Posts Tagged ‘Spring’

Eastern Redbud – Cercis canadensis

Published by Mrs. Flower on December 19th, 2011 - in Arborist, Garden, Landscaping, Natives, Trees

This is the first segment of our Ornamental Tree and Shrub Series……

What better time than now, during the first days of winter, to be thinking about the early flowering trees of spring? Eastern redbud is perhaps my favorite blooming tree. It is certainly one of the finest native flowering trees. What I like about this tree is not only that it is one of the earliest blooming, but in the way that the profuse pinkish purple blooms seem to explode right out of the pores of the bark! There are white blooming varieties as well.

Upon inspection of the bark, on the branches and trunk, it is smooth with tiny bumps. Then quickly the knurls fatten and unfurl into a multi-stemmed bunch of 4-8 tiny flowers covering a leafless tree. Completely gorgeous.  It flowers on old wood. The flowers are bisexual and the tree is self-pollinating.

The nectar is an important component of the honey making business of bees. And is a very attractive date for many nectariferous insects. The nectar is an important component of the honey making business of bees. And is a very attractive date for many nectariferous insects.  Hence it becomes a busy little community of life. The seeds look like pea pods and this is because the genus comes from the legume family – Fabaceae. They form over the course of the summer and are attractive to seed eating birds – Cardinals being my favorites. The seed can be germinated after scarification with sulfuric acid for about a half hour and then given 6 – 8 weeks of cold treatment. The seed does have an internal dormancy, but most will germinate with proper care.

As if the 2-3 week flowering period is not enough, the young leaves appear as small cranberry colored hearts that grow to a large 4” blue green cordate leaf.  The leaves turn an exceptional golden yellow in the fall. This little tree can be used in a garden setting and it is possible to utilize it as a shrub with selective pruning. The redbud is not especially vulnerable to pests and diseases. This is a versatile genus that is easy to grow and take care of.

The cercis is a medium textured, short-lived deciduous tree found throughout the eastern United States. It is tolerant of most soil types, except refuses to be happy in constantly wet soils. It has a deep taproot and is aggressive in establishment in full sun to part shade. The average height is 15-20′ and the spread is 18-25′. It has a lovely horizontal branching, rotund form.  The growth rate is medium, which makes it perfect for the garden, as it will not quickly take over. Most rapid growth occurs in youth, in the first 5–6 years, when it can grow 6–10’, then growth is slow. The Eastern Redbud is a native tree that is hardy in zones 4 to 8. Be careful not to acquire a tree that has come from seed stock grown in the south as, most likely, it will not be hardy to far north conditions.

I have a variety called  ‘Forest Pansy’ in my garden that is hardy to zone 5. While I am in zone 4, I have enjoyed this little tree for five years.I always lose the branches every winter and I cut them back, fearing that this might be the end, but the tree keeps flushing forth with BIG dark purple hearts which turn various shades of apricot in the fall.

Visitors always ask what it is. It has never, and may never bloom because I have to keep pruning the winter kill – but I love this tree so much. Even if it does expire, I will surely replace it with another.

I am dying to try a new cultivar ‘Rising Sun’ which has golden tangerine heart -shaped foliage summer through fall; new leaves are bright rosy apricot. It grows to a height of 12’, which would be perfect as a garden framework maker. It is hardy to zone 5, but I do enjoy pushing my limits!

 

 

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Our Fall 2011 Newsletter – Hot Off the Press!

Published by Mrs. Chippers on October 19th, 2011 - in Arborist, Garden, Land Enhancement, Landscaping, Plant Health Care, Pruning, Storm Damage Assistance, Trees, Turf

GreenWords Newsletter Fall 2011

In this issue: Restore Your Flood Damaged-Landscape & Great Reasons to Schedule Winter Work Now!

 

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Hummingbirds Are Back In Town….

Published by Mrs. Flower on May 17th, 2011 - in Garden, Landscaping, Natives, Trees

I’m a complete nut for ruby throated hummingbirds. They are fleeting tiny jewels that bring utter delight to the viewer. I could spend hours watching them. Surely, it would be a cliché to say that they are my favorite bird. That aside, I know I am in good company to say that I anxiously awaited their arrival this spring. The return of the hummingbirds means rebirth and utter joy to me. They make me happy. Even though they only live 3 or 4 years, my hummingbirds are the same genetic family that I have known since I have lived in my house. Studies have shown that these tiny birds return to the place from where they hatched. We have a “heart thing” going on (fact: a hummingbird heart beat 21 times per second). Last year, a mother hummingbird lined all of her chicks out on a line right over my head for me to admire. I leaned back in my chair and just watched them – agog with wonder. They were the size of my baby finger, and they pushed and pecked at each other, as children will.

Ruby throated hummingbirds spend their winters in southern Mexico and northern Panama. Most make the arduous journey across the Gulf of Mexico to make it back to their summer feeding ranges. This over water trip is 500 miles long, and can take 18-22 hours. Sometimes they travel with other larger birds, but do not, as lore tells, travel in the armpits of geese. Hummingbirds have too much dignity for such travel accommodation, and I suspect their accumulated frequent travel miles suffice.

This mild season that we have had has brought hummingbirds sooner than usual this year. They arrived a full week earlier than last year. And when they got here, I was ready! My favorite hummingbird migration site on the internet is www.hummingbirds.net. I saw that someone sighted them on April 4th in the Boston area. My old records show them arriving the first week of May, or thereabouts. But as years have gone by, they have been arriving earlier and earlier. The males arrive a couple of weeks ahead of the females and will search for a summer residence. Most people don’t know that hummingbirds eat soft-bodied bugs like flies and mosquitoes, as well as sap from certain trees, and flower nectar. Since there are not many nectariferous flowers or bugs available, this early in the season, feeders will help them establish their territory.

Hummingbirds are protein eating machines and the nectar is the fuel they use to power their enterprise. They do like a little rest as they sip, so I like to use the feeders that have perches. I also prefer the feeders that are easy to clean. The ones I use look like flying saucers. They have shallow, easy to clean bowls, with a wide flat screw-on red top, complete with perches and holes. Red coloring on the feeder itself will help to attract them initially. Later in the season, the nectar can get moldy, due to the bacteria that is introduced from the bird’s beaks. The bothersome skinny necked bottle feeders make clean-up a difficult chore.

Hummingbirds do not need the red colored hummingbird powder bought from stores, which is mixed with water and poured into the feeders. A 1 to 4 mixture of table sugar (cane or beet sugar) to water is perfect. I usually mix 1/2 cup sugar to 2 cups of water to fill a couple of feeders at a time. The hummingbird does not need red food dye to attract it to feeders. Some people think that feeding with sugar water is ‘unnatural’ but the 21% sucrose content is consistent with natural flower nectar.

My gardens are filled with plants that attract nectar feeders (I love butterflies also).

Plants to Attract and Feed Hummingbirds

Trees and Shrubs

• Azalea

• Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)

• Flowering Quince

• Lantana

• Red Buckeye

• Weigela

Vines

• Morning Glory

• Scarlet Runner Bean

• Trumpet Creeper

Perennials

• Agastache

• Bee Balm

• Cardinal Flower

• Columbine

• Coral Bells

• Foxglove

• Hosta

• Hummingbird Mint

• Lupine

• Penstemon

• Yucca

Annuals

• Fuchsia

• Impatiens

• Petunia

• Various Salvia species

Last year I rescued a few from barns and sheds. They thanked me, as I was weeding in the flower beds, by hovering within a foot of my face, welcoming me to the garden. I have rescued perhaps 12 hummingbirds in my life. The first one was trapped in an interior window of a shed. It was frantic. I got real close and held my hand near it as it fluttered up and down the window pane…patience…patience. It got exhausted very quickly, and when it came to rest, I quickly – but ever so gently, pinned its wings at its shoulders between my thumb and index finger. As I held this tiny bird I could see the little wrinkled folds of its eyelids, and every iridescent pin sized feather shone in the light…amazing. Ever since then, I have considered myself somewhat of a specialist in hummingbird rescue. I have imagined having a business doing nothing but answering the call of hummingbird rescue. This would the sweetest of jobs in my estimation.

I am very exacting, as it would be easy to injure their wings if they try to take flight. Their wings can flutter up to 50 odd beats per second in flight. I suppose I should be reported, for this is an offense, as it is against the law (Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.) I think this law was made to keep people from collecting birds to stick on their hats, or for whatever other purposes people touch birds. But if the bird police show up, and I must do the time for this extreme action, then I will gladly suffer the prison food. I cannot, under any circumstances, just stand back and watch them expire if I can be of help. The pleasure that I derive from hummingbirds is certainly one of my greatest joys in life, and administering to their needs is a chief ambition.

 

 

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What the Heuchera?!

Published by Mrs. Flower on April 27th, 2011 - in Garden, Landscaping

The genus Heuchera, or Coral Bells (AKA  American Alumroot) is a major contender for dream plant, in my opinion. Twenty years ago I was inspired by the Perennial Plant Association’s “Plant of the Year” Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple.’ I had green coral bells in my gardens and enjoyed their panicles of clean little cerise bells. But ‘Palace Purple’ leaves were, well, purple! There was at that time, nothing like it. It became all the rage.  I went wild using it with silver leaved companion plants and soft pink flowering perennials.

Coral bells were never the main act in gardens in those years. Soon I got bored with them. Even worse, I grew aggravated because the Heuchera would heave out of the ground over the winter, looking like big silly elephants standing on balls.  Little did I know that they had fine shallow, fibrous roots. It never occurred to me to lift and bury them deeper – Ah, youth!  Hence, heuchera fell out of favor with me.

Six years ago, I was entrenched in my long quest to know more about native plant species. I was surprised to learn that Heuchera villosa, and H. americana were natives and that ‘Amethyst Myst,’ a new purple leaved cultivar, had exceptional attributes compared to ‘Palace Purple.’ I fell in love all over again. The villosa species was being used extensively as an intercross breeder for new varieties of heuchera, which made for larger leaves and colors. ‘Dale’s Strain’ was an americana species with better heat tolerance and fabulous veining.  Both species can be grown from seed easily, but hybridization using their gene pool has opened a cornucopia of new cultivars that has the gardening world agog.

Native heucheras span habitats from alpine mountainous regions to low-land forests, and all share common traits: gorgeous leaves, long bloom times, excellent hardiness, rotund mounded form, salt tolerance, longevity, non-invasive, plays well with others, competes well with tree roots  and have persistent leaves during the winter. They are virtually indestructible – I know this because I still have my Palace Purple from twenty years ago, even though at times, I wished them dead.

With the use of these two species, numerous leaf colors have evolved. One could garden exclusively with heuchera, and I dare say no color would be missed. A garden of heuchera would be an easy care display. I have yet to meet a coral bell not hardy to at least -30 degrees F. They like to be in moderately dry soil, usually in full sun. The lime or chartreuse varieties do better in part sun – but this would be the case for most spring green colored leaf plants. Heuchera leaves can range in color from the darkest almost black, ‘Obsidian,’ lime colored varieties, ‘Citronelle’ and ‘Key Lime Pie,’ orange toned, ‘Caramel’ and ‘Southern Comfort,’ purple shades like ‘Frosted Violet,’  bi-colored like the amber leaf edged in chartreuse, ‘Tiramisu.’  Certain cultivars change color in the cool of fall. ‘Green Spice’ is a lovely green with purple veins and it turns pumpkin orange in the fall. All are to-die-for cultivars.

H. villosa ‘Autumn Bride’ has enjoyed my high favor for a while. It has giant green leaves and blooms in late summer with big white foxtails, it is utterly spectacular.  But, two years ago, as I innocently perused the isles of a nursery, I was gobsmacked by a new heuchera called ‘Georgia Peach.’ I went slack-jawed – and my bubble gum landed in the gravel path at my feet. This peachy colored leaf is veined in a darker red. It is BIG and beautiful and I have managed to obtain several. Now I must change the color vignette of my entire perennial border to accommodate this new pet of mine.  I envision it with purple, blue, gold and white companions. It is not that I am fickle, but that I do know love when I see it.

 

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Who’s Been Eating My Grass?

Published by Mr. Grass on April 20th, 2011 - in Landscaping, Turf

As the snow melts (eventually), you may find surface tunnels on your lawn. This can be a disturbing image and is most unpleasant. Voles, also known as field mice, will tunnel under the snow, eating the grass and shallow roots of your lawn. The result of this frozen dinner feast is a maze of tunnels created where the mice traveled. The extent of the damage can be minor such as leaves and thatch being eaten all the way to roots and shoots, a more severe result of mouse lawn damage.

Your best bet is to let the area recover in April and do some seeding in May once the soil warms up enough. Depending upon the extent and depth of the damage, you may not have to do anything, or as in this picture above, the soil is exposed, likely requiring some modest efforts to restore the grass to its original condition.

 

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Finally, the Growing Degree Days Begin…

Published by Mr. Tree on April 13th, 2011 - in Arborist, Garden, Landscaping, Plant Health Care, Trees, Turf

Yesterday, April 12, 2011, we finally had degree days! 6.6 per our Chippers weather station, and it was probably over 10 at lower elevations.

Growing degree days are used to predict the hatch/vulnerability of insects – in our case on woody plants. They are calculated by taking the high and low (in Fahrenheit) of each day, taking their average, and deducting 50. Negative numbers are thrown out, as happens all winter.

Insects that make an early appearance are White pine weevil (mostly a problem for spruce) and pear thrip (a problem for Sugar maples).

Today, April 13th, we had a GDD of 7.3 today. Some of what you will see up to GDD 50: Red maple, magnolia, some rhododendron, pieris and forsythia will all bloom. White pine weevil may be seen doing its dirty deeds at 60 degrees and above, and we are treating for these this week.

These insects are all vulnerable to dormant oil spray up until gdd 50: Scales, Aphids, Mealybugs, Psyllids, Aphids + Mites.

For more information on this topic, please visit our website, www.chippersinc.com.

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From Firewood Pile to Greenhouse in a Weekend!

Published by Mrs. Chippers on April 5th, 2011 - in Firewood, Garden, Landscaping

Those driving the Pomfret Road in Pomfret, Vermont this past week may have noticed the disappearance of the giant firewood pile at our Chippers headquarters… and the subsequent appearance of a production greenhouse.

With the advent of our gardening division and the hiring of Greenhouse Manager and Garden Designer Liz Krieg, formerly of Rising Sun Landscape Company, we plan to grow for the wholesale market, and to offer educational opportunities to the community.

Liz is a NOFA Accredited Land Care Professional and plans to focus on growing native and organic woody and herbaceous ornamentals and edibles, for the enjoyment of both humans and wildlife.

On Friday, May 20 from 5-7pm there will be a community open house and mem0rial dedication ceremony at 6pm for our company’s founder, Will Russell, 1241 Pomfret Road, Woodstock, VT 05091.  Please RSVP to Danielle if you plan to attend at 457-5100 or danielle@chippersinc.com.

We are ready for the green season!

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Triple Treat Blueberries

Published by Mrs. Flower on March 15th, 2011 - in Garden, Landscaping

We all know by now that if we eat loads of blueberries, we will live forever, right?

This native American plant is one of many in the genus Vaccinium that also includes the cranberry, huckleberry, bilberry, deerberry and partridgeberry. These berries are highly favored by wildlife and the spring blossoms are very attractive to numerous indigenous nectar seeking butterflies, moths, wasps and bees (and humans). Hence the trio of horticultural benefits from our point of view: they are ornamental, edible and wildlife friendly.

Blueberry is a natural and rich source of antioxidants that include flavonoids (catechin, epicatechin), anthocyanin (which gives the blue pigment to the fruit), beta-carotene, phenolic compounds, and ellagic acid (ellagitannin). Blueberry is also high in antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin E, A and C and is an excellent source of fiber, no matter what life form eats them!

Highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) or the low bush (Vaccinium angustifolium) are the fruits of which we humans are particularly fond. These well-behaved plants make extraordinary edible landscape shrubs that yield phenomenal fall color. The species angustifolium are the typical little Maine blueberry, and they make lovely ground cover or low hedging material. The corymbosum species can grow as tall as five to six feet and more with an equal width, and are the type of berry (for the most part) that we buy at the store.

Considering all of the obvious benefits of blueberries it is a mystery why every home does not have a few, if not several, of these plants tucked in and around the landscape. It is not necessary to have a ‘patch’. These plants are quite forgiving about location as long as they have six hours of sun. Bloom time for the plants spans from early to late spring. In northern zones, mid to late bloomers may insure that the blossoms are not killed by late frost. One should have more than one of each bush by bloom time (early, mid, late) for cross-pollination.

Blueberries prefer an acid soil in the 4.6 – 5.1 pH range. Fortunately, Vermont and New Hampshire have naturally acidic soil. The more organic matter added to the soil, and methods of organic care given, the more forgiving the plants are of any pH discrepancies. Composted coffee grounds, leaf mold, sawdust and cottonseed meal can keep the pH within range nicely. Once established all they need is an annual organic fertilizing treatment and two inches of water per week (especially for plumping up the set fruit). Once the shrubs are well established and growing for a few years, annual pruning is crucial to encourage new growth and a large berry harvest the next year.

One highbush blueberry plant, at maturity, can yield around two gallons of berries in a season. Berries are easy to freeze – no fuss required – just pop them into containers and freeze. Frozen berries have the same nutritional benefits of fresh berries and are incredibly easy to use.

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An Insider’s View: 2011 Lawn Care Trends

Published by Mr. Grass on February 28th, 2011 - in Green Care Industry Issues, Plant Health Care, Turf

The clock is ticking as companies prepare for the snow melt and the onset of the 2011 lawn care season.  In this blog post I shall briefly cover compost tea, kelp, fertilizer pricing, Mycorrhizae, and other trends worth exploring.

As petroleum prices rise, so does the cost of manufacturing basic fertilizer components.  Lawn care companies can expect to pay more for their fertilizer products in 2011, thus increasing the need to execute an effective and efficient turf program.  There has been one price increase already with perhaps another expected midyear.  Those companies unable to make sound business decisions may become a thing of the past.  Some price increases may inevitably be passed onto the consumer as pressure builds to make a profit in a highly competitive industry.

The bell continues to toll for fundamental changes utilizing basic soil and environmental processes in the lawn care industry to move further away from petroleum dependency. These options include inoculating seed with beneficial fungi called Mycorrhizae.  One inoculation allows this fungus to multiply and spread within a lawn area.  Long used in the tree industry, Mycorrhizae sets up a friendly relationship on the turf root system, breaking down surrounding nutrients and minerals.  The end result generally becomes a lessened demand on the quantity of fertilizer required due to this helpful relationship below ground.

There are still more options available beyond standard fertilizers such as compost tea and kelp both of which utilize actual plant material, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and much more to help improve soil structure and thereby create a healthier lawn.  Compost tea usually contains beneficial bacteria, sugars, and kelp, all helping your grass become stronger while simultaneously improving the defensive mechanism to fight off insect and disease pressure.  Although there are lots of blends and types of compost tea, the general idea is to strengthen the lawn so it can withstand drought, insect, and disease pressure as it appears during the growing season.  Compost tea and kelp both help build the soil which is very often a large limiting factor in improving a lawn.  With many lawns containing high amounts of sand or minimal top soil, adding kelp and or compost tea becomes a very sound decision.

Both sea kelp and compost tea are not inexpensive, but they provide key materials not found in some fertilizers and they improve soil infrastructure.  Compare the investment in compost tea, kelp, or Mycorrhizae versus renovating your lawn and you are looking at saving thousands of dollars at a minimum.  Any lawn treatment that can help reduce fertilizer demand and build the soil is certainly worth exploring and perhaps even using in 2011.

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Forecasting for a Rainy Day

Published by Mr. Tree on February 17th, 2011 - in Land Enhancement, Trees

Forecasting the weather has always seemed like the perfect job, at least to me. What other profession can you be employed in where you can make a reasonably good salary (I think) and be wrong better than 50% of the time. Despite the less than stellar prediction performance, people still tune in every day and night? Is that not the best job ever? Well, not as great as a job in the “green care” industry.
Another difficult area to forecast is our nations and our local economies. Will we be seeing greater prosperity in the near future? Is the current recovery long-term or temporary? Is our financial future safe and secure? Although these questions are difficult to answer, we do listen to those that forecast. And although we can’t see the future, the current forecast looks promising. However, it is still prudent to be prepared.
During these times of economic uncertainty there are proactive steps that can be taken. One step could be to establish a “rainy day” property account. Not only can you improve the health of your property, you can improve the health of your pocket. So, how can this “rainy day” property account be established? Forest management is the answer…
There are several key things to remember regarding Forest Management. First and foremost is the health of your forest. I look at the forest just as a gardener does their vegetable garden. A gardener weeds, removing all the bad stuff he or she doesn’t want growing in the garden. Weeding helps the garden crops reach their full potential. As a result, there are more nutrients for the vegetables, flowers and herbs to flourish. Sounds pretty straight forward, right? Let’s take a look at the first step to take regarding your forest…

The best way for your Forest to reach its full potential is to consult with a forester that is trained in the art and science of silviculture. Silviculture is the care and cultivation of forest trees; forestry. The forester can with his knowledge, evaluate your forest and develop a plan that meets your Forest Management and “rainy day” property account goals. Also, your forester is knowledgeable of the log markets and would best be able to determine when to harvest selected trees on your forested property. Furthermore, the forester will have relationships with the professionals that would harvest your forested crop. And these professional relationships are paramount to the success of the forest management plan.
Overall, Forest Management can and does have multiple mutually inclusive benefits to you the land owner and your forested property’s health. Additionally, the winter season is one of the best times to perform Forest Management operations. The frozen ground allows for substantially less degradation to the forest soils and minimizes erosion concerns. So take the first step today. Consult with a forester and a reputable company who can assist you in developing a Forest Management Plan and a “rainy day” property account. The result will be enhanced forest health, additional recreational opportunities, and wildlife diversity of your forest.

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