are woodland flag irises thriving there? I’m not gonna argue with them. They are content.
The main feature is a clump of ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass.
So delicate and breezy, yet heavy snow doesn’t even destroy it. Bounces right back. The low winter sun lights up the top of the dry reed stalks.
Not what I intended, but highly recommended for winter charm and movement.
I have three of them; one needs to be moved as a Viburnum grew bigger than I intended and it's not getting enough sun anymore.
For those that don't know the perennial grass, Karl Foerster:
My favorite perennial grass, which I had at my old farm, and NEED to have here, is called 'Morning Light.' It looks nice with the yellow False Cypress, shown here. Miscanthus sinensis, Zones 5 to 9:
Bears repeating! *BUMP*
The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti
Small Business Saturday.
Have you noticed that farmers market, downtown shops, re-purposed mills and craft shows have created vibrant new economies. Younger people working the land, or simply trying to make ends meet are finding new outlets for products of the farm or a handcrafted life. This weekend, take a fresh look at your downtown, drop in at an artisan fair or farm market to see just how much more your gifts mean when they were crafted by hand from your own local economy. 75 cents of every dollar spent at home stays in your local economy...and I promise you that’s not happening when you buy on line or in a box store!
‘Morning Light.’
Thanks. I’m going to look that up and keep it in mind as I have a new area opened up after thinning the forest edge. The tree line moves back, the sun comes in, and then something... needs to be done, but I don’t want to plant a new buffet line for the deer. I love ‘em but I’ve got their number.
Say, is this some kind of addiction? Because I have a goal of it all being able to run on “low-maintenance” autopilot someday. Meanwhile, it’s always something!
🙃
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