Posted on by tonytomeo

Horridculture – Too Many Trees (deferred from Wednesday)

Excess is expensive . . . or profitable.

One can not see the forest for the trees here. Actually though, there is no forest, but only too many trees, surrounded by vast pavement. A wide roadway is beyond these trees. A driveway is to the left. A parking lot is to the right. Not much space remains in between for so many trees.

A honeylocust is in the foreground to the right. It mostly obscures a crape myrtle in the background. To their left, and slightly to the right of the center of the picture, there is a red maple. To the left of the center of the picture, there are three Eastern redbuds. That is six trees confined to an area that is about as spacious as three parking spaces. The picture is not of good quality, and because it is a few years old, I can not remember many more details about it.

The honeylocust and the crape myrtle are components of the original landscape of the shopping center that this landscape is associated with. Alone, they are both quite practical for this particular landscape, and would not be too crowded. The red maple and three Eastern redbuds were added for the ‘upgraded’ landscape of the adjacent business establishment. Not only are they much too crowded to grow and develop healthy form, but they also encroach into adjacent traffic signals, and obstruct illumination of their corner of the adjacent parking lot.

Furthermore, they contribute little more than problems to the landscape. Red maple provides nice foliar color for autumn, but is obscured by the other trees. Eastern redbud could bloom nicely for spring, but is too brutally pruned for clearance to do so.

Unfortunately, these crowded trees were more profitable than smaller plant material would have been for the so-called ‘landscape company’ that installed them.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 10 Comments

Six on Saturday: Unidentifiable

Only Australian tree fern is identifiable. Another is just, well, . . . weird.

1. Alocasia odora, taro was installed by a tenant, into a situation that was too dark for it. Now that the tenant is gone, and before another arrives, I brought it back to the nursery for reassignment. The holes in the leaves are from redwood twigs that fell from very high up. I can not identify its cultivar, and am not ever sure if it is an Alocasia or a Colocasia.

2. Sphaeropteris cooperi, Australian tree fern was next to the taro, so came here with it. Although otherwise healthy, its etiolated leaves were reaching towards limited sunlight.

3. Sphaeropteris cooperi, Australian tree fern that I tried to recycle from the garden of a former neighbor did not survive. It is a saddening loss. It was an excellent tall specimen.

4. Nephrolepis cordifolia, sword fern might make good use of the trunk of this deceased Australian tree fern. Technically, the trunk is not actually a trunk at all; but is merely an accumulation of roots that extended downward through the decayed stem of the original fern. Perhaps the roots of this sword fern can do the same before the dead original roots deteriorate. It seems like a graft, but of course it is not. Nor is it a hybrid. It is just weird.

5. Brugmansia, angel’s trumpet of an unidentified cultivar is blooming for the first time. It has been with me for a few years, but dies back each winter. Before it recovers enough to bloom, it dies back again. I got it as a twig from a greenwaste recycle pile in San Jose.

6. Brugmansia, angel’s trumpet should be pastel orange. I took the original twig because I assumed that it was of a specimen that bloomed pastel orange. Does this look orange?!

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 35 Comments

Six on Saturday: Williamsburg II

Woodland Gnome of Our Forest Garden awesomely sent me six seedlings of Ilex opaca, American holly from Williamsburg! I had been wanting to get more acquainted with this species since encountering it in school in about 1986, but never justified doing so before. It is unavailable from nurseries here anyway. As with beautyberry, esperanza, poinciana, red elderberry and several other species that I want to get acquainted with, I specifically wanted their wild form, as it grows from seed, rather than cultivars. This is exactly what these seedlings are. I am already very pleased with them, and we are barely acquainted.

1. Cards and letters written by hand with ink on paper and sent by mail have become an old fashioned courtesy. It is gratifying to know that some still express such graciousness.

2. Camellia sasanqua, sasanqua camellia is the illustration for the other side of the card. It very likely bloomed where the contents of the parcel originated from in Williamsburg.

3. Ilex opaca, American holly was the contents of the parcel. There are six seedlings. For me, this is a remarkable acquisition, like beautyberry, red elderberry and Louisiana iris.

4. Ilex opaca, American holly seedlings were canned and happy shortly after arrival here two weeks ago. They can now disperse roots through winter to sustain growth next year.

5. Hedychium coronarium, white butterfly ginger came from the same source two years ago. Some was planted at the Chapel. This remaining specimen is higher than three feet. It really wants to be in the ground. The mild warmth last summer likely inhibited bloom.

6. Callicarpa americana, American beautyberry was an even more excellent acquisition two years ago. The mild warmth last summer likely inhibited the ripening of the berries. Larger clusters of berries are still green. This yellow foliage will likely be gone after rain.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 10 Comments

Six on Saturday: Los Angeles to Los Gatos II

Ilex opaca, American holly would have been a better topic for Six on Saturday this week. Woodland Gnome of Our Forest Garden sent me six seedlings from Williamsburg! They are now happily canned. I will share their pictures next week. For now, these are a few of the many goodies that I brought from Southern California. I sadly needed to go there for a memorial for an old college friend.

1. Carson is a 1994 Buick Roadmaster touring sedan, not a pickup. He diligently brought all this from Southern California anyway. It includes so much more than these six below.

2. Pimenta dioica, allspice is apparently quite rare. Brent had me trim his so that I could process these scraps as cuttings. However, it is dioecious, so requires a mate to set fruit.

3. Solandra maxima ‘Variegata’, variegated cup of gold vine was acquired in accordance with one of our collegiate traditions; theft. I processed these two scraps into six cuttings. Incidentally, I was uninvolved with its initial acquisition. I will merely grow the cuttings.

4. Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Variegata’, variegated Boston fern or tiger fern is a smaller copy of the mature specimen that provided picture #4 of my Six on Saturday of last Saturday.

5. Hedychium coronarium ‘Variegatum’, variegated white butterfly ginger should bloom with white flowers comparable to those of white butterfly ginger from Woodland Gnome of Our Forest Garden. However, I suspect that it is actually ‘Tahitian Flame’ with peachy bloom. To its right, Alpinia galanga, galangal is a culinary ginger with mundane bloom.

6. Canna of an unidentified cultivar is likely the most important of all these acquisitions. It was acquired by the same means as the variegated cup of gold vine #3, but worse. It is from the Baptist Church that hosted the repast for the memorial of our deceased friend.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo

Horridculture – Diet

Dinnerplate dahlias should be about ten inches wide.

Mail order scams are a topic that I have been avoiding. I do not want to consider that some of a few items that I purchase by mail order may not be what they were sold as; and, if so, I will not know until they grow, bloom or produce fruit. Furthermore, I want to believe that if such items are not what they were sold as, that the situation is merely accidental.

This was no accident.

It began with the purchase of thirty rhizomes of ‘Red King Humbert’ canna last year. They were the cheap sort that become available after their primary season. I did not expect them to be of exemplary quality. Nor did I expect them to bloom. I only wanted them to grow a bit during the remainder of their season so that their rhizomes could survive winter dormancy to grow and bloom for the following season, which would have been last spring.

They grew as expected, but seemed to be virused. I tried to believe that the supplier would not send me virused stock, and that the striations of their foliage were normal. However, as growth resumed last spring, the foliage was very obviously virused.

Also, as they grew, they were very obviously not ‘Red King Humbert’. They grew only about two feet tall, and bloomed with scrawny orange flowers. ‘Red King Humbert’ gets about six feet tall, with big and billowy orangish red bloom.

The supplier gave me a credit for the expenditure, to spend on more of their products, I should have requested a simple refund. Instead, with the credit and a slight bit more for the difference in price, I purchased two dozen rhizomes of assorted dinnerplate dahlias.

As with the canna, I did not expect exemplary performance from these dahlias so late in the season. I only wanted them to survive and grow enough to store enough resources to survive their winter dormancy, to grow and bloom for the next season.

Most were completely necrotic and mummified upon arrival. Because this was after my experience with the canna, the supplier agreed to refund what I spent, but then only refunded a random amount of a dollar and a few cents. When I asked about the refund, I was informed that it was comparable to the cost of the one rhizome that I sent a picture of, as if I was expected to send a picture of every rhizome that I wanted a refund for. I explained that almost all of the rhizomes were comparable the the one that I sent a picture of, but received no more response.

I still have heard nothing about it. I decided to be satisfied with the few rhizomes that survived, and just accept the loss. The time that I had already wasted on pursuing a refund was worth more than any refund that I would have gotten.

So, . . . a few of the dinnerplate dahlia rhizomes survived and generated a bit of growth to partially recharge their resources prior to their next dormancy. Two actually bloomed. Apparently, these are very special dinnerplate dahlias. Instead of producing blooms that are about ten inches wide, the largest bloom is less than three inches wide. I have never seen such a dinky dinnerplate.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 15 Comments

Six on Saturday: Los Angeles to Los Gatos

Six on Saturday is hasty for me this Saturday. The last few days have been rather hectic. It is now about midnight on Friday. I am presently in Los Angeles, and will be returning to Los Gatos in a few hours. It is a long story. I did not get many pictures.

1. Washingtonia robusta, Mexican fan palm is the most familiar palm of the Los Angeles skyline. This one is very unique though. It grew under the onramp from the northbound Harbor Freeway to the westbound Santa Monica Freeway, on top of an embankment on northbound Toberman Street. It grew vertically until it encountered the underside of the onramp. It then crept along the underside of a merge lane toward the south. It resumed vertical growth after reaching the edge, and escaping from below. Countless commuters who drive past it, and perhaps also over it, are unaware of its extraordinary contortions.

2. Coleus scutellarioides, coleus is still performing nicely within Brent’s garden. Autumn is a bit later and significantly milder within Los Angeles than within Los Gatos or Felton.

3. Coleus scutellarioides, coleus is familiar among my generation because it was popular as a houseplant through the 1970s. It is likely more popular in home gardens nowadays.

4. Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Variegata’, variegated Boston fern or tiger fern is one of several species that I will bring back from Los Angeles because I can not procure it in Los Gatos.

5. Three little kittens are new residents of Brent’s garden. I doubt that they are related to those that Los Gatos is named after. They will eventually help with rodent management.

6. Rhody is normally terrified of kittens. He does not seem to be aware that they are just small cats. Now that we are about to leave, he is much more tolerant of their playfulness.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo

Horridculture – White California Poppy

White California poppies are naturally very rare.

California poppy is the official State Flower of California. Most Californians are familiar with it. We certainly know what color it should be. With few exceptions, it is bright and clear orange. Some, particularly within desert climates, are golden or more yellowish. White and pastel purple California poppies are rare aberrations. When I was a kid, finding one or the other was comparable to finding a four leaf clover for kids in Ireland. They were even a bit better though, since plants that bloomed with variant color bloomed with more than a single flower.

When I was about a freshman in high school, I found both a white and a purple California poppy just a few feet apart from each other. They happened to be at the Portola Monument in Montara, near where the Portola Expedition discovered San Francisco Bay. It was too early for seed, and I did not return for seed later. Besides, most of such seed produces plants that bloom with typical orange floral color. Nonetheless, at the time, I was very pleased to have found two very rare aberrations.

In more recent years, varieties of California poppy were developed. Some bloom with white or purple bloom. Others bloom with pink, red or yellow flowers. Some have double flowers. They are readily available from mail order catalogues and nurseries, as well as online. White or pastel purple California poppies are no longer rare or special. This sort of takes the fun out of finding one.

I suspect that the white California poppy in this less than exemplary picture is natural. Poppy seed was not likely sown here intentionally. Nonetheless, I do not know. Now that it is no longer special, its source is not so important. Realistically, their typical bright orange floral color is the best anyway.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 11 Comments

Six on Saturday: No Hunting

Wildlife is fortunately not too much of a problem within the landscapes here. Deer have complete access but strangely avoid refined landscapes, which includes roses. We would be unable to defend the landscapes otherwise. With so many people in the area, hunting is not possible. Even if it were, I do not like the local options much. Turkeys must know, which is why they are so blatant with their minor but annoying transgressions. Ducks at least try to be helpful by eating snails and the overwhelmingly prolific duckweed in their pond. Actually, I would not mind if they invited some of their friends over to help, since the pond looks more like a lush green lawn than water. Increasingly cooler weather may change that somewhat soon.

1. Single white angel’s trumpet is irrelevant to wildlife, but is blooming too splendidly to ignore. It was #6 last week, while beginning to bloom. It grew from a cutting last spring.

2. Ducks enjoy the pond without becoming too annoyingly numerous. Only this nice pair seems to be permanent residents. Another pair occasionally stops by but lives elsewhere.

3. Duckweed might otherwise be less bothersome if only they invited their friends over a bit more often. Even in this small pond, a single pair of ducks can not control duckweed.

4. Turkeys are the opposite. They are annoyingly numerous, but do not help much. They glean insects, but also thrash colorful flowers and berries, whether they eat them or not.

5. Pyracantha berries should remain colorful while small birds eat them through winter. Instead, turkeys shake most of them from their branches, and leave them on the ground.

6. Rhody is a terrier of some sort. His ancestors pursued burrowing animals who lived in the ground, or ‘terra’. Fortunately, he is uninterested, and is even less interested in fowl.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 8 Comments

Horridculture – Long Stem Rose

I grew a nearly exemplary long stem rose!

Well, I did not exactly do it myself. One of three specimens of ‘Proud Land’ hybrid tea rose that I installed into the rose garden in about 1984 did all the work. I was quite pompous when I found it though. After all, I maintain this particular specimen in a can here until it relocates into another rose garden.

I certainly did not expect such a bloom only a week before November. Although roses can bloom until winter dormancy, the latest are generally on short stems. Increasingly cool weather decelerates formerly vigorous growth.

This particular rose bloomed on a stem that was more than three feet long! It would have been ideal for Miss Piggy of the Muppet Show! Goodness, it could have been too good for Miss Piggy!

‘Proud Land’ hybrid tea rose

The flower might have lacked perfect form, and the foliage might have been slightly blemished, but with such an awesome stem, they were inconsequential. Perhaps I should have stripped the foliage and cut the flower off, in order to most effectively display the near perfection of this most astounding stem!

After cutting it, I removed the thorns and lower foliage, and put it in water outside the lounge at work. According to tradition, unless someone else is presently experiencing marital tension of some sort, the first of the gentlemen with whom I work to find roses there takes them to his wife. This was only a single rose, but was very special. It was gratifying to know that someone with whom I work was about to experience a very special evening, although I gave it no more thought than that.

Then, the gentleman who claimed it mentioned that it was too long, and before I could protest, he cut the stem in half.

the discarded half
Posted on by tonytomeo · 10 Comments

Six on Saturday: Good News

Horticulture occasionally involves some degree of disappointment. However, more than occasionally, it is surprisingly gratifying. After the mysterious disappearance of a colony of Louisiana iris, I remembered how much I enjoyed growing them. Unplanned bananas will be fun to grow in the future. Unseasonable bloom is at least as gratifying as seasonal bloom.

1. ‘Black Gamecock’ Louisiana iris was a gift from Tangly Cottage Gardening. Therefore, they were VERY important to me. I split and plugged them into a thirty foot long row on the edge of a pond at work. Sadly, after growing happily through summer, they suddenly and inexplicably disappeared. I am determined to not be unrealistically saddened about this, though. They were intended to be enjoyed, and I enjoyed growing them all summer. The good news is that Tangly Cottage Gardening offered replacement when I return this winter. Also, I found these four surviving plugs! I canned them here for their protection.

2. Iris unguicularis, Algerian iris was another of several prized gifts from Tangly Cottage Gardening. I split and plugged them into a row that is about twenty feet long last winter.

3. Musa acuminata, banana ‘trees’ are getting to be rather excessive. With these pairs of four new cultivars, there are now fourteen cultivars! There are no plans for any of them.

4. Brugmansia candida, double white angel’s trumpet failed to impress this year. Bloom was limited. Now that summer is over, it decided to bloom! I suppose this is good news.

5. Brugmansia X cubensis, ‘Charles Grimaldi’ continues to bloom late, and with this odd peachy color. Although I know that it should be simple yellow, I rather prefer this color.

6. Brugmansia, angel’s trumpet of an unidentified cultivar with single white flowers also decided to bloom late. This is impressive because it grew from a cutting from last spring!

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/