Have to trade:
Musa Basjoo pups
Weeping Willow saplings
Corkscrew willow sapling
Passaflora Incarnata vines (lots and lots of them!)
Wanted-Harry Lauder's Walking Stick
I bought one a few years ago. I have been told cuttings will root in water. I would be glad to send you some cuttings for postage if you are still interested.
Definitely...but would you mind waiting till Spring? I don't have a place to keep them in the winter (my cats eat any plants I bring in the house! LOL!)
LOL...Boy do I ever know how that is!! LOL
Sure, Just drop me a line to remind me and also to let me know you are ready.
Sue
Bamabelle, I have a HLWS. Check with me in the spring, too, and I'll send you cuttings.
Good deal. Thanks a bunch!
That is a cool plant. I'll have to find some seeds for it.
:) Donna
You can't get seeds for it. From what I have read, all the plants in existance today are cuttings that came form a single orignal plant (or cuttings from the cuttings). Cuttings are usually grafted onto anohter host plant which often puts up straight shoots, rather than the twisted gnarly ones. It really is an intriguing plant. The common name comes from a comedian who did a routine using a walking stick made from one of the gnarled branches of a large plant.
I'm a read-a-holic...LOL! I find something that interests me and I read everything I can find on the subject.....
Somewhere I read alot for places pass off hazel nut trees as the walking stick. I believe I paid $32.00 for the one I bought thru a plant catalogue. Actually I bought 2 of them, and one died and the company refused to refund my $$ so I have never used them again. But the one that survived great fast. So I am happy at least one of them made it.
My sister in law fell ing love with it, and wanted one, so I just took a cutting and stuck it in willow water(willow and rain water) and it rooted for me, so I gave it to her. I have tried to root in tap water, but none of them made it.
That's great that you like to find information, BamaBelle. I didn't know about not making seeds....shucks! I must be thinking about the kale thing that grows really tall. Don't they call that some kind of walking stick?
:) Donna
Im glad someone said something about the walking stick. It has been on my list for many years.
There are contorted filberts, contorted hazel nuts, both have the cool look of the walking stick.
The kale that grows tall on a single stalk looks intriguing too....maybe a nice replacement for harry lauder.
I never heard the story about the comedian tho....
I received one just this year, and am watching it closely. Sure hope it lives for me. It will make a great conversation piece. My yard is slowing filling with unique plants like this.
PerennialGirl, I echo BamaBelle's comments to you. I started to put something in here, but then I wasn't sure if it was right or not. She is giving you good information.
blckwolf, it would be good for those of us who lurk in here if you would put your experience with that company in GardenWatchDog so we will know about that company before we order from them! Thanks.
As I said above, I --LOVE-- my HLWS. It's one of the focal points of my garden.
I, too, have always wanted one of these, but could not bear to spend the money. Nice to know about the seeds!! I guess I will have to break down and buy one.
Mine does once in awhile produce nuts (BTW filberts and hazelnuts are the same thing) cross pollinated with either our wild Hazels or with my Filazel. They are small and I've never tried to grow any. I think they graft these onto normal filbert rootstock because HLWS's own roots have the same problem as his leaves and stems. Not too efficient!
There is also corkscrew willow which is nice, but I like the winter outline of Harry better. Mine was planted in 1989. I'll have to see if I can root any in water and see if the roots are as twisted as the rest.
Barb
I've got a corkscrew willow. I bought it at the botanical garden's sale last year for $15..and it was a good sized sapling...about 7-8 feet tall and the trunk was about as thick as a walking cane. I took a couple of cuttings from it this year, but only one of them took. I've promised a cutting to my cousin, so it will be next year before I try to get any mor cuttings from it. I bought it so I'd have plenty of twisted willow for my floral arrangements without having to pay the outrageous prices they ask for a small piece of it. It has been slow to grow, but I am hoping that next year it puts on a lot more growth.
BamaBelle, I, too, have a corkscrew willow that is about 5 years old. It is now about 20' to 25' tall, full and beautiful. It sits in the hot sun most of the day, and is Not in a wet place. Good luck with yours. I truly love mine.
i have wanted a hlws and the Corkscrew willow both for yrs. did not know know seeds for hl. but seems like it would not make seeds interesting..
Twyla, I'll be happy to send you some corkscrew willow cuttings next spring. Just remember to remind me!
To those of you who mentioned interest in the "Walking Stick Cabbage", Value Seeds is offering 45 seeds for $0.99 and no matter how much your order is the shipping is a flat $0.99.
http://www.valueseeds.com/index.html
And here is the link to learn how to make your own walking stick out of the WSC seeds. http://www.woodcarvers.org/canes&walkingsticks.htm
I just ordered some seeds for the cabbage walking stick off ebay. Can't wait to see it grow.
:) Donna
I did some research on the HLWS when I was looking for one for my sister. If you do take a cutting, make certain that it is from a curly branch - not a sucker growth from the grafted stock plant. I also read that the ones that are not grafted are not as durable in this form. My other sister's tree has straight suckers all around the base, & they advise to cut them off so the plant's energy goes into the true HLWS. Her tree is fairly large - over 12 feet in height & very full. It is beautiful in the Winter, especially after a snowfall!
I am not quite ready to take on the HLWS, but I am practicing with the Corkscrew Rush :)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/55269/
Julie
Wow! I've never seen the corkscrew rush. I wish I had some :O)
Edited to say -- I want one of everything! And this is one that I don't have conditions to grow. I don't have a water feature, so I'll have to enjoy it in catalogs and in here :)
This message was edited Dec 10, 2006 9:10 AM
That is really cool.
I found a large variegated version
http://dovecreekgardens.com/variegated_corkscrew_rush.asp
I will definitely ahve to get some of this when I get my watergarden in next Spring...
It is really cute - a very low mounding habit. I bought one plant & cut it into two, so my sister could also have one. It did not mind being halved in the least! I hope to be able to split mine again next year... It is growing more slowly, as it is not in a boggy area. I water it, but it is not continuously moist. I highly recommend it - so cute!
I will have to have some of the corkscrew rush.....that is so cool. We have a small but nice little pond that I think it would look nice around.
I thought you were talking about something totally different............my son usually sells these "walking sticks" in the winter months on ebay.
Well..........................their kinda sorta a walking stick. Only created from nature and grapevine. LOL
Jane
Wow! Those 'walking sticks' are neat, and it shows his entrepreneurial spirit!
They are very neat..........and make beautiful walking or hiking sticks. It's amazing what mother nature can do when left alone and undisturbed... don't you agree?
I am thinking about using about 3 of them to make me a trellis. Don't think he will miss them......do you???
Why don't you make a 'trade' with him for something he wants? Yeah, they would be awesome as a trellis... If you ever go to a RU, you can take a few of them to trade~!
Showing my ignorance here...............RU?
Sorry... Round Up: when Daves Gardeners get together to meet, greet, eat, and swap plants, etc. Very much fun. There is a Great Big One near Land Between the Lakes.
That sounds like a lot of fun!.........and that's not far from us. Do you know when they will have it this year? Might like to plan a vacation around it.
Go to the Round Up forum and I'm sure you'll find it. If not, start a thread and ask for help. They'll be happy to help you. AND, if you ever want to, you can come to the Mid-South Round Up in Tupelo MS in May.
Thanks FlowrLady for the invite...........you just never know! ;)
Those are really neat walking sticks. You know, if they were shorter and had a brass head on them or a curved end, they would make really awesome walking canes. I have a couple of canes that are made from natural woods...one is made of ash, I forgot what the other is made of. I used to buy the wooden walking canes at drug stores for about $10 each and decorate them. Once I got about a half a dozen or so, I would donate them to a nursing home for Medicaide patients. The antique looking ones with roses on them were popular with the ladies...the ones with rainbow trout on them were popular with the men. Canes with a patritoic theme were very popular with the war vets. I started making them one time when I had a wedding to attend and didn't like the way the metal cane looked with my outfit. So, I made a pretty one with lace and ribbons. Got me to thinking that maybe other folks might like something fancy as well. Which led me to the next thought process, "why should only rich people have fancy canes?" Anyway, I don't have the time to make them anymore, but I still enjoy having unsual canes for those days when I don't get around so well...and that is when I use the rough wooden ones. I get sooo many compliments on them. I still am kicking myself for not buying the neatest cane I ever saw, though...it was hand carved with an old man's bearded face in the wood...and then it had a brass knob on the top that was a perfect fit for the palm of yoru hand, so it didn't hurt to lean on it. Saw it at a craft show about 15 years ago and my ex wouldn't shell out the cash for it.
BamaBelle, that's neat. Thanks for sharing.
Hi BamaBelle,
My son has sold literally hundreds of these twisted waking or hiking sticks as I call them, for just that purpose. He has a few regular customers that purchase at least 100 each time.
Here is a link to one on ebay that looks very similar to the cane you describe with the old man.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130058512057&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_RCRX_BIN_IT&refitem=130054193345&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&usedrule1=CrossSell_LogicX&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget
Many customers will want the tap root and are willing to pay more to have it, they use this to make the handle from.
He has one customer that is master woodcarver and drives over 5 hrs to pick up a load. I have seen some his finished sticks and they are absolutely gorgeous. Some will have carvings of birds, flowers, dragons, deer........really just about anything you could imagine but my personal favorite was one that was a snake. The spirals or twists of the stick was the coils of the snake body. I know it sounds morbid but it was absolutely beautiful. I use mine when walking in the woods...kinda as a poker to warn snakes to get out of my way. You remember the old saying...walk softly but carry a big stick...that's me.
Anyway......thanks for sharing.
Jane
That is neat, but it isn't quite as detailed as the ones this guy made....plus his had the polished brass knob for a handle. It is really cool though...thanks for sending me the link.
I used to have a walking stick that my exinlaws gave me. It had a owl on the top of the staff and it had a snake wrapped around the staff. The snake was unbelievably detailed with each scale being carved out. Unofrtunately, the wood split and it didn't last long. It was great for hiking.
if all else fails i will send you cuttings from my walking stick in the spring. it is at least 15 yrs old and very slow growing.....i have moved it around my yard trying to find the best location but so far it still grows very slowly....it makes catkins...aren't those a type of seed? One thing you should think about is background....i think mine would look nicer planted closer to the house and against a wall. winter interest is really the main attribute unless you want to use the branches in dried arrangements......all of my branches seem to be contorted and i have not noticed a graft. it is about 5 1/2 ft tall and quite bushy so when it is leafed out in the summer the contorted branches can not be seen
so it would benefit from being planted closer to where you would be able to see it up close...boy what a sentence but i think you will no what i mean.....planted 39 ft out in the yard it resembles a bush and in the winter the contortions are lost without a wall behind them to display them to an advantage and not have them lost in the twiggy background of most gardens.....it is a very special plant.
does anyone know why david austin wanted to include the trait of nodding in the rose he named after his wife.....i forget her name the blooms are a beautiful copper color.... and they droop which is called nodding......any comments?
Poppytea - You have a lot of hands-on experience growing this tree. I wouldn't have considered that the view would have to be close to enjoy the contorted structure... Thanks for sharing!
Julie