Coffee Break #100!

I hope both of you continue to improve.

Thank you, Lucy

I'm so sorry that the healing is taking so much time, Louise & Rosemary! Not much fun getting older! Louise, the girls look so cute! Also well-behaved, unlike a certain poodle I know......Nicki was spayed yesterday, I'll be picking her up in an hour......I really missed her.....

I achieved some garden cleanup today so that was a good thing. Each year because I plant more, the cleanup is longer. Peony foliage required four large plastic leaf bags. And it takes little effort to order plants online, so the citrus grove in my living room is going to expand.

With all the trees in the yard, our main clean up problem is leaves, with more to come down.

My peonies are done, but I need to clean out the fireplace & put the ashes on them.

Same here, though it will be a bigger springtime chore. Lime and volcanic Azomite now for sure.
Some lilies will be accidental beneficiaries of the fall drenches on the hemlocks.

Our hemlocks along the road were sprayed last week, We have only had trouble with them one year.

As we backed out of the driveway this morning we noticed that one of our birch trees was bent over. On closer inspection signs of rot. It isn't a very big tree, so no loss really.

The tree trimming crew, hired by the utility company, has been on my road for a few days.....they just trimmed a few hemlock branches in my yard....

The utility co here is quite good about trimming branches away from the wires. In an area west of here & into NH the company in that area neglected it and a snowstorm set the area without power for over a week. the same storm caused a power loss here for several hours.

The utility companies are maintaining the trees over powerlines much better around here too.

Sadly I am in a major battle to save my hemlocks. It may be the death of them when the neighbor installs their vinyl fence on one side. A smaller weeping hemlock responded to the drench this year. It was also easy to spray all those branches with neem oil. I can only assume failure of the drench is related to the size of the trees and the necessary dose.

I think the spray for ours was one to destroy the attacking insect particular to the hemlocks. I forget its name, spray is only effective in the fall according to the tee service.

The tree pros have equipment that can spray up high into a tree. The local sources I've consulted seem to think it's not worth the expense because the drench is effective if used in the fall. Can't say I know who's right, the drench supporters or the sprayers. I don't want to try spraying anything toxic for my own part.

The hemlock bug is the wooly adelgid....it's not a big problem with my trees.....Garret saw some on the trees a few years ago, but the trees are still healthy. I never sprayed anything on them.

It hit our hemlocks 2 years ago (a mild attack) So they have protected it since. We use the co in the spring to spray for winter moth. they use horticultural oil for that.

It seems we're always battling some insect!

There must be some science to killing the creepy thing. Timing the drench, for one, so the rain doesn't wash it away before it can seep down into the roots.

It has to be a certain temperature (don't know what) that allows the spray to work. I know there is with the horticultural oil spray.

received my delivery from conifer kingdom today and it was warm enough to plant - they were in the giving spirit. ordered Pinus chief joseph on a special with a free abies las. blur bear - the box was pretty large - when I opened it there was a good sized picea schreakiana spruce nana and a picea abies vermont gold which looked to have suffered a bit with dead top growth - nothing that I little care will not cure.

Woohoo!!!!

Wonderful, Bill! Nice Christmas present.....

I hope there isn't a problem digging to plant. sounds like an interesting collection.

I think they will be ok - no issues digging and cover/blanketed them with a bag of miracle grow dirt. chief joseph is bright yellow and just glows out there.

Sounds like a beauty!

Chief Joseph looks ffrom all pictures to be a real prize! Conifer Kingdom sent me a pretty good sized shrenk spruce last summer for a mere $10. I really like the texture and shape, so it would be nice to get more. They are a really nice nursery and very generous with their fabulous stock.

I bought two Baby blue spruces locally for a very reasonable price. When I went back to the place a day later, a 30 foot square area of them was all sold, which confirmed that the buying impulse must have been correct :). I dug the holes too but couldn't quite get far enough to plant, as they were a bit heavy for me and needed mulch hauled as well. They'll winter over just fine though. And I filled in some of the seedlings (such as Golden spreader on sale) I was missing that Kigi had on their December sale. They are on the way!

Also as a present to myself I ordered the Dirr enclyclopedia from amazon. First things to look up were paper and white birches. He writes that there are some borer-resistant cultivars out there, which refreshes the thought of having a few clumps in front of all the conifers. Having had one bite the dust after struggling for ten years, it could be a triumph of hope over experience. I replaced it five years ago with a Chinese birch (Cinnamon flake) from songsparrow. It is gratifying that Dirr thinks their beauty makes them worth the effort, and the tree is certainly disease free, already starting to have the coppery peeling bark which stands out nicely against a thriving thunderhead Japanese black pine.

very nice rosemary - I think the shrenk will have to grow on me - it is a nice size so it will find a home here.

will have to check out the enclyclopeida - my wife need gift ideas for me:)

The book does sound like a great present.....wonder if my son has it...if not, maybe a birthday present....

The reference is Dirr's Encyclopedia of trees and Shrubs by Michael Dirr, Timber Press 2011. It has a lot of the material from Hardy Trees and Shrubs included, but updated. Since I totally trust his zone listings and I am always either agreeing or delighted to learn what he thinks about a plant-- it is all a good reference. Amazon has pretty good deals.

Thanks, Rosemary! Keep forgetting to ask if he has a copy!

Sad time for me as my Mom passed yesterday at age 99.......

So sorry, Marilyn. It is difficult even with a lady of wonderfully great age. It is hard being the top generation.

Oh, Marilyn, HUGS being sent your way from NJ. I know it's not an easy time. Coming up on five years in February. Sometimes it feels like just yesterday. Know that you are being thought of and prayed for here.

sending hugs and prayers

Oh, Marilyn, so sorry for your loss. I remember your posts about her, so I know she was a wonderful lady. I'm sure her spirit is smiling back at you right now. Much sympathy and prayers for your loss.

Thank you so much dear friends....my Mom was a gentle soul, & will be missed greatly.

sorry for you loss marilyn

The loss of a gentle soul in this troubled world is a loss for all, but especially difficult when she was you Mom. Truly sad
for you. Patti

Santa came early to my house and left another two boxes of plants from a December sale at Rarefind. Lazagna beds are getting lots of plant trash while the young people are here, sort of a drive by eat and run much of the time.

Here's wishing all a blessed holiday, sweet remembrances of people and years past, and the beginning of new traditions.

Thank you, friends, for such kind words.....it really helps. Unfortunately, more bad news....just before I left for the funeral, the kennel called to say Nicki had injured her leg. She actually broke 2 bones, was operated on today, & has a plate in her leg.....She can come home Friday......

Oh dear. How does a puppy do that? Best wishes for her healing.