As the deciduous plants in my garden as well as elsewhere in the neighborhood are leafing out, I thought it would be a great time to highlight that fresh green foliage.
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This is Acer palmatum 'Mikawa Yatsubusa', a dwarf Japanese maple. It's one of the last plants to lose its leaves and one of the first to leaf out.
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I planted this Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku' (coral bark maple) in March 2011, making it one of the earliest plants I added to this garden after we moved in
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I knew that Japanese maples can develop flowers but this is the first time I remember seeing them
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I planted another 'Sango Kaku' in our front garden in March 2021. It's still struggling, even in this protected spot behind our Xylosma hedge.
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I cut back this Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' (smoke bush) last fall and it's only recently surfaced above the foliage of the surrounding Cistus plants. It's already produced one flower spike, the first I've ever seen since it was planted in 2016.
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The artichokes (Cynara cardunculus) I planted on the back slope years ago keep coming back, getting much larger than I'd expected when I planted them
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This persimmon tree (Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu') produces the best autumn color in my garden. Its spring foliage is a gorgeous lime green.
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My other persimmon tree (Disospyros kaki 'Hachiya') isn't as flashy in either autumn or spring but it's still attractive
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Ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold' has been in my backyard garden for a little less than 2 years but it's doing well so far
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Planted in bud in May 2013, intersectional Paeonia 'Keiko' (Itoh peony 'Pink Double Dandy') bloomed once just weeks later, then never bloomed again. It produces pretty foliage but I regret the absence of flowers. The first photo was taken in late March. The second was taken yesterday. I keep hoping...
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An ornamental pear tree (Prunus calleryana), inherited with the garden
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I've relatively few deciduous plants but some evergreen plants freshen up nicely during the spring season.
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I added a few Aeonium 'Velour' cuttings to the back slope last fall. It appears they appreciated all the rain we got this spring!
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Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' is continuously refreshing its foliage but I cut the 3 shrubs on the south side of my garden back hard in December for just the second time since I planted them in September 2013. They were slower to come back this time but that may be due to the cooler temperatures we've had.
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Calliandra haematocephala (red powder puff) produces splashy red foliage every time it's cut back
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When I first noticed the pinkish new foliage on this Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' I initially thought its flowers were already developing
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I shot a couple of photos of neighborhood trees too.
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These are the Liquidamber trees (sweetgums) across the street
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This massive stone pine (Pinus pinea) sits atop the terraced front garden of another neighbor. It's not deciduous but it got its annual pruning the day before I took this photo and it's looking great. The couple who owned the house when we moved into the neighborhood actually had the tree insured and had it pruned by experts (the same firm I use) annually. It seems the new owners have continued the practice.
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A couple of my prized foliage plants aren't looking their best and I've been planning their replacement.
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I allowed the sad-looking Coleonema pulchellum on the left to get too big and cut it back harder than I'd planned. As I've also gotten tired of it in this spot, I've been considering replacing it with a Leucospermum but flower color is an issue. At the same time, the Echium 'Star of Madeira' on the right has become woody and isn't flowering as well as it once was. I found a replacement Echium last week (yay!) but now I'm considering placing the Echium in the Coleonema's spot and planting a Leucospermum I'm coveting in the Echium's place.
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We shall see where those deliberations lead.
All
material © 2012-2023
by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
I love foliage posts: the dwarf 'Mikawa Yatsubusa' has a bright and happy look about it. That's one tree you don't have to worry about pruning every other year...
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see your Ginkgo doing so well. You were apprehensive and concerned about it early on. I hope you can love it now :-)
I made two attempts to grow artichokes: it can make a wonderful focal point and has an impressive presence. Now my garden is too full to try it again. Its nice to see yours looking magnificent! The bigger the better, I say!
Chavli
'Mikawa Yatsubusa' is said to make a good subject for bonsai, and I can see why. As to the artichokes, last year I let them flower. They make beautiful dried flowers too!
DeleteThis was a nice change of pace. Some beautiful trees in your garden and around. Love that little dwarf maple in the first photo.
ReplyDeleteI sort of wish I'd tried to grow that dwarf maple as a bonsai specimen but I suspect I lack the necessary level of patience to do it right. It's a good thing it likes its current spot - I've lost a couple of Japanese maples here because I didn't give them enough protection from wind, sun, and heat.
DeleteOh, I love it. Fresh indeed! The peony foliage is really special, as are the contrasts and combinations of the grouped foliage with various shapes and forms.
ReplyDeleteThe peony foliage would be even more special is it would just bloom for me, Beth. I waited several years for a bloom on a tree peony in my former garden but this Itoh peony may have stretched my patience a bit too far.
DeleteI thought those new Calliandra shoots were flowers, possibly Salvia africanus-lutea. I've been considering an artichoke for our garden, but not sure how well it would enjoy 3-4 months without water. You've focused on one of my weak spots in this post - choosing plants with interesting foliage to carry the garden through the dry season.
ReplyDeleteWell, the artichokes are planted on the back slope, which gets minimal irrigation; however, they may benefit from seepage from the upper level of the garden. The plants die down to the ground when summer hits its peak but they return following the winter rains. That said, succulents have taken over major portions of my garden in the course of the 12 years we've had it ;)
DeleteI 2nd Jerry's comment - choosing plants with interesting foliage. My downfall as well. I look forward to where the deliberations lead!
ReplyDeleteIn addition to succulents (which I understand you're adding to your garden in spades!), I've had luck with many South African and Australian natives, particularly Leucadendrons and Grevilleas. Echiums can also make do on seasonal rainfall here - they're virtually weeds. I don't know how cold your area gets in winter, though - or how much cold these plants can take. We don't get freezes here at all.
DeleteSeeing your Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' leafing out has me feeling more urgent about digging mine up. It's time to have it go away and be replaced by a Yucca linearifolia. Must get on that. As for the Calliandra haematocephala, I thought the same as Jerry (above). Too funny.
ReplyDeleteI honestly like the Calliandra's foliage more than its flowers. The powder puff flowers are cute for awhile but I get tired of them - and they're not attractive when they die so I'm always deadheading them.
DeleteYour artichoke foliage look fabulous! Yours tempt me to plant one again if a spot opens up.
ReplyDeleteThe Acers are beauties. The Liquidambars rounded growth habit is different than the ones around here that are narrower & more vertical in habit.
I read and maybe you already know that the Itohs need to be planted high enough to chill them enough to produce flowers. Two of mine are pushing out multiple new stems because of the rain and the other has flower buds just about to open.
I was surprised to discover how long-lived artichoke plants are, HB. I haven't lost a single one yet and all but one are planted on the neglected back slope. As to the Liquidambers in the neighbor's garden, maybe their shape has something to do with how they're pruned - they get their annual haircuts from the same crew every year.
DeleteI don't remember how low or high I planted that peony - it was so long ago. I have wondered if the plant gets enough winter chill, though. We never get anywhere near freezing here.