A bit of fall color

That looks like some useful stuff to have around. I should get a can and store it right between the duct tape and black electrical tape - 2 of my essential gardening supplies.
Well, I can't remember where I saw the instructions for making pots and things out of some cement-like product, but I'll take another look.

231 mph wind, that is EF5 tornado wind speed! - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Fujita_Scale

I read some about it here, Mt. Washington sounds pretty dangerous if one is unprepared.
http://www.mountwashington.org/about/visitor/recordwind.php

I knew it had a record on something. I shoulda looked it up before I posted. It'd be a COLD wind..lol!

I remember seeing that commercial since I saw the Youtube video on Flex-seal, that would be some handy stuff. I might just get some for that fountain, they said it's paintable, I need to paint it a concrete color anyway, there are some spots that don't look too good right now. I was thinking make a canoe out of a screen-door but I see now it is just putting a screen-door on the bottom of a boat, still impressive though.

Will, the Flex seal comes in clear now too, yes handy stuff.

Muddy, the Fiber Fix is fairly new on the market, it'll probably replace your duct tape (hold up better in cold temps and better UV resistance), unless you're looking for temporary fixes.
http://www.fiberfix.com/products/fiberfix-3-pack-shark-tank-special

Muddy, you may be thinking of " hypertufa". It is concrete with peat and perlite, meant to be lightweight for its thickness and I think meant to be porous too.

Also I have used Quikwall concrete with fibers for strength, some crafters like QUikcrete Vinyl Patch.

Mipii, among other quick fixes, I use duct tape to create a tight seal around the tree wraps I use to protect the trunks of my small trees from winter sun scald. I cover the duct tape with black electric tape to make it look nicer. The electric tape has saved many a cracked branch, too.

Thanks, Sally, those products sound like they might do the trick. Mipii was thinking of using concrete forms to create something to use to edge beds instead of railroad ties.

I might spray Flex Seal on the outside of clay pots that I use for plants until I figure out where I can plant them, which sometimes takes a year or so, and paint them so they look nicer. I don't want to pay $30 for a pot like Will does. Now that I have lots of sun, though, I might actually find places in the ground for them!

Some more fall color: My old Japanese maple is finally getting close to its usual brilliant fall color.
Among other things, the third photo shows Japanese Barberry growing in the woods. Even though I'd rather not see it there, I have to admit that it has nice fall color.

Muddy, leave it to a guy to come up with another good use for duct tape, I didn't even think about using it for trees...I will now. Thanks for lifting my depressed fall spirit with the only redeeming quality of fall, the color.

Thanks for the name Sally, 'hypertufa' doesn't sound like anything remotely associated with cement products, I never would have found it if left to my own devices.

Next to spring, fall is my favorite season. Summer would be third, with winter a very distant last place. It has its own beauty of course, but its just way too cold and long for this gardener. Technically it may only be 13 weeks, but in reality it's closer to 20 weeks. Todays high temp was 29F and currently 25. It sure feels like winter to me. :(

Pseudo, it's snowing in Michigan at a balmy 45F as I type, sure glad I covered my Paw Paw seedlings!

You have very long winters, Pseudo; I feel for you!

Mipii, I'm not a guy....but I'll take being mistaken for one as a compliment : ) !!

Lol, Muddy...so androgynous a title, er...handle. I had a 50/50 chance and blew it. You should take it as a complement, some of my best friends are male. Heh heh, I'm still chuckling at myself.

Still plays in dirt would have been a good handle too, but someone already took it !

Still plays in dirt is good, Muddy is pretty close though, we should start a thread to find out why some of the more obscure names were chosen. Mine has nothing directly to do with gardening...in fact, I'm sure even the pronunciation has a lot of people stumped.

Mipii is pronounced My pie, as in getting a bigger piece of the pie. If you strive for the moon, you may end up getting a slice. Another way of reminding myself to keep working at it and not give up.

On another note, what kind of tree are you leaning toward to replace your Silver Maple?

So it's "My Pie" is it? Shortleaf is after the tree believe it or not! I AM short but not by much actually.
I believe the average american male is 5'8" and I am 5'7". But when I did the name I was thinking of Pinus Echinata (Shortleaf Pine). The tree was nearly logged to extinction in Missouri in the early 1900's and it's just a neat story how it has been making a comeback here. It's odd, even the state nursery sells the seedlings cheaper than anything else because they want to get it re-established everywhere, which is a good thing.

Winters here are long too, though Wisconsin would undoubtedly be a little longer and more brutal.
I don't like Winter, you can't hardly do anything outside.

Sorry about my boring and long name-when I first signed up for DG I had never done this before, I thought they wanted a log-in name and password, and I would later choose a 'handle' to be known by. I used an easily remembered (by me) name. Oops, then it was too late. I know this has happened to others too. I wish they had warned me- I could have used some clever name. I enjoy seeing how people have named themselves.

I thought Mipii was a nickname of some short, and I figured Shortleaf had something to do with a tree. Good picks! I like the stories behind both of your "names".

I actually had 2 silver maples removed, and it was a good thing I did, because the one I was less worried about had the worst internal crack.
The replacement tree for the SM that was in the front yard has actually been in the ground for a year. It is a red maple, either 'October Glory' or 'Red Sunset', that I bought before telling my family we needed to have the old tree taken down. They protested, so I had the new tree planted near the old one. It looked kind of funny, but I didn't know what else to do with it.

I'd like to replace the one removed from the backyard with an evergreen tree or conifer that doesn't get taller than 40 feet, but I haven't started actively looking into possibilities yet. Maybe after leaf-raking season ends...

See, I'm not the only one that finds the story behind the name interesting. MLM, it may be long but not boring.

Will, I'm sure Pinus Echinata is honored.

Thanks Muddy. Oh, mlmlakestevens isn't boring and long! To me, it looks like multi-level marketing in Lake Stevens, Wa.! Multi-level marketing hasn't been my thing or anything but I remember as a little kid, my Mom and Dad were into stuff like that. Some of the things seem so humorous now. Like the time we went to visit the guy that wanted to sign them up. It was obviously staged, a couple "comes home" with suitcases behind them like they've been on a tropical vacation or something.

Shortleaf Pine better be honored or I want my 5 dollars back! lol

I know mlm in your name doesn't stand for multi-level marketing, it stands for something else I'm sure, I have a dry sense of humor! I don't think anybody has ever boasted of multi level marketing what with Bernie Madoff and all, (ponzi scheme, pyramid scheme they're all the same..lol).
Will

Will I will sell you a cutting of Pueraria lobata, a beautiful plant, easily propagated. Just 10$. You can grow a thousand of them, and you can sell them to other gardeners (they can become dealers too), just $10 each. You would collect a share of your dealer's profit, and give me $1 for each plant sold. We'll be rich. Then we will start on Aegopodium podagraria. Nobody has ever heard of these wonderful groundcovers.

Oh boy, that is funny! We'll be rich huh?! Oh man, I'm going to crack a rib from laughing!
Haha! Male feminization from Kudzu huh?! - http://www.bing.com/search?q=pueraria+lobata+for+male+feminization&qs=AS&sk=AS5&pq=pueraria+lobata&sc=8-15&sp=6&FORM=QBLH&cvid=79cb81ed82fc4ccdb88b5ff40ef6c59d
I love it when people come back with a sense of humor too!

LOL...multi level marketing. Hey does anyone know of a good pyramid scheme I can get in on? I really want in on the ground floor (I'm afraid of heights) I'm actually not interested in working but I'd like to get lots of kickbacks and stuff so I can legally take things from people and keep it safely stashed in my pockets. Oh, I know, I'll just go work for the government until I just cant sit in those comfy chairs any more doodling.That sounds like a great trade for top quality (healthcare, insurance and retirement plans.

No talking politics at all, just looking for a good pyramid scheme, I'm done now, I actually found one.

Hehe, yep, thats your multi-level marketing, (aka pyramid scheme)! I don't think I could ever be successful at it because so many people associate it with a scam. Not to mention most of the people that I know don't really take me seriously, so I don't think I'd get much, if any, help..lol
Did you know though that Tony Robbins is worth around 480 million dollars?!
http://ezinearticles.com/?Discovering-Multi-Level-Marketing-Secrets-of-Success&id=5718467
http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/tony-robbins-net-worth/
Will

That's a good one Pseudo, almost as good as MLM, where do I sign up?

More fall color...Maple and endless Summer Hydrangea.

That's a gorgeous photos of your Maple, Mipii ! Is your endless Summer Hydrangea still blooming up there in the frozen North? What is that ground cover with the pink blossoms?

Yeah, I took the photo's on Sunday...still blooming. The blooms start out light pink, turn green and then turn a more burgundy color. They seem to hang on forever, never know when to collect seeds. I take photo's of my Maple every year, can't get over the color, it's like Pseudo's Larix.

The ground cover is Lamium Aureum, I just got that last fall and its growing well.

Nice Sugar Maple there, Mipii. Sugar Maples have the best Fall color, It's right up there with Bradford Pear on Fall color. But, Bradford Pears are non-native freaks of nature! In every other category besides Fall color, Acer saccharum, (Sugar Maple) wins hands down.

I thought I recognized that Eau Claire, WI.! You'd be that Maackia Bob out of Eau Claire, WI!
Haha! Pseudonym for Maackia huh?! Your with MPPS?! You forgot to list your website! How is your ground? How do I know it'll grow there?!
Will

This message was edited Nov 14, 2013 5:22 PM

Will, Sugar Maple have their drawbacks. They 're prolific seed producers, I'm pulling Maple seedlings from everywhere ALL summer. The fall color doesn't last long enough, as soon as it turns vibrant (which is later than many other trees), the first hard frost has the leaves on the ground. The growth is very dense -- great for shade, not so great for under-planting. My tree is really symmetrical and pleasing, it is a beauty though.

Pseudo, I'm waiting for that website to find out what the qualifying trees are. I really need help harvesting Magnolia seeds. Where do I sign up?

Muddy, Bradford Pear is a great looking tree in spring and fall, How large are you wanting to go? Are you looking for ornamental or shade?

Eeeekk! I never woulda dogged Bradford Pear like that if I read somewhere that she liked them!
Or, please, Mipii say you don't like them?!

At any rate, wanna see the Ozark Witch-Hazels today? The one in the pot is still green and the one about 10 feet from it, (and in the ground) has NO leaves. - pic #1 Here is a closeup of the "stick". pic #2 They are both from the same bundle from the Missouri state seedling nursery in 2010.

This message was edited Nov 14, 2013 8:21 PM

Mipii, Bradford Pears are beautiful, but I had a bad experience with my last one. It was a healthy-looking tree when it dropped a limb about 7" in diameter for no good reason; there wasn't any wind or precipitation. I know there are better cultivars out there now, but I'll look for something smaller. I might get one deciduous tree - maybe Carolina Silverbell - and 2 conifers. I want an ornamental that provides some shade for our patio and food for the birds, but nothing that gets above 40 feet.

Shortleaf, I've been meaning to ask why you have dog crates in your yard. Are you involved in an animal rescue group, or is that where you sleep when you're in trouble?

I still think your Ozark Witch-hazels changed colors at different times because they received different amounts of sun. Next year you'll have to do a scientifically-controlled experiment.

Hehe! They are pet carriers for cats, my friend here is a big believer that in case of fire, the cats go out and in taxis. Also, they are used to take them to the vet or if we're fogging or something. That's fine with me, I like cats too, she told me that she likes the cats better than she likes me! I would fit in that biggest one! Although, if she really threw me out, she wouldn't give me a cat carrier! These taxis? - pic #1 There is 2 more than that not in my little trailer, she set them out the other day for stray cats to get in. There are not that many cats here now, but there have been up to 7 in recent years.

Sure, scientifically controlled! I'll compare the sun on those 2 next year, I am curious too.

What are the downfalls of Bradford Pears, do you have some intimate knowledge you could/should share?

Your OWH in the ground looks like it may be getting more shade. We're gonna crack this puzzle!

Hmmm.. not really intimate knowledge, (never had one), but I've seen ( and heard of) their downfalls pretty firsthand. I'm not really alone in saying that they have a weak crotch angle in the branches, they have weak wood. Because they hold the leaves so late into the Fall they are apt to get the leaves, (and branches weighed down by ice and/or snow and break). It's true, it can be pretty on the outside at times. But, I'm afraid the cons outweigh the pros. They are so weak-wooded, a wind will break it, (it doesn't even have to be a strong wind). I don't think I've ever seen one that looks like it's 20 years old. Like the saying goes, "all that glitters is not gold" or is it, "you can't polish a turd"?!
I dedicated a whole album in my trusty Photobucket photo album to them if you want to look. -
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/w4i0a/media/broken%20Bradford%20Pears/brokenrowofbradfordpears.jpg.html?sort=4&o=5
Aren't they pretty? The third photo is less than one year later, a few months later actually!
The ACA?! I'm going there now!

Thanks for getting in on my Ozark Witch-Hazels, yea, that is a puzzler!
Will

This message was edited Nov 14, 2013 11:08 PM

Gosh darn it, I just happen to have the same website designer as the ACA. Keep trying...

Ha, you should be impeached, impeared or Bradforded or something Pseudo.

Will, that info is intimate enough, between you and Muddy I have also struck Bradfords off my list until the hybridizers breed some durability into them. Thanks to both of you.

Yeah, that pseudo! I'm not sure if I want to invest in a company with no website!

I hate to be a buzzkill on the Bradford Pear tree, Mipii, but I loathe the tree!
It hasn't done anything to me personally, but I've heard about it's kind! I forgot to add that the pretty white flowers smell like vomit.

No, no buzzkill...pertinent info! THANK-YOU. Feel free to set me straight anytime.

BTW, smelling like vomit is a deal breaker anyway. I'm hoping Muddy will forgive me for even uttering it's unsavory name.

Hehe! Yw Mipii, hope I've been of some small assistance. BTW, the Miscanthus Giganteus seeds arrived in the mail today, thanks! I'll get them planted right away. I wonder if they require stratification? That's a funny black and white portrait of your eyeballs in your profile, Mipii.